L'Acephale – "Stahlhartes Gehäuse"

(U.S.A., Parasitic Records, Black Metal, 2009)

For a music style that prides itself with minimal risks and minimal technique, a band that employs such a generous articulation of elements should not be taken lightly. Where traditional Black Metal bands throw violent, sadistic or masochistic (or both) anger into play, as the sole emotional load of a musical piece and riff structure as only possible structure of that piece, and only few sublimates this recipe to a deeper meaning and higher expression (almost every time that happens the tradition is broken, in one or more ways) L'Acephale builds complicated pieces, where the Metal element is an ingredient among others, with a much larger range of emotion, with evolving moods and intensities. Recording fields of Romanian songs and spoken vocals, operatic vocals, choirs, Black Metal screams and Death Metal growls, Industrial insertions, bombastic and melodic raging Black Metal parts, majestic riffs, acoustic guitars etc. melted and structured into musical pieces that make Metal music a slightly different kind of artistic experience.
The first of the four pieces has a clear structure, evolving from an Industrial loop introduction into that mourning Romanian field recording, further into martial drumming and Neofolk like harsh and severe atmosphere, with sampled and real vocals reaching a climax point, then bursting into majestic Black Metal. The themes are permeating the different parts into a coagulated piece of Metal the same time savage, large, deep, intense, enlightened and rich. Through all the 4 pieces on the album, the band works with same dedication on details and general ideas. Both these things are conceived for unity of their diverse nature with great effect. The Metal parts are spawned by Folk parts that spawn vocal on Industrial noise parts to evolve into cold Folk or female choir parts, spoken parts.
Where so many Gothic/Neoclassical approaches to extreme Metal failed into either sugary evil Heavy Metal or complicated progressive pretenses, "Stahlhartes Gehäuse" seamed never menaced by such dangers. Everything they throw into the musical piece, songwriting or stylistic wise, fits and breathes among the rest. In my opinion this aims for a place among the other Metal greats.

La Bete - "La Bete"

(U.K., Odium Records, Black Metal, 2006)

Basically this is the band Odium under a different name, given that this is another project from P. Knight and La Bete plays Raw Black Metal. Strangely though, the style and atmosphere is rather different from Odium and are quite unique and interesting; quickly strummed guitars build up a wall of fuzzy distortion whilst an ominous sounding bass meanders in the background. A simple yet effective drum machine tops things off, La Bete do sound a tad more effective than the somewhat chaotic Odium, but this is still minimalist Black Metal of the most minimal kind. Those who like raw, hypnotic Black Metal styles in the vein of "Transilvian Hunger" will get much out of this rough yet enjoyable recording.

Leaden - "Monotonous Foghorns Of Molesting Department"

(Italy, Midwinter Records, Black/Doom Metal, 2006)

If you look past the absolutely nonsensical title and the fact that one of the members is called Wankar (I won't ask how he got that name), there is some interesting music to be heard on this, Leaden's second full length CD. It is undoubtedly Black Metal, but with a doomy element to it, kind of a mix between Xasthur and "Brave Murder Day" era Katatonia. There are many fabulously droning riffs with that ghostly feedback in the background, and for once in a Metal album the bass is clear and audible, rather than just "filling out the sound". I would say that the main problem here is with the production, or rather the method of recording; drum machine, digital sound, probably recorded on a computer. That works for some bands, but I think Leaden's music requires a more natural, organic sound and specifically a human drummer. It makes the music sound a tad artificial all this digital stuff. I would say this sounds like a really good demo, but if Leaden make the changes I have mentioned, they will be capable of producing a really good album. See through the flaws and realise that this band have a lot going for them. If you're curious then check out this CD on Midwinter, but the name Leaden should not be forgotten about just yet.

Levifer - "Tribute To The Supreme Beast"

(Peru, Devils Art Productions, Black Death, 2000)

Finally I got this demo! For about two years I'm looking for it and now here I have it! All the songs are dedicated to Satan, from the intro to the last track, all of them speaking of how the world would be destroyed and how Satan would be the ruler of this world. This is more Death Metal than Black Metal, and the song structure is somehow into the U.S. Death Metal, even the voices are into Death Metal. The best here is the rhythmical section and the worst are the vocals which I think that don't suit the music. This is a project of Lord Levifer from the band Goat Semen. The best songs here are "My Lord Of Darkness" and "Levifer". The production is also good enough, thinking that this is a demo. My advice: work a bit on the vocals, if they would have been better, this release would have been a top one!

