Category: Reviews

Release date: 02-02-2024

With members who graduated from the Metal Factory, we aren’t surprised another band emerges from Eindhoven. Vrode is a young Blackened Pagan Folk band, and they released their debut album ‘Ostracized’ about a month ago. We had the track ‘Bezekers Deception’ in our latest releases playlist for a while, but now it’s time to discuss the full album. 

About Vrode

In line with what another Dutch band, Solarcycles, does, Vrode is all about the source of life; nature and earth. Nordic Mythology and Nordic instruments are combined with haunting vocal melodies and a layer of black metal. Vrode has their imagery on point; from logo to band photos and stage presentation, they deliver on the Pagan vibe. 

Ostracized is a concept album about a Viking Warrior and the war that occurred to his village. He sets out to make things right, in the hope of maybe revenge or redemption. Since it’s a bit hard to follow the lyrics, I’m not sure how the story ends. But vocalist Yanou explains at least the concept behind the first two tracks on YouTube so that we might get the rest of the story there as well! 

Ostracized

Ostracized starts with the track Sykdomsfjell, an opening track that sets the mood for the rest of the album. It sounds almost like a movie soundtrack, with haunting voices and birds in the background, and of course the use of different instruments. With Striith the album really starts. Well, actually we first have to listen to another intro, since the track doesn’t really kick off till about two minutes in. It makes sense, in this track, since the first part of the track is the preparation for the battle to come. We hear the sounds of battle in the background to add to the story. Other than that, the track is a bit bland. Too much repetition, so Vrode doesn’t manage to surprise me yet. 

Ostracized, the title track of the album, is much more Black Metal influenced. What Vrode does well, as well as on the previous track by the way, is the use of multiple vocalists. We have two types of female vocals, layered with heavy grunts. There are also more interesting chord progressions and melodies on this track. The intro and outro of this track are really nice, and luckily we get a lot more of that on the album. 

Speaking of; the album is a mix of slower, more melodic, Pagan tracks and a few heavier, more up-tempo, Black Metal influenced tracks. There is however a lot of repetition, in a trance-like way, probably in the same way Heillung does, but it doesn’t really work on all tracks yet. 

Sometimes, Vrode shines though. Heritage of the Highlighlands is a great example of that. The multiple vocals, the throat singing, the melodies, and the use of instruments is great. No wonder it’s one of the most-played tracks on the album according to Spotify. Berserkers’ Deception is another example, though in the other direction. Where Heritage of the Highlands is heavy on the Pagan side, Beserkers’ Deception is more on the black metal spectrum. This track is probably also one of the heavier of the album. The shouting vocals are powerful on this track, and the melodies haunting to add to the anxiety. Even with this track though, after hearing it six or seven times, the vocals feel too repeating to me. It’s also because the vocal melodies are a little too monotonous, again, maybe trance-inducingly so. 

Speaking of heavy tracks, MordBrann starts as probably the heaviest track. It translates to ‘Arson’ and I assume this is the redemption track for our main character. After the fast, heavy intro, midway through the song, the tempo drops, and the song changes completely.  It makes for an interesting listen and this is another track where Vrode manages to surprise me. 

The album ends with Silent Prayer. It’s the appropriate ending to this album, concluding the tale of battle. Yanou shows her vocal versatility well with a beautiful melody on this short concluding track, but I secretly wish these vocals would have been on the rest of the tracks as well, to make it a little less monotonous. 

Final thoughts

Vrode released a great debut album, and I’m certainly curious to hear more from this band. It isn’t the perfect album yet though. I see where they were trying to go with this, but there is some room for improvement. The more I hear it, the more that grows on me. The parts with multiple vocals and pagan instruments are great, but on the more black metal parts, the vocals are too much of the same. Even though I like the shouting vocals since they are powerful, and Yanou shows us with Silent Prayer she is more than capable of great melodies. That being said; it’s great that we have a Blackened Pagan band from our own soil, since the Dutch scene is still lacking Pagan and Folk bands. And I would love to hear more!

Tracklisting: 

Sykdomsfjell
Striith
Ostracized
Ascending
Heritage of the Highlands
Beserkers’ Deception
Mordbrann
A Silent Prayer

You can find Vrode on Facebook and of course on Spotify. Want to hear more Dutch black metal bands? Check out our database.

