Pantherwelle

Considering I have already written about Todesstoss I will keep this fairly short, this is a 2006 demo known as Pantherwelle, and it just happens to be one of my favorite releases of his. As recently as 2010 the new full length titled Abwegnis 121 was released in which the first three songs of the album were mastered versions of this particular demo, a smart choice in my own personal aesthetic preference as Pantherwelle was always overlooked. All three songs on here are much different from one another if compared to eachother, yet each track is a pure success in it's own right and it's almost hard to pick a favorite in the end. I was originally drawn to the odd artwork here but in the end the music ended up serving much more than that in terms of quality and structure alone. Grab this demo, it's an overlooked experience that's stayed hidden for years and deserves recognition.

1. Pantherwelle

2. ...auf Abwegen (Rohfassung)
3. Die Ritzerin am Froschteich

Pantherwelle

The Wanderer

Sapthuran's "The Wanderer" from 2008 could have very easily been one of my first posts considering the impact it had left on me since the events of last summer. Sapthuran is a one man black metal act from Fort Thomas, Kentucky, handled by a man void of any pseudonym known as Patrick Hall. The style of black metal featured in any of the Sapthuran albums to date is not necessary a "standard" one, at least with the drum patterns being singled out, as he seems to be tapping the snare and ride simultaneously and instead creates "accent notes" to match the majestic riffs he creates, instead of blasting the listener into Hell. Thematically Sapthuran revolves around the notions of the forests, the night, the moon, and wolves in a primitive and no frills, or even fills, minimalistic styled black metal. An entirely naturalistic and pure approach to the lycanthropic spirit and nocturnal state of mind, an utter classic.

1. Summoning the Hated One

2. Write My Words Upon the Winds

3. Wailing Blackwinds

4. Fang of Night

5. An Earthen Madrigal and Curse to All Men

6. The Weave and Will of Fate and Time

7. Forever a Wandering Spirit

8. Call of Wolf

9. Fullmoon Rising

10. Sylvan Winter Madrigal

11. Astigan Se Beorg (Journey up the Mountain)

The Wanderer Part I

The Wanderer Part II

Myrkwid's Kjempe

Earlier on I posted Part II by Mykrwid, being his second full length from 2006, this is the second demo from 1997, "Myrkwid's Kjempe". Myrkwid is a solitary black metal project handled by Malthokk from Germany, this particular demo doesn't stray from the path of true black metal by any means, and instead offers forth the cold minimalism of the riff and the intensely strained and harsh vocal work that possessess me in every waking instance. For as lo-fi this demo is, there manages to be a very deep and larger experiencing happening throughout these three fairly short songs. With a guest appearance by Aleister Crowley, this demo is the essential black metal experience for the initiated... "...Open the mysteries of your creation..."

1. Hymn Og Kjempe

2. Han Mester
3. The Eternal Questioner

Myrkwid's Kjempe

Mysterious Semblance

This is my second Striborg post thus far, and a deserving one at that. In particular, I am making an effort to post this with the artwork so that you can download the version that has the bonus track, "Lurking the Murky Damp Forest, a fifteen minute excursion into the name of the title itself and to a T. That song has accompanied me on a handful of memorable journeys through the heart of the wet and swampy woods. With Summer approaching and nice weather on the horizon, I know for certain I will eventually be listening to that track while strolling through some awe inspiring natural beauty. The style as a whole on this album is considerably repetitive and concentrated on the ethereal, no less, as this is a Striborg album after all. This Tasmanian black metal warrior maintains a very steady conceptual formula of ghosts, misanthropy, the forest, and night, as well as some depressive and stranger elements featured via synth usage. Overall Mysterious Semblance stands out as one of Striborg's finer works, as he produces so much and so frequently only a handful can be recognized as his best, this is one of those. The drawing was done by his wife Phaedra, click on the image to enlarge it, as it absolutely compliments the audio.

