Dark Awake/Der Edle Ritter/Pesttanz Klangschmiede Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Greece's  solo  project  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  ritual,  neo-folk,  neo-classical,  martial  and  industrial  and  the  album  was  released  in  2021  by  Pesttanz  Klangschmiede  and  called  "Der  Edle  Ritter".

  Martial  style  beats  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  some  epic  sounding  synths  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical.  Choir  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  dark  soundscapes  and w hen  electric  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  an  influence  of  extreme  metal.  

  When  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  some  of  the  programmed  beats  also  add  in  touches  of  industrial.  Each  song  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  the  tracks  also  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  either  a  fantasy  or  historical  movie  soundtrack  at  times.

 Some  of  the  songs  are  also  instrumentals  and  a  later  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  which  also  add  in  touches  of  folk  music  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  cover  the  ascent  to  the  world  of  ideas  and  then  the  descent  to  the  cave  of  oblivion  aligns  earthly  kings  with  the  divine  order  and  bridges  the  gap  between  matter  and  spirit.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  ritual,  noe-folk,neo-classical,martial  and  industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seyfriends  Runen"  "Der  Edle  Ritter"  and  "Halgarita  Charms".  8 out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/der-edle-ritter  

Kleistophobia/Dark Awake/ΑΜΑΥΡΩΣΙΣ/AISXINI Records/2021 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Greece's  Kleistophobia  and  Dark  Awake  called  "ΑΜΑΥΡΩΣΙΣ"  which  was  released  by  AISZINI  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  KLeistophobia  a  solo  project  that  plays  black  ambient.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  ambient  style  synths  which  also  add  in  a  variety  of  man  different  sounding  keys.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  black  metal  without  the  heavy  and  distorted  parts  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  being  instrumentals  as  well  as  each  track  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  the  song  themes  focus  on  Occultism,  Black  Magick  and  Darkness.

  In  my  opinion  Kleistophobia  are  a  very  great  sounding  black  ambient  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dancing  With  The  Goat"  and  "Mephistopheles".

  Next  up  is  Dark  Awake  a  solo  project  who  returns  with  his  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  industrial,  neo-folk  and  neo-classical.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  dark  ambient  style  synths  and  martial  style  drum  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere that  is  very  similar  to  fantasy  movie  soundtracks.  Touches  of  neo-classical  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks. 

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  ritualistic  soundscapes  along  with  each  track  also  sounding  different  from  each  other.  Melodic  chants  and  throat  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  briefly,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  Occultism,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Magick  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  industrial,  neo-folk  and  neo-classical,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bonds  Of  Blood  And  Memory"  and  "The  Anagenesis  Of  The  Sacral  Hexecraft".   

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all f ans  of  dark  ambient  and  ritualistic  music.  8/5  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/-

 https://www.facebook.com/DARK-AWAKE-189786207738223

 

     

Dark Awake/Hekateion/Aesthetic Death/2020 CD Review

 

  Greece's  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  industrial,  martial,  neo-folk,  neo-classical  and  ritual  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Hekateion"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  repetitive  sounding  in  the  first  few  minutes.  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  at  times  and  when  drum  beats  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  martial  and  militant  feeling.

  Spoken  word  parts  and  ritualistic  chants  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  whispers  are  also  utilized  at  times.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  tribal  and  shamanistic  moments  as  well  as  some  folk  instruments  also  being  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

 All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  a  most  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  synths  also  add  in  some  touches  of  neo-classical  at  times.  The  production sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  and  cover  the  ancient  goddess  of  witchcraft  Hecate.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  industrial,  industrial,  neo-classical,  neo-folk  and  ritual,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hekateion"  and  "Damnomeneia".  8  out  of  10.

http://darkawake.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DARK-AWAKE-189786207738223/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLUp7o42bc8&feature=youtu.be   

Dark Awake/The Last Hypnagogue/Steinklang Industries/2020 CD Review

  Greece's  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  martial,  dark  ambient, neo-folk  and  neo-classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020 album  "The  Last  Hypnagogue"  which  was  released  by  Steinklang  Industries.

