**Featured Band** Witchclan

Having been around in one form or another since the very early 90's UKEM decided it was

about time to delve into the mind behing UKBM band Witchclan. Mainman Matt gave us

an insight into the vision behind the band!

For those unfamiliar with the band, please give us a brief history of the band?

Well the history of Witchclan actually dates back to 1990. The band was formed by Peter Leathley who was the original drummer and vocalist and Sharad Anand who played guitar. The band was originally called Crypt, then the name was changed to Curse, then to Hellgrind before finally settling on Witchclan in 1992. I joined the band in 1993 and two demo tapes were released. At this time we were all really young and pretty inexperienced but those tapes still sound reasonably good today - the sound and style back then was more of a mixture of Bathroy, Venom, Slayer and Possessed.

In 1994 Peter and Sharad left the band and I recruited Dave Howell on bass, Jon Lee on guitar, James Pruden on guitar and Nick Parton on drums. We suffered from poor musicianship and recorded one demo which was never released, then in 1995 the band split for good.

In 2009 I decided to exhume the band but as a solo project so I started to write new material and in 2010 I released the bands 3rd demo 'Descend Into Darkness' which was received pretty well and started to get the Witchclan name out there again. Come 2011 I had interest from a Canadian label called The Northern Cold productions who wanted to sign me for a full length but this fell through so I released a promo tape of rough demo songs which I sent to a few labels. In May 2011 I signed to Darkness Shade Records here in the UK and released the bands debut album 'Misanthropist' on 31st October which was limited to 500 CD's. That's just about the history of Witchclan so far.

You have recently released your debut cd, what has reaction been like to its release?

The reaction has been really good actually. I was a bit unsure of how people would react to be honest because I produced everything myself and it was the first time I had tried any kind of mixing or production. The only negative comments I have heard refer to the production and mixing, but musically everyone seemed to be really into it so that was a good result for me.

Are you happy with the album, or is there anything you’d do differently?

I suppose in hindsight I would have got someone else to do the mixing and production because that lets it down a bit, and the drums sometimes sound a bit too high in the mix but otherwise I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.

Are there any new releases on the horizon?

Yes. I have another band called Deadman's Blood for which I have been recording a new CD so my concentration and efforts have been on that so far this year but that's complete now and will be released later next month so now I can get back to Witchclan. By Winter this year or perhaps early 2013 there will be a new mini-album released via Darkness Shade Records and will contain probably five brand new tracks which will be a huge step up from the 2011 material.

Musically, who influences you, if anyone at all?

Well I suppose I draw influence from a lot of different bands but I guess the main ones who have been a strong influence in the last three years since Witchclan returned would be early Darkthrone, early Bathory, Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, Urgehal and also Old Corpse Road from here in the UK.

What themes and topics do your lyrics deal with?

My lyrics are mainly anti-religious and that's not some cliche Black Metal thing, I write lyrics that are personal to myself and that reflect my own true views on life. I am a misanthropist and this reflects also in much of the lyrics I write. At the time of recording 'Misanthropist' I was feeling pretty anti-human due to a few things in my life and this came out in a lot of the songs such as 'Despised Existence'. Some of my lyrics occasionally lean more towards fiction though. For example, there is a song on the 2010 demo called 'Holy Cunt', which is actually a re-recorded version of a song we did in 1993. The lyrics in that song are about digging up the corpse of a nun and having sex with it before defiling and dismembering it. There is a song on the album called 'Succubus Of Dark Desires' which is about sex with a demon who then gives birth to a half human and have demon child. So you could say my lyrics deal with many different subjects, fact and fiction.

Composing songs can often be a frustrating process, how do you go about it?

Well one of the things I like about being a one-man band is the fact that I don't have to worry about anyone else's input. One of the main problems we had when we were a five piece would be that on some occasions we would turn up at rehearsal and we would be without a bass player, or a drummer so that made it very difficult to write and practice songs. I like to be able to take my time and do exactly what I want. I usually have most of the riffs and guitar parts worked out in my head already so I start with the drums and get those tracks laid down, then following with the guitar parts and the bass. The last parts I do are the keyboards and finally the vocals. Then it's just editing and tweaking of the final version of the song.

