IMPERATORIA TENEBRIS PRAVITA

«Black metal splits are great ways to expand your horizons on the genre, follow bands you like, and be introduced to others that those bands are fans of, here we have three great bands; Jord, Vorsk and Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage.

The first band on the split is Jord, a one man French band. The sound of the band is pretty decent, the tone of the guitars and drum been quite straight forward and typical of a black metal band, but the music itself is quite emotional and compelling. The style flitting from aggressive black metal riffing, to ominous and unsettling clean guitar passages with ease, such as at the end of first track ‘La Nuit’. The vocals are aggressive, and quite accented, reminiscent of fellow French black metallers Malevolentia. The drums are varied and decent into their beats, ranging from double bass to rhythmic passages, changing regularly throughout songs, keeping it interesting and accenting the music.

Second on the split is Vorsk, a DSBM band from New York, the first song ‘Melancholic Detachment’is my favourite from this band, it opens with an emotional clean section, which continues for a couple of minutes before the distorted guitar enters. The distortion on the guitar is very heavy, the screamed vocals over the top are quite typical for DSBM, the strangled howls heavy with reverb. The second track is a noise track, with nothing really to talk about, but at seventeen minutes, it is far too long. The last track for Vork is ‘Close Your Eyes’ and is quite different to the first, much faster, and employing more synth, the mix is quite different to the first as well, the vocals are much higher in the level, and the guitar is not quite as distorted. Overall, a mixed demonstration from Vorsk, but the first and third tracks should be checked out.

The final band is the reason I checked the split in the first place ‘Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage’, a band that stands out, bringing many influences from other metal, to regular rock, to the table with their take on black metal. First song ‘Isabella’ shows that, the guitar tone is aggressive and full, the drums are mixed and accent the guitar parts and the music in general. The vocals are tortured, aggressive and tormented, differing from regular black metal sounds, making it much more interesting, but also having moments where it finds the regular sound. The clean part in the mid of ‘Isabella’ is one of the most beautiful moments on the entire album, heavy with emotion and draws the listener in. The demonstrated black metal versatility and outside influence from Isabella continues across the other two tracks, with ‘Wish My Death Upon A Star’ been much faster than Isabella. ‘Wish’ begins with a great lick in the middle that is both aggressive and catchy, and even a guitar solo finding its way in. The final track ‘登鹳雀楼’ is a great way to end the album, from the clean beginning, to the great middle riff, slow and menacing, to its closing moments with drawn out notes, and the riff repeated. Al of it shows that Tzachitxz (sole member) knows how to write great black metal.

Overall, this is a great split for anyone who wants to expand their black metal horizons with some lesser known bands, each of the bands brings something new to the table that differs from the others.

Favourite tracks:

• Jord – Maudit
• Vorsk – Melancholic Detachment
• Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage – Isabella«

Original review: http://www.blackmetalspirit.net/2016/02/nocturnal-toxin-carnage.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawJaautleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcw6wPy2I0GwxYg7qBvaU6bAmnGwgpMxh29wPkTUGMkBRIZZwhetClwkSA_aem_JrVQVloowEBUTIVqywz65Q&m=1&sfnsn=scwspwa

«Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage nace en 2012 como una one man band afincada en México, después de un número de ediciones nada desdeñable viene de cambiar de nombre el pasado año y de incorporar tal vez una vertiente más noise en su propuesta. En el split que nos ocupa, se encargan de cerrarlo con tres temas que siguen una línea bastante cruda y oscura. Esto queda totalmente refrendado desde el comienzo de «Isabella» con un tono depresivo y oscuro que se construye gracias a unas guitarras afiladas y muy crudas a las que acompañan unas voces del todo depresivas que transmiten sufrimiento. El líneas generales lo temas siguientes toman como referencia este para seguir ahondando de manera cruda y violenta en la desesperación y soledad, con la incorporación de algunos pasajes más limpios y claros que se adentran en terrenos más solitarios y vacíos. Los tres temas se apoyan en el buen hacer de las distorsiones de las guitarras que orientan la propuesta hacia la violencia, mientras que el apartado vocal también esta a la altura, transmitiendo sufrimiento y agresividad a partes iguales, todo ello acompañado por algunos buenos aportes de batería y ciertos arreglos que añaden un punto de oscuridad y melancolía a unos temas que ante todo desprenden sufrimiento y odio.«

https://zeox.bandcamp.com/album/i-s-o-l-a-t-i-o-n

«Review Summary: One of the most disturbing, unnerving, aggressive and truly miserable albums I’ve ever heard

Vore is a small cult act from Mexico, compromising of sole musician Tzachtixz, the mastermind behind one of the most disturbing, unnerving, aggressive and truly miserable albums I’ve ever heard. Listening to this album is an incredible journey, from the light to the dark, it’s a spiritual experience you take part in across this hour long album.

Everything on this release works perfectly together, interacting to form a maelstrom of emotion. The tone on the distorted guitar is thick, meaty and creates a full sound. The guitar parts are greatly varied; ranging from classic tremolo melodies, to slow arpeggio parts classic riffs, creating a nice range across the album creating different emotional responses from the listener. Across the album the distorted guitar is mixed with beautiful, emotive clean passages, creating an incredible atmosphere that the more the listener is exposed to, the better it is, whether it’s a lone acoustic part, or blended together with the distorted passages, it’s wonderful.