1. A Sour Pale Ghostly Dawn
2. Mysterious Semblance of Spectral Trees
3. Dark Storm Brooding, Lightning in the South
4. Looming Black Apparition
5. The Ghostly Pallid Hand of Fear
6. As Sad as a Cemetery in the Winter Darkness
7. The Screaming Winds
8. Lurking the Murky Damp Forest

Mysterious Semblance

Night Tale

I'm posting this on behalf of the excellent German band Azaxul, which happens to be a side project of the man responsible for the infamous Moonblood. This album is a split between Azaxul from Germany and S.V.E.S.T. from France, SVEST plays some top notch black metal as well but in terms of my intention, I'm writing about "Night Tale" because of how that song has seemingly increased its nostalgic quality as time progressed. Night Tale is very consistent and inspired black metal of an epic and has somewhat of a trance like quality to it, but in that respect both bands manage to pull this off on this particular split. The vocals for Azaxul convey the original spirit, I think, to the early days of black metal and do so in a very engaging and authentic way. There's not much else to say about this album except get it, it's a short album of just two songs but will be quite worth your time, as it has stood the test of time for me so it shall for others.

Azaxul

1. Night Tale

SVEST

2. Death to Macrocosm

Night Tale

Demonic Crown of Anticreation

Ithdabquth Qliphoth is an occult black metal band from Russia, Demonic Crown of Anticreation was their very first demo from 2002. The drums are programmed, yet they make up for it with the guitar and especially the voice as they are particularly top notch in terms of sounding harsh, cold, continuously evil. There's a lot to say about this album, which in turn makes me want to say very little about it and allow the music to speak for itself, needless to say I've been listening to this album for awhile now and it's still something to return to in solitude. This is some very esoteric and Satanic material at hand, and for once the accompanying sound does it justice.

"Rise! Nachiel, tear my heart out, For I must be the Blackest Sun, For I must shine as the Blackest Moon, The Priestess, suck all my lymph out, Extatical Flame of Pain, Chew my head off, Cursed Queen, I shall love the Blood of Moon, I shall love the Virgin Dead. Drown them in their blood, For they have sinned, Grant the human herd, Obliteration. May the scorpions die, After stinging my body, May the sun fade away, After shining on me, May all ashes return, To its primal state. May my deeds and my thoughts, Slay all light within my soul. No life shall ever touch, This scorched ground of sorrow, Unholy place where Ithdabquth Qliphoth, Reveals its unlight, Closer to world of flesh, And my Temple stands in Haitus. Earth and water. Air and fire. Die. Oceans boil and soil is a flame. Raining storm of molten lead. Hail the coming of nonexistence. Hail the end of space and time. Hail the coming of nonexistence. Hail the end of space and time."


1. Mundi Vesper (The World's Evening)
2. Paroxysm of Spiritual Chaos
3. Succubus' Black Tongue
4. Nyarlathotep
5. Demonic Crown of Anticreation
6. Lux Tenebriis (The Light of Darkness)

Demonic Crown of Anticreation

Hexerei im Zwielicht der Finsternis

Aghast from Norway released Hexerei im Zwielicht der Finsternis in 1995, roughly translating to "Witchery in the Twilight of Darkness", a title that couldn't be any more appropriate for these two sinister succubi. Aghast is composed of Andrea Nebelhexë Haugen and Tanja Nachthexe Stene, Andrea was once a wife to Samoth of Emperor and Tanja was married to Fenriz of Darkthrone. Another interesting note about this release, being their first and only album ever, was the fact that the microphone used in recording their vocal takes was the very same mic that Dead of Mayhem used before he committed suicide on April 8th in 1991. This album has an aura to it unlike any other, it captures a forgotten time period and exemplifies the authentic quality of the cold genuine craft of the witch. Purely a dark ambient record, these recordings act as a meditative sort of mantra that induce you into states of darkness that take you on a black journey into the mystic setting of an isolated nocturnal woodland rite. For anyone interested in occult audio and ritual based upon the kingdom of death and spirits.


1. Enthrall
2. Sacrifice
3. Enter the Hall of Ice
4. Call From the Grave
5. Totentanz
6. The Darkest Desire
7. Das Irrlicht
8. Ende

Hexerei im Zwielicht der Finsternis