Being a one man band, gigging can be a daunting, if not logistical nightmare. Any plans to play live?

No, I never plan to play live. Initially I make music for myself. I play the music I like to hear myself and if other people like it then that's just an added bonus. I don't work particularly well with other musicians because I am quite a selfish person when it comes to music, everything has to be done my way and I think I would get frustrated with people if I were to have session members or live members. Withclan and Deadman's Blood are both studio bands and it will always stay that way. I have no need to play live.

Plans for the future?

Well this mini-album will be the initial focus for me over the next few months, and then I think there were talks of doing a split 7" with Unholy Deathcunt from Scotland but nothing has been finalized at the moment.

What merch do you currently have available and where can we get it?

Yes there are patches, t shirts, longsleeves, hoodies, girlie shirts etc all available via the official website at www.witchclan.co.uk - and of course the album is available from the website too.

Any final words?

Thank you to you for this interview and for the valued support.

Misanthropist

Darkness Shade Records 2011

1.Enter Darkness (Intro) 2.Through Nordic Lands

3.Of Hatred And Despair 4.Veil Of Darkness 5.Conqueror 6.Heaven Abhorred

7.In The Pentagram 8.Despised Existence 9.Misanthropist

10.Succubus Of Dark Desires 11.In The Shadow Of The Horns 11.Exit Light (Outro)

There’s a definite growing sense of anticipation as ‘Enter Darkness (Intro)’ slowly fills the speakers with an eeriness and gloomy feeling which is the perfect way to introduce ‘Through Nordic Lands’. Harsh, yet melodic riffing and rasping, screamed vocals introduce us to Witchclan’s brand of black metal, or ‘bestial Hell Metal’ as Matt (the one man behind this band) describes his band. Musically, this opening track is reminiscent of the first wave of Scandinavian black metal, under-produced and lo-fi and although the drums are programmed, they don’t sound out of place, too precise or badly programmed. ‘Of Hatred And Despair’ begins life very differently, extremely melodic keyboards introducing the track, with a melodic guitar solo leading the way, but that’s where the melody ends thankfully, the fuzzy lo-fi guitars and hellish screamed vocals taking over proceedings and once again it all has a very old school feel. The remainder of the track then mixes the melodic with the harsh, kind of losing its identity and never making its mind up what it wants to be, not necessarily a bad thing as it shows a willingness to experiment and incorporate variety. ‘Veil Of Darkness’ has a catchy ‘folk’ feel to it as it begins, almost ‘Mithoyn’ esque in its delivery, before the black metal seen earlier really lets rip, raging forth in a torrent of hellish blasts. Yet another track which sees a lot of the bands influences incorporated, the pace slowed right down, giving the track an almost death metal feel, the heavy guitars add some groove to keep it from being an all-out DM riff, not all bad, but the song does lack identity. ‘Conquer’ settles the ship somewhat, returning the album to its BM foundation, never straying from this formula, a massive hint of the groove to the guitars bringing a welcome return to form and really benefiting from the low production.