L.I.G.O. - "Singularity"

(Russia, Self released, Progressive Death Metal, 2003)

"Singularity" is L.I.G.O.'s first (and only) demo, featuring two tracks from "No One Safe" (the title track and "Thief") plus an intro and outro. Those who have not experienced L.I.G.O. before would be advised to check out my review of "No One Safe" below for a brief introduction. This little (in the literal sense of the word; it comes on a tiny 3" disc) EP is quite excellent, although since I heard it after "No One Safe" it did sound a little redundant. The music still has that machine-gun psychosis, but is marginally slower and less technical than on their album; which shows how their sound is being honed down to a fine art, lying somewhere between genius and utter lunacy. I choose the former. You can contact the address below for a copy of "Singularity".

L.I.G.O. - "No One Safe"

(Russia, More Hate Productions, Progressive Death Metal, 2004)

L.I.G.O. ("Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory") are an interesting Death Metal(ish) proposition which was introduced to me by Skip from Black Minds magazine. The band members of L.I.G.O. have taken pseudonyms from scientists and others of a high intellectual calibre, and I'm sure they'd look rather silly if it wasn't for the liberal use of irony throughout "No One Safe". The band use a scientific style to analyze, question and provoke in their lyrics, which are well written and certainly suit the abstract characteristics of the music.
And the music itself is a violent, epileptic seizure of sound; you'll probably know from listening to the first ten seconds of this CD as to whether you like it or not. L.I.G.O. are heavy, brutal, but also very technical and complex; having said that there is not a single guitar solo on this album. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing; L.I.G.O. use their ability to form a promulgation of riffs into a veritable battering ram of sound that twists and turns so quickly it's hard to keep up with it. Think about how a shark, when caught, struggles frantically to free itself without regard for anyone who might get in it's way. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you want something challenging and sophisticated within the realms of extreme Metal, then I can't recommend this highly enough. Truly one of a kind.
"Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory", this is where the initials from this bands name come from, quite an intriguing name for a band, isn't it? The sound of this band is an unconventional sharp and loud extreme Metal, not going into clichés, not passing on the established paths, somehow it sounds like Mike Patton was involved into it. 8 songs for about 42 minutes that are mind blowing, the sound may imply that you have to deal with a Death Metal band but this is so not standard that labeling this band's music is like trying to define the indefinable. "No One Safe" is the bands first full length coming after an EP released in 2003, and as a first offering is more than intriguing, having its roots in Death and Thrash Metal in a progressive manner the band succeeds to create an unique sound, the production giving it an Industrial touch even tough they do not use any patterned Industrial clichés. The vocals are in a high tone coming closer to Black Metal or hardcore/grind à la The Dillinger Escape Plan. This particular release has no "hits", all the songs being small musical gems. If you are into discovering new bands with a high potential in creating non standard music give this band a try!

Litham - "Dhal Ennar"

(Algeria, Lelahel Metal, Heavy/Dark Metal, 1999)

This is quite an old recording from Algierian metallers Litham, but remains their only recording (aside from the track "Madness Gate" on "Lelahel Metal Vol.1") and therefore warrants a closer inspection. The music prevalent here is kind of a dark, Heavy/Death Metal style with a big influence from the traditional music of their native land. It's mid tempo and melodic, yet still quite dark and morbid, sounding something like cult Italian legends Mortuary Drape, or a slower, more controlled Nile. There's also a healthy Slayer-esque flavour to add energy, as sometimes music that depends so much on atmospherics can be a little dirge-like. My personal preference would be for the band to become heavier and darker, which they have become when listening to the more recent "Madness Gate" promo track. The muddy, opaque production doesn't help matters, but then I don't expect Algeria is a place home to many hit studios. An above average start for a band who are showing a lot of potential... I'm not sure if this is still available, but you should write to Lelahel Metal if interested. Let's hope we hear more from Litham in the near future.

Loits - "Vere Kutse Kohustab"

(Estonia, Ledo Takas, Black Metal, 2004)

In December 2004, the legionnaire unit from Estonia, Loits, marked another success against the enemies. On "Vere Kutse Kohustab" they are keeping their melodic roots, with the help of a crystal clear production they are bringing forth an album that shows that there are new ways to approach the Black Metal style.
Taking Influences from the first wave of Black Metal when the genre was influenced by the old Rock'n'Roll and combining this with modern Black Metal, Loits succeeds in releasing a strong and solid album. There are lots of catchy riffs and... no guitar solos. The use of vocals ranges from Black Metal screams to normal singed ones. Compared to their previous album you can see that the use of keyboards is not that frequent as on that album, this time they are using the keys just for the background.
This release is dedicated to the legionnaires from Estonia which fought under the banner of the German troops against the Russians for the freedom of their native country. This album is available from Ledo Takas on LP and CD, as a bonus you'll have an extra song of legionnaire Folklore, a multimedia presentation of the album and some very good photos. For more details see the interview.

