Qayin  Regis  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Blackthorn"  which  was  released  by  BlackSeed  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  while  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals are  mostly  grim  black  metal screams  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  death  and  thrash  metal  elements  also  being  used  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style, the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  ritualistic  yet  melodic  chanting  is  also  used  at  times  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track. 

  Qayin  Regis  plays  a  style  of  occult  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  while  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Left  Hand  Path,  Occultism,  Death  Cult  and  Sincretism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Qayin  Regis  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Niantiel".  8/5  out  of  10.

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

Marrasmieli was formed in early 2018 with the aim to create metal music inspired by nature, mythology and days of old. There’s three individuals in our band: Nattvind on vocals and drums, Zannibal on guitars and Maelgor on bass. Our music is atmospheric and epic and we also utilize instruments outside of the metal genre in our music such as flutes and acoustic guitars. We don’t preferably want to lock ourselves into any metal genre but one could describe our music as folk/black metal.

2.You have an ep coming out during the end of September, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on this recording?

When we started working on the songs the only thing we had planned was that it would be "something like black/folk metal". Zannibal wrote both of the songs for the EP, and when he started (with "What Nature Fears") his idea was trying to mix Burzum-like ambient black metal with folk. However, as the song progressed it became more melodic and catchy. It was soon obvious that it's not going to be anything like Burzum (altho you can still hear the Burzum influence in the monotonous intro of What Nature Fears). "Marrasmieli" was the second song we did and it was a more straightforward process. Zannibal was just jamming on acoustic guitar when he came up with the chord main progression and after that everything just came along naturally.

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

We don't have any strict rules for the lyrics, as long as they they somewhat fit the aforementioned themes. "Marrasmieli" was such a melodic and catchy song that it felt like a perfect song to be our band's title track. "What Nature Fears" was a bit more difficult to write. It's a long song but you can fit surprisingly little text there. At the time Zannibal was reading a Lovecraft collection and so he decided to try if he could make a little Lovecraftian story that fits the folk theme.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Marrasmieli'?

It’s a combination of two Finnish words. Marras is an old word for the word ”death” but Finns associate it with marraskuu which is November in Finnish and therefore wakes feelings of coldness and winter. Mieli means spirit, mood or mind. There’s not any special meaning behind the name. It’s just a name that represents the feelings that we want to invoke with our music.

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

It's simply a photo from a small local nature reserve taken by Zannibal.

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

We haven’t played any shows yet. We have just been concentrating on creating music and getting our EP out. But we guess that our live shows would offer something more than your average metal shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the ep is released?

Not at the moment but who knows what the future will bring. We would need more people in our band at least for live shows.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk, pagan and black metal?

Well our EP isn’t out yet so we don’t know the full reaction yet. But our EP has been getting really good reviews and what music people have heard from it they have been very pleased.

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

The new material that we have written pretty much continues in the same vein as the EP but there are new elements in it as well. We want to keep our music evolving and getting better all the time even if the main inspiration behind it remains the same. But the main musical direction with this band will always be metal even though we are influenced by music outside of metal too.

10.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?

Mainly folk metal and black metal. Moonsorrow is one of our all-time favorites. Some other bands that have influenced us during our lives are for example Darkthrone, Agalloch, Burzum, Turisas, Wintersun, Panopticon, Summoning….. The list could go on forever. We’re all open-minded when it comes to music but metal still gets consumed the most in our band. You can find something good in all genres though. Except Finnish reggae.

11.How would you describe your views on Paganism?

To us paganism means respecting nature and the place we live in. Embracing ourselves us as part of a bigger entity.

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

Thanks a lot for the interview and for reading it! Make sure to check out our debut EP Marrasmieli which is coming out on the 29th of September through Naturmacht Productions. If you want to support us you can go check us out on Facebook and give us a like. The future of Marrasmieli seems very bright and productive so stay tuned for our future music. Cheers and kippis!

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album? We have mostly been concentrating on getting the word out on Drift. Possibly getting some things together to release hard copies. But other than that, in one way or the other we are always in a writing process. Nothing is set in stone as of now, but new material is always in the works for us. So each member is polishing up and practicing for the next album. That is usually how it works for us. We put out new material and almost immediately start hashing out new ideas for the next album.