‘Heaven Abhorred’ continues in similar fashion, with added symphonic keyboard breaks, never pompous, more mysterious sounding, gloomy even. When the pace is upped and blast beats introduced, the band begin to sound devastating and dangerous and ‘In The Pentagram’ begins life in such fashion, creating a real harshness, Matt's vocals really adding to the overall black metal aesthetic with the early 90’s BM influence again on display and as evil as the band have sounded so far. The keyboard intro to ‘Beyond The Grave’ changes the whole feel to the album once again, injecting melody whilst the pace is slowed to a crawl with death metal style growls used throughout the majority of the song. As the pace begins to gather, the more familiar sound begins to show through, but then slower heavier guitars are introduced adding real emotion, especially when incorporated with the death metal growls. The problem is it sounds like a completely different band, beginning to sound somewhat like early Septic Flesh when they slowed songs down. ‘Despised Existence’ then changes the mood completely, returning to the harsh BM seen in earlier tracks. After listening to the previous track, the re-introduction of the harsher BM doesn’t quite work and feels a little flat, which is unfortunate as the band were beginning to sound quite devastating at times. Title track ‘Misanthropist’ is yet another example of two very differing styles being incorporated into one track, as seen before the song begins life as a melodic BM affair before the more death metal style is used and again, the track never quite making its mind up what it wants to be! The same can be said for ‘Succubus Of Dark Desires’ although the harsh BM does tend to lead the track, darting from slower paced sections with lightning speed in to the faster BM blasts. Adding variety into songs can sometimes be a bands downfall, as it muddies the waters, bringing a mixed message to the listener and can ultimately turn the listener off. That’s not to say all of these tracks do, it just makes you question the identity of the band, asking questions of them, which side of the extreme metal fence are they sitting, BM or DM? ‘In The Shadow Of The Horns’ is a classic Darkthrone song and is given the care and attention it duly deserves. ‘Exit Light’ is an eerie outro and would have probably been better suited closing the bands own material, with the Darkthrone cover following on, but that’s only a minor criticism. Summing up, this is not a bad album at all, there is a definite lack of musical identity throughout a lot of the songs, the difference between the lo-fo harsh BM and heavier death metal sections just ‘too different’ and not really mixing particularly well. The band may not thank me for saying so, but the highlight for me was ‘Beyond The Grave’, a real passionate emotion behind the track, sounding completely different to the majority of the music on display, but played with absolute conviction. If Witchclan are to succeed and really make an impression on the UK underground scene then maybe a little more planning and identity seeking is required. All the key ingredients are there, they just need absolute clarity. An album with a lot of interesting ideas, and Matt is clearly a talented individual, but his vision may not necessarily appeal to everyone.

6.5 out of 10

Ethereal - Revelation Beast

Self Released 2011

1.The Withered Hand Of God 2.Revelation Beast 3.Crown Of A Thousand Horns

4.Bloodstained Martyr 5.Apocalypse Of The Spirit

Mournfully ‘The Withered Hand Of God’ presents itself, the keyboard intro setting a creepy tone before all hell is unleashed in an unholy barrage of ice-cold, scathing black metal. The pace is unrelenting throughout, guitars high pitched with fast tremolo picking as you would expect from the genre. Keyboards are used frequently but are used in the background, as an accompaniment rather that overpowering the music as can so often be the case with bands in a similar vein. There are moments of ‘Dimmu’ on display, especially when the pace drops slightly and the vocals take on a more growled and spoken stance. No rip off by any means, just a hint of their influence showing through. Just as the track began, so it ends, a mournful and sombre atmosphere created through the keyboards. But as with the beginning of the song, it doesn’t last long and ‘Revelation Beast’ blasts open in a torrent of abyssic hate, ‘Diesekrator’s vocals really tormented here, pain etched into every sentence, scornful, scathing and malice laden – a real highlight and reminiscent of French black metal troupe Anorexia Nervosa. Slightly more melody is injected into the sound and again, comparisons can be made to Dimmu Borgir, the band easily able to match the Norwegians titans.

As ‘Crown Of A Thousand Horns’ opens up its all too clear that Ethereal really know how to write a good song, this track has taken on a slightly different approach vocally, the growled and spoken vocals re-introduced and used heavily throughout the majority of the track. The pace is slowed and melody used to really build the atmosphere with guitar solos and sweeping keyboards enhancing the melodic edge and seeing the track to its atmospheric end, great stuff! ‘Bloodstained Martyr’ begins where there previous track left off, the beginning to the song slow, but atmospheric, clean spoken vocals used to add variety before the band once again lets loose with their compelling brand of brutal, yet atmospheric black metal. There is a different ‘feel’ to this track, not being too different from the previous tracks to make it stand out as being different. Maybe more of the bands influences on display, the whole song sounds more ‘UKBM’, reminiscent of early C.O.F and Hecate Enthroned in places, not clones of the said bands by any stretch of the imagination though! Final track ‘Apocalypse Of The Night’ is a fitting end to a first rate release from yet another great UKBM band. All of the atmosphere, variety in pace and influences are on display, the band throwing everything ‘into the pot’ to end things and really leave their mark on the listener, the ‘big ending’ and spoken sample sounds really epic and ends the e.p. perfectly.

