Friday, April 5, 2024
INTERVIEW MANDATORY
Monday, March 25, 2024
INTERVIEW MACERATION
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
REVIEW SORT VOKTER "FOLKLORIC NECRO METAL"
Sort Vokter, was a band that occupies a special place in the Norwegian black metal scene. Their only release "Folkloric Necro Metal" from 1996 is a special album, a very harsh but also atmospheric one, which exudes a mystical aura. Even the cover artwork, which depicts a forest in twilight, is a good first indication of this. In later re-releases, this was unfortunately replaced by a far less impressive image of an ordinary nocturnal forest landscape. It is important to mention here that Sort Vokter featured a certain Vidar Vaer, better known for his music in his one-man band Ildjarn, one of the most polarising black metal bands of all time, who were rejected or ridiculed by many for their extremely raw, low-fi nosy style, in which an extremely simple guitar accompanied a distorted screeching voice to partially programmed drums. For a few, however, Ildjarn were an important influence, which can be seen not least in the tribute album "Gathered under the banner of strength and anger: A homage to Ildjarn", released in 2004, on which such well-known and illustrious bands as Urfaust, Xasthur, Nachtmystium, Forgotten Tomb, Leviathan and several others express their admiration for Ildjarn in the form of cover versions.
Sunday, March 17, 2024
INTERVIEW WARHAMMER
Saturday, March 16, 2024
INTERVIEW ATOMWINTER
When you hear the name Atomwinter, you inevitably think of black metal, but under this name there are some metalheads from Lower Saxony, who play their own version of traditional death metal. This interview was conducted a few years ago, precisely in 2013 on the occasion of the release of the debut album "Atomic Death Metal". Since then, the band from Göttingen has released three more full-length albums, most recently last year. At that time, the band was still a five-piece, as the debut album is the only one, in which the line up included two guitarists. It's also interesting to note that the line-up has remained the same in three of the today’s four positions since the interview, only the vocal position has changed since then, but twice. I spoke to guitarist Benni back then.
Sunday, March 3, 2024
REVIEW DEINONYCHUS "DEINONYCHUS"
Friday, March 1, 2024
INTERVIEW MORTA SKULD
" 'Dying Remains' was a huge album for us and set the tone, lots of fans really enjoy this record and we are so blessed that it's still a great record and stands the rest of time."
After decades in US death metal, Morta Skuld from Milwaukee are a firm institution in the genre. Now they have delivered an absolute highlight with "Creation Undone", which can also be seen from the numerous enthusiastic reactions from the press and fans. A good reason to talk to the only remaining founding member Dave Gregor.
Monday, February 26, 2024
INTERVIEW DEAD HEAD
This interview with Rob, one of the two Dead Head guitarists, is really worth reading. Quite apart from the fact that Dead Head from the Netherlands are one of the greatest thrash metal bands on this planet and have once again recorded an extremely strong piece of extreme music with their new EP "Shadow Soul", the answers are captivating in their entertaining honesty, self-reflection and above all the fact that someone here simply emphasizes that he is pleased with what he and the band have achieved instead of lamenting what has not been achieved. A very healthy attitude to life that would probably make our planet a better place if everyone thought like this. But enough talk, read for yourself...
Sunday, February 18, 2024
INTERVIEW CHRONICLES
Hello, please introduce ChronicleS to the readers of Systematic Desensitization Zine. Who are you, how did you find each other? According to Metal Archives, the band has existed since 2015, but it wasn't until 2019 that there was a first sign of musical life in the form of the "WarMachine" EP. Did this take a relatively long time because it was difficult to find suitable band members?
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
REVIEW SUFFERSYSTEM "DISINTEGRATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL"
Suffersystem from the beautiful half-timbered town of Hattingen in the Ruhr area will release their sixth album "Disintegration of the Individual" in mid-March, like its predecessor from 2021, once again via Black Blood Records. The two band members Dirk and Daniel, who are active in other bands such as Defected Decay (read a detailed interview in English here, in German here), False Mutation (who are also releasing a new album in March this year) and - relatively recently - Seeds of Torment, have added a new, fantastic chapter to the history of Suffersystem. The music on the ten tracks, which have a total playing time of 45 minutes, always moves between death and thrash metal, with a clear edge towards death metal.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
REVIEW SPECTRAL VOICE "SPARAGMOS"
Monday, February 5, 2024
INTERVIEW UGRA KARMA
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
INTERVIEW MASTER
Monday, January 29, 2024
REVIEW MASTER "SAINTS DISPELLED"
Saturday, January 27, 2024
REVIEW DROWNED "PROCUL HIS"
Friday, December 29, 2023
REVIEW MESSIAH "CHOIR OF HORRORS"
Messiah's third album "Choir of Horrors" from 1991, released on the legendary Noise Records label, represented a quantum leap for the band after the two predecessors "Hymn to Abramelin" and "Extremely cold weather" and also can be considered as a milestone in extreme music in general. The album, which features a cover artwork that is as atmospheric as it is terrifying, starts with monk chants before the death/thrash sounds kick in. Singer Andy Kaina, who sadly passed away last year, impresses with aggressive yet accentuated and intelligible vocals, while the band varies well between different tempos, especially the dragged out parts work well.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
REVIEW DEINONYCHUS "THE SILENCE OF DECEMBER"
But this is supposed to be about Deinonychus, who were already playing a special role in the second wave of black metal, which was just exploding, as the majority of the acts at that time were increasingly oriented towards Norwegian black metal and were traveling in much faster realms or, under the impression of the success of Cradle of Filth's debut album "The principle of evil made flesh", began to move into more moderate soundscapes, whereby the peak of the sometimes unspeakably Gothic bombast "black metal" would not be reached until a few years later.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
DIE BESTEN, OBSKURSTEN UND THRASHIGSTEN DEATH METAL-VIDEOS PART II
Nach Part I (lest HIER) nun Teil II der tollsten und obskursten Death Metal-Videoclips. Wie immer besteht weder ein Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit noch auf Objektivität, aber ich glaube, das versteht sich bei diesem Thema von selbst.