Loits - "Must Album" + "Mustad Laulud" EP

(Estonia, Nailboard Records, Modern Black Metal, 2007)

Loits from Tallinn/Estonia have already released two albums and three EP's as well as a live (self released) DVD-R since the band was founded in 1996. Because they were labeled by many people (including me at first sight, I must confess!) as a NS Metal band - they wore German (WWII) uniforms in the booklet of the last release, if you want to know the story about those uniforms read the interview here or search for it on the net, you'll find some explanations there - I suppose it wasn't easy for them to forge ahead, and for sure also because of the language, which is very interesting and powerful but pretty exotic (though I think this goes for a lot of languages).
When I got the promo version of "Must Album" ("Black Album") I ordered immediately the limited edition, a beautifully designed cardboard box which contains the regular album, a sticker, a trading card (?) for each band member (nice idea) and, the most important bonus, the EP "Mustad Laulud" ("Black Songs") featuring four tracks from the same recording session which didn't fit that well with the rest of the album because of being more into the old style. This CD is also including a photo gallery, a lovable "Making Of" and a funny short film called "Monologue" with M. Divine (bass) talking to himself about Lina... You have to see this one! I also have to mention the perfectly staged vintage pictures they've made for the booklet and the promotion of the album, showing the band dressed in outfits their grandparents may have worn at a time...
The previous releases are more into Black Metal, though not that classic style, Loits have always been different, be it the accordion they use in the songs, the outfits or the topics they sing about. The self description of Loits' style is "Militant Flak'n'Roll" (there's a DVD-r named "Vere Kutse - The Story Of The Origins Of Flak'n'Roll" available, which could be very interesting, I didn't see it yet), the more common description would be Black'n'Roll. It's a mix of Black Metal and Motörhead, like the last Satyricon works for example but with varied outstanding clean vocals in addition, which range from gentle to "loud and proud". I like Lembetu's voice very much! In the last three years they have polished and improved their music and style and even reinvent themselves a little, this is the best album they've released to date. The perfect mix allows you to enjoy every instrument. I just love the crisp drums, especially when Atso is playing the ride cymbal! The subtle keyboards which give the songs the deepness they need and the Korn-like bass guitar also make the sound bombastic.
My favourite songs are "Emaraud" ("Motheriron") which begins pretty old school-like until the break sets in (with sounds like Totenmond had on "Reich In Rost") and continues melancholic with clean prideful vocals, and "Suudelda Neidu" ("To Kiss A Maid"), in my opinion the best song they ever wrote, great and unique vocal lines! The tracks on "Mustad Laulud" are equally good, but they are a little bit more brutal and the topics seem to be another.
I've listened very often to this album and it just doesn't get boring, it seems perfect in every way to me. The only thing that could bother you a little is the sometimes exaggerated patriotism. This time the topics are about personal tragedies of Estonians during the World War II, but you can reinterpret the (brilliant) lyrics the way they fit best to your attitude. You can find the English translations in the gorgeous booklet.
This is an album every open minded (Black) Metal fan should know! A must have! "Must Album" is the chance for the international breakthrough Loits would deserve after so many years of delivering high quality music! This is the best (underground) band I have discovered since I'm writing for Arcana Noctis, you have to check them out!!!

Los Planetos Del Agua - "Too Many Bricks And Not Enough Sea"

(U.K., Antenna Records, Post Rock, 2003)

This sure sounds like a jam session to me. Experimentation, good melodies, a soft atmosphere. This album takes you into various sonic landscapes, every song having a soul of its own. Interesting is the voice which varies from a recitative tone to lamentation (as in the fourth song) and singing. The lyrics are of a very good quality, proving that the one who has written them has a lot in common not only with music but with poetry too. This kind of music will never be mainstream but will please every good music listener's ears.

Louisa John Krol - "Argo"

(Australia, Evolving Discs, Folk/Pop/Ambient, 1996)

Music based mainly on atmosphere. A crystalline voice, a temporal and very deep will take you to various journeys from ancient Sumer, ancient Greece, and from there to Norse lands and a lot of other places. A lot of songs are inspired or dedicated to poets, novelists or story tellers. You can compare Louisa's music to Loreena McKennitth's for example, but there are a lot of differences between the two musicians. Some of the best songs here are "Hyperion", and "Duncan The Fiddler". Recommended!