2.In July you had released a new album, what are some of the things you feel you have done different musically with this recording that you where not able to do with your previous releases? This album was pretty special for us. With Vigilance, we had the concept in our heads and tried to write something to reflect that concept. In some ways it was quite ambitious, and in others it seemed to be a logical evolution of what we were already doing. Especially when you look back to stuff from the first album. By the time we got to Drift we had more clarity on the direction we wanted to take our story, and the type of sound we wanted to accompany it. We tried more genre bending with this one. I would say this is most obvious in the title track. This trilogy is meant to have a specific sound associated with each character. Vigilance had the whistle. drift has the harmonica. We did a much better job of incorporating different vocal styling and instruments in this album, which is actually quite important to the aesthetic of the Grit trilogy .Also, just as a general note, we are better players. We are more capable at putting out music that really reflects our vision of what Deschain should sound like.

3.This is your first album to be released in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame? We recorded the album about 3 years ago, and then ended up sitting on it for a while. This was primarily due to members of the band relocating. We were all at a point in out lives where we needed to concentrate on other things. So we took a bit of a break. It was nice, because it took a bit of pressure off. We took our time with the post production, and were able to get Subterranean Watchtowers to do the final mixing for us. With this album especially we wanted to take that extra time to make sure the final product was worth the wait for all of us in the band and for those who followed us.

4.The new album is a second part of a 3 album trilogy, can you tell us a little bit more about the concept and lyrics? The concept behind the Grit trilogy is that every person must choose to be the sum of their actions, or their ideals. To achieve peace are you peaceful, or do you get rid of anything that disturbs peace through violence? Through these struggles random aspects of life make things more complex, leaving vulnerability and destruction.
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Deschain'?

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover? The album cover is an abstract view of a canyon, with a silhouette of a man walking into the sunrise. The shadow he casts into the canyon behind him is sprouted with slowly rising demons and regrets of his past.

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? We always wanted to give a little extra with out performances. Some sort of visual element to compliment the audible. We started very simple. All black no lights except for small purple LEDs attached to our instruments. As we started to develop as a band, and as we began to move toward the Grit trilogy out stage set up got more elaborate We set up candles. Put out animal bones we found in the woods, and used incense. We try to go creating a picture. But the music is always very intense we feel, and once we started playing we would not stop until the end. No banter, no bullshit. Some of our best shows were definitely the really early ones. We did a few basement performances that were really fun. Anything with a more intimate setting ended up being the best for us. One good experience was probably our first show ever. We weren't even a full band yet and we played over drum tracks, in a room that was much too big. It was some local "festival" which had a couple punk bands and a stand-up comedian. The whole awkwardness of that show was just very memorable and king of hilarious.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? We don't have any plans for touring or performing right now. We haven't performed in quite some time, mostly due to the fact that out band members live in different parts of the country. Perhaps one day we will reunite for a show or two, but for now we are very focused on creating our music.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? We are still looking. Although a few labels have reached out we feel none of them have fit our sound and vision as band.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal? It seems like the majority of our fan base is outside of the U.S., which is sort of strange. We have gotten some good reception from South American and Ukraine. Overall, the consensus seems to be that people think we are interesting. We go for concepts that are unique to the genre, and we are commended for putting our own spin on Black Metal. It is a genre that values heritage and individualism. I think that the people who listen to our music recognize this and appreciate that we are not trying to be another band wondering around in the forest wearing corpse paint. Especially because we are American.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? We want to complete the Grit trilogy, and are very excited about the direction the next album is going. In a nutshell, the next album we will take the more sporadic elements of our music and expand on that. In some ways, it is almost Schizophrenic in a sense. As far as what is coming after that, we have toyed with a few ideas. Perhaps something more ethereal and sci-fi based is one of them. Nothing is set in stone for that yet.

12.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? One good thing about Deschain is that all of it's members have different musical backgrounds and musical tastes, We have blues, punk, industrial, classic heavy metal and death metal backgrounds. For Drift, we took from some of our more indie rock influences, such as Fleet Foxes and The Bravery, and Tom Waits. Some of the metal that influenced this album would be Black Sabbath, Wolves In The Throne Room, Krallice, Taake, Rwake, Between The Buried and Me, and as always ENSLAVED!

13.What are some of your non musical interests? We are all pretty big music nerds, Bryce and Dean both enjoy record and CD collecting. But outside of that, Dean is also and Archaeologist and puts a lot of his non musical focus into history and ethnography. Patrick and Bryce have a new musical project in the works as well currently working under the name Maybe You Should Drive.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Just that we are very proud of this new album, and have been happy with the positive response we have gotten thus far. We hope that this will help fuel our next record.

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

Cemetery Lights is a one-man occult black metal band It draws from the traditions of the 80’s and early 90’s for musical inspiration, navigating the narrow line between black, death, thrash, and doom metal to create an immersive listening experience.