Saturday, December 23, 2023
DIE BESTEN, OBSKURSTEN UND THRASHIGSTEN DEATH METAL- VIDEOS PART I
Sunday, December 17, 2023
INTERVIEW ECOCIDE
"We always stayed in touch, supported each other's endeavors, and maintained a friendship which laid the foundation for the eventual reunion."
When I heard some time ago that the Dutch death metal outfit Ecocide had reunited, I was very pleased. Now, ten years after the already awesome debut album "Eye of wicked sight", the band has released a great second album with "Metamorphosis", which enriches the strengths of the debut with experience and the resulting focus. Read for yourself what the band has to say about the break and the new album.
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Wednesday, December 13, 2023
INTERVIEW FROSTSHOCK
The newcomers from Frostshock are currently stirring up the underground with their self-titled debut album (read the review HERE). A good reason to find out more about the band's background and their excellent, explosive death/thrash mixture. The bandmembers, who likeable don't take themselves so deadly serious, are delighted and grateful for the recognition they are currently receiving. But read for yourself.
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Tuesday, December 5, 2023
INTERVIEW DEPRESSION
"I'm sure that if we should ever call it quits, the friendship will remain."
Some time ago, I rediscovered the Depression albums in my personal collection and listened to them again very intensively up and down. If that's not a good reason to take a closer look at this German veterans of the scene, which have been playing great, goovy death/grind since 1989. This year also saw a split release with Swedish death metallers Repuked on vinyl and CD. I spoke with band founder, drummer and guitarist Kai and vocalist Ron.
Saturday, December 2, 2023
REVIEW FROSTSHOCK "FROSTSHOCK"
Frostshock have been around since 2020 and have released an insanely strong album with their self-titled debut. They were able to prove their live qualities together with bands like Sodom at this year's Turock-Fest in Bochum. Fortunately, a friend of mine was among the visitors, so I heard about Frostshock by word of mouth, because the four musicians don't have a label behind them that could do any major advertising, the album is completely self-released. Given the outstanding quality of the music, pretty much any label from the heavier genre should have been able to get involved, but perhaps it was a conscious decision to do everything themselves, more on that in the upcoming interview with the band.
Friday, November 24, 2023
INTERVIEW ASCHENVATER
More or less by chance I came across Aschenvater from Saxony, Germany, who create great, primal death metal that should make fans of bands like Asphyx and Hail of Bullets extremely happy! I talked to singer Oliver and guitarist Marko about the not too long band history, the great EP "Landungsfeldmassaker", German lyrics, Martin van Drunen, Bolt Thrower and the influence of the Warhammer universe.
Friday, July 14, 2023
INTERVIEW MIGHTIEST
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Mightiest from Freiburg in the legendary Black Forest was founded in 1994 and I always liked the melodic-symphonic aspect of the band, which never became cheesy, which was often the case with many bands in the past. That is a kind of unique selling point, to play melodic-symphonic black metal, which is still rough, hard and unpolished. I can think of Emperor, with whom the band was often compared in the reviews of "Recreation of the shadowlands". Of course in the early interviews Burzum, Darkthrone and Mayhem were mentioned as influences, the early Dimmu Borgir with "For all Tid" or "Stormblast" certainly didn't pass the band without leaving traces, I think.
Thursday, July 13, 2023
REVIEW SICKENING GORE "DESTRUCTIVE REALITY"
Friday, May 26, 2023
REVIEW ANGUANA "SUMAN"
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
INTERVIEW HAMVAK
"Hamvak allowed me to break free from the musical boundaries I had previously felt."
Hamvak is one of the most promising bands of the German underground. The debut album " Maelstrom of abhorrent incantations" (review here) is a true monster of a musical work that pulls you inevitably and without mercy into the abyss. I spoke with Dávid Vadkerti-Tóth, the factotum and mastermind behind Hamvak.
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When did you form Hamvak and under what circumstances? According to Metal-Archives Hamvak is the successor band of Solus, who were much more atmospheric. What was the reason for the end of Solus and the beginning with Hamvak? Do you see Hamvak as the successor band of Solus, or did someone just put it down that way at Metal Archives?
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
INTERVIEW RÄUM
At the Dark Dungeon Festival in the medieval castle in idyllic Anthisnes, the first band to play on the black metal evening was Räum from Liège, which left the hungry crowd satisfied and certainly found more than a few new fans. One more reason to ask the ambitious band (review of their debut album see here ) a few questions.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
REVIEW HAMVAK "MAELSTROM OF ABHORRENT INCANTATIONS"
Out of nowhere I heard about Hamvak (Hungarian for ash), a great one-man band from Stuttgart. The factotum behind the music, Dávid Vadkerti-Tóth, now delivered Hamvak's debut album after releasing a three-track demo back in 2017.
Hmavak's debut album, released by Morbid Chapel Records and Rotten Tomb Records, is the best example of what undiscovered gems the underground has in store. The six, mostly overlong tracks that bring the album to a total playing time of 40 minutes, should delight any fan of gloomy and sophisticated blackened death metal. Like the album title, which, by the way, was visually very appropriately implemented by the cover artwork, the listener feels drawn into a veritable maelstrom, from which there is no escape, because the tracks cause a partly captivating-hypnotic effect.