  Ambient  style  synths  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later. When  whispered  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  as  well  as  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  while  touches  of  goth  can  also  be heard  at  times.

  Elements  of  martial  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  some  of  the  songs  are  instrumentals.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals,  spoken  word  parts  and  ethnic  instruments  being  added  on  the  recording  as  the  album  progresses.

  When  percussion  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  and  martial  atmosphere  along  with  one  song  mixing  the  percussion  with  neo-classical  style  synths,  touches  of  neo-folk  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Throbbing  Gristle's  "Persuasion"  which  also  introduces  clean  male  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  an  invocation  to  reincarnation  and  the  continuing  awareness  that  every  moment  of  life  is  lived  to  the  fullest  potential.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  martial,  dark  ambient,  neo-folk  and  neo-classical   RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Visuddha  (Chakra  Drinking)"  "Voudon"  and  "Einsoph".  8  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-hypnagogue       

Dark Awake/The Ma-nifstat-Ion Of Nuit Is At End/This Winter Will Last Forever/2019 EP Review

  Greece's  solo  project  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  ritual,  martial,  dark  ambient,  neo-folk  and  neo-classical  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  ep  "The  Ma-nifsat-Ion  Of  Nuit  Is  At  End"  which  will  be  released  by  This  Winter  Will  Last  Forever.

  Dark  ambient  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  while  the  songs  also  incorporate  a  great  amount  of  synths  which  also  adds  in  elements  of  neo-classical  onto  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other.

  Tribal  and  shamanistic  style  percussion  is  also  added  onto  the  second  track  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  occult  atmosphere  while  also  adding  in  some touches  of  neo-folk  and  martial.  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  the  music  also  adds  in  an  otherworldly  atmosphere.

  On  this  recording  Dark  Awake  goes  into  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  occult  dark  ambient  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  Kenneth  Grant's  novel  "Cult  of  the  Shadow".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritual,  martial,  dark  ambient,  neo-folk  and  neo-classical. you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "LAShTAL(Formula  Of  The  Awakening)"  and  "The  Ma-nifsat-Ion  Of  Nuit  Is  At  End".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/the-ma-nifistat-ion-of-nuit-is-at-the-end     

Dark Awake/Die Sonne Man/Ultra-Mail/Prod./2019 CD Review

   Greece's  Dark  Awake  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  neo-classical,  neo-folk,  martial,  ritual  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Die  Sonne  Man"  which  was  released  by  Ultra-Mail  Prod.

  Field  recordings  along  with  some  dark  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  at  times.  The  synths  also  bring  in  a  variety  many  different  sounding  keys  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  ritualistic  elements.

  All  of  the  songs  sound  very  different  from  each  other  while  the  music  also  gets  very  martial  at  times.  Elements  of  neo-classical  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  utilizing  some  spoken  word  parts  and  one  track  also  introduces  folk  instruments  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  percussion  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Dark  Awake  remain  true  to  their  mixture  of  neo-classical,  neo-folk,  martial,  ritual  and  dark  ambient .  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  paganism,  Hermiticism,  Occultism,  Runes.  and  some  songs  are  recited  from  the  writings  of  Savitri  Devi,  Karl  Maris  Willigut  and  Arthur  Machen.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo-classical,  neo-folk,  martial,  ritual  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Great  Pan"  Hermetic  Watchers"  and  "The  Daughter  Of  The  Sun".  8  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/die-sonne-man

  

Dark Awake/Will Of Iron/Heathen Tribes/2018 EP Review

  Greece's  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  neo  folk  and  neo  classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  ep  "Will  of  Iron"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Heathen  Tribes.

