To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent.

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"The Ajna Offensive unveils a manifold collaboration in sound and image, presenting all original songs and artworks, crafted with the exclusive aim of evoking the Powers of the Sphinx: To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent. The allegory of the Sphinx points to Man. Both are composed of the four Elements, but in Man they exist in different proportions and are unbalanced, while in the Sphinx the Elements are harmonious and synergistic. The Sphinx represents the perfected Man, the Magus. The Four Powers of the Sphinx are "the four words of the Magus," the "four indispensable conditions" which bring Man to the state of perfection and balance. The Aural journey is taken forth in logical sequence by Saturnalia Temple, Nightbringer, Nihil Nocturne & Aluk Todolo, each of whom heralds their respective Power with commensurate gnosis. “To learn how to will is to learn how to exercise dominion. But to be able to exert will power you must first know; for will power applied to folly is madness, death, and hell.” (Lévi) To Know- Saturnalia Temple (Sweden) To Will- Nightbringer (United States) To Dare- Nihil Nocturne (Germany) To Keep Silent- Aluk Todolo (France) First issued as an LP- limited to 500 copies with 12 page booklet, full 6 color printing and silver vinyl. Later to be issued as a very affordable CD. The AJNA Offensive. Winter Solstice, 2009. " www.theajnaoffensive.com Available in Europe from www.noevdia.com

The Devil comes from France (Satan ex Machina pt. II)

I usually avoid categorization according to a bands' country of origin. This time it is a necessary evil. It seems that, in France, there is a flood of (worthy) bands that blend the aesthetics and sonic mayhem of industrial with the ones of black metal. Some records that guaranty a journey to hell, coming from french bands.

Alien Deviant Circus - Satanic Djihad

Starting with my personal favourite in terms of musical, aesthetic, artistic and philosophical competence. This is a complete offering and for me this record serves as the definition of "industrial black metal". Raw, cruel, punishing, pitch black. Words cannot do justice to this record. Absolutely essential.

Also worth checking out is the related project NekronoiZ.

Blacklodge - Solarkult

 

 Following close is the second LP from Blacklodge. This one refined and perfected their style that first appeared on the debut Login:SataN. More mechanical, less blastbeasts, more sickness, less conventionality. Unsettling rhythms attack all over. No escape. Die.

 

Diapsiquir - Virus STN

A fucking masterpiece. Total insanity, mostly represented by the amazing vocals that leave no place for hope. Satan is here, you are doomed. Extra credits to the sickening baby cries in Génération Maudite, Pénétration Interdite. Noone can sleep well after listening to this monster of a record. Mandatory.

Puritas Virginum - Décénie de Souffrance 

Strange and pretty hard to swallow release. Industrial, darkwave, black metal blended and not blended. Worth a listening but should be shorter.

Reverence - Chamber of Divine Elaboration 

Reverence stand out because of the quality of their music and their capability to create dark atmospheres with minimum use of electronics. Slow rythms, some resemblance with Blut aus Nord but not as experimental and progressive. Reverence choose a different path than most of the bands that have been referred here. Like slow poison...

Spektr - Near Death Experience 

 This seems like an attempt to create cinematic, disturbing, horror filled music. I liked both their albums and their Mescalyne EP, but I tend to like this one more. Feel the pain.

Terrodrown - Colonize and Regulate 

I only recently heard the band and I just listened to the LP 3 or 4 times. My first impression is positive enough to mention it here. Requires more attention but is definitely worth checking out.

Third part will follow...

Over and out.

Satan ex machina

The mixing of traditional black metal techniques with industrial ones. Possibly the future of black metal? Some records that I find interesting or even essential. More parts are going to follow.

Diabolos Rising - 666 

If I recall right this was my first encounter with such a hybrid. With members of Necromantia and Impaled Nazarene, this was released in 1994. Sick, disturbing, hammering the listener without mercy. Two years later the second album Blood, Vampirism, Sadism was equally good but more of an electro case than the debut. Then they changed their name to Raism but I didn't really follow them.

The Axis of Perdition - Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital
A constant feeling of urban decay, harsh and distorted guitars and vocals, ambient sounds that freeze the blood. The nightmare that begun with The Ichneumon Method (And Less Welcome Techniques) and continued with  Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara (The Red God) reached it's climax here.Totaly fucking recommended.

 Samael - Passage 
Being a fun of Samael from their first demo in '87 up to their more than classic and essential Worship Him debut, their transformation to an electro metal entity was hard to swallow. Nevertheless their 4th album crowned the first period of this process that started with Ceremony of Opposites, with a crown that glows for almost thirteen years now. If only their following works were of the same stellar quality.

