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News Reviews

Marrow of Man – Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse

Release date: 07.08.2024

After Divine Right and Upon Mighthy Planes of Ash, we were really looking forward to the full album from Marrow Of Man. His latest album, Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse, got released on all streaming platforms on the 7th of September, so now we can finally share our thoughts with you guys. Marrow of Man is awesome! Find out why! 

Marrow of Man

With over 1200 monthly listeners, Marrow Of Man is becoming quite a name in the Black metal scene. As many black metal projects, not just in the Netherlands, Marrow Of Man is a one-man project. His origins lie in Amsterdam, and originally he started out under a different name. With Forlorn Hope, two EP’s got released, ‘Humanitas Vincuntur’ and ‘A Debt Paid in Blood’. After gaining some attention with these EP’s, Marrow of Man decided on a name change and started working towards an album. Ancient Hyms of Apocalypse saw the light on the 7th of September 2024, and will probably continue to gain followers for Marrow Of Man.

Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse

Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse consists of 9 tracks of mostly quiet melodic black metal. Marrow Of Man is really good at writing catchy, interesting hooks. There are plenty of memorable guitar riffs on AHOA. It’s fast, well written, and actually produced a lot better than his previous EP’s. My previous comments on Marrow Of Man were that there was so much happening music-wise, that it was a bit hard to hear all the individual instruments well. And while AHOA is still layered with multiple layers of guitars, vocals, and orchestrations, the balance is a lot better. The wall of sound is still there, but it feels a bit more restrained, and deliberate. 

The album starts with the ominous sounds of Blazing Trumpets of Cessation. After a short intro, all hell breaks loose (literally) and we dive into the dark melodies Marrow Of Man has in store for us. If this is the first track you’ll hear from Marrow Of Man you can’t help but feel inspired – everything is just right. From interesting guitar riffs, solos, well-pronounced grunts, even a breakdown fits the mix. The transitions in the track feel well thought out, and give the track more than enough variation. 

He Who Rides the Pale Horse incorporates nasty grunts  (in a good way) and a sample of Death riding in on his horse. This track might well be a favorite for some. It definitely reminds me of Batushka, Darkthrone, Dimmu, or maybe even Satyricon. Marrow Of Man mixes in some thrash metal tunes in some of the tracks as well, as is heard on Divine Right. Some of the tracks have more of a folk-metal feel to it, but the strong riffs and blast beats are a staple for every track. 

Ancient Hyms of Apocalypse tells a story, and while the previously released tracks Divine Right and Upon Mighty Planes of Ash stand well enough on their own, they fit better in this complete album. There is a build-up to the album, which comes to a peak with Upon Mighty Planes of Ash. Even after hearing this track over twenty times since the release, it’s still one of of my favorites of this album. That’s probably because of the high-energy chaos Marrow of Man brings, and again, a very catchy chorus. However, after hearing the album, I have a new favorite. 

Beyond The Frozen Meadows starts of more mid-tempo than Upon Mighty Planes of Ash, but man, the chorus on this track. I love that melody. Melancholic, super catchy, beautiful. And to me, this definitely has some folk inspiration to it. If you just listen to one part of the song, skip to the middle and listen to the break. It’s awesome. And when the emotional chorus kicks in again, it hits even harder. Feeling all the feels. This is the turning point in the album. Everything up to this track has been fast-paced and high energy, darker, almost. From this track on, we start working towards the conclusion of the album with Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse. 


We even get a black metal ballad with At The End of Everything. Speaking of emotional tracks; this sure is one. All those emotions come to a peak again in Immeasurable Emptiness (we didn’t say it was a happy album). However, I have to correct Marrow Of Man on this track. In the lyrics, he says ‘I finally know my insignificance, I am nothing’. Well, writing an album like this, that statement simply is not true. We know there is a lot of talent in the Netherlands, but producing an album like this on your own, man, do you have to be skilled for that. 

Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse is the final track to the album, and a summary of all we’ve heard before. We have quiet a long intro, catchy riffs, nasty grunts, and with almost 9 minutes in length, even some progressive riffs (and yeah, bass riffs!). There are some Opeth riffs in here for sure, and we are all for it. Marrow of Man leaves us with a quote to think about. What happens after death? No one truely know until they die.

