EP review: Funeralis - Hoc est Lvx mea Spiritvs Libero (Reissue 2021)

Funeralis - Hoc est Lvx mea Spiritvs Libero

Chile

Spreading The Pest Productions

Spreading The Pest Productions have just recently reissued this fantastic EP from 2014 by Chilean Occult Black Meta1llers, Funeralis. The new reissue also features 5 extra songs that were unpublished before, which makes it even more essential. 

The ambience on this release is absolutely dismal, paired with cadences of haunting dissonance and hoarse vocals. Lyrics seem to deal with themes pertaining to luciferianism and Gnosis, which gives the whole thing a very clandestine atmosphere. I’ve heard more than a fair share of similar sounding bands, so it’s not terribly unique or anything, but it has its appeal. The song “Ascensión” features a transcendental riff and is one of the EP’s crowning moments. 

Admittedly, the latter 5 tracks that were previously unpublished are my favourite part of this reissue. The reason for that is because the material here sounds much more hateful and raw, including the fact that a verily venomous, death-like atmosphere permeate these songs. 3 of these last 5 tracks are played live, although you could’ve had me fooled. 

Overall, the reissue of “Hoc est Lvx mea Spiritvs Libero” with the addition of the 5 extra tracks makes it a worthwhile purchase, especially if you’re a fan of this style of dark and occult black metal with death metal influences. Get your copy from Spreading The Pest Productions and let the darkness compel you. For fans of: Formless Devotion, Precaria, LvxCaelis. (HT)

Interview: Brood In Black (2021)

Kentucky is home to bourbon and brutality. The brutality comes in the form of the hate-fueled outfit, Brood in Black. Playing black metal with ethos fully entrenched in the underground, Sure, there's nothing particularly original about it, but I don't think the band gives much of a fuck anyway. Count Corinth gives some insight on the band plus expressing his distaste for trends and hipsters.

Hails. When and how did the vision of Brood In Black come to life and what is the ideology behind it?

Hails, brother. Let me start off by thanking you and your Zine, Death By Hammer, for taking the time to conduct this interview. The answer to this first question is going to be very lengthy, to tell this properly, so forgive me ahead of time..

Brood In Black originally started back in 2004 or 2005, as an idea, in which I was writing a lot of music on my own, heavily influenced by punk rock, ex. The Misfits, Samhain, G.G. Allin, DRI, but also Metal bands like Venom, old Slayer, Sodom, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, and Bathory, etc. while also playing drums in a thrash-punk band called One Armed Wifebeater. Haha. Mind you, at that time, I did not have the internet or YouTube or any of that crap. I was going solely by what I had found on my own, through friends or record stores. I thought that taking the speed of DRI, crossing it with Venom, and basically a blueprint for Black Metal. This was the first blueprint for what would become Brood In Black.

In 2007, I finally purchased a Tascam Portastudio and started demoing these songs that I had amassed over this time, all by myself, as there was no one around in my area of South Central Kentucky who was playing Black Metal, the so called “scene” in those days was mainly a lot of what could be called Metalcore/Modern Death Metal/Technical Death Metal, so forming a band was out.

From 2007-2010, I recorded many demo tapes, to which were sent to many labels, many with no reply or a rejection letter/email. In 2010, after not getting this band off of the ground, out of frustration I threw the band/project into the crypt, not expecting to see it again..

Enter 2015, I decided to revisit some of the old demo tapes, and realized that there was something to this project, so I slowly started writing and recording again, and by late 2016/early 2017, I had written, and recorded the first Brood demo, “Arrival Of Death”, and with this release, started Blasfemas Records. So really, Brood In Black was finally realized in 2017..

The ideology behind Brood In Black, is basically war against society, the human race, and religions of the holy cross..all in the name of our infernal father, Satan..We are the nemesis of all..

What’s your opinion on the current state of Black Metal? Which active bands do you consider as torch-bearers of the genre?

