Hate  Gods  are  a  solo  project  form  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  ambient,  depressive  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  album  "Noctivago  Autocidio  Lucifugo".

  Ambient  style  synths  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of   the  music  at  times.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  the  songs  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  depressive  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  over  15  minutes  in  length.  One  of  the  songs  also  adds  in  world  war  II  samples  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  emotions,  feelings,  misanthropy,  occultism  and  wars.

  In  my  opinion  Hate  Gods  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  ambient,  depressive  and  raw  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Noctivago  Autocidio  Lucifugo"  "Ritos  Demoniacos"  and  "Terra  Perdida".  8  out  of  10.

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCCdh7DE0CRpjTrv-RYbIvlQ

Bandcamp: https://hategods.bandcamp.com/releases

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7F1ZJmnsASCwMdAaCBTVQs?si=ZNwrl_IwSX-Tilntj01BKg

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=107963391653067&ref=content_filter

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

  Gorguina  are  a  duo  from  Spain  that  plays  an old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Of  Shrouds  And  Daggers"  which  will  be released  on  October  15th  by  Negra  Nit.

   Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Whispers  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  while  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  but  keeping  the  focus  more  on  the  slower  or  mid  tempo  aspects.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also    very  long  and  epic  in  length,  synths  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  briefly  there  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  the closing  track  which  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  demonology,  mythology,  metaphysics,  rebirth,  human  ignorance  and  perpetual  blight  and  demise.

  In  my  opinion  Gorguina  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Humwawa  Of  The  Second  Winds"  "The  Fathomless  Dusk"  and  "The  Veil  of  Condescension".  8/5  out  of  10.

  Unctoris  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Shout  Demise"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  The  sounds  of  night  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  and  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  growls.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album,  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  some  saxophones  before  returning  back  to  a  more  aggressive  direction  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  doom  metal,  as  the  recording  progresses  a  touch  of  harsh  noise  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  chaos,  death  and  madness  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Unctoris  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Violet  Velvet"  "Rites  Of  Grey  Isolation"  and  "In An  Anechoic  Chamber".  8  out  of  10.

http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/unctoris-come-stabilire-se-ci-sei-ancora

http://www.facebook.com/unctoris 

.

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Þ.: Ever since the songwriting for the follow-up album has been basically laid down for a while now, and as the pandemic makes it still difficult to play live, the band activities were mostly centered around the release of the current album and everything that goes with it. 

We are in any case very excited for the release and can't wait to finally hold the result in our hands! 

2.You have a new album coming out later in October, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Þ.: It is an evolution to previous material in terms of more experimental, avantgarde songwriting, yet without neglecting the roots in traditional black metal. 

The interesting thing about “Calling the Void” is that it came out of a rather spontaneous burst of inspiration, initiated by Syknatt's purchase of a 7-strings guitar. Originally it was planned only as an EP, but thanks to our label's opinion we eventually turned it into a full-length by expanding it with more songs. We are very happy that we did!

Syknatt: The first two albums were written in traditional black metal style, but we have decided to develop our sound further and to include more different elements into our music. 

3.Both of the band members are also in other bands and projects, what is it that you bring into the music of 'In Crucem Agare', that you are not able to do with your other groups?

Þ.: Our various bands represent very different moods and aspects within the black metal spectrum. ICA allows us to express a different scope of emotions and to explore other musical paths, which would not fit well into our other projects. 

Syknatt: With ICA we have the freedom to more experimentation and not having to follow clear patterns. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Syknatt: The abysses and weaknesses of humanity, the problems of a non-functional society and the futility of religions. 

Since we are now working actively as a duo on the songwriting and thus we both can contribute with creative inputs, the quality of the material could be further improved. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In Crucem Agere'?

Syknatt: IN CRUCEM AGERE is Latin and can be translated as “crucifixion”, or “nailed to the cross”, and shows how humanity is chained to invented gods and religions.