Final Thoughts

Having listened to the album about a dozen times, it’s really hard to pick a favorite track on this album. Honestly, there are multiple tracks that I would recommend. Beyond The Frozen Meadows is definitely one of them, but I also have to give a special mention to At The End of Everything, because it’s just a beautiful black metal ballad. If you only have time for one track, I think I’d have to recommend the title track to the album, Ancient Hymns Of Apocalypse, just because there’s so much to that song that makes it a good summary of the rest of the album. Ancient Hymns of Apocalypse is really an album to be proud of, and I’m pretty sure I will be spinning this record for quiet some time in my personal playlist. 

You can find out more about Marrow Of Man on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting

Blazing Trumpets of Cessation
He Who Rides The Pale Horse
Diving Right
Marrow Of Man
Upon Mighty Planes of Ash
Beyond The Frozen Meadows
At The End Of Everything
Immeasurable Emptiness
Ancient Hymns Of Apocalypse

Categories
Band

Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

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Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

nHailing from: Amsterdam
nGenre: alternative, doom, heavy rock, stoner, sludge
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Links to other sites:

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nInstagram
nYoutube
nSpotify
nBandcamp
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nSpotify playlist:
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Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

nHailing from: AmsterdamnGenre: alternative, doom, heavy rock, stoner, sludgen

Links to other sites:

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Bio:

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Droner Doom Metal from Amsterdam

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Upcoming Gigs

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Categories
News Reviews

Gallamesh, Distant en Born of Osiris live in Patronaat

Dinsdag 27.08.2024

Op dinsdag 27 Augutus zette Gallamesh, Distant en Born of Osiris zaal 2 van de Patronaat op stelten met keihard metal- en deathcore. Met Born Of Osiris als inmiddels gevestigde naam in de scene, maar Distant die daar niet veel voor onder doet en Gallamesh als absolute nieuwkomer was het een interessante avond. Wij waren natuurlijk vooral benieuwd om Gallamesh een keer live te zien, nadat we ze spraken op Jera on Air over hun debuut EP Conditioned Pt.1

Gallamesh

Gallamesh trapte de avond af voor een goed gevulde zaal. Ondank dat deze band nog weinig op hun naam heeft staat, waren mensen toch nieuwsgierig naar hun muziek. En dat werd goed ontvangen. Vanaf de eerste noten staat de band aan en spat de energie van het podium af.

Zanger Kees begint de eerste twee nummers nog met een shirt aan, maar het is te warm op het podium en in de zaal omdat dat lang vol te houden. Dat kan ook niet anders – hij is constant aan het springen en rondrennen op het podium. 

Gallamesh speelt vooral nieuwe nummers, en hoewel wij ook heel blij zijn dat Servants of Ira ook aan bod komt; die nieuwe nummers zijn echt heel vet! Meer hardcore, meer invloeden uit de hiphop scene. Het publiek gaat ook voorzichtig los, en uit opmerkingen uit het publiek blijkt dat iedereen totaal verrast is door de kwaliteit van deze band. Het staat als een huis, de nummers goed doordacht en een stagepresence die zeker niet onderdoet voor de andere twee bands. Sterker nog – deze band heeft iets te bewijzen en dat maken ze duidelijk ook. Vooral de nummers met meer hiphop invloeden worden krachtig neergezet en ik kan niet wachten tot de tweede EP van Gallamesh uitkomt. 

(zie de rest van de foto’s)

Distant

Distant is nog bezig met hun Europese tour op het moment dat ze in Patronaat spelen, maar neemt de tijd om ook met hun Nederlandse fans te chillen. En hoewel er misschien iets meer energie op het podium was tijdens hun optreden op Jera, wil ik alleen positief praten over deze band, omdat inmiddels duidelijk is dat op de laatste dag van hun tour is ingebroken in hun tourbus, waardoor de band enorme schade heeft geleden. Als je wil doneren voor de crowdfundactie, dan kan dat hier. 

Distant live gaat altijd hard, en vandaag is geen uitzondering. Zowel nieuwere nrs als Loveless Suffering als Heritage komen aan  bod. Naast de nodige crowdsurfers, die ook op het podium frontman Allen belandden, ontstaan er natuurlijk ook de nodige moshpits. Die hoeven niet aangemoedigd te worden door de band, maar op het moment dat de band er om vraagt gaan ze natuurlijk wel extra hard. Er is zelfs nog even een kleine row-pit vooraan.