Semargl - Manifest
Third album by the Ukranian band. Their first attempts were decent yet fairly standard affairs. This one is a completely different beast. There aren't many electronic influences on Manifest but there is a cold, mechanical, precise execution that proves that the use of blimp-blomps is not always necessary.






The following two records does not fall in the same category as the previous ones but are personal favorites that I cannot ignore...

 Coroner - Grin 
The closing chapter of the great Swiss band was a criminaly overlooked and underestimated album. Less of a platform for their technical abilities, more of an atmospheric/industrial case. All the same, a work of a genious. How could an average thrash metal fan appreciate it?
The machine is roaring and yes...it is full of soul.

 Apollyon Sun - Sub 
I have admitted my admiration for Tom Gabriel's work several times. This record, his industrial incarnation, could not be left out. His interest in such fields was evident from his earlier works (remember One in Their Pride).
Worth checking out even just out of curiosity.






Second part follows soon.

Over and out.

Ulver

The direction Ulver chose to take after their  black metal beginning had caused of course, different reactions. Fuck, even said black metal beginning was not a concrete basis, as the difference between Bergtatt and Nattens Madrigal is huge. Personally I kept having an eye on their work (although not a close one) as I always respected their artistic view and integrity. I also had a positive view about their stance on live performances as it happened to be close to my own views. Lately this particular position of theirs had changed and they have started performing live.
Four days ago they played in Athens. I don't know shit about how Ulver performed and to be honest I don't really care. I hate gigs as music is a very personal matter for me and I don't like sharing it with others, especially with the retarded chimps that usually is most of the crowd. Nevertheless this little hapening that took place after Ulver's "normal" set, with Garm performing Capitel I : I Troldskog Faren Vild from their debut with the help of Order of the Ebon Hand (if I'm not terribly mistaken) certainly brings nostalgic memories of times I truly cherish.











This one is of better quality but the song is not complete.

Drastus

I don't usually like to write about record labels and foretell about their releases with the exception of whatever comes from the camp of Norma Evangelium Diaboli/End All Life, as their releases are of guaranteed and unparalleled quallity.
So End All Life shall already have out the new Drastus MCD/MLP titled Serpent's Chalice - Materia Prima as of the November the 13th, the day before yesterday. The record will be distributed by NoEvDia.
This should be an interesting release as I found Drastus' earlier works to be of very high quality and rather underrated. I strongly recommend to anyone that is unaware of the french artist, to find all his previous three works, the From the Womb of Ferocious 3-way split, the Roars From the Old Serpent's Paradise LP, and the Taphos EP.



Listening to:
Mordor - Csejthe
Medieval Death - Moments of Silence


Hate and curses.

Pills to cure the disease of the city life.

What I really like these days is the urban feeling of the music of american bands like Ludicra and Cobalt. There is a distinct air to their music that is unmistakably american and although "urban" is the word to describe the feeling that the music invokes, there is a genuine and mesmerising passion present. In the end I can't help but think that the americans are much more preferable when sticking to what they can do best, instead of aping the european black metal music and iconography. Cheers to Ludicra and Cobalt...

Also lately I've been thinking of posting about noteworthy black/death metal bands with female members, but currently I'm bored to type more than 50 words so...


Soundtrack of damned days:
Everything and anything by Ludicra
Gin by Cobalt
Born Again by Overmars
Souls at Zero by Neurosis
Theokomodia by George Pilali
Nattestid Ser Porten Vid by Taake
The Goat... And Other Re-Animated Bodies by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble Of Shadows
Strength Power Will Passion by Holy Moses


AMSG

Ashes of Angels

Aosoth have their second LP titled Ashes of Angels out. I have just heard it once so I can't really say much about the real value of the record. My first impression though is that this is an improved work compared to their debut, but whether that's the case or not, I'll have to wait until further "investigation".
Lyrically the band revolves around the teachings of the Order of the Nine Angels, a system of western traditional satanism, from which the band has adopted it's name too. Basically the ONA satanism is an excellent system of Chaos magic, the first such system I've ever studied. I have to say that I really enjoy seeing a black metal band inspired by the ONA as it is a change either from the theistic satanism of the orthodox bands or the mumblings of irrelevant and ignorant fools that flood the underground. The only other band that I remember using the teachings of ONA as a basis for their lyrics and is worth mentioning, are the great Altar of Perversion of Italy (long time no see).

The rain becomes fire, when listening to:
Aosoth - Ashes of Angels
Sanctus Nex - Aurelia
Waning - Population Control
The Gault - Even As All Before Us
Slough Feg - Atavism
Ludicra - S/T EP
Tenhornedbeast - Woe to You, O Earth and Sea
Sempiternal Deathreign - The Spooky Gloom