Release date: 01-03-2024

We have previously reviewed Beenkerver’s EP ‘Twee Wolven’, so we were very excited to learn that Beenkerver is releasing more new music. For those who don’t know, Beenkerver is a solo project by Niels Riethorst. He has previously released a full-length, Ontaard, and the EP mentioned before. Now Beenkerver is back with another full-length, ‘De Rode Weduwe’. Let’s dive into the tale of Sophia, the prettiest girl from Gelderland. 

The album

De Rode Weduwe is an original story by Beenkerver, but it feels like it could have been a myth of old. Niels did take inspiration from old folklore and stories but made sure this story had no likeness with existing ones. The whole album is more or less a tragic, dark fairytale. And while you can listen to the full album without listening to the lyrics, or listen to the tracks on their own, it makes much more impact to listen to it like a fairytale. The lyrics add another layer to the already impressive music. Oh, and make sure to listen to it on good speakers or good headphones, because there is layer upon layer to create a massive wall of sound, that has new intricacies every time you listen to it. Beenkerver has a dark, but well-pronounced grunt that adds a layer of darkness while allowing you to follow the lyrics. 

De Rode Weduwe

While I’m not going to spoil the whole story of De Rode Weduwe, the main thing is this. Women who were a little different were quickly seen as witches in history. Sophia is murdered for it but ends up taking revenge on everything and everyone. So, in a way, a dark victory in the end nonetheless. 

The album starts with the track De Rode Weduwe (The Red Widow), and surprisingly it starts with a woman screaming, setting the tone for a fast and heavy track. This is the story of what happened to Sophia, so it makes sense that it’s up-tempo. The middle part slows down a bit, but the moment the action in the lyrics pick up again, so does the music. Again, this is an example of how the lyrics really add another layer to the music. Melodically, there are plenty of interesting layers and melodies, taking heavy inspiration from Scandinavian black metal bands. 

Bring me her head

Breng mij haar hoofd (Bring me her head) is one of the two longer tracks on this album. It starts a little slower since most of the action has already happened in the previous track. Some time for introspection for our main character, but not for long, sadly. The sadness and loneliness seep through in the melodies as well. I love the middle part of this track; that riff is intense, and you almost feel Sophia’s fear in those moments. 

After Breng mij haar hoofd, it’s again time for a more up-tempo track with Vel over Been (skin and bone). This feels like an old-school black metal track which I’m sure a lot of people will love. Again, the lyrics about hate and revenge fit the track perfectly. There are some subtle (and not so subtle) screams in the vocals as well, which, together with multiple layers of guitars and synths, add to the ghostly darkness this track portrays. This is probably also the hardest track on the album. 

Decaying Roses

As you probably guessed by now, even without me spoiling the lyrics, Sophia dies in the story. Vergane Rozen (Decaying Roses) is the track in which she gets beheaded. It starts almost like an old-school rock balad, with crunchy guitars and again a slow, slow vibe. We hear the voice of Sophia coming through in this black metal ballad, portrayed by Floor Vandenbrande. It’s a great collaboration because Floor makes Sophia sound almost angelic in comparison to the dark grunts and music.  The break in the middle, just after Sophia stops talking, reminds me of The Color Of Rain’s track Ocean’s Above, with a similar chord progression and again layered with synths. Lyric wise by the way, it reminds me of that track as well. But again, no spoilers. This is a emotional track, and I’m glad Beenkerver used over 7 minutes to tell this part of the story. 

The story could have ended there. With an outro of almost a minute, it feels like the album ends there, too. But no. We need a redemption song, and Haar Wraak is Prachtig (Her Revenge is Beautiful) is just that. Even though the lyrics are again quite dark, the music makes us feel like there is hope, and, in a way, there is, since this is Sophia’s redemption. 

Finale to the story

Somehow she doesn’t get revenge on all the important players in the story, so with Oktober, we get the story of the one that got away. And again it makes perfect sense that this is again another banger, in stark contrast to the hope-filled tunes of Haar Wraak is Prachtig. All the lyrics are in Dutch, and one of the pearls of this album can be found in this track. How beautiful is the line: In zijn hoofd was het herfst, de bladeren vielen van de boom des levens’. It roughly translates to ‘It his head fall had started, and leaves fell of the tree of life”. It fits the narrative of a man becoming insane with guilt and bereavement so well. 