My opinion on the current state of Black Metal is, of course, nothing is as good as the days of old. Our ancestors before us. The ones who helped shaped Black Metal. But with the invention of the internet and home recording software, it has inflated this entire genre to no end. I cannot entirely complain about the internet though-had it not been for the internet, no one would’ve EVER had known the name of Brood In Black! It took  having to get the internet and starting a label to get this blasphemy out! So there are a few good points to it, but they don’t outweigh the bad. So all in all, I support the real bands, the ones with the real passion in their music, the ones who are in league with Satan, and piss on the trend hopping bands who were playing Metalcore last week, and “atmospheric Black Metal” (without Satanic or occult tendencies) this week! Fuck you die!!

Newer bands of note: I’m going for within the last 5-10 years..Perverted Ceremony, Moenen Of Xezbeth, Walpurgia, Cult Of Eibon, Black Blood Invocation, Gates Of Sinn, Necromantic Worship (rip), Prophets Of Doom, Crurifragium, Abysmal Lord, Forbidden Temple, Mefitic, Croc Noir, Tomb, Belshazar, Belzazel, too many to mention..
Hails to all of these bands..

What do you think of that abominable garbage that came out recently called Lords of Chaos?

I unfortunately caved in to my curiosity, after vowing to never subject myself to this abomination..And I wanted to gouge my eyes and ears out of my skull with an ice pick. Pure shit that belongs in a sewer with all the other shit.

What are some of your biggest influences (both musically and lyrically)?

My biggest influences would have to be our Infernal Father, first and most of all, and also the Occult, musically/lyrically for Brood In Black- First and foremost, Venom, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Profanatica, VON, Demoncy, Judas Iscariot, Black Witchery(rip Tregenda), Black Funeral, Azazel, Archgoat, Beherit, Graven, Mortuary Drape, Mystifier, I’d be a liar to say that I didn’t buy the essential Darkthrone/Burzum albums, The Black, there are just too many to list..but all of these have influenced me in some shape or form..

Musically, do you have any aspirations to sound “original”?

As far as being original in Black Metal is concerned, that is nearly impossible to accomplish, without overreaching the bounds, and coming off as pretentious, and boring. For me, when I am listening to Black Metal, I don’t listen for originality. I listen for the feeling that the music puts off. I am not concerned about proficiency, or of the production. If the band is playing atmospheric BM for 8 minutes straight, I am bored by the 3rd minute. If a band is blasting Black/Death for 3 minutes, and screaming about the throne of Satan, most times, the feeling comes through. Like I imagine the feeling of someone from the late 70’s/early 80’s, hearing fucking Venom back then for the first time, you know that they felt it! They truly felt the power of Satan!! Back then, that was an original idea, not so much anymore. But rock and roll is the Devil’s music, and we are here to do his bidding..at whatever cost. Doesn’t matter how original you are, in my eyes anyways. Brood In Black is far from inventing the wheel in Black Metal, but I believe that those who listen with the right ears, will get that feeling in their hearts, that they are also in league with Satanas.

Can you tell us little bit about your solo project called RTNG JHVH and how it differs from BROOD IN BLACK?

RTNGJHVH (pronounced rotting Jehovah) is a one man War Metal project that I started under a different pseudonym, Black Daemon Of Unholy Winds. Influenced by Blasphemy, Archgoat, Beherit, Proclamation, Sarcofago, Black Witchery, Conqueror, Revenge, etc. War Metal against the false rotting savior! The first demo, “ROTTING JEHOVAH” cassette was recorded during winter/spring of 2020 and released last August on Blasfemas Records, and was repressed as part of a split w/PROGOAT, titled “BESTIAL WAR ATTACK UPON THE CROSS”, on Propagator Propaganda Records out of Germany, CD Ltd. to 30 copies
Copies of both are still available to this date, on both labels..

The differences—Brood In Black is closer sound wise to Black Metal than Black/Death/War Metal, whereas, RTNGJHVH is closer to Bestial Black/Death/War Metal than it is to Black Metal. They both have their places and their purposes, both ultimately at war against everything “holy”..

You also have a small underground label called BLASFEMAS RECORDS that specializes in tape format. When was it conceived and what’s the idea behind it?

