Iskandr  are  a duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Euprosopon"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Eisenwald.

 Dark  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  while melodic  pagan  chants  and  singing  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  stringed  instruments  and  acoustic guitars  can  also  be  heard briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Iskandr  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that is  very  original,  epic  and  atmospheric  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Dutch  and  cover  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Iskandr  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  pagan  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vlatke"  and  "Heriwalt".  8  out  of  10.

  Solar  Temple  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  transcendental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Fertile  Descent"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Eisenwald.

  Nature  sounds  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  both  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clear  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  their  is  also  a  brief  use  of acoustic  guitars   and  synths  are  also  used  briefly  and  psychedelic  and  noise  elements  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Solar  Temple  plays  a  style  of  black  metal that  is  very  atmospheric  and  experimental  while  using  a  different  vocal  style which  also  gives  the  music  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Solar  Temple  are  a  very  great  sounding  transcendental  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "White  jaw".  8  out  of  10.    

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
V: Hello, since the album was finished we've recorded a track for the upcoming split 7" planned next year and also started to draw the initial sketches for our future recordings.

2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of September, what are some of the things the band has done different musically with this recording that they where not able to do with your previous releases?
V: Since the band's "reunion" in 2016 all things were done on much higher level both creative and technical wise, "Lunar /Solar" EP was the first release done this way, "Pra Sila - Vukov Totem" continued this progression on the same path.

3.Between 2004 and 2017 there was no new music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time time frame?
Nav Cosmos: In this period the band was funcional, but with often line-up changes. During that time we almost didn't have any recordings, but I still didn't want to call it a quit. There are some songs and ideas from this period that were fully realized with the reunion of V and me. The idea itself to make a record and dedicate it to the Wolf as a serbian mythological ancestor is very old and has been finally implemented.

4.Your lyrics go very deep into Serbian and Slavic Paganism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the traditions and mysticism of this ancient religion?
Nav Cosmos: I became interested in slavic tradition, culture and mythology quite long time ago. I was trying to reach and I still do, as much as possible, relevant literature regarding this topic. My relation with the available sources is of course very critical and I reject a lot of pseudo-scientific works. Now we come to the point of what do we want to present. First of all, we use slavic mythology and terms as an instrument of expression, be it a metaphor, alegory or a symbol. Our lyrics are very often highly personal and attached to a certain events in life. Ancient slavic mythology is a great driving force which substantially inspires us in our creation. Also, one of our goals is to present to the world as much as possible the dark side of mythology coming from this part of the globe since this area has a lot to offer in cultural and spiritual sense. There is a great need to dwell as deep as possible into the past and make a kind of connection with the present time, because all those ancient slavic roots still strongly echo in our time. And to make things clearer, our lyrics are predominantly black metal stylized in a pagan way. Within the band, there is a tradition to dedicate every release to a certain subject from our mythology.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'All My Sins'?
Nav Cosmos: A name such as this has at least two important meanings. On the global level it represents a group of sins written in a song. However, this name carries within a certain amount of irony which questions the moral principles and teachings of monotheistic religions. Something that is a sin for someone it's not a sin for me and vice versa. We've never wanted our band to have an obivious name. In it's very core it is a black metal name pointed against humanity as it is and firmly connected with death, solitude, grief, hate and alienation from the world.
6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
V: The cover art was done by Daniel Dorobantu and it was designed that way to directly correspond with the album's concept. We knew and liked Daniel's work from his past experience with Negura Bunget, so the choice to choose him for the job was quite easy.
7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band but there was a full line up in the past, would you be open to expanding the line up again or do you prefer to remain a duo?
V: The main core of All My Sins has always been based around Nav Cosmos and me and we prefer to stay like that in the future as well. Although in a time that comes we might involve some other people in a band, Nav Cosmos and me prefer to have the absolute creative control of all aspects within the band finaly meaning that this way most likely All My Sins will remain a duo.
8.The way the band is dressed in the promo pics likes very ritualistic and shamanistic, can you tell us a little bit more about it?
V: The music we play and the subjects we cover have a lot of common with the local cultural elements. Therefore our visual appearance follows the same line of correspondence. The imagery we use on this album is closely inspired by a local pre-christian slavic custom called "Poklade" and on the general level it corresponds with the shamanic and mystical aspect of All My Sins. This shamanic aspect is furthermore emphasized when put in the context of the album where the worship of the ancestral wolf's totem is presented as a central point.


9.When there was a full line up did the band play any live shows?
V: Certainly yes, but the majority of these shows had a local character and the band never played outside of Serbia's borders.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
V: Frankly speaking we don't know it, since our label takes care to promote our release worldwide and to deal with everything surrounding that matter. What we know is that the response in reviews have been so far mostly positive and we are pleased about it.
11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
V: These days I do a lot of shows with Terrorhammer, my other band playing in the style we call "necro speed metal", currently promoting the actual "In the Name of Hell" EP with gigs in Serbia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. Beside this, there is one more, international project which I am currently recording and I guess more information about it will follow soon when the release is done.
12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
V: All My Sins will certainly continue to grow and develop on the same path that has been set with our comeback release in 2017 and continued with this year full-lenght. This means that things will become more stronger, more personal and more emotional. Over and above still very much black metal!
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?
Nav Cosmos: Influences come from many sides and with time we discover more and more different and quality artists. This concerns those that truly love music and those we can not count in high numbers. It is very important to love music! I couldn't tell you briefly after all this time everything about my musical influences, but they range mostly from heavy metal, thrash and death to black metal all the way to ambient stuff, dark rock, post-punk, kraut rock and some original folk music. As far as black metal is concerned, the biggest influence in my youth I got from: Bathory, Ulver, Satanic Warmaster, Nokturnal Mortum, Desaster, Burzum etc. These days I listen to the new VTTA album which is still in the mixing stage, Ulvdalir for which I hope All My Sins to do a cover, Dead Can Dance, Eloy and Lycia.
V: As Nav put it, influences are vast for people inloved with music especially if this bond comes a very young age. I do not experience this passion as a hobby but more as a call, both as a lover of music and an artist. Again it would be hard to name all my influences here, so I'll just drop you some names which I think they left the bigger impression on me like: Bathory, Iron Maiden, Fields of the Nephilim, Burzum, Pink Floyd, Dismember, Negura Bunget, Black Sabbath, Ulver etc. On the other hand the things I have been listening for the last couple of days (except for the new VTTA album which I happen mix at the moment) include: Dynatron, Daylight Misery, Eberhard Weber, Killing Joke and more.
14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Nav Cosmos: Greetings to you and your readers and thanks everyone that listens and follows our art. This is our first album and you should expect more from us in a time that comes.
V: Thank you for your support and interest in and what we do!

  Adverso  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  "Ex  Inanis"  which  will  be  released  on  cassette  in  October  by  Purodium  Rekords.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  screams  also  having  their  depressive  moments  as  well  as  all  of t he  riffs  being  done  on  power  chords  and  the  music  also  always  remains  very  dark  and  heavy.

  Adverso  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  old  school  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  dark,  chaotic  and  oppressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Adverso  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Adventus"  and  "Praereritus".  8  out  of  10.  

  Toadeater  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  demo.

  Shoegaze  style  guitar  leads  start  off   the  demo  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  bring  in  angry  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  post  rock  style  playing  at  times  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  crust  and  hardcore  punk  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Toadeater  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  crust,  hardcore  punk  and  post  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Toadeater  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Lathe".  8  out  of  10.