Molde  are  a  duo  with  members  from  Ireland  and  Poland  that  plays  black  metal  with  some  doom metal  elements   and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Messenger"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  The  Ritual  Productions.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  elements  of  doom  metal  onto  the  recording.  The  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length. 

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments,  winds  and  battle  sounds,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  recording  also  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Molde  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  metal  duo  with  some  touches  of  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Backed  By  The  Reckoning"  "Leaving  the  Mortal  Realm"  and  "Call  of  The  Ancient".  8  out  of  10.  

  Hagzissa  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  very  old  witching  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "They  Ride  Along"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  emtal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  as  well as  having  their  melodic  moments.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing  melodic  chants  and  vocals  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  narrative  spoken  word  parts  and  horror  movie  samples  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  primitive  magick,  folklore,  witchcraft  and  horror  themes.. 

  In  my  opinion  Hagzissa  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  witching  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Die  Pforte  (A  Speech  Above  The  Moor)"  "Searing  Effigy"  and  "There,  Draw  A  Circle".  8/5  out  of  10.

 http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/hagzissa-irrsinnsdimensionen-a-bath-amidst-the-wells     

  Russia's  Abigorum  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  expanding  from  being  a  solo  project  to  being  a  full  band  along  with  some  embers  residing  in  Germany  and  also  playing  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Exaltatus  Mechanism"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Death  Portal  Studio.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  more  deeper  and  demonic  sounding  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music.  Elements  of  ambient  and  drone  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  being  long  and   epic  in  length,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  grim  sounding  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  enlightenment,  death  and  cosmos  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abigorum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Grau  Und  Schwarz"  "Fur  Die  Ewigkeit"  "Krieg"  and  "Das  Kloster".  8  out  of  10. 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Pierre Noir was born from the idea of mixing techno and black metal.  For quite some time I was making techno music and at the same time I listened to a lot of black metal so I thought it could be mixed as no one had really done it.  If black metal and electronics had been mixed certainly but specifically with techno, i.e. the bass on the floor, 4x4, and the basic scheme of techno, I personally hadn't heard it in anyone.

2.Since 2018 you have put out at least 3 releases, musically how do they differ from each other?
Well, it was two releases. Pierre Noir is a slow project. I want to perfect the technique of mixing the two styles little by little.  I think the first "Welcome to the black rave" is more basic. for this new ep "Licantropia is the relationship of the barbarized mankind" I have worked more the atmosphere and I wanted it to sound more raw, as it is generally how I like black metal. The problem with this is that in techno the bass drum must be in the foreground to be techno, everything else goes behind. I'm trying to find the balance on this last record between these two things, the bass drum, the atmosphere and the maelstrom of guitars and raw black metal screams.

3.The lyrics on the new album deal with anti capitalism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in politics?
In black metal talk politics is very controversial because there was a large part of the scene that was far-right or directly Nazi. However, lately this is changing.  Black metal is an underground musical movement rejecting the existing. He's not accommodating or looking to please the general public. This trend has been mainly in my opinion that has led some black metal bands and projects to embrace Nazi ideology. However, I believe that the idiosyncrasy of black metal is closer to an anti-capitalist social critique. Personally, I'm someone very critical of money being the only thing valid in this world. I also see in the evolution of modern capitalism a growing human barbarization that turns people into a mass report without critical thinking or the ability to choose their lives beyond what the system prepares for them.

4.On one of your earlier releases you also covered some occult themes, how would you describe your interest in the dark arts?
I am particularly interested in the part of the occult that is related to reality.  Historically what their vision of the world and existence meant to peoples in their concrete cultures. A vision that was not based on an established religion as then were the great religions first polytheistic and then monotheistic but on a multiple knowledge of the real experience with death and birth. I am particularly interested in how this knowledge resisted Christianity in Europe in the form of what was called witchcraft in the Middle Ages and also its relationship to the patriarchal drift of society. I also like "satanic" imagery because it represents antagonism and denial that are important points to be free people

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pierre Noir'?
Pierre noir means in French black stone and refers to the mythological archetype of a black stone present in many cultures. Mecca is a black stone that was already revered before the advent of Islam.  There are many references to black stones in many civilizations and they have a fairly similar character.  The  name plays a little bit with the meaning of black stone and black metal.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?
The cover is a picture by the German artist Lucas Cranach, from SXVI, entitled "Der Werewolf oder der Kannibale". Lycantropia is something that we have encountered since the beginning of the centuries and that is nothing but the figurative representation that the human being is a wolf to the human being in certain circumstances. The werewolf does not appear except at very specific times, the rest of the time he is an ordinary man. This helped me to focus the concept I wanted to refer to from a humanity barbarized by capitalism where lycantropia is the common and normalized relationship

7.I have read that you have decided to keep this project anonymous, can you tell us a little bit more about it?
I don't see any need to show my identity or anything like that or actually contribute anything to this project so I've decided to leave it anonymous

8.With 3 releases in less than 2 years do you feel you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?

Well, I do spend a lot of time making music, it's an essential part of my life right now. However it is not only for this project Pierre Noir, I am in others, I play in bands of other styles, however I am not professional in any way. It's pure love of art.

