Krod  are  a  solo  project  from  Chile  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Gods  Burn  In  the  Abyss Of Serpents"  which  was  released  by  Kvlt  und  Kaos  Productions.

  Spoken  word  parts  and  murder  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  heart  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  second  wave  influences  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  World  War  II  samples  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  also  starts  adding  in  more  2000's  era  depressive  elements.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw while  the  lyrics  cover  Murder,  Anti  Christianity,  Satanism  and  Luciferian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Krod  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mirror  Of  Psychopath"  "Spill  Your  Blood"  "Gas  Chamber"  and  "Succubus  Rape  The  Heaven".  8  out  of  10.

  Alone  are  a  solo  project  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  ep  "I-IV".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Alone  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  modern  style  of  atmospheric  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  sea,  hunt  and  cavern  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alone  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric  black  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Wars"  and  "The  Hunt".  8  out  of  10.

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2. https://alone14.bandcamp.com/releases

  Malum  Mortuus  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "The  unwilling  Sacrifice"  which  was  released  by  Imperial  Darkness  Records.

  A  very  aggressive  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  back  up  shouts  can  also be  heard  briefly.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  style.  The  songs  also  mix  in  some  influences  from  both  the  80's  and  90's  era  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  melodies  as  well  as  ep  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  The  Misfits  "Ghoul's  Night  Out".

  Malum  Mortuus  plays  a  style  of  black  emtal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christianity,  Occultism  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Malum  Mortuus  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beneath  The  Ritual  Knife"  and  "Wolves  of  Retribution".  8  out  of  10

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ eternal_malum_mortuus/          

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?

na zarot is a raw black metal solo-project, that I kind of started in 2020. At that time, however, I hadn't planned on publishing anything with it.

That happened when I kept on recording, spent more and more thoughts on it and got some encouragement by friends who listened to the songs.  

2.Early in November you released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

I am quit a fan of lo-fi music,/ art. Not only in the black metal genre. In my opinion there is a big or even better potential to express your emotions and thoughts ,when you’re not permanently looking for the technically best sound.

So that‘s was what I was doing while I was recording the EP. Just plugged in some gear, set some simple settings, without spending to much effort in it, and than go for it.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

The lyrics of each of the four songs have their owen basic theme. Since I like the listener to create their own thoughts on it, I wont get into detail what they are about.

But as you can guess, desperation, anger and being in a kind of hopeless situation where you get the freedom of not having to care about yourself, are some basic topics.  

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind 'Na Zarot'?

The Name na zarot came to me on a vacation trip to austria. I was driving through a small village and on one of the few signpost I read the name Nazarot. The foggy and dark landscape kept me thinking that this would be a good name for a black metal band.

A few months after that ,I was in a real bad situation and started to play and record the music as a way to deal with it. That’s when the name crossed my mind again. When I looked the name up on the internet, I found out that there’s already an indonesian black metal band called Nazaroth. So I just changed the spelling a bit and ended up with „ na zarot “ .

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?

A friend of mine, who listened to the songs got me in contact with an artist who is very keen on black metal artwork.. So my friend sent the songs to the artist and without much discussion, he created the cover that you can see on the tape. Since we got along really well and had the same thoughts about how the artwork should look like, we stayed in contact and decided to make a shirt for the merchandise as well. You can find his work at: http://bhasdesign,tumblr.com/  

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or

do you prefer to work solo?

Besides na zarot I am already playing in a synth-punk band, called night punch (nightpunch999.bancamnp.com). Although I really appreciate to play in that band, I‘m also glad to be the only member of na zarot and I am not planning on making a band out of it. I guess this has been said some times, but with a solo-project, you’ve got the freedom to make all the decisions, the time schedule and the artistic out- and input on your own. Sure that can be a lot to focus on, but it is also a good way to keep it very personal.

7.So far very little is known about the solo project, are you planning on expanding your presence in the future do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

I wasn’t planing on it, but since I released the tape, I’m kind of interested in paying the songs live. Of course there is a problem with my answer to the previous question, but I imagine that there’s alternative way to perform the music. So, yeah keeping a low profile works fine for me and I don’t think that lo-fi black metal music is the best kind of genre to choose when you are planning on making something big out of it. But apart from that, I’m not trying to intentionally hide myself.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Until now it worked for me to do (almost) everything related to the project by myself. And since I don’t have any more financial interest, than getting my costs back in, that, used to be fine by me.

But recently I realized that the organization, selling and packing of the tapes / merchandise really takes some time. So that’s something I would like to give in somebody else‘s hands. Besides, I would also be interested in the musical merger of a label. So yes, I would be interested in working with a suitable label.

In the next weeks the guys and girls from „narbentage“ (narbentage.de) are gonna sell some of my tapes and shirts in their shop. So that’s something I already appreciate.  

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

The reaction so far has been great. Of course I had do to some promotion, which I mostly did online, but once it has been out there, it worked quit well. I got to know, that there are a bunch of people in the black metal subculture, that are very interested in new releases and who take there time got get into the music. So far I sent some tapes to France, Spain, Germany, Austira, Switzerland, Netherlands, U.S.A, , and to the Czech Republic. My first stock of tapes is already sold out so that I’m gonna produce some more of them in the next weeks.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

When I made the decision to release the four songs on an EP, I thought that would be a one time thing.

But because of the feedback, me listening even more to the genre, and because I recognized that playing the music helps me dealing with some issues, I’m pretty sure that there’s gonna be more of it to be released. Be it on another EP or a full length album, we’ll see.