Blasfemas Records was conceived in late 2016/early 2017, with the first Brood In Black cassette Arrival Of Death. Blasfemas Records was born out of necessity, to be able to release Brood In Black cassettes, as this was a problem with the early vision of the band, from 2007-2010. No one wanted to release these demos at all, so to remedy the problem the second time around, I started Blasfemas Records. Since 2017, we have put out several other bands demos (Christrape, Unholy Christ, Cruel Spirit, ARRA,etc) and also, we have 15 releases to date. And we are on the verge of adding a few more to the roster. We are a DIY label, draw/copy/cut/paste/dub/. The first half of our releases were all mainly hand written and hand drawn, though we have gradually graduated to typing/printing liner notes.

What merchandise do you currently have available?

We currently only have cassettes/digital files for sale; all 15 releases are available in digital download, though a select amount of our cassette releases are currently in stock. Our Bandcamp page has all of our releases streaming/for sale. We hope to expand our merchandise in the future. Our latest idea has been of doing some exclusive runs of CD-R’s of our sold-out stock.

10 albums you can’t live without.

10 albums I can’t live without..
Hellhammer “Satanic Rites”
and “Apocalyptic Raids”
Celtic Frost “Morbid Tales”, “To Mega Therion”
Venom “Welcome To Hell”, “Black Metal”
First 4 Bathory albums.
That is all that you need!!

What do you regard as some of the most disgusting trends in metal today? Any pet-peeves?

I’d have to say some of the most disgusting trends in Black Metal today, on a musical level, which harkens back to bands overstriving for originality, is the so called “post BM” bullshit, it all sounds the same (ripping off Burzum riffs, or Avant-garde/emo bullshit)and even looks the same, ( the visual aspect is that the bands usually all look like they play indie rock, no corpsepaint/spikes/etc, just tattoos/nazi youth haircuts/beards; they look as they were playing indie rock last week, and decided that Burzum has some cool riffs but fuck that Nazi..hahaha) these bands totally try to exclude Satan, or Satanic ideas, because they think it’s been over done. Black Metal is about Satan, for Satan and is SATAN!! It’s funny, because they are all fools-they do not realize that ultimately, rock n’ roll/ Metal is the Devil’s music, and they are still serving Him, whether they think they are or not, and whether they like it or not!! They all can try to deny it- but it’s no use..It’s basically Emo/Metalcore for The Dark Lord..Hahaha!! This is just my opinion, if it’s not Satanic in some kind of way, it doesn’t need to be called “Black Metal”..

Another trend is using the word “Blackened” in a band’s description of their sound. Aaarrrgghhh…This should be self-explanatory, I need not have to explain..

One-man Atmospheric bands are a dime a dozen, with Internet and fucking recording software, also Dark/Ambient stuff has also been overdone all to hell. I stand with my last comment in the first section above…

Another trend, is the price gouging of vinyl releases. I don’t claim to be some big “collector” of vinyl, especially of the BM persuasion. I actually probably don’t own vinyl as much as the next person who listens to Black Metal, it is insane what some of the older releases bring on Discogs, EBay, etc. It really is a racket. Even with some of today’s releases, the desperate collectors are going to spend that money, to get that status symbol, to post on all of their social media accounts. And the labels are raking in the cash while they can, because today’s vinyl is going to be tomorrow’s download card. It’s all one big work, but who suffers? The ones who passionately listen to BM without the status symbols, the ones who can’t afford it, etc. Like all things that are considered “cool”, they unfortunately get turned in a trend. And vinyl collectors are no better than sports card collectors, unfortunately. Buy all the vinyl, only to look at it and never listen to it. Total neglect of these pieces of blasphemy. Music is made to be heard! If you were to ask me, I’ll buy a dubbed demo cassette for 10 bucks over an original press of an album that costs over $30 bucks and up any day!

I am sure there are other things about this genre that aggravate me and others, but at this time, I will conclude this answer..

Thanks a lot for your time, brother! The last unholy words are yours.

Thanks very much again for conducting this interview with me, for Brood In Black..I am truly honored.. At this time, I would like to send my gratitude to all worshippers of the cult of Brood In Black, and of Blasfemas Records and our other bands. Hail!!!