9.On a worldwide level how has been to your music by fans of black metal and techno?
So far the reception has been much better among people who like black metal than those who like techno. It's also true that black metal fans are a lot more music lovers than technoheads who often only listen to that music when they party .without worrying or cared who makes the music they're listening to.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I see myself researching sounds and atmospheres and recording techniques.

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?
Pierre Noir is influenced above all by the black metal that started in Norway, especially and despite the differences and political antipathies that I feel towards Varg Vikernes, the sound achieved in Burzum is what has influenced me as I suppose 90 percent of people who makes underground black metal today. Also another band not specifically black metal influenced me a lot and it is Devil's blood. I am also influenced by many things I hear now, a lot of raw black metal like Sanguine Relic, Moras of Finland, Carved Cross from Australia, Haxenzirkle from Germany, some danish bands like Jordslaet and the Korpsand collective, Batilda, Vaal, I usually like dark projects of current raw black metal


12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
thank you for the interview and congratulations for the fanzine. A much-needed job to keep the underground alive

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
1.I am Arturo, I make bass guitars and vocals in draugen, draugen is a project born of the need to bequeath music and knowledge. Draugen is raw black metal noise that's experimental.

2.So far this year you have released an ep and a demo, musically how do they differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
2. Musically I think what's better now. First because I jave evolved a lot in black metal in my way of playing than it was before. Second, the discography differs in that the previous disc were recorded without giving a message or some preconceived idea, while the current discs are more based and the music I get much better if I have something to express.

3.On one of your tracks you showed soem inspiration from the writings of 'Clark Ashton Smith', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his work/
3. The lyrics contain names, words and concepts of Asenath Mason's Nekronomicon gnosis, those comcepts are intermingled with other concepts from the toltec shamanism. About that I usually read Carlos Castaneda's books and get into his work every night.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years wirth your music?
4. War, satanism, paganism, death, hate, extreme, darkness, gore, now I am with the witches of Mexico and their knowledge of the Toltecs, everything mixed poetically in my lyrics.

5.Your current project evolved from 'Belfegor', how is the music from 'Draugen' different than your previous project?

5. Belfegor was dysfunctional, there were lengthy experimental guitar passages there, sounds were quite calm for turning off in a fast tremolo picking and back to the dark melody from where started in a melancholic trastorned vein. Draugen contains still parts of those experimental sounds in Belfegor, they differ in that Draugen is black metal and Belfegor was instrumental blackned experimental noise/ambient almost without drums.

6.What is the meaning and insiration behind the name 'Draugen'?
6. The draugen are the ghost of the dead in the seas, I was inspired that peraphs we are all Draugens, dead in some metaphorically is the sea of life and march dead towards a system that preys on us, is something poetic, inspires me something impulsive in me that is not explained by words, if I tried to tell you what I would say is the pressure exerted by the fact of being alive.


7.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to remain solo?
7. I am working together with Kadesh of Deeper Villeness. Something is cooming soon, Winter Bristles... I've played in bands before, but today I would not, my task involves a lot of time.

8.In 2017 you where a aprt of a split with 'Cryptorsatan' 'Satanian' and 'Sycamore 3', what are your thoughts on the other bands or projects that had participated on the album and also do you have an interest in national socialism?
8. They are good bands and the results was very good, Cryptorsatan possesses the power of the old school, Draugen and Sycamore 3 have their rawness, Satanian is a live recording.
For me the politics is decadent, it is not ruined because it continues to work in most countries of Latin America: it continues trolling. I can not answer that question because I never lived under the yoke of national socialism, I can only comment om what I have lived, Argentina has been in democracy since I was born, I can only say that politics is in decline but is not ruined because it works and hooks thousands of people every day, that is seen here.

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

9. The reaction was right, from Belfegor to Draugen it started being very anti-commercial in tape in under places u know?, with handmade cover like Les Legion Noires... Then I just started to share the music in the networks and I got a circle of audience, also i  russia are cooming out copies of dark vermis under the label barbatos prods. Same with cvlminis and floppy noise records. There is planned release grim forest sky in germany and sweden by the end of this summer.

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

10. Soon, I'm working on a new album, there's no place we should not refuse.

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?
11. Gorgonas, Ulfhethnar, Moloch, Throne, death metal, grindcore, Satanicum Tenebrae, Black Murder, Torgeist, LLN, Emperor. I  terms of influences the old Darkthrone, the new demo "grim forest sky" although it is black metal I get inspired by the "Brujería" fierce sound. Vocal referents are Gezol from Sabbat, Dead, Ash, Nattramn, Varg, and the Maniac of "Deathcrush".
Lately I listened Holokauston, black metal from India made by a 19 years old boy.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
12. All days occultism play a role in my music, I am sure that my music was born by and for the purpose of the occult, I can not explain how, but symbolically it is close to all, the occult is what trascends reason to enter unexplored lands.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. Thanks Occult Black Metal Zine for the opportunity, I was reading the blog and you have a vast potential here.
Greetings
-Artur