Of course, it can’t end well for that man either, so in De Biecht van een blinde (The Confession of a blind man) he tries to make things right, only to learn that he will soon join Sophia. Where that is, you can find out on your own. De Biecht van een blinde is the perfect conclusion to this dark tale. This track feels like a summary of everything Beenkerver offered on the album and ends the story nicely. If you only listen to one track of this album (which I don’t recommend), this might be a good option. There is enough room for melodic passages, as well as the old-school black metal riffs that the whole album is filled with. It leaves me with a feeling of sadness, and I’m glad it does. Good music is supposed to invoke emotion, so I’m glad to have experienced this story. And where the album opens with Sophia screaming, it ends with her laughing to fully close the cycle. 

Final thoughts

Usually, I give a one-track recommendation in this section of the review. This time I won’t, because I feel you need to experience this album as a whole. You have to follow the story to appreciate the tracks, even though musically they stand on their own well enough. Beenkerver seems to be inspired by old-school black metal (think Dimmur Borgir, Darkthrone), so if you’re a fan of the genre, you should definitely check this album. 

Check out Beenkerver on his linktree or on Facebook. Looking for more Dutch Black Metal? Make sure to check out the rest of our database for interesting other bands.

Tracklist:

De Rode Weduwe
Breng Mij Haar Hoofd
Vel Over Been
Vergane Rozen
Haar Wraak Is Prachtig
Oktober
De Biecht Van Een Blinde

Releasedate: 17-02-2024

A Knight Under Maria’s Altar, or AKUMA for short, has released their debut album Heresy of Horror on the 17th of February during a live show. This deathcore formation, meaning they have a fluid line-up, leans heavily on the anime aesthetic. Which is why AKUMA is probably a suitable name for the band, going forward in this review. This album has been a year in the making, so let’s not linger any longer dan dive in. 

AKUMA

AKUMA is a deathcore/metalcore collective. The mission of founder Akuma Jin is to unite raw individual talent, to create a space where the full potential of these individuals is realized. To make that happen, AKUMA has a few core members but a lot more quest appearances on their tracks. The total headcount that worked on Heresy of Horror is according to the internet about 20. That includes members from Braces, Nephylim, Another Now and Sugar Spine. 

Heresy of Horror

The lyrics for Hersey of Horror are about the dire state the world currently is in. With titles such as A Living Mistake and Violence With Consent, we are not in for rainbows and sunshine. Instead, Heresy of Horror, even though the sparse moments of clean vocals, is one heavy wall of sound that grinds just as harshly as the lyrics. 

The album starts with a short intro track that sets the mood for the album. The use of electronic influences is heard in every track on the album, and the track transits smoothly into I’d Rather Be. What follows is half an hour filled with mainly metalcore tracks with some deathcore parts. I’ve listened to a lot of metalcore and deathcore lately since there is so much in these genres nowadays, but for some reason, AKUMA doesn’t do it for me, yet. The vocals might be part of the reason because I like the tracks that don’t feature the clean vocals a lot more. 

The clean vocals on this album might be a love-it / hate-it thing. For me personally, I don’t like them. And it’s not only the clean vocals by themselves, sometimes it’s also the placement of these vocals. For instance, in A Living Mistake, these vocals appear right at the heavy blast beat section of the track. To me, it doesn’t fit at all. 

Another reason why I might not be into this album that much is that on a lot of the tracks, it feels incoherent. Like there are too many ideas put into one track. It breaks the flow of the track and just feels a little too chaotic. 

Let’s talk about the tracks I did like on this album first. Sin Ov Pride is the first track that was released by AKUMA, and still one of my favorites. This is a good example of what AKUMA tries to do. Hard, fast, melodic, and tight AF. This track flows well and the breakdowns are as low as they can go. There are the necessary blast beats on this track, but it complements the track instead of hindering it like in A Living Mistake. 

Consciousness is a Sin is another track I did like. It’s very heavy on the death metal side of the spectrum. And even though there are still a lot of ideas in this track, it feels more coherent than some of the other tracks. The drums drive the track forward, and the synths add another layer to the darkness in this track. This might be the darkest track on the album, by the way. Of course, it ends with a heavy breakdown, and that’s the perfect end to this otherwise fast and heavy track. 

Then onto the tracks that I didn’t like. Again, it is probably just me, so please check it out yourself and make your conclusions. Violence with Consent starts on a good note with an interesting fast riff. There are some clean vocals on this track as well, but more sparsely used and that works a lot better for me. I still don’t like the vocals at around 1 minute in, but the rest of the track makes up for that. Especially the breakdowns. 