  Dark  ambient  style soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  ep  while  the  drum  beats  gives  the  music  more  of  a  militant  and  martial  feeling.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding.  When  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  add  in  the  atmosphere  of  the WW2  era.

  The  second  track  is  a  cover  of  Bathory's  Song  to  Hall  Up  High"  which  replaces  the  metal  style  with  operatic  female  vocals  and  more  of  a  neo-classical  style  as  well  as  introducing  whispers  onto  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.

  As  the  ep  progresses  folk  instruments  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  more  experimental  sounding.  The  ep  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Lordian  Guard's  Winds  Of  Thor".  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  and  Occult  Philosophy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  neo  folk  and  neo  classical,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Will  of  Iron"  and  "Libera  Nos  A  Mallo".  8  out  of  10. 

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/will-of-iron 

    

Dark Awake/Regard Extreme/The Odyssey/La Esencia Records/2018 Collaboration Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  album  between  Greece's  Dark  Awake  and  Regard  Extreme  which  mix  martial,  industrial,  neo-classical, epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient  together  and  the  album  was  released  in  2018  by  La  Esencia  Records  and  is  called  "The  Odyssey".

  Field  recordings  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  stringed  and  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  ambient  elements  along  with  the  synths  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.

  Elements  of  neo-classical  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  martial  drum  beats  are  also  brought  into  the  music  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Dark  Awake  and  Regard  Extreme  mix  their  2  different  styles  together  and  create  a  recording  that  mixes  martial,  industrial,  neo-classical,epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  Homer's  "The  Odyssey".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   martial,  industrial,  neo-classical,epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Towards  A  Long  Journey"  "Circe(Metamorphosis)"  "The  Island  Of  Sun  God  (Helios)"  and  "Ithaca  (The  Return  Of  The  King)".  8  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/the-odyssey        

Dark Awake/Ruairi O' Baoighill/Between Flesh And Dirt/Cursed Monk Records/2018 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Greece's  Dark  Awake  and  Ireland's  Ruari  O'  Baoghill  called  "Between  Flesh  And  Dirt"  which  will  be  released  on  April  30th  by  Cursed  Monk  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Dark  Awake  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  martial,  neo-classical,  neo-folk  and  ritual  music.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  atmospheric  drones  along  with  some  melodic  choirs  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  some  session  work  from  Lord  Kaiphas  formerly  of  Ancient  and  Grand  Belial's  Key  and  he  also  adds  in  his  grim  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  ritualistic  while  some  dark  ambient  elements  are  also  used  in  certain  parts of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  sounding  different  and  one  song  also  adds  in  oriental  instruments  and  folk  music  elements  and  as  his  side  of  the  split  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  some  martial  elements.

  On  this  recording  Dark  Awake  brings  in  more  of  a  ritualistic  style  while still  having  some  ambient,  avant  garde.  neo  folk  and  martial  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Sumerian,  Left  Hand  Path,  Qlippoth,  Philosophical and  Alchemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo  folk,  martial,  dark ambient  and  ritual  music,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Spine  Of  The  World  Serpent"  and  "Fall  Apart".

  Next  up  is  Ruairi O' Baoighill  a  solo  artist  that  plays  a  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  drone.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  neo-folk  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  soundscapes  as  well  as  getting  very  ritualistic  at  one  times  along  with  some  chanting  style  spoken  words  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  great  amount  of  drones  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other  along  with  one  track  having  a  very  hallucinogenic  and  psychedelic  atmosphere  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals.

  Ruairi O' Baoighill  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  drone  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  Irish  Occultism  and  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  Ruairi O' Baoighill   is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Under  A  Whitethorn  Bush"  and  "A  Scheduled  Madness".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  occult,  ritualistic  music and  drone.  8  out  of  10.

https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/album/between-flesh-and-dust



      

Dark Awake/Atropos Of Eudaimonia/Dornwald Records/2017 CD Review

  Greece's  solo  project  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  ritual,  neo-classical,  martial,  neo-folk  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Atropos  Of  Eudoimonia"  which  was  released  by  Dornwald  Records.