The bass on this album is better than most black metal albums in that it is audible for a start! Above that, it also plays a great mixture of simple support parts and independent melodies. Drum wise, the parts are great and varied, providing many different tempos, variations and rhythms, changing frequently, sometimes providing multiple parts within one riff, they provide great support to the guitars and bass, driving the tracks forward with simple beats, double pass, blast beats according to what is required.

The last thing to address is the vocals, Tzachtixz provides some of the most tortured and demented screams I’ve ever heard; high, distorted, depressing shrieks, they really add an extra dimension to the music, topping of the depressing and haunting music beneath. You truly feel all the emotion that is behind the voice, though the lyrics are in Spanish so I couldn’t tell what was been screamed about, you can feel that the person behind is releasing all their pent up misery in a cathartic scream. On this note, according to the artist the lyrics in the album are about the process of social isolation and occult catharsis/enlightenment. The details of the story can be seen in the layout of the tape release, which features a hand drawn world entitled ‘The Inner Hell’ where each track relates to a part of the world.

This is album is a masterpiece, a varied and emotive experience, Tzachtixz has crafted a truly amazing experience for the listener, exploring many different avenues, be it slow doomy passages, fast black metal tremolo sections, or haunting acoustic breaks. Every track keeping the same emotionally charged atmosphere that penetrates the entire release. Any fan of DSBM, black metal or just extreme metal in general should definitely check this out.

Favourite tracks:
Maze of Solitude
One Hundred Blind Eyes
The Gloom Keep«

««Panegírico Fúnebre a los Olvidados» («Eulogy to the Forgotten», in English) is a new split release betwenn american one-man act Bukavac and the mexican musician, Tza-Xaaguum (Vfanhthore, Vore), here under the moniker of Imperator.

This is not the fist time Bukavac collaborates somehow Tza-Xaaguum, given he released his debut album under another project, Whore, in 2017 on Cónclave Curatorial Records, Tza-Xaaguum’s label and the label in charge of this split as well.

A very good split, with Bukavac playing an agressive, no-frills style of Black Metal, with unforgiving riffing, great leads and beautifully eerie synth passages as well.

As to Imperator, here presents a longer and rawer single 15-minute track. Starting off and with Dark Ambient/Noise, featuring experiments with Field Recordings of what could very much be a maniac sawing off the limbs of an unconscious person in the sewers in the beginning. The track then transforms into a maelstrom attack of Raw Black Metal, with Death Metal/Grindcore elements always present as it is characteristic of Imperator. Despite the raw productions value every element in this is rather clearly audible, from the bursting guitars to the devilish vocals and pulsating reverberations of the bass. Another brilliant track from one of Mexico’s finest gems.«

«Vore’s (now known as Imperator) fifth full length, and 10th since the band’s inception under the name Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage.

An absolutely massive recording, like most albums by Vore. Over 90 minutes of Black Metal madness, infused with Noise elements, and even closing in with two Noise tracks and a cover of Stéphanie of Monaco’s track, «Ouragan», which is basically a slowed down version of the song but definitely fits the depravity of this work.

Here you can hear Tza-Xaaguum (also know for Vfanhthore and running Cónclave Curatorial) at full potential, blending the unique riffing style that balances old school Black Metal, with macabre passages akin to its mexican brethren, and some hints of Death Metal and Grindcore as well, but always mixed in a fashion that remains pure to Black Metal. Brimming with sexual negativism and depravity, Éléphant is truly a bleak listen, while being a very interesting one.

The artist’s great and unique songwriting keeps the album interesting until the end, even leaving some of the best tracks to the second half such as «Atavismes du crépuscule (phénomène obsessif)» and «Le Cavalier de la Mort (partie 1)» . With every instrument being as important as the other, from the ominous keyboards in the second part, to the absolutely stellar bass that always refuses to follow the riffs, Vore remains an underrated force in the underground. One man bands with this level of prolificity in all the facets of the music are rare.

A band that is sure to be appreciated by fans of Auld Ridge, Albionic Hermeticism or Ynkleudherhenavogyon.«

«The return of mexican tyrannic weirdness, Tza-Xaaguum (also known for Vfanhthore) is back with the 3rd full length under Imperator, and the 13th in total when accounting the past two iterations of this project (Nocturnal Toxin & Carnage and, most importantly, Vore).

The artist delivers another brilliant piece of idiosyncratic and experimental Black Metal music, fusing various subgenres but still deeply rooted in the underground dwelling aesthetics and sonority.

From the Depressive and visceral undertones on the opening track, definitely reminiscing with former BTC act, Arizmenda, to the depraved negativist romanticism of acts like Celestia or Manierisme present in the 3rd track and the primitivist acidic assault of the last track not too unlike Belkètre or other purveyors of the bleakest Raw Black Metal. Tza-Xaaguum delivers once again his Black Metal with terrific craftsmanship, always with excellent songwriting abilities, brilliant guitarwork, and very present and pulsating, intricate basslines.

Atop of all these, we can also see the use of Noise elements like in the second track, minimalist Techno on the 4th and 6th songs and a very intriguing delve into Progressive territory on track 5, which even includes some Flamenco-ish guitar parts at the end.«