This  is  a  review  of  a  3  way  split  album  between  United  Kingdom's  Arx  Atrata,  Bleakwater  Shrine  and  Arx  Silvestris  called  "The  Warrior  Cycle"   which  will  be  self  released  in  April,  2021  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Bleakwater  Shrine  a  solo  project  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  both  of  their  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  are  also  added  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling,  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  his  second  track  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy.

  In  my  opinion  Bleakwater  Shrine  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Desolation".

  Next  up  is  Arx  Silverstris  a  solo  project  that  plays  ambient.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  dark  ambient  style  synths  and  soundscapes  while  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  as  well  as  being  all  instrumental  and  short  in  length  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Arx  Silverstris  are  a  very  great  sounding  ambient  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Solitude".

  Next  up  is  Arx  Atrata  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  instrumental  and  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Synths  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  both  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  as  well  as  sticking  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  before  speeding  up  towards  the  end  and  adding  in  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Arx  Atrata  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental  and  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Succession".  8 out  of  10.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is    very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  ambient,  instrumental  and  post  black  and  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.

www.bleakwintershrine.com    

https://youtu.be/S-7Wi1OGdVo

https://youtu.be/vVwvKnW7bhE  

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  U.SA's  Oppressive  Descent  and  Sweden's  HellGoat  called  "Death  Knell  Of  A  Dying  World"  which  will  be  released  in  April,  2021  by  Corrupted  Flesh  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Oppressive  Descent  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  occult  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  tradition  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing,  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  depressive  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.   The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  suicide,  depression,  loss  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Oppressive  Descent  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  occult  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Crumbling  Remnants  Of  The  Mausoleum  Walls".

  Next  up  is  HellGoat  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  satanic  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  violent  movie  samples  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  always  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction,  deep  demonic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Satanism,  Devil  Worship,  Hate  and  Murder  themes.

  In  my  opinion  HellGoat  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  satanic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hora  II".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Oppressive_Descent/3540421054

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/HellGoat/3540455326      

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

Überchriist came together in the mid-2000s when we were playing in separate punk/noise/heavy rock bands that did a lot of shows together. We decided to form a more black metal influenced band so we could explore the subconscious and become one with the great primordial beast within, and that’s exactly what happened. 

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Chiefly it’s just more articulate musically and vocally, better musicianship and more clarity overall. More vigorous. Wizened, perhaps. 

3.This is also your first release in 10 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

We were just waiting for the world to catch up pretty much, honing our identity from different perspectives. Variously playing prog, post punk, power violence, bar rock, etc. in a smorgasbord of other projects. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Death and rebirth, facing difficult realities of existence, ritual and mythological symbolism, finding purpose in the face of impermanence and futility in a hostile world, fusing conscious thought with unconscious instincts, fun stuff like that. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Uberchriist'?

It was inspired by Nietzsche, like if man worships Christ than ubermensch would worship Uber Christ. Basically what would be the messiah of the next stage in the evolution of humanity. Regarding the spelling it was just to set the band apart from any other use of the term that could be out there, as well as suggesting that the concept doesn’t actually have much to do with Christianity one way or the other. Plus the two i’s look like an umlaut I guess. 

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

It is inspired by old epics and tragedies. Greek myths and pure agony. Also, It’s sort of like Bat Boy from Weekly World News mixed with a possessed televangelist preacher screaming into the void. 

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

The biggest crowd we played to was opening for Deafheaven, oddly enough, but it was fun. We mostly played with a lot of local punk and thrash bands like Bukkake Boys and Manic. Lots of loud noisy drunken whirlwinds. I think someone puked in front of the stage once. 

8.Currently the band is unsigned but worked with a label on the previous release, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Yeah, I guess that’s the goal, along with finding a way to tour at some point. No one has reached out at this point.

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

Limited exposure thus far but generally positive. People sometimes want the same old black metal from 20 years ago, but that leaves no room to grow, to live. If you don't live then you can never die.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We just added 2 new members so we’ll hopefully have enough material sometime this year. Adding some new moods and tones. Just looking to expand and refine what we’re capable of and practice as much as we can until shows start happening again. 

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?

When we first got together we were into stuff like Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega. Leviathan/Wrest has always been a big inspiration for me. A lot of classic older metal and prog/ambient. Stuff like Klaus Schulze and John Carpenter soundtracks. As far as current bands Mgla, Akhlys and Oranssi Pazuzu are a few good ones. OP was one of the last shows I saw and it was insane. 

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

Thanks for taking the time to check us out, we’re coming down the pike so get on the train or get outta the way!

  Sielunvihollinen  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  old  school and  melodic  form  of  satanic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Teloituskasy"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hammer  Of  Hate.

  High  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  heavy  riffs  start  off  the  album  while  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Finnish  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  playing  and  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  song.

  Sielunvihollinen  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  old  school  and  traditional  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  Satanism,  Anti  Christianity  and  Anti  Islam  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sielunvihollinen  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  old  school  satanic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tulen  kaste"  "Noitavaino"  and  "Usvan  tuoma".  8  out  of  10.

http://sielunvihollinen.bandcamp.com/album/teloitusk-sky

www.facebook.com/sielunvihollinen
www.kvlt.fi

  Labored  Breath  are  a  solo  project  from  Oakland,  California  that  plays  a  very  aggressive  and  modern  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Dyspnea"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Dissonant  style  riffing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  angry  sounding  shouts  are  also  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  shows  some  influences  of  the  modern  French  and  Icelandic  styles  of  the  genre.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  having  their  deep  and  demonic  moments,  atmospheric  soundscapes  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  one  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  chants  can  also  be  heard  and  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  the  closing  song.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  biggest  fears.

  In  my  opinion  Labored  Breath  are  a  very  great  sounding  aggressive  and  modern  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hypoesthesia"  and  "Belie".  8  out  of  10.

BANDCAMP RELEASE