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  along  with  some  elements  of  harsh  noise  and  martial  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  choir  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  more  underground  side  of  industrial  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  Gregorian  chants.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  ritualistic  and  occult  sounding  while  oriental  style  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  cover  of  Sol  Invictus's  "Kneel  To  The  Cross"  which  also  introduces  clean  male  vocals  onto  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  the  music  also  incorporates   a  great  amount  neo-classical  elements  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental.

  Dark  Awake  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  ritual,  neo-classical,  martial,  dark  ambient  and  neo  folk,  the  production  sound s very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  O.N.A  Satanism,  Alchemy,  Persian  Occultism,  and  Greek/Hermetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  From  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo-classical,  folk,  martial,  ritual  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Algol  And  Naos"  "Kneel  To  The  Cross"  and  "The  Medusa  Of  Despair".  8  out  of  10. 

https://dornwaldrec.bandcamp.com/album/atropos-of-eudaimonia

    

Dark Awake/Imago Typhonis/Frozen Light Records/2016 EP Review

  Greece's  Dark  Awake  have  returned  with  a  new  ep   that  continues  the  dark  esoteric,  ritual  neo-classical, folk  music  sounds  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  ep  "Imago  Typhonis"  which  was  released by  Frozen  Light  Records  and  consists  of  one  original  track  and  2  cover  songs.

  A  cover  of  Emperor's  "I  AM  The  Black  Wizards"  starts  off  the  ep  and  while  it  sounds  like  the  original  in  a  lot  of  ways  it  has  more  of  a  dungeon  synth  feeling  that  also  reminds  me  of  pre-industrial  era  Mortiis  and  Burzum's  ambient  albums  and  after  awhile  spoken  words  are  added  into the  song.

  The  only  original  track  on  the  ep  starts  out  with  classical  guitars  that  use  a  great  amount  of  finger  picking  and  after  a  few  minutes  tribal  beats  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  song  is  over  17  minutes  in  length.

 After  while  the  song  also  brings  in  neo-classical  instruments  at  times  along  with  some  traditional  acoustic  guitar  full chords  and  the  song  also  stands  out  a  bit  more  with  human  bones  being  used  as  a  musical  instrument  that  also  brings  in  a  more  shamanistic  feeling  to  the  recording  and  the  spoken  word  parts  add  more  to  the  ritualistic  atmosphere of  the  song.

  Closing  the  ep  is  a cover  of  Northland Tradition's  "Herr  Manelig"  which  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  ambient  synth  that  also  uses  a  variety  of  many  different  keys that  also  gives  the  music  an  atmospheric  and  epic  feeling  along  with  some  programmed  beats  in  the  background  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  make  their  presence  known  in  the  track.

  Dark  Awake  creates  a  recording  that  brings  in  an  original  tack  that  remains  true  to  vis  musical  vision while  the  2  cover  tracks  pay  homage  to  the  groups  that  have had  a  huge  influence  on  his  musical style,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Typhonian  Witchcraft,  Sumerian  Magick  and  a  long  forgotten  Heathen  past.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic,  occult,  dark  ambient,  neo-classical  music,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Imago  Typhonis".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/DARK-AWAKE-189786207738223

  

   
 

Merdarahta/As The Dark Clouds Swept Away We Could See The Sunset/2015 CD Review

  Canada's  Merdarahta  have  returned  with  a  new  album  that  continues  the  dark  ambient,  drone,  experimental,  harsh  noise,  doom  metal  and  sludge  mixture  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "As  The  Dark  Clouds  Swept  Away  We  Could  See  The  Sunset".

  Dark ambient  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  voices  in  the  background  that  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  after  awhile  harsh  noises  become  a  part  of  the  music  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  to  get  more  heavier  with  a  sludge/doom  metal  sound  while  still  incorporating  the  experimental  elements.