Also, Infernal Hails to all of our band comrades all over the world…

Hail Satan!!

https://blasfemasrecords.bandcamp.com

Album review: Prezir - As Rats Devour Lions (2018)

Prezir - As Rats Devour Lions

Poland

Godz of War 

I’m a cranky old-fart metal elitist. Yet, somehow, I found myself reviewing new albums in the most life-embittered way. This review is the story of the album “As Rats Devour Lions” by Prezir.

Prezir is an interesting band. They come from Milwaukee, WI in the USA, but they maintain a connection to the Balkans. The name of the band is the Serbian word for “Contempt.” And this fits the band’s music nicely. They are distinctively American, but they do have European undertones in their music.

Prezir describes themselves as Anti-Ideological Metal, which is accurate, considering the lyrical content. For simplicity’s sake, I would say that they straddle the line between several genres, but I think they lean closest to War Metal. They are definitely Black metal, but they incorporate elements of Death and Thrash Metal.

This variety is for a reason for this. The various members have been involved in multiple very different bands over the years. Rory Heikkila (Gust, Heedless Descent, Promethean Parallax, and Shroud of Despondency) and Tyler Okrzesik (Cholernik and Sillage) are on guitars; Luka Đorđević (Khazaddum and Promethean Parallax) is on vocals; Brian Serzynski (Pig’s Blood and Shut In) is on drums; Jerry Hauppa (Ara, Concentric, Northless, and Steel Iron) is on bass. These are working musicians who keep their skills sharp.

“As Rats Devour Lions” was released 18 August 2018 by Godz ov War on CD; and they selfreleased it digitally and on cassette. This is their second release; their first being “Contempt” back in 2017.

This is a varied and enjoyable record. Yes, it maintains a traditional Black Metal sound and feel, but it is much stronger than most Black Metal records – thanks to a noticeable Thrash influence. The vocals range from high-pitched Black to deep Death styles. What really is exemplary in this album is the how the interplay between the guitars and bass. I should mention at this point that I can hear a very strong “Anthems”-era Emperor influence in the guitar playing. And this is a very good thing.

While there are no particularly weak songs, this album has several tracks that stand out. “Dar alHarb” has some outstanding interplay between the guitars; it’s reminiscent of “Howl Ravens Come” by Einherjer. “Serpents in the House of Ra” is downright groovy – not groove metal, but groovy; I don’t know any other Black Metal song that I can say this about. 

“Hamatsa Death Ritual” is the high point of the album. It shifts gears seamlessly, has a good solo, and the instruments play off of each other really well. It also has this certain intangible something that makes it great.

“As Rats Devour Lions” was produced by Shane Hochstetler. The production on this album is clean, so all the instruments are clear. They complement each other instead of fighting for the listener’s attention.

Now, the lyrics – Despite what the scenesters will have you believe, Black Metal was created to be offensive to our most dearly-held beliefs. And Prezir delivers. As I pointed out before, they play “Anti-Ideological Metal,” and they spare no one. All the major religions and political stances are directly criticized in this album; and they do this to encourage the listener to form his own opinions as an individual. Also, these criticisms are not vulgar and mindless; quite the opposite – they are rooted in history. Each song gives a historical context and reason for their criticism. These lyrics are what really make Prezir stand out from the hordes of Black Metal bands.

Prezir’s “As Rats Devour Lions” is one of the very few bands that hold true to Black Metal’s roots while playing music that is both intelligent and enjoyable. If they continue to grow in this direction, they will become legends. Black Metal fans should run out, and buy this album, because you will not find a more honest and engaging album. (Hiram 3-5-7)

Album review: Hellrot – Satan’s Rock n’ Roll (2021)