2.So far this year you have released 2 ep's, how do they both differ from each other musically?

Lemuralia, although thoughtfully constructed, was created with the intention of finally delivering the music to the public after much procrastination. As a consequence of that, four straightforward tracks were selected to record. Interludes or experimental tracks were not utilized. It is important to be succinct when competing for the attention of a new listener. The result was four songs which showcase the atmosphere and power which can be demonstrated with purely metal compositions. Though strongest as a whole, each song could nevertheless stand proud on its own as a representation of Cemetery Lights.

The Church on the Island was crafted with more emphasis on the entire duration of the release instead of individual songs. The music and lyrics were arranged to deliver a story with an exposition (“The Church on the Island”), rising action (“Cemetery Lights”, “Resurrection”, “Necrocacophony”), climax (“Rapture”), and falling action / denouement (“The Bell”). “Resurrection” and “Necrocacophony” are prime examples of tracks which are intended to serve as assets to a plot arc rather than standalone tracks off of a black metal release. Nevertheless, the songs on the album were not composed with this goal in mind (with the exception of “Rapture”, composed as an expansion on the bridge riff from “Necrocacophony”). So, the straightforward compositions on The Church on the Island can stand on their own as well, but are best experienced alongside one-another.

3.The musical project has been around since 2011 but waited until 2018 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?

Cemetery Lights was formed as a means of reviving the spirit of the Mediterranean black metal bands (in addition to a few select acts from other regions, such as Samael, Treblinka / Tiamat, Root, Barathrum, etc). The aforementioned acts may vary in execution, but compliment one-another well in essence. 2011 and 2012 were spent with a lot of leisure time to compose, so most of the material dates from those years. Special care was taken to preserve riffs and song ideas in case they were needed in the future.

Practices were held with Zealot (drummer of Witch King, ex-Enucleator) during that period. Other interests took precedent towards the end of 2012, so the project was indefinitely put on hold. In 2013 I began learning how to play drums, largely eschewing guitar until 2017. During autumn of 2017 it was decided that Cemetery Lights needed to happen, so guitar began to factor more into my practice regimen. I was presented with a lot of leisure time in April of this year, so I resolved to discipline myself to record the material which had accumulated. 

4.Your lyrics cover Occultism, Necromancy and Horror, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts and horror?

My favorite tales are those which deal with apparitions (formerly human and otherwise), taboo spirituality, and the clash of those things with everyday life. The elusiveness of the unknown is probably the source of my fascination. However, my approach towards those topics is more that of an academic rather than a practitioner. Lemuralia revolved around ancient Roman ghost stories and folklore, so it ended up being a historical endeavor. The Church on the Island explored the wayward faithful embracing a left-hand path to enact their nihilistic revenge upon their surroundings, so it was a philosophical / theological drama.

No lyrics are penned without an accompanying vision, and presently I have no interest in writing lyrics which serve as snapshots of the macabre just for the sake of giving me something to vocalize. Perhaps that day will come, but presently I resonate much more with a purpose behind the lyrics.

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

The name is extracted from “Freezing Moon” by Mayhem: “the cemetery lights up again, as in ancient times”! Beyond that, the idea of hovering, ghostly flames in a cemetery is very striking. It conjures a simple, yet effective, image for the mind’s eye.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience playing with whole line ups, how would you compare the two?

Presently I have no experience recording as a member of a whole line-up. My experience as a live member playing songs which have already been finalized has been extremely positive. The members of Martyrvore were very supportive while I learned the songs and, most importantly, learned how to function alongside other musicians.  It can be difficult to schedule rehearsals with other members. That can be a stumbling block to keeping a band active. I have yet to see how composing new songs in that situation will play out.

It seems to be a lot easier for me to be the sole creative force behind a band. I write when inspiration strikes, record at my leisure, and release on my schedule. The burden of being responsible for everything is a small price to pay for autonomy. The only problem is getting a live line-up up to speed with material. Still, that would have to be done at some point with a whole band. Still, I much prefer a solo project with live session members rather than a group project.

7.On the releases you have worked with 'Necrologue' and 'Nuclear War! Now Productions, do you feel both of these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

Working with Nuclear War Now! Productions has been an extremely rewarding experience. Yosuke and his team are professional, respectful, and very easy to interact with. Even before the release of The Church on the Island, having the DIY copies of Lemuralia in the NWN! Shop was a huge promotional boost. How much more is having both releases under NWN!’s banner! Actual press release-level promotion did not start until the reissue of Lemuralia was sent to press, so it is a little early to see how that will turn out. Overall, I am eternally grateful for the resources Yosuke has invested in Cemetery Lights.