  Vocals  when  they  are  added  into  the  music  are  high  pitched  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  small  amount  of  whispers  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  other  tracks  go  for  more  of  a  drone/experimental  direction  while  some  of  the  other  songs  remain  true  to  a  sludge/doom  metal  direction  and  also  bring  in  melodic  riffing  at  times  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing.

  Merdarahta  creates  another  recording  that  still  has  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  still  also  being  very  ritualistic  and  experimental  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Merdarahta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark   ambient,  drone,  experimental,  harsh  noise,  doom  metal  and  sludge,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dark  Clouds"  and "Poverty  Will  Spread".  8  out  of  10.  

https://merdarahta.bandcamp.com/album/as-the-dark-clouds-swept-away-we-could-see-the-sunset  

Dark Awake/Anunnaki/Great Turf Deluxe/2014 CD Review

  Dark  Awake  are  a  1  man  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  ritual,  martial,  neo-classical,  neo-folk  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2014  album  "Annunnaki"  which  was  released  by  Great  Turf  Deluxe.

  a  very  dark  and  ritualistic  ambient  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  avant  garde  and  experimental  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  martial  beats  present  throughout  the  recording  and  the  synths  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  neo-classical  influences  into the  musical  sound  that  is  present  on  this  recording.

  There  are  a  great  amount  of  instrumental  tracks  present  throughout  the  recording  and  at  times  you  can  hear  traces  of  the  more  underground  style  of  industrial  being  added  into  some  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  synths  bringing  in  more  epic  elements.

  At  times the  experimental  sounds  have  a  sci-fi  feeling  to  them  and  one  of  the  tracks  brings  in  a  choir  of  melodic  Gregorian  chants  which  also  add  more  of  an  occult  atmosphere  to  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  later  songs  adding  in  tribal  sounding  percussion  and  some  of  the  alter  tracks  also  bring  in  flutes  which  also  gives  the  music  a  good  dose  of  medieval  and  pagan  sounds.

  Dark  Awake  creates  another  album  that  is  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  ritualistic  sounding  mixing  in  elements  of  martial,  dark  ambient,  folk,  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  to  create  a  very  original  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  some  themes  revolve  around  Anunakki,  Luciferian,  Left  Hand  Path,  Occultism,  Runes  and  European  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritual,  martial,  neo-classical,  neo-folk  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Towards  the  Nine  Angles"  "Virgo  Luciferia"  "Thy  Satyr"  and  "Anunnaki".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/pages/DARK-AWAKE/189786207738223?ref=ts&id=189786207738223

www.darkawake.bandcamp.com

         

Dark Awake Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days? 

 First of all i would like to thank you about this interesting interview.

I m  trying out some new ideas but the important is that they  carries the sign of quality all the way through.Fantasy have no limits and i 'm always searching for new ways to gain inspiration,

through sources far away from musical fields (even though they seemingly have a connection).

So my plans, are the  production for the next Dark Awake album.

2.So far you have released 3 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on all 3 recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

The Music and Image exploring the fields of SYMPHONIC NEOCLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL APOCALYPTIC FOLK MARTIAL DARK AMBIENT RITUAL OLD NOISE !

Thematicaly and musicaly it 's about  topics  like  runes,paganism,esoteric occult  and other subjects

with neoclassical instruments, ambient soundscapes,human bones instruments,  etc..

The first Album "Meseonas"(Twilight Records) was more on Neoclassical ,Dark Ambient ,Martial .

The second album "Epi Thanaton" was more raw ritual ,minimal and shamanistic.

The third album "Soil,Blood...And The Reaping Of Light" (Great Turf Deluxe/In The Morningside Records) have elements from two previous albums and some more Noise,neofolk influences.

All the albums have many differences but a listener can understand that is all Dark Awake Albums.

