Harakiri  For  The  Sky  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  post black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Arson"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  AOP  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  black metal  screams  as  well  a s all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  while  the  tracks  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements along  with  the  songs also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well as  the songs  also  getting  very  atmospheric  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars can  also  be  heard  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Graveyard  Lover's  "Manifesto"  which  also  brings  in  female  vocals.

  Harakiri For  The  Sky  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  post  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  and  suicide  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Harakiri  For  The  Sky  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  you  should check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fire,  Walk  With  Me" "Heroin  Waltz"  and  "Voidgazer".  8  out  of  10.

  Mood  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  ritualistic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  album "Marks  On  The  Black  Moon".

   Atmospheric  drones  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  acoustic  guitars  and spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  black  metal  screams  are  more  in  the  background.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric,  avant  garde  and  ritualistic  sound  while  the  faster sections  of  the  songs  use  a great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  along  with  a  great  potion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  the later tracks  the  high  pitched  screams  start  making  a  more  powerful  presence  along  with  some  whispers  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  experimental  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melodic vocals.

  Mood  plays  a  style  of  black  metal that  is  very  ritualistic,  atmospheric  and  experimental  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  influenced  by  the  films of  Zulawiski, ancient  witchcraft  and  the  writings  of   Bergier  and  Pauwels.

  In  my  opinion  Mood  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  ritualistic  and  experimental  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ice  Sheet"  "After...The  Curse"  "Marks  Of  The  Black  Moon"  and  "Lunatic  Dimension".  8  out  of  10.    

  Germany's  Ancst  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  melodic  black  metal,  hardcore  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2018  album  "Ghosts  Of  The  Timeless  Void"  which  will  be  released in  March  by  Lifeforce  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  deep  black  metal  screams.   

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  d  beat,  crust  punk  and  hardcore  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  guitars   as  well  as  some  spoken  word  samples can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  later  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  ambient  style  synths.

  Ancst  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their mixture  of  melodic  black  metal,  hardcore  and  crust  punk,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry,  critical,  social  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ancst  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dying  Embers"  "Revelation  Of  Deformity"  "Republic  Of  hatred"  and  "Self  Portrait".  8  out  of  10.

  Slovenia's  duo  Snogg  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  experimental  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  ep  "Abeloth".

  Ambient  style  drones  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  water  sounds  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  clean  guitars  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments  and all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  get  very  deep  at  times  while  the  music  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  fashion  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in length  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  a  raw  feeling,  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Snogg  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  experimental  black  metal  style  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Snogg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Beloved  Queen  of  The  Stars".  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?

C. (vocals): Hi! After the recording session we focused mainly on a few live shows: two gigs in Czech Republic followed by F.O.A.D Fest that took place at the beginning of December in our home town. Besides, the new year will bring a minor personal change in our line-up, we will release some official statement regarding it soon.

P. (bass guitar): It is also worth mentioning that we have some additional tracks that have been recorded and mixed along with “Fate” session – they will be released as either EP or some split in the future. However, currently our main focus is to promote the band’s latest album “Fate”.

2. You have a new album coming out in December, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released on the past?

C.: I am very pleased with the final sound of the new album. It’s more dirty and obscure comparing to “Ecce Homo” so it suits our music better. Additionally, each instrument is properly and clearly exposed on “Fate”.

P.: I was not involved in writing of “Ecce Homo” so it is difficult for me to refer to that album. What I can say is that practically all band members contributed to the creation of “Fate”. Speaking of music quality, the rhythm section on “Fate” is vivid and intense. Personally, I find overall sound of “Fate” more organic, natural and powerful comparing to “Ecce Homo”.

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

C.: I always explore misanthropic areas in my lyrics. I like to depict contempt for the human kind and glorify death in all its forms. Basically, this is the message that has been sent out by the band since the very demo called “Anti-Humanity”.

4. I know that the band’s name means 'Shadow' in Polish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

C.: A man is always afraid of what shadows can hide because this may be dangerous in many ways causing anxiety and uneasy feelings. Does it go hand in hand with our music? Yes, I think so – it tends to be disturbing, its destiny is to ask what happens next and to question the future.

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

C.: Well, there have been many good concerts that we’ve played, so it is a little bit difficult to point out a specific one…For sure the recent F.O.A.D. Fest was one of our best shows, at least in my opinion. Regarding my stage performance, I always try to focus on sounds that are surrounding me at given moment and ignore the rest as non-existent. I even tried some self-mutilation on stage once. I definitely avoid any verbal contact with the audience, which – taking our music and its message into consideration – seems quite understandable.

P.: It’s true, the recent two-day-long F.O.A.D. Fest in Cracow was probably the biggest venue that we have played so far and we all have very good memories of it. The band’s stage image is rather classical, some of us wear corpsepaint during the shows to mark our black metal attachment. And the concert itself is always a pure emotional energy that we share with the audience.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

C.: We are currently setting some details regarding shows for the next year. We already have some dates confirmed and that is optimistic.

7. The new album is coming out on 'Old Temple', are you happy with the support that they have given you over the years?

C.: We can’t complain about cooperation with “Old Temple”.

P.: Oh, it’s true, we get along with the label very well. The owner of “Old Temple” is an awesome guy, I can tell you that!

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

C.: We noticed that information about the band was spread worldwide after the release of the latest album. It was e.g. “Black Metal Promotion” that was very helpful with an abroad promotion. So far, the feedback has been positive and we’re very glad for that!

P.: I also came across a few reviews in different languages and the general abroad reception of “Fate” seems to be really favorable so far.

9. Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

C.: No, as of today none of us plays in any other band nor contributes to other side projects.

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

C.: By gaining further experience and continuously developing our musical skills we plan to release the next album even better that the last one. We definitely have not reached our summit yet.

P.: The band is consequently stepping ahead and with each our release we try to present more mature vision of our music. The upcoming albums will refer to their predecessors because we try to create coherent music yet still incorporating some new elements and introducing new concepts. However, it is way too early for any details, the music will speak for itself when the time is right.

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

C.: I do not partake much in the process of music writing so it is difficult for me to answer that question. When it comes to lyrics, my inspiration is derived rather from surrounding reality and the life itself than from other musical influences.

P.: Our intention was to keep “Fate” in line with our original sound and atmosphere without drastic deviation from a style generally called black metal, that’s why you probably may hear some tunes common with Polish bands like Furia or Mgła. Obviously, our latest album has a few marks of resemblance to the bands that are our inspiration, but I believe that anyone would be able to recognize genuine style of Cień in the first place. We all listen to different music, not only different metal genres, but we even reach beyond extreme music on a daily basis – the list of bands is really long.

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

C.: Do what you think is proper for you and be vigilant as the death never sleeps…

P.: Thanks for the interview. Stay strong and support black metal!