Louisa John Krol - "Alexandria"

(Australia, Self released, Folk/Pop/Ambient, 1998)

The music has evolved here to more complexity and is somehow sad. Again lots of songs are dedicated to literary personalities such as Max Frisch, Dostoyevsky, Walter de la Mare etc. This music somehow reminds me of a walk in the woods that I've made some time ago. It was night and I was willing to go for a walk. For my surprise a full moon was shining into the sky, I walked and I walked 'till I've been near the river (Motru), there I've stayed for a bit and enjoyed its flow, after that I've been into the woods, there was so much silence there and I've stayed for a while. Suddenly I've heard a sound coming from the sky, then silence surrounded me again, small raindrops started to fall from the sky and the wind started to blow. Then again silence was surrounding me. I went home...

Louisa John Krol - "Ariel"

(Australia, Prikosnovénie/Blue Tree, Folk/Pop/Ambient, 2001)

The third album of this Australian story teller and she is proposing the same kind of eerie music. Maybe more calm and ethereal than on the previous two CD's. I especially liked the ninth track from this CD ("Tale Of A Thorn") with that beautiful flute solo, this is a pastoral song, perfect for meditation. So if you are into this kind of music Louisa John Kroll is a worthy to check artist.

Lucifugum - "The Supreme Art Of Genocide"

(Ukraine, Propaganda, Black Metal, 2005)

Lucifugum's name may have two origins: It may be a word deriving from the Latin words Lux (light), and fugio (to flee), meaning the one who hates light or the one who destroys light, or from Lucifuge who is prime minister of hell, a demon who can make his presence felt at night and who hates the light. Among his many duties were the infliction of disease and deformity, the creation of earthquakes, and the destruction of sacred deities, a thing that has very much in common with what Lucifugum is as a band and as they act as individuals.
They are not a new name in the Black Metal scene, but also not a representative name either, nor through their music or through their acts as individuals. They do not have a large number of followers and they're one of the typical mediocre Black Metal bands. What Lucifugum is known for lately is their bad-ass attitude, thinking that they do hate everyone and they are having the typical Übermensch attitude, not being NS though, this is hard for me to understand since nothing from what they are proposing (excepting their attitude) is not far from common in the Black Metal circles.
In the past Lucifugum has been a brother band to the more famous Ukraineans Nokturnal Mortum and by time, the connection between them grew lesser because of the different ideologies, Lucifugum became more of a anti-Christian band and Nokturnal Mortum stitching more to the NSBM side. ("To The Gates Of The Blasphemous Fire" is dedicated to Khlyst from Lucifugum). Counting the demos "The Supreme Art Of Genocide" is the 16th release from this band which comes in a pro-done CD released by the band itself under their own label called Propaganda.
A quite nice looking CD with a cover art work which probably took more time to be put together than the music itself. There is no free/wasted space left, every image is pure blasphemy, one thing that was hard for me to like is the way that the members of the band look which I found quite ridiculous, especially Stabaath which is more grotesque (not in the positive way though) than evil which probably was the way she wanted to look, Khlyst instead looks quite good. Another funny thing is that they both have the same Orthodox-like cross in their hands inverted. Maybe they were too poor to buy two different crosses or thought that Christianity is one and the symbols are the same. One idea that they do miss (and all the Black Metal bands do so) is that the cross itself is a blasphemy in a wooden image of God, that itself being a blasphemy as the Bible say in one of the 10 Christian rules. The result being that they are not mocking God with an inverted cross but more the way the modern Christians are and act. This somehow escaped their ideologies... and they claim to be so not human.
Judging the music, there is no innovation to the genre but the offering is quite decent, that in the case that you like your Black Metal in its rawest form. Minimalist both as sound and as composition Lucifugum do bring a good release for the purists of the genre, even though I think that out there are more far good releases than this one.
I think that it is one thing to have a good ideology and other one to play good music and I have never understood why there are so many good bands with a good music and bad ideology and so many with good ideology and bad music (as I have said above Lucifugum is not bad but mediocre). A better production (not meaning the ultra modernized shit but a true underground one, where everything is loud and clear) would have done magic to this release. I bet it would have been more powerful (see Armagedda for example). No song is memorable, maybe a plus for "Преломление Света". Anyway this CD will have more spins in my player in the nights when I will find the proper atmosphere for it or when I will feel that I have forgotten how it sounds. Probably I was too human to review their cult...

Lutomysl – "De Profundis"

(Ukraine, Supernal Music/Stuza Production, Black Metal, 2008)

That kind of album I would want to love. This is full of high-speed Black Metal melodies with nihilistic melancholy spreading generously from the core of the songs. If it weren't for some occasional moments, like for example the first minute of the first song, but not only, unfortunately dull, this would be a very nice Black Metal effort. Although obviously with no innovative intent, Pavel Shishkovskiy does a nice job with those distinctive second wave elements of Black Metal language imbed with a specific sense of melody and depressive fervor, pretty well spread nowadays.