This is a beautifully presented self- released digi-pack and the professionalism of the packaging is equalled by the black metal on offer, there’s no faulting the bands material at all. Yes, there are comparisons to bigger names in the genre, but Ethereal are no rip off merchants, they are a band that are producing some of the best melodic, atmospheric yet brutal black metal in the UK at this moment in time. Every effort has obviously been made to ensure that no detail has been overlooked. From the design, to the presentation through to the music on offer, it all reeks of professionalism, produced this way to intentionally stand out from the crowd, which it manages to do perfectly. Five tracks of atmospheric, melodic yet brutal and scathing black metal; ‘Revelation Beast’ really deserves your attention and is highly recommended.

8.5 out of 10

Nathicana - Demo 2012

Self Released 2012

1.Entity 2.Devour 3.The Evil That Lurks Upon Us

Yes, the band did rape their name from that excellent 1349 song; however upon a first spin of the cd, there is a creepy old school vibe that greets the listener. When ‘Entity’ opens up, there’s a real heavy dose of melody injected into the bands sounds, whilst it manages to retain a sense of grimy, bog lurking old school death metal. The kick drums have been mixed perfectly to suit the music on offer, offering a really heavy, organic sound which really thumps at the chest. Tortured vocals accompany the death metal vibe; however, they sit more in the ‘Screamed Black Metal’ bracket, but suit the music really well. Differing styles used to maximum effect, almost a grindcore delivery, just not with the frenzied, blast beat laden delivery with the band preferring to take on a more ‘mid-paced’ approach. ‘Devour’ continues the murky, dirty old school theme perfectly, the faster sections very reminiscent of the more melodic old school Swedish death metal bands, with a slight hint of black metal injected into the guitars. Some of the faster sections do sound a little ‘out of control’, the band almost struggling to stay in time, but they do manage to hold things together so as not to lose the song completely. Third and final track ‘The Evil That Lurks Upon Us’ begins life at a crawl, once again the old school feel really brought to the fore here, not doom by any means, but slowed down, down tuned stinking death metal. These slower sections have a hint of ‘Soilent Green’ to them, only very slightly however. Reading through the bands lists of influences it is hard to see where these influences manifest themselves in the songs, as many of the bands listed are technical, extreme metal, quite the opposite from what is on offer here. This demo is Nathicana’s debut outing and is a good solid effort, but there is a naivety to their song writing which does show through. As mentioned, some of the faster sections sound a little out of control, and not ‘fully together’ as a band, but we can forgive a little sloppiness given that the band haven’t been together too long. Shows potential, not bad by any means, the band just needs more time to develop as a unit and mature their song writing skills.

5.5 out of 10

De Profundis - The Emptiness Within

Kolony Records 2012

1.From The Depths... 2.Delirium 3.Silent Gods 4.This Wretched Plague

5.Twisted Landscapes 6.Release 7.Dead Inside

8.Parallel Existence 9.Unbroken (A Morbid Embrace)

‘From The Depths’ is a monumental ‘intro’ building the tension up perfectly for ‘Delirium’.  From the outset it’s clear the De Profundis are accomplished musicians, there is a real professional feel to the track and it’s only just started! There’s a definite over-riding sense of melody, the guitars providing a perfect atmosphere. Even when blast beats are introduced, the melody is never lost, brutally melodic! Describing themselves as ‘Extreme Progressive Metal’ pretty much sums up the band’s sound. A melodic break half way through the track introduces the band’s progressive element, acoustic guitars layered  with a bass that is ‘doing its own thing’ and cleaner spoken vocals all point to a band that aren’t afraid to mix things up, experiment and show off their excellent musicianship. Faster blast sections re-introduced to end what is a superb opening track. ‘Silent Gods’ opens up in a relatively brutal fashion, courtesy of the drums setting quite a pace. Sounding reminiscent of earlier SEPTIC FLESH and just as good. Guitar harmonies and solos are used to great effect, taking the track into extremely catchy territory. Once again a melodic interlude is used to add variety to the track and used to retain the compelling atmosphere. Blast beats then introduced again, returning the track to the brutality seen at the beginning. Acoustic guitars are again used to introduce