Besides that, I don’t have so much effort to improve my skills as a musician, than rather keep on recording some songs that I care about.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I’ve listened to metal music since I was like 13-14 years old. However that’s not been the only kind of music that affected me. I also got into punk, hardcore, garage and other alternative genres. But in the last two or three years my, general interest in metal, especially in black metal came more forward again. There was one notable moment when I was listening to the album „prussian blood“, by „somme“ The intensity of the music really worked and still is working for me. I guess that was the point when I started to get more into the lofi-black metal music.

Because oft he online promoting of the EP I got to know some cool music oft he scene as well. So there’s a lot that I’m listening to right now, but the last thing I heard during my ride to work was „Departure Chandelier“, „Mulla“ and a band that I almost can’t spell:  „Mispryming“.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

I don’t know what came first, my interest in metal or the interest in the occult. I guess it came up the same time and has benefited from each other.

I’m not an Expert in the field, but I read the books and kept my interest in it.

As you can see on the bandcamp site, I got into Crowley lately. In a mantric way, that works very well for me

13.before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

„the ordeals I write not: the rituals shall be half known and half concealed: the Law is for all“ – nuit

Thank’s for your time.

nazarot.bandcamp.com 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1/ The band was created by the need to play the -back to the roots black metal- music that we grew up with. All of us are musicians in other bands in different genres but none of the genres that we deal with can evoke the same feeling. Venla has released quite a few ambient records, Azoso used to play in punk and doom bands whereas I (Declwa) , have a few personal projects quite far from the metal genre.

2.A few months ago you released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

2/The main ideas were based around 2nd wave of black metal bands. Darkthrone, Mayhem, Satyricon were quite an inspiration for most of the tracks. Some of the riffs were written quite a few years back and the main idea was to make a record recreating that sound and atmosphere. When Venla joined the group and started sending over their vocal tracks (Venla is based in a different part of the UK) we started adjusting the original arrangements a bit and it led us to exploring a different sound with some heavily reverberated guitars or some cool synth sounds. Quite the opposite from where we started but I think it worked well in the end! All the ideas were worked remotely and the final recordings were sent to Krszystof in Poland where he recorded the drums for us.

3.Most of the band members are also in other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Unmother' that you are not able to do with your other groups?

3/I think it is that level of experimentation that helps Unmother create a more unique sound. Venla brought a lot of “atmosphere” whereas mine and Azoso’s approaches are more raw. I could not fit that rawness in any of the other projects I am involved in.

4.Most of your lyrics cover dystopian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

4/The main idea behind “Lay Down the Sun” is the dystopia we are living in now. At least mood-wise that is what kept me inspired during the recording and production of the album. I can’t talk in length about the lyrical part as this is mostly Venla’s area but musically we tried to achieve an atmosphere that portrays the suffocating reality of urban decay.

5.The band is also anti fascist, racist and sexist, can you tell us a little bit more about these views?

5/To be anti-fascist is to be humane. Also, in a music genre where a big proportion of the groups are openly nazis and a few others are keeping silent because they do not want to lose fans that are nazis, we think it is important to take a clear stance.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Unmother'?

6/Mother is a strong word and motherhood a strong concept, especially taking into consideration today´s reality. At the time that we chose the name it felt even stronger with all the things that were happening in US and Europe regarding abortion laws (well, still happening).

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

7/Yes, the cover was created by Lorenzo D’Alessandro. He is an Italian artist and we asked him to design an urban landscape at night-time. I think he has done a fantastic job and it fits the music so well.

8.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

8/Not at the moment. It is a bit difficult to juggle between full time jobs and time for the group and also get over other difficulties such as distance etc. Would love to think we could perform live at some point though.

9.The album was also released on 'True Cult Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

9/True Cult records is an awesome label from Athens, Greece. They have quite an impressive roster for the time they have been around and some of the best rabm and dungeon synth releases of this year have been released by them (Mystras, extegina to name a few). They have released our album on tape, cassette and have also released some kickass tshirts.

10.On the album you also done a 'Siouxsie And The Banshees' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

10/I love the band and I was surprised that no metal band had covered this track before. The opening riff is so captivating! I think we did a good job with this one and we are considering doing a few more in the future from non-metal bands.

11.On a wordlwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

11/Fairly positive so far. We did very little in regard to promotion for the album and I am happy with the response we got. We will be a bit more proactive for future releases.

12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

12/Azoso has her personal project which is a mix of doom and post metal, it’s really interesting and I hope she releases something soon. Venla has quite a few projects that are a bit more experimental, something like industrial black metal with an idm approach! I released my debut EP as “Those Damn Thieves” and now working on my full length but it is way way way more time-consuming and costly than I thought because I want to record all parts with session musicians and avoid samples. I try to pace myself with this project as I have to admit it is my favourite.

13.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

13/Refining the sound and maybe employing a more “bladerunner synth” approach on our sound. The new tracks are sounding killer, and I am looking forward to work on them soon. Hopefully you will see an EP being released at the beginning of 2022.

14.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

14/Influences: the 2nd wave of black metal and maybe a few post metal bands as well and some sci-fi soundtracks. Music I have been listening to lately: Rebel extravaganza by Satyricon, A Umbra Omega by DHG, Medulla by Bjork and the full discography of Last Drive (a garage rock band from Athens, Greece). Azoso’s playlist the last week: Feminazgul/Awenden split & the Man Must Die latest album

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

15/Thank you for all the support so far. It means a lot!