Hellrot – Satan’s Rock n’ Roll

Mexico

UtterlySomber Productions

“Satan’s Rock n’ Roll” is the second full-length by Mexican one-man black/thrash tyrant Hellrot. The music is (as one may conclude from the title) firmly infused with a rock n’ roll flavour, but put through a black metal filter. If you know bands like Bathory, Motorhead, Slayer, Venom (and I’m assuming you do), then you will have a pretty good idea what to expect here, as the aforementioned bands are the foundation of Hellrot’s sound. “Satan’s Rock n’ Roll” is pretty much straight-forward, no-frills old-school worship in all its glory. Sole-musician “Tony Rot” knows how to handle his instrument, and churn out one head-banger after the other. Each song is packed to the brim with killer thrashy riffs, as well as catchy, finger-bleeding solos that are nothing short of impressive. The music is pretty typical of the genre, so don’t be expecting anything “new.” (You either like black/thrash or you don’t.) The drums are programmed using a drum machine. However, they do not sound so distracting to the point where I can’t enjoy the music. (Opting for a real drummer might be an option to consider though.) Most of the songs are pretty similar to each other, as they go all-out-war on the listener from the get-go. Overall, it's a solid offering that will romp n’ stomp all the pathetic weekend-warriors out there. “Satan’s Rock n’ Roll” is here! (HT)

EP review: Skognatt – Rain Eternal (2021)

Skognatt – Rain Eternal

Germany

Self-released

Skognatt is a solo project from Augsburg, Germany, playing atmospheric black metal and are here with their latest EP offering “Rain Eternal.” The music has a very calming affect synonymous with how one’s brain receives tonal signals from the ambience of rain. The title is self-explanatory in that sense, as the music successfully conjures a nostalgic mood that reminds us of bands like Burzum and Xasthur. The two aforementioned references are the immediate progenitors that come to mind while listening to this project. It definitely has a bit of that “depressive/suicidal” atmosphere akin to some bands in that style, albeit with cleaner tones. Simplicity is the key to the quality of Skognatt’s music, but so often people will mistake simplicity as a lack of originality or ideas, although, I can confidently assert that is not the case here, as “Rain Eternal” is compositionally rich, textured, and full of sombre cadences that will take you on a journey far beyond. This whole EP channels a deeply melancholic aura, while also showing a certain level of maturity and distinct traits that’s all its own. “Rain Eternal” is a highly addictive and fully realized work that comes highly recommended for fans of atmospheric black metal. Favourite track: Rain (HT)

Album review: Ordo Caper - Aphorism of Baneful Acts (2020)

Ordo Caper – Aphorism of Baneful Acts

Costa Rica

Dunkelheit Produktionen

Ordo Caper from Costa Rica is one of those bands that deserve more attention, especially taking into account the quality of their music. The music presented on Ordo Caper’s debut full-length “Aphorism of Baneful Acts” is some decidedly crude and blasphemous black/death metal that sounds like some totally strange, yet interesting fusion between bands like Incantation, Bestial Warlust, and Sadistik Exekution. The band also experiments with “noise” elements rendering to the overall chaos. I think it’s safe to say that Ordo Caper isn’t just another war metal band, as there are definitely some characteristic elements in their sound, and this can be heard on every track. Even the way they play the riffs are totally unique. This whole release radiates total insanity redolent of bands like Sadistik Exekution. The band did do a split with Rok, so I guess they must’ve been influenced by them. They play with various tempos, as the instruments constantly interplay with each other. It’s a pity that most people would overlook such a killer release, because Ordo Caper is the real deal and their music has an incredible amount of depth to it. There’s a lot of weird and discordant riffs that borders on prog, all the while maintaining a degree of minimalism. All in all, this is a very cool release, and I’ll probably listen to it again later, considering that there’s still some details that haven’t fully sunk into my brain yet. Fans of the bands mentioned earlier should check this out. There's a reason Rok recommended these guys! (HT)

Album review: Cerebral Rot - Excretion Of Mortality (2021)

Cerebral Rot - Excretion Of Mortality

USA

20 Buck Spin

Cerebral Rot is back in the game with their second album "Excretion of Mortality" which is once again full of blood, pus and mutilations, courtesy of 20 Buck Spin. That being said, you can expect nothing but an infestation in the ears with this profoundly disgusting, morbid and frenzied death metal attack!