‘This Wretched Plague’, the bands progressive edge in full swing here, drums, guitars and bass all seemingly doing something completely different to each other, whilst working together perfectly. This theme continues throughout the remainder of the track, especially the bass guitar which at times almost leads the track. Nestled in amongst all the progressive sections are faster, blast beat led elements which sit alongside all the progression really well, neither element sounding out of place or over-used. ‘Twisted Landscapes’ follows on is similar fashion, albeit a slightly faster affair. Vocally there is great variety throughout, the main guttural death metal vocal style being backed up perfectly with the screamed, more black metal vocal style and not forgetting the cleaner, spoken type vocals – variety the name of the game. When ‘Release’ opens up, bands such as ATHIEST immediately spring to mind, PESTILENCE maybe. The band’s technical ability more than obvious here, once again the bass guitar cutting through the guitars, well up in the mix as it should be as there’s a hell of a lot going on! As the track slows, and takes on a mournful, almost sombre feel, a cleaner vocal style of singing is used which adds something more to the band’s sound, yet another element which isn’t over-used, just added for a short time to bring something new ‘to the table’ so to speak. No sooner has the track started to take on a real black metal feel, with the tension and atmosphere rising, then it ends in an all-out free form jazz blast. Different! ‘Dead Inside’ returns the album to a more extreme, death metal format, once again, if comparisons were needed, then SEPTIC FLESH would again be a relatively accurate comparison. Black metal influenced riffing introduced which sits really well against the very progressive, melodic sections. Ending the track the band have opted to really up the pace and it sounds really brutal, again starting to take on a black metal stance and yet it still manages to retain a progressive edge. Great finish to the track!

‘Parallel Existence’ is an instrumental and is yet another master-class in how to play well composed, melodic, technical and progressive extreme metal, the band really pushing the boundaries here. It all sounds very self-indulgent, but why the fuck not when you know you can play this well, show people what you can do. Technically its first rate, every band member really pushing themselves as the track slowly builds up in pace, ending very brutally, probably more brutal than anything seen in the previous songs. Ninth and final track, ‘Unbroken (A Morbid Embrace)' is a monster of a track, the longest on the entire album, clocking in at 9:07. Its surprising how quickly the track passes by though, there’s so much to keep the listener engaged that you find yourself becoming engrossed in it all. As the track slowly reaches its finale, “Unbroken” is being sung repeatedly using dual vocals and it’s very very catchy, fading out as an acoustic guitar fades in then out to end the track. I remember reading a post from the band, complaining about constantly being labelled a doom band. And with good reason, whoever described De Profundis as doom needs a good slap and a lesson in the extreme metal genres. ‘Extreme Progressive Metal’ sums the band up brilliantly, but add to that ‘Technical’ as the music on offer drips technicality, oozes atmosphere and is second to none. All nine tracks offer up compelling compositions, flawlessly executed and utterly addictive. There is a lot on offer, a lot of influences and musical styles blended together to create something very unique to the UK. An album that is easily able to match those playing a similar style on the international scene with something to offer to the majority of extreme metal fans, ‘The Emptiness Within’ comes very highly recommended…you really should be putting this on your ‘to buy’ cd list!