Abyss of Malevolence has an interesting ending to the track, and that heavy riff is heard at the start of this track as well. But again, with this track, it’s the middle part that’s killing it for me. It feels too incoherent. Also, the fact that the guitar follows the vocals feel maybe too poppy. And finally; the thing that makes Metalcore so interesting is the emotion in the clean vocals. All the clean vocals feel a little too flat for me, not monotonous, but maybe emotionless is the word. 

By the time we reach Unchained Harakiri, I’m not really in the mood anymore to objectively listen to the music. So while I certainly appreciate the screams in the beginning of the track, because I’m faced with again the same clean vocals, I had to really force myself to listen to the rest of the music. Again, the music is great. Clean, tight AF, heavy. Also, this track feels a lot more coherent than some of the others, and it flows a lot better because of it. 

Now Will Pass sits in the middle for me as well. There are some clean vocals on here, but because they fit the underlying music a lot better than the rest of the tracks, I’m not as bothered by it. Also, they are accompanied by heavy screams. And, it’s probably a different vocalist, who can put a bit more emotion in the delivery. As with Violence With Consent, the rest of the track more than makes up for the vocal part. Again the heavy breakdowns, the heavy screams in the beginning of the track (which DO convey a lot of emotion), and the buildup towards a circle pit are great. 

Final Thoughts

I like the idea behind A Knight Under Maria’s Altar and the fact that they had so many people working on one album is an accomplishment in itself. It might be just me, but Heresy of Horror doesn’t really for me yet. The clean vocals are a big part of that, but the chaos that comes from trying to put in too many ideas is probably another reason. The production of the album is really good, as is the skill level of the various artists who worked on this album. But to me, there is some room for improvement. My favorite track is probably Consciousness is a Sin. 

Find AKUMA on their website or in our database.

Tracklisting:

The Unspoken Heresy
I’d Rather Be
A Living Mistake
Sin Ov Pride
Consciousness is a sin
Violence with Consent
Abyss of Malevolence
Now Will Pas
Unchained Harakiri

release date: 27-01-2024

Female Fronted Symphonic Metal is a genre the Netherlands is known for. More so, outside of our tiny country, cause Within Temptation is one of our greatest export products. Soon we might add Pandora’s Key to that list. With their latest album Yet I Remain they prove that the Netherlands should still be known for great symphonic metal besides just tulips and cheese. Let’s dive into this 45 minute-long symphonic album and see what we think. 

Release date: 03-01-2024

Tigerknife and Menacer, two hardcore bands from Rotterdam, have put their hands together to release the Rotterdam Split EP. In the words of the bands: “Rotterdam Split is a (too) long-awaited collaboration of friends who want to put their city on the map”. For both bands, it’s the 3rd EP they’re releasing. Tigerknife came out with Prying Eyes last year, Revolt was the latest EP for Menacer. Let’s dive into this Rotterdam Split to hear what these bands have to offer us this year. 

Releasedate: 31-01-2024

In Dutch we have a saying: ‘onkruid vergaat niet’, which roughly translates to ‘weeds will persist’. It’s a perfect saying for Deadly Alliance, who, after some rough years of bandmembers quitting and finding others, are still standing. And not only that, according to their latest EP, are flourishing. So lets untie our hair, and get ready for a good old headbanging session while we listen to Into Depth, the latest EP from Deadly Alliance. 

Releasedate: 12-01-2024

Sea of Consciousness is a band that formed out of the remnants of Inferus Dei during the Covid crisis in 2019. Guitarist Daniel Sirtoski and drummer Istvan Timmermans started by building out their stage idea, and finding other band members that fit their vision. The band combines different genres into a melodic, progressive composition that expresses struggles in life, a theme that fits the time of origin for this band. Let’s dive into their first album and learn what Sea of Consciousness is all about.

Releasedate: 15-01-2024

Serotonia is back with a new release! They released their debut EP ‘Choices’ during a live event on Twitch on Friday the 12th. Now the debut EP is available through all streaming services for the world to enjoy. We knew what we were in for, having been part of their release show, but we are giving our opinion on paper after a few more listening sessions as well. Join us in exploring all the Choices this new EP has to offer.

Release date: 21-12-2023

Der Mancha Red is a Doom band from Eindhoven. They released their latest single Shame last December and with the current cold weather, we found the perfect atmosphere to listen to this cold, dark track. 

Releasedate: 22-12-2023

Rages of Sin is a death metal band from The Hague, and 3,5 years after their latest release Divergence, they’re back with a new album, Saligia. Saligia 2.1 is a concept album of seven tracks about the seven deadly sins. Sit back and strap in for a little over 40 min of gut-wrenching death metal.