The first thing that came to mind when I heard the album was the auspicious mix of influences. At the beginning of the song "Excretion of Mortality" you can hear a guitar part that seems to vibrate like a swarm of insects, which adds a lot of suspense and anxiety when the drums start in a slow tempo like a funeral procession. The tremendously deep vocals are vomited with blood along a bass that sounds like a wall of bones. At this point, bands like Demilich, Adramelech, and Abhorrence come to mind. A strong Incantation influence appears when the faster, more dissonant parts are invoked – even Autopsy comes to mind. The melodies are distinctly Finnish, whereas the dissonance sounds American. Everything sounds decidedly organic and at the same time decomposed. The next song "Vile York of Contagion" brings to mind the perfect fusion of Demilich and Morta Skuld. It is incredible how they devour the brain fluids of the great dead of yesteryear to regurgitate them and make it even more rotten. Everything sounds so familiar, yet thoroughly enjoyable. 

There are only 7 songs, although each putrid hymn exceeds the 5 minute mark and is drenched in a nauseating atmosphere that does not make you run away from the smell, but rather, sustain you from the guts. Beyond this, the songs follow a particular style of performance which can become somewhat predictable, but still great. I don't think they bring too much fresh air to death metal, especially considering how many bands are playing this style, although I do consider it as some of the best of its kind. "Excretion of Mortality" is a killer offering that expels its toxic waste with a noxious essence redolent of the dead. (Catacombs Walker)

EP review: Chronic Hate – Reflection on Ruin (2021)

Chronic Hate – Reflection on Ruin

Italy

Self-released (Bandcamp)

Chronic Hate is a five-piece death metal band from Italy that formed in 2001. So far, the band have put out several releases, including two full-lengths – and now this – their latest EP entitled, “Reflection on Ruin.” This EP pretty much blew me away. It sounds like the band has been honing their craft for years, as the verily accomplished musicianship can attest to this. The music is truly crushing and aimed directly at the skull. Vocals are very audible in the mix – powerful and guttural – including the band’s proclivity for sharp, brutalizing riffs, and hard-hitting drumming that sounds like live machine gun fire. (The drummer is an absolute beast behind the kit!) Chronic Hate perfectly demonstrates the effectiveness of EP’s, as the material in question is nothing short of devastating. There’s also an excellent cover of Dismember’s classic “Misanthropic”, which is a must hear. The band strikes a good balance between melody and brutality, infusing a heavy dose of Scandinavian influences into their sound, as well as some keyboard passages that add depth to the atmosphere. Chronic Hate is very adept at playing excellent death metal, as the song-writing and quality of their music speaks for itself. A really enjoyable EP. I’ll be checking out more of their material for sure. For fans of: Vader, Fleshcrawl, Krisiun. (HT)

Interview: Hexorcist (2021)

There are still bands who believe in the old ways that keep the unholy flame of black/death/thrash alive. One such band in particular, is HEXORCIST from Florida. They are one of my favourite new bands and feature veterans and former members from DEVASTATOR. Enjoy the conversation, and remember: IF YOU ARE FALSE, DON'T ENTRY!!

AVE!!! To inaugurate this interview, please tell us what Hexorcist is all about with an idea of your sound and influences.

Hails and thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed by your zine. The idea behind Hexorcist was to make music we’d listen to. Like most metalheads we miss the old sound of Metal. Not just the production and sound but the rawness of the music, the energy behind it, the fact that styles weren’t as defined as they are today. Black and Death metal were mixed with Thrash and it was all just a cauldron of evil sound. Our influences range from Celtic Frost, Possessed, Kreator and Morbid Angel amongst many others to list. Once you listen to “Evil Reaping Death” you’d be able to pick out all of our influences, we try to make it obvious through our sound what they are, without plagiarizing.

How was the band initially conceived and what is the connotation behind the name?

In 2019 we tried to restart a band where we had all played called Devastator. The reunion didn’t happen because we couldn’t get all the members to come back. We decided then to switch the style to incorporate more of our other influences like Sarcófago and Morbid Angel instead of a more Black/Thrash sound we had in Devastator.

The name was a pain in the ass for all of us to agree on. We went through at least 6 or 7 before we made a final decision. The guitarist came up with the name, with the idea that an Exorcist removes the evil from within, but the Hexorcist hexes evil into the body.

Where does the inspiration stem from to create such dark and blasphemous art and what are your lyrics based on?