9 out of 10

Hrafnblod - Heathen Psalms

Wodfreca Records 2012

1.Admonition 2.Inhumanity Of The Human Race 3.Ashes Of Tyranny

4.Last Of A Dying Breed 5.The Spirit Of Fyrnsidu 6.Skeletal Skies

7.Tears For The Einherjar 8.Heremaecg Galdr 9.Possessed

Another one man band spawned from the UK underground; this time round we have Hrafnblod, a blackened death metal project from the grimness that is Telford. ‘Admonition’ is a short intro made up of spoken samples and heavy distorted rumblings before ‘Inhumanity Of The Human Race’ blasts open furiously. Insanely fast programmed drums set the pace, the buzz heavy guitars following along with similar lightning speed and precision all backed up with some great vocal work, making use of the black metal standard screams and well as deep, guttural backing vocals. There’s a thrashyness to the riffs which lends itself perfectly to the black metal assault. There’s also a hint of ‘Dimmu’ on display, a very slight hint it must be said. ‘Ashes of Tyranny’ follows on in similar fashion, the pace remaining at lightning speed but the song taking on a more death metal feel, the tone of the guitars keeping the ‘black edge’ to the band’s sound. We even get to hear the bass under the buzz heavy guitars, something not normally heard on the more black metal sounding releases, but a welcome addition to the band’s sound nonetheless. This track gets catchier and catchier the further on into it you delve, finishing on a real high, the ‘Dimmu’ influence again (only very slightly) on show.  ‘Last Of A Dying Breed’ begins in quite a heavy, death metal fashion with the main opening riff taking on a very death/thrash approach. It’s at this point that the programmed drums really begin to sound ‘industrial’ and when they open up at the inhuman speeds really begin to annoy. However, in this track the super-fast speeds are few and far between, a slower more mid pace adopted. The ‘Vinyl Record’ effect half way through this track a nice addition as the rhythm guitar lets loose with a thrashy black metal riff. ‘The Spirit of Fyrnsidu’ suffers somewhat from the outset, the programmed drums being its down fall. The hi-hats sound absolutely horrendous which is a real shame; they are just way too high in the mix, far too precise for the tracks own good. The drums really spoil what is a first rate, brutal and atmospheric black metal song, buzz-saw tremolo picked guitars absolutely seething and etched in a grimness not seen so far on this album. A real shame they ruin this track and a prime example of why human drumming is always favoured over programmed drums, especially in black metal (unless a more natural, organic approach is used).

‘Skeletal Skies’ opens up mournfully, the pace slowed to an atmospheric crawl, the highlight and driving force of the track being the vocal delivery, first rate black metal vocals, a more growled scream used to add real atmosphere. Simple but effective keyboards are introduced, adding a new element to bands brand of black metal. It has to be said that the band are far more effective and a much more attractive proposition when the pace is slowed to a crawl. The drum production jumps out here, sounding much more natural and adding to a sense of gloom and despair…something to think about for the future maybe, slowing everything right down and opting for atmosphere over speed? ‘Tears For The Einherjar’ is used as an interlude, thunderous gloomy samples mixed with dripping water and what sounds like a mouth organ creates a very gloomy atmosphere indeed and works extremely well as a melodic interlude. ‘Heremaecg Galdr’ carries on perfectly form the previous track, fading in with such mournful atmosphere it’s all beginning to take on a DSBM stance which is no bad thing at all. As mentioned previously, the band sound absolutely devastating when the pace is slowed to a gloomy and desperate crawl. The track breaks abruptly with echo drenched spoken vocals taking the lead briefly before the guitars open up again with the effective tortured black metal vocals as an accompaniment. Very effective, very atmospheric and as good as the band has sounded so far. Even when the pace is upped, it is increased slightly into mid-paced territory which sounds so much better and more effective than the hyper-speeds seen in earlier tracks. If only all the tracks had sounded like this!

Closing proceedings is ‘Possessed’, fading in menacingly, the tension and atmosphere and sense of foreboding really begin to build and once again, atmosphere chosen over lightning speed which is a very welcome decision. There’s a real eeriness to this closing track, almost haunting in its delivery, especially when the vocals are introduced, used in an almost chant like fashion. Being the last track it is used as an ‘outro’ for the album, swirling wind samples mixed alongside mechanical, almost industrial soundscapes, it’s a fitting end. A tale of two halves in effect, the first few songs opting for speed over atmosphere and not working as well as the second half of the album. The production on the drums ruining what are actually some decent black metal songs. It’s only when the band decides to slow the pace that they are at their best and most appealling. Everything begins to make sense and musically everything falls into place perfectly. The atmosphere crafted on the slower tracks is extremely compelling and very listenable. Drop the speed and opt for atmosphere, it works so much better. If that’s not an option, get a drummer and ditch the programming, it will work so much better. A lot of very good songs on display which shows real potential for future releases, whatever direction they might take only one man can make that call!