(zie de rest van de foto’s)

Born of Osiris

Tijd voor de main act van vandaag: Born of Osiris. Deze band volg ik al een tijd, en was dan ook blij om ze nu eindelijk een keer live te gaan zien. De band speelt tegenwoordig live zonder bassist, en ik als bassiste vind dat ergens toch jammer. Voor het geluid maakt het echter niet uit, want alles behalve zang en gitaren staat op de backingtrack. Dat maakt dat het optreden, ondanks de toffe gitaarpartijen, soms toch wat klinisch aanvoelt. 

Natuurlijk speelt Born Of Osiris hun laatste track ‘In Desolation’, die ook gretig door het publiek wordt meegeschreeuwd. Het wordt ook wel tijd voor een nieuwe plaat voor Born of Osiris, die in 2021 hun laatste album uitbracht. Van die plaat spelen ze gelukkig wel Posterchild, en ook Elevate moet natuurlijk even aan bod komen. Het is een feest van herkenning, en de ietwat klinische sound doet maar een klein beetje af aan de ervaring die Born of Osiris live brengt. Al met al, een toffe avond!

(zie de rest van de foto’s)

Categories
News Photo

Gallamesh live at Patronaat 27.08.2024

Categories
News Photo

Born of Osiris live @Patronaat 27.08.2024

Some pictures of Born of Osiris live in Patronaat.

Categories
News Photo

Distant Live @Patronaat, Haarlem on 27.08.2024

The first few pictures from Distant’s performance in Patronaat, opening for Born of Osiris together with Gallamesh. More pictures and a full report will follow later!

Categories
News Reviews

Tenuem – Singraven

releasedate: 06.09.2024

Friday, September 6th, Tenuem is releasing their debut EP ‘Singraven’ after previously releasing the tracks Singraven and Teeth as an introduction to the band. We got to listen to the EP early, and man are we excited for you all to hear it too! If you’ve seen Tenuem play live before, you know what to expect. If not: check out our thoughts on Singraven and make sure to listen to the full EP when it drops. 

Rather listen to a review? Check out our Youtube channel (link below)

album cover Tenuem - Singraven

Tenuem

Tenuem is a blackened melodic deathcore band from The Netherlands. They started in 2023 but are a force to be reckoned with, consisting of members from various other projects. There is enough experience amongst the 5 guys, which is clearly heard in the previously released tracks by the band. They are influenced by, among others, Shadow of Intent, mixing the melodic synths in the background with crushing vocals and breakdowns. 

Metalcore and deathcore are still on the rise, and it’s cool to see various bands putting their own spin on the genre. Tenuem pairs Deathcore with black metal, and the orchestral parts are at times very present. That means you’re listening to layer upon layer, and investing in a good pair of headphones definitely helps to hear all the intricacies in their music. Believe me, I lost my headphones and tried listening on a very cheap pair. Would not recommend.  But I digress. Let’s dive into Singraven. 

Singraven

The tracks Singraven and Teeth had been released prior to the EP, but are now part of a 5-track EP with the name Singraven. With the 5-track EP, we get 3 brand new tracks to enjoy. Singraven serves as the title track and the emotional backbone of the EP.

The EP starts with the eerie tunes of a crying woman and far-away church bells: the intro to Singraven. After the intro, the song kicks off with blast beats and an orchestra-filled wall of sound. 

Blackened Melodic Deathcore is indeed an apt description of Tenuems sound, although orchestral Deathcore, as Sapphyr claims to be, would be a good description too. Their sound is characterized by its aggressive guitar riffs, intricate drumming patterns, and dynamic tempo changes. The addition of orchestral elements elevates the track, adding layers and that set it apart from typical Deathcore compositions. 

Production-wise, “Singraven” has a polished yet raw sound, leaving enough space for all the instruments to have their moment. However, as said before, make sure to listen to it on some quality headphones.

Distrain

Distrain opens on the same gloomy note but has more interesting riffs and melodies to enjoy. Tenuem understood the assignment; catchy riffs, while being heavy. There’s a good hook in chorus, inviting us to scream along.. However, the hero of this track is the solo at the end. Distrain is the moshpit track of this EP, and if there was any doubt about Tenuem being a deathcore band, that’s all taken care of with Distrain. 