The music just flows naturally, there’s actually not an intent to make it sound more evil or darker, it kind of just happens. Making happy Death Metal is also contradictory to the genre itself. Some people have said that we have some of Black Metal’s darkness in our sound, that may stem from us being highly influenced by It.
The lyrics are simply a combination of real hatred with songs about the occult. With the lyrics we also wanted to bring that old school, back to the beginning feeling. When lyrics were about evil, and darkness. No politics, no society, no zombies and pizza. The lyrics have to represent what the band is about, even though the band is a hobby we take it very seriously and the lyrics represent that.

What are the key differences between the demo and full-length? Are you satisfied with the final outcome and product? How are the reactions so far?

The demo and the full length are not very different besides maybe some production aspects. Most of the songs you hear in the full length were already done by the time we recorded the demo. The full length is more of a continuation of the demo. On the full length we had a change of bassist too, who also provided solos to some songs.

We are very satisfied with the way it came out. We were lucky to work with a great sound engineer that managed to catch the essence of what we were going for. Good sound but not over produced.

For the demo the response far surpassed what we hoped for. Initially we were just going to make 50 cassettes ourselves and give it to friends. But we were lucky and now we are even getting a 7” from Headsplit and Tenebrous Aberrations and a cassette repress from Goatthrone. The reviews and listener feedback for the full length has also been amazing. Reviews as well as listener feedback are full of praise for both the demo and the album. It is still early for the album but all reviews have been very positive.

Your music is quite straight-forward, yet the members in the band are verily capable musicians. I’m particularly impressed with the guitarist and how the solos are able to rip through my brain. Is there a certain limit to which the members apply their skills?

Thank you for the compliment! Well, there are 2 different guitar players both playing leads and Bass, one did all the rhythms and leads, the other mostly all the bass and leads. The idea was to have two different guys playing two different styles but to be honest, it’s hard to tell which one played which lead, they sound like the same guy. The drums are meant to follow and emphasize the music as a whole, no showing off, or unnecessary fills.

Can you tell us a little about your cooperation with all the record labels you’ve worked with so far? Are you content with the support you’ve been getting?

We have worked with some of the best underground labels. Starting with Dark Recollections and Goatthrone for the demo, to Memento Mori, Godz Ov War and Unholy Prophecies for the full length. We also worked with Old Skull Productions on a European cassette release of the demo and are working with Headsplit and Tenebrous Aberrations on releasing the demo on 7” vinyl.

All the labels have been great. Them as well as us are not in this to make money or become famous, we do this because we love Metal. Getting feedback from them and just the fact they want to release our music is a compliment, because it’s not a business transaction it’s more of I like what you’re doing let me help you spread it.

I believe it was Wagnar Antichrist who asserted: “We did everything we did for fun. Business kills real feelings and real music! To be in it and treat it like a business is the first step to do FALSE METAL!” - what are your thoughts regarding that sentiment and is there any “fun” in what you do?

He couldn’t have said it better. We can see that in many of the older bands, once it becomes a business all the fun and the feeling behind the music dies. For Metal that is especially true, that is why most bands best albums are usually the first. Because then it becomes a race to play what people want to listen to instead of what comes naturally. With Hexorcist we approach each song as unique. We just get together and play what comes naturally, we don’t over-think it too much.

On a personal level playing and releasing albums is my addiction. Nothing beats that feeling of getting your music on a physical format for the first time. This for me is 100% a hobby. There’s no intention to make money off of this at all. Our plans are whatever money is made through sales gets put towards the recording of the next album or something band related. I have been playing for over 20 years and I have spent 1000 times more money than I’ve made, and do not regret a single moment.

Tell us about the excellent artwork for “Evil Reaping Death” and what your vision for it was. Did the artist meet your expectations?

That artwork was actually purchased months before we even had all the songs ready. I think about mid 2020. I am a big fan of the artist and previous paintings he’s done. One night I was just looking at his page and saw he had posted that painting and I immediately contacted him about purchasing it. It resembled exactly what we thought the album was going to sound like. The artwork just looks like Demons bringing Evil Reaping Death. We are definitely thinking of using the same artist for our second full length.