7 out of 10

Redmist Destruction - Nobility In Death

Self Released 2011

1.Eternity Deprived 2.The Coroner 3.Hell Capitan 4.Strive To Belong 5.Terrorist

6.Only Human 7.The Noble Dead 8.Gefangnisstadt 9.He Who Suffers

10.Herbert West - Reanimator 11.Fucking Destroy

The new wave of English thrash metal has seen a boom of late, many young bands heading up the revival and flying the flag for thrash metal from these shores. Barnsley’s Redmist Destruction are amongst those, but are clearly not happy just to churn out re-hashed riffs and song structures wanked from the first wave. ‘Entity Deprived’ is a clear example of the bands originality and unwillingness to settle for the standard thrash sound. Acoustic guitars act as an intro before the barrage commences, it’s definitely full on thrash but there’s also a heavy injection of melody into choruses which give a really atmospheric, almost epic feel to the track…very catchy indeed! Other influences show themselves readily, dual lead guitars very ‘maiden-esque’ and fitting in well. ‘The Coroner’ is another full on thrash assault, shouted gang style vocals given a good airing throughout the track. A blistering pace is set through the whole of the track which can only be a good thing!. Other influences begin to break through, Testament and Exodus immediately spring to mind towards the end of the track.

‘Hell Capitan’ follows on in similar fashion, no real let up in the pace, each track taking on a really frenzied feeling, brutal thrash metal. More melody is injected into the onslaught, the band actually begin to sound a little like Germany’s own masters of Death/Thrash metal Dew Scented,which is never going going to be a bad thing. ‘Strive To Belong’ is a more classic thrash affair, the shouted gang vocals re-introduced, the pace held back in favour creating heavy and raw thrash metal! ‘Terrorist?’ is another real toe-tapping example of modern thrash metal, real variety in the song and many of the bands influences again on show with variety being shown in the pace, ranging from an almost sludgy crawl through to all guns blazing thrash attack. ‘Only Human’ has a slightly more extreme feel to it, especially in the guitars, sounding once again like a less brutal Dew Scented but with more ‘classic’ style thrash vocals. ‘The Noble Dead’ acts as a short, acoustic interlude and allows the listener to take a breather from the full on thrash frenzy of the previous tracks. ‘Gefangnisstadt’ begins calmly enough before normal (thrash) service is resumed. These guys can’t be accused of ‘holding back’ at all, every opportunity to ‘let-rip’ is taken full advantage of, the catchiness never lost in the speed of the songs. ‘He Who Suffer’s barely allows you to draw breath and opens up the instant the previous track has finished and as you would expect it’s full on, foot to the floor thrash, the riffing becoming really manic whilst managing to retain a sense of melody as well the overall feeling of thrash metal. The production of the album really jumps out at you, especially the bass, having a really heavy thumping air of authority and giving the song that extra something.

‘Herbert West – Reanimator’ see’s the shouted vocals re-introduced “Reanimator, the dead alive” being shouted in good old thrash fashion and giving this track a really old school/first wave feel and sounding typically English (not a bad thing by far!) Closing proceedings  is ‘Fucking Destroy; which is what the band have pretty much done throughout all eleven tracks. As mentioned earlier, this album isn’t about taking old ideas and making them sound a bit different with a newer production, it’s all about appreciating the past masters and paying homage to the genre they created. It’s all about dragging thrash into the 21^st century kicking and screaming and creating modern thrash metal music, which RD do brilliantly. Their music is thrash, and shows many of the classic elements but it’s also so much more than that. Influences are a plenty and the band aren’t afraid to have them all on show. Modern thrash metal played flawlessly with a real kick to the bollocks production, ‘Nobility In Death’ comes highly recommended. If the band can pull this off on the live circuit, there’ll be no stopping them! Thrash is back and by this performance; it's here to stay!