Teeth

Teeth might be the heaviest song on the EP. At least, it starts that way. Blast beats all the way right from the start. The riffs in the chorus and the second part of the song feel like I’m listening to a melodic death metal band, and I guess that’s where Tenuem takes some of their inspiration.

Again, catchy riffs, and unmistakable deathcore with the heavy breakdown at the end. Where the the first part feels like a friendly mosphit, the breakdown makes you want to stomp on someone’s face. The guitarsolo on Teeth is even better than on Distrain (al be it a different style), and this is a track that even though it had been previously released, will still end up on my personal playlist. The vocals follow the main riff so nicely for that chorus part, that I had to listen to it again and again. 

Ephemeral

Ephemeral starts with a sample in the backing track with a very eery message, that continues later in the track. It’s clear Tenuem doesn’t have a happy message. Guitar harmonies, the moment the double bass kicks in that riff is even better. The chorus is very open, and with different vocals could even be melodic death metal of even symphonic metal. However, the vocals, and the low guitars, definitely take it into core land.

We get another guitar solo on this track, somehow reminding me of Opeth. It’s clear that Tenuem takes inspiration from various places, with the verse parts being almost trashy death metal. The addidion of strings and other orchestral elements make it sound even more epic.  

Salem’s Folly

Salem’s Folly is the final track to the EP.  It starts with a low-fi fade-in, but it doesn’t take long for the full song kicks off as a ending for this EP. Again we get catchy guitar riffs for the chorus parts, and the chord progression makes it feel like the final track for sure. The breakdown in the middle is nice, maybe a bit short, but luckily for us that breakdown returns at the end of the song, to get us banging our heads till the end. 

Final Thoughts

Singraven one hell of a debut EP. Remember our review from No Kings Allowed last year? Tenuem is on the same track as these guys I’d say, with similar music and at least a similar tenacity to their music. The only thing where I feel No Kings Allowed might take the upperhand, is the mix. Even with a pair of good headphones, the mix still feels a bit dense and cluttered, as there is so much going on in Tenuems music. That might be better live on stage, though. And I can’t wait to see this energy on stage.

As far as favorite tracks; I think Teeth is definitely my favorite of this EP, because of the melodies. However it’s hard to pick a clear winner here, since Distrain and Salem’s Folly could be my favorites for the same reason. Tenuem should be proud to deliver an EP like this, and they are a great addition to the ever growing Dutch core scene.


Tracklist

  1. Singraven
  2. Distrain
  3. Teeth
  4. Ephemeral
  5. Salem’s Folley

You can check out Tenuem on their website or in our database.

Rather listen to a review? Check out our Youtube channel!

Categories
News

MetalFromNL Tiplijst #23

Back again with the MetalFromNL Tiplijst! It’s in English this time, let us know what you think of that! This week, ten brand new tracks from Dutch Metal bands, including some deathcore, deathmetal, black metal and a few alternative tracks. There will be an extra episode next week, so stay tuned for that, ‘cause the summer holidays are definitely over! 

You can listen to the MetalFromNL Tiplijst on YouTube, or on Mixcloud. 

Tracklisting:

Changing Tides – Louder Than Words
Ecocide – Penance
Crisis Theory – Sleeping Satellites
Sledeon – Art
Redikin – Monkey Business
Marrow Of Man – Upon Mighty Plains of Ash
Athena’s Warship – Vesalius
Baas – Backstage
Asgrauw – Weeral
Deathless Void – Purple Triad

Categories
News

No Kings Allowed – Garden of Eden

We had Green, Red and Gold, but now we have a full line-up, with even an extra vocalist! And the extra vocals really do add some interesting layers to No Kings Allowed’s music! We loved their previous album, but the stuff they’re putting out for their new release is next level! Check out Garden of Eden on Spotify, and of course, a matching video on Youtube as well! 

Categories
News

None Shall Fall

None Shall Fall is back! This band has been active for over 14 years, and have only released tracks very, very sparsely. Three years ago, they released the track ‘Trapped Inside’, but now, after some hard work, they are finally releasing an EP later this year! Lie of Omission is the first track of the EP, and we were lucky enough to be able to assist in making their video. The footage was taken from the 12,5th anniversary in Patronaat, and shot by various people. Check out the video for Lie Of Omission, or check out the track on Spotify!