Your opinion on the following:

The vatican: Would love access to their library of witchcraft and historical satanic texts! Besides that they’re nothing but a bunch of pedophiles.

Fanzines: Essential!!!

Satan/God: We are all Satan and Gods!

Sadistik Exekution: An excellent band! The Magus is a classic. They not only inspired many bands to follow in their footsteps musically but also visually. ROK’s artwork is very distinctive and unique.

What can you tell us about Doug Humlack and your tribute to him?

He was a good friend to the guitarist, he passed away last year and was a big influence and played in a lot of the local bands that he grew up seeing and associating with. Doug was an exceptionally great guitarist who didn’t flaunt his abilities. He could play anything as ugly as Blasphemy to something as precise as a Malmsteen song. Sentry At The Seven Gates is a small tribute to his memory. The latest band Doug was involved in was Spiritus Infernus, a band with virtually zero promotion and lack of good packaging/presentation on any physical media (some CDs were made) but the music is evil, and sick as well as the lyrics. Real witchcraft!!

Why did you choose to cover the band Devastator? I actually checked them out and was thoroughly impressed! Quite underrated I may add.

When we started the band it was supposed to be a Devastator reunion. When it became obvious it wasn’t going to happen we felt we wanted to do one last Devastator tribute. I was the original drummer from Devastator and the guitarist played in it for a short while back in 2002. In Devastator we were just a bunch of Cuban refugee kids playing Black/Thrash and drinking three times a week, we just wanted to make music and record. The fact that we managed to record 6 albums with the amount of time we spent playing dominoes and drinking it’s crazy. The spirit behind Hexorcist, if not the music, is very similar to what Devastator was about.

What is your opinion on the current state of the underground? Some say it’s dead, while others still believe in its ethos. If it was dead, would we be doing this interview at all?

The underground is not dead, saturated yes, but not dead. I do believe there’s way too many bands doing the same thing. Too many bands with more shirts than songs. But on the same note there are some really great newer bands. Anything coming out of Chile is just amazing and then you’ve got bands like Putrid, Evil (Japan), Morbid Messiah, Rapture (Greece), and Oath of Cruelty that are just killing it. The old days where everything was new and original are never coming back, but we can enjoy the many styles that came out of that era and are still being represented today. We are never going to get another “Altars of Madness”, or a “666” by KAT, at least not on those levels of perfection.
On the support side there are many more avenues for promotion than back in the day. There are many printed and online zines that do a great job helping newer bands like us get our names out there.

What’s some newer bands that you’ve been into?

The latest releases I’ve been listening to a lot are the latest Apostasy from Chile. It's just an amazing album, definitely worth it for anyone that’s a fan of late eighties Death, Thrash, Black Metal sound. The latest from Insane (Swe) it’s a great Thrash Metal album. Rapture (Greece), their last two albums are beyond most stuff being released nowadays.

Thank you for your time! I wish all the members in Hexorcist an eternity of hell and darkness. You may now hurl a final insult at all whores, posers & cunts out there…

Take your own life today, it’s not too late we believe in you!

Demo review: Temple of Gorgon – Worshipers of the Serpent (2021)

Temple of Gorgon – Worshipers of the Serpent

California/USA

Self-released

Temple of Gorgon is a breath of fresh air after being exposed to some perniciously awful post-black metal band on youtube. This is more like it! The debut demo from the Los Angeles-based solo-project Temple of Gorgon features 3 tracks of raw and intense Black Metal. It’s nothing remarkably unique, but some individual touches manage to shrine through. In a way, the music reminds me of bands like Crimson Moon, Masochist, and Demoncy. That being said, it has that idiomatic USBM sound stamped all over it – fury-fueled vocals charged with blasphemous riffs and a crescendo of malicious blasts and fiery double-bass. There’s also the presence of keyboards, which are sparingly used to add depth to the atmosphere rendering it a kind of occult feel. It’s a really killer demo clocking in at 13 minutes. The band infuses all the right ingredients – from the visual representation to the music – Temple of Gorgon will undoubtedly gain some followers as the quality of the output is undeniable. So behold, worshipers of the serpent, as we enter the Temple of Gorgon! (HT)