“Necrologue Productions” is simply my own DIY label. I designed the layouts, printed the materials, and dubbed the tapes using the tools at my disposal. It has been a positive learning experience so far. Putting the extra effort into manufacturing one’s creation makes for a more satisfactory outcome, both artistically as well as financially. By the time I sold / gave away all of the cassettes I had dubbed, I had more or less broken even with some materials left over as well. I intend to use Necrologue Productions for small projects which may or may not take off. Some Martyrvore rehearsal demos may be dubbed for distribution under it. The internet made spreading the word a lot less challenging than it would have been decades ago. Still, over-saturation of bands means that grabbing someone’s attention is limited. I am quite positive that, had NWN! not taken an interest in Cemetery Lights, I would have many years of tedious promotion to do on my own before reaching the level of people I have by now.

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

The reception seems positive so far. Lemuralia was uploaded to a Russian forum early on, so that drew in a decent amount of traffic from the relevant regions in Europe. I have spoken with a few fans from Spain, Sweden, Greece, Poland, and Finland. I have not asked for specifics from Yosuke on where he has sent copies of The Church on the Island, but he has stated that the release is nearly sold out.

9.What is going on with 'Martyrvore' these days?

Martyrvore thrives! The unmistakable riffcraft and holocaust terror of Necrochrist (rhythm guitars, founding member) cannot be stopped!!

Following the untimely passing of Reaper (vocals) in early 2016 (“The memory of your name will be carved in the minds of the shadows!”), Terrorizer (lead guitars) chose to leave and focus on Come to Grief. Gemini (drums) was forcefully ejected for failure to conquer his demons. I was recruited to replace Gemini. Charybdis (Angel Morgue, Hiss), a long-time friend of Martyrvore, was recruited for lead guitars but switched to vocals.

Since then, Martyrvore has played a handful of shows in 2017 in support of Psycho, Kill, Nyogthaeblisz, and Malacath, and one show in 2018 in support of Crucifier and Headrot. With our return to the live stage firmly established, focus has been set on recording a new album. Live performances may or may not accompany in the meantime, depending on the opportunity.

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

The full-length is presently being worked on. Rhythm guitar and bass tracks have already been recorded. A lyrical concept has yet to be decided.
The majority of the material recorded was written before 2013. The intention is to continue the path established during the initial years of the band, all while being mindful not to repeat what has already been done. New challenges wait ahead, and will be eagerly confronted and vanquished!


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?

Ah, the hardest question to keep brief! My songwriting influences include the bands from question #3, as well as Spear of Longinus, Akercocke, The Ruins of Beverast, Reverend Bizarre, and Fields of the Nephilim. This ranges from instrumentation (drums, bass, leads) to compositional structure and production.

I consistently have a long list of music that I listen to at once, but here are the highlights:

The Inheritors of Pain by Obsecration (criminally underrated Greek death / black, mandatory for fans of Varathron and Septic Flesh!)

Voice of the Ossuary by Witch King (warring death / black, debut album)

Celaenus Fragments by Fungoid Stream (ethereal yet primordial funeral doom, like cold water on your fingertips)

From the Shadows and The Second Ring of Power by Unholy (off-kilter occult black / doom, the deranged funeral doom doppelganger of Necromantia)

Honar i kroŭ by Krumkač (nationalistic black metal, Romantic and powerful debut album)

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

Thank you very much for the interview. Nuclear War Now! Productions just released the reissue of Lemuralia on gold shell cassette. A t-shirt featuring the aforementioned cover art and a back print is available alongside it, printed gold on black fabric. Everything looks fantastic! The Church on the Island is still available from myself, as well as Hells Headbangers.

Social Media:

necrophilosoph.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/necrophilosoph
facebook.com/necrophilosoph

Ghosts of my fathers, go forth!

  Black  Mold  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  "Atavism"  which  will  be  released  in October  on  cassette  by  Helldprod  Records.

  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  as  well  as  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  si  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  the  raw  energy  of  punk  at  times,  all  of  the  riffs a re  done  with  power  chords  with  no  solos,  leads  or  melodies  ever  being  utilized  as  well  as  always  remaining  heavy.

  Black  Mold  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  fast,  raw  and  old  school  sounding  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Mold  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  "Let  It  Burn"  and  "Shroud  Of  Bodies".  8  out  of  10.