8 out of 10

Prometheus Rising - The Embrace Of Night

Self Released 2012

1.The Embrace Of Night Part1: Dusk 2.Cold And Black

3.Fortress Of Long Forgotten Wars

4.Inciting Hatred From Upon The Papal Throne 5.Ufodte Massekren

6.Bile (Spewing Hatred) 7.The Embrace Of The Night Part2: The Natural Sanctuary

8.Fortress Of Desolation 9.Orgasmatron (Motorhead Cover)

‘The Embrace of Night Part1: Dusk’ begins with atmospheric and sombre introduction, hypnotic and repetitive synths and swirling wind samples set the tone. As the music ‘proper’ begins, there’s a great deal of melody on display, the keyboards featuring heavily throughout, guitars are harsh and typically black metal but still manage to retain the melody and atmosphere perfectly. No vocals, so this first track almost acts as an intro. ‘Cold And Black’ see’s the harsh black metal introduced fully, guitars again harsh, with a thrashy edge to them whilst remaining ultimately black metal and not sounding too black thrash. Vocals are as expected, hateful and scathing. Point to note is that the keyboards are nowhere to be heard, seems a little strange given the previous song. ‘Fortress of Long Forgotten Wars’ drips atmosphere from everywhere, the keyboards re-introduced with an almost symphonic edge to them and definitely adding an extra dimension to the band’s sound. The previous track would have benefited from the addition of the keyboards. ‘Inciting Hatred From Upon The Papal Throne’ is as scathing as the band have sounded so far, especially vocally, Carwyn’s voice really standing out here. Whilst the melodic edge to the guitars is retained, the drums (albeit programmed) really spring to life here, blazing away in a torrent of blast beats and ultra-fast double bass drum work. Again however, there’s a distinct lack of keyboards which once again is blaringly obvious and seems to take the edge off the song. There’s nothing in the song writing hand book to say keyboards should be used in every song, but when they are used, they are used heavily and really do add something extra to the songs, so to omit them is disappointing to listen to. I can only assume that that the rest of the tracks are taken from a different recording, because when ‘Ufodte Massekren’ opens up the difference in production is instantly notable because it is absolutely horrendous. There’s a horrible ‘watery’ feel to the vocals which are barely in the mix and offer a very strange listen indeed. Guitars are ultra-harsh which only adds to the ‘watery’ feel, not good!

‘Bile – Spewing Hatred’ confuses things even more, as a more poilished production has returned, so not sure what the previous track was all about, but it definitely did not work! Returned is the melodic tinged, thrashy black metal, the guitar tone here reminiscent of Mayhem. It’s not very often the songs speed up, but when they do, work very well bringing a real brutal edge to the band. Although the faster sections don’t last long and are few and far between, creating an atmosphere has been chosen over all-out speed. Not necessarily a bad thing either. ‘The Embrace of The Night Part 2: The Natural Sanctuary’ is a return to form, hypnotic guitars and keyboards used under harsh vocals which is all held together by simple, but effective mid-paced drums. The production on the drums does seem to have differed from song to song, the hi-hats on the previous song was abysmal but here we hear a very natural drum sound, very ‘believable’ and when the paced is increased it is as good as the band have sounded so far. ‘Forests Of Desolation’ opens up and instantly reminded me of Vinterland, very harsh yet melodic black metal, and very atmospheric indeed. The drum programing seems to have been stepped up a notch here also. The last of the bands own material acts as an outro as there are no vocals, and to be blunt there’s no need for them, for when keyboards are introduced the atmosphere being created is enough to draw the track to its sullen ending, a fitting end (bar the Motorhead cover) to the bands material.

‘Orgasmatron’ is a cracking song and it’s going to be fairly hard to make it sound bad. PR do the song justice, a good song is always going to be a good song, enough said really! Summing up, ‘The Embrace Of Night’ is dripping with atmosphere and melody all combined with harsh yet (sometimes) orchestral black metal. There is however, a distinct lack of cohesion between the tracks, especially when keyboards aren’t used over some of them which gives the cd a disjointed feel. Differing productions on some of the tracks add to the lack of cohesion, ‘Ufodte Massekren’ being the obvious bug bearer. Having said that, there are a lot of good ideas on this album and it really shows a lot of potential. Things to need to be ‘pulled together’ more and I’m sure that Carwyn (the one man behind Prometheus Rising) will be producing some top class atmospheric black metal. A good first effort, dripping in atmosphere and ideas, just needs a bit more work to fully see its potential.

6.5 out of 10