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

Þ.: It was painted by my better half Rebecca Andel, a talented artist who did further contributions to the album as well, in the form of lyrics and guest vocals on some of the songs, but also by shooting our promo photos. She did the painting a couple of years ago, initially not related to ICA, but I always felt that it would make a great shape on an album cover. And in the end we came to the conclusion that it would actually fit perfectly to “Calling the Void”, so it was decided that we would use it for that purpose. I think it reflects the essence of this album really well, and also harmonizes with our promo photos, so one can say that things fell right into place in order to create an artistic synthesis.

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band but had a full line up in the past, are you open to working with other members again or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Syknatt: Þ. Joined the band as full member in 2018 on guitars and partly on vocals, “Calling the Void” is the result of our cooperation. 

Currently, being a duo works perfectly for us. But we are open to recruiting new members in the future, if it should be necessary. 

However there has been a full live line-up since 2018 to make playing shows possible. 

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Syknatt: We had our live-debut in 2018 in Vienna, since the band was previously only a studio project. We are open for more selected shows in the future. 

Þ.: The aim with our stage performance is to reflect the sinister concept behind the band and to let the darkness speak for itself. And yes, we are definitely open to play more shows!

9.The new album is going to be released on 'Code666', how did you get in contact with this label?

Þ.: It was important to us to have a proper release for this album, as we put a lot of sweat, blood and creativity into it. We contacted code666, because of the impressive list of quality releases, and as we felt that our music would fit well due to its more experimental nature. 

To our excitement the label was interested in releasing “Calling the Void”. What followed was the extension of an EP to a full-length, as well as some negotiations, until ultimately the deal was sealed.

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

Syknatt: The reactions in the past ten years have been very positive. 

11.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?

Þ.: Except for the circumstance that so far playing shows was not possible for a long time for well known reasons, it has been a very productive time in terms of songwriting and also for releasing new music. With our other band ILL TIDINGS, where both Syknatt and I are involved, the debut album was released earlier this year via Cult of Parthenope. Also, there are big news ahead on that front, so it is worth to keep an eye out. 

My other band FARAWISA also released its debut album a couple of months ago, via Naturmacht Productions. And I am working a lot on shaping up the new album for VÁSTÍGR, where recordings are planned for next year. 

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

Syknatt: We are working constantly on new material. Our aim is to always keep on improving the band, and to reach more people with our music and our message. 

Þ.: Further into the abyss. There is no turning back, an endless sea of darkness lies ahead and we continue our descent. 

13.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?

Syknatt: Specifically for ICA, I am mostly influenced by traditional black metal, as well as death and doom metal, and also modern black metal from Iceland.  

Þ.: The influences are countless- in one way or another pretty much anything that touches the soul can work as a source of inspiration, be it other bands, artists or the misery of everyday life. But if I had to drop some names, the most prominent ones would be DEATHSPELL OMEGA, BLUT AUS NORD, or CARPE NOCTEM, but there are many more. 

As for what's hot now, I am very much enjoying the new albums by INFERNO, MANNVEIRA and DJEVEL- and yes, also the new DARKTHRONE full-length. Not to forget the debut EP of our good friend Alboin's new band PLUTONYAN! 

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

Syknatt: Thank you for the interview and your interest in ICA!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InCrucemAgere
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incrucemagere/
Bandcamp: https://incrucemagere.bandcamp.com/ 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  2021  ep  between  California's  Ancestral  Awakening  and  Bilesipper  called  "The  Savage  Shroud"  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Ancestral  Awakening  a  band  that  plays  a  raw  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal  and  crust  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  crust  punk  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  short  in  length,  back  up  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while t h e lyrics  cover  politics,  hatred,  war  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ancestral  Awakening  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal  and  crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Web  of  Deceit"  and  "Serpentocracy".

  Next  up  is  Bilesipper  a  solo  project that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  lo-fi  form  of  black/death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  bestial  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  also  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  Throughout  his  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  plague, madness  and  blasphemy  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bilesipper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  lo-fi  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of t he  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Fullest  Moon"  and  "Chalice".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  raw  black  and  death  metal.  8  out  of  10.

https://bilesipper.bandcamp.com/

https://ancestralawakening.bandcamp.com/