3.According to the fb page page, the project has been in existence since 2002 and so far there has only been 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gapes between releases?

There 's no pressure to release albums ,so Dark Awake  albums comes out when i m feeling that i created something which i consider remarkable is great.

4.The song themes cover a great amount of occult topics ranging from Luciferian,  Ahrimanic,  Goetia to some Paganism and Runes,can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the different forms of the occult arts?

All that forms,if practised sincerely,deal with esence of man,his instincts,his needs and desires.

These forms is the art of changing the immediate enviroment to ones benefit,to search for universial wisdom and so to understand the secrets of nature.

There are different ways to work with occult arts ,like ritual magic,high magic and earthly magic.

Ahrimanic ,goetia and Luciferin Witchcraft is more of ritual nature,making use of natural substances,tools,personal emotions and energies and it also 

involves astral travelling.

Paganism and Runes is about natural wisdom.

Dark Awake is one path for me to express ,my philosophy,views and magical experiences.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name' Dark Awake"?

It means that the will to power are the will to self overcoming and self realization ,if we know our inner dark side.

6.Currently there is only 1 member in the band, do you feel this gives you a lot more room to be creative with your music?

I am the only member but for some recordings i use some additional members.

Elina K. done the female vocals in some songs on "Meseonas" album and Sekte adds the female vocals ,the narrations and some ideas on "Epi Thanaton" and "Soil,Blood...And The Reaping Of Light".

Yes,to create and control alone my art gives me more free space.

7.Over the years you have had your albums released on Twilligt, Rage In Eden, Great Turf Deluxe, and In The Morningside Records, can you tell us a little bit more about these labels?

All these record labels is very professional and is some of the best in the dark music genre.They have worldwide distribution.

Twilight Rec is from Argentinna ,  Rage In Eden Rec is from Poland and Great Turf Deluxe Rec is the sidelabel of Spain In The Morningside Records,

 which specialised in Dark Ambient / Dark music.

8.Has this project been able to do any live shows or is it strictly a studio project?

Dark Awake has never performed Live.Whenever i might feel to perform my art live maybe i will do it.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of dark ambient and other ritualistic and occult forms of music?

The feedback is really great from many fans of dark music from all the places of the world.Many people are in interest to buy and listen Dark Awake.

I m creating music for my own needs but is awesome to have great feedback from out there.

10.Are you currently involved with any other musical projects besides this one?

No i have not any other musical project.I like to concentrate all my time for Dark Awake.

11.Where do you see the music heading into on future releases?

A lot of mixes,but we dont know what will rise from the chaos.This is interesting because out of chaos

usually emerge interesting things.It still remains to be seen.

12.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? 

There are so many kinds of music and bands that i respect.I see no point to write about them here.

What is important,is indeed to open minded.That is at least what i have experienced.Throughout the recent year,

i have got the opportunity to explore so many different kinds of musical expressions,because of my open mindness.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Ahrimanic Persian Sorcery, Anachronism, Art, Baroque, Goetia, Dandysm, Elitism, Enochian,

Erotism, Fantasy, History, Literature, Occultism, Orientalism, Mars, Nietzsche, Luciferian ,

Renaissance, Romanticism, Runes, Saturn, Secret Societies, Sethanic Witchcraft, Sigils,

Symbolism, Sumerian Civilization,

Zoroastrian, Zos Kia, Victorian, W.O.T.A.N., 1700s, 1800s, 1900s, 1920s,..

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Enjoy the mysticism..

People are of course welcome to contact me for any further inquiries, remarks or feedback.

FB Link:

www.facebook.com/pages/DARK-AWAKE/189786207738223

Dark Awake/Soil, Blood...And The Reaping Of Light/Great Turf Deluxe Records/In The Morningside Records/2013 CD Review

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Dark  Awake  with  the  music  being a  mixture  of  neo-folk,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  noise  with  the  album  being  called  "Soil,  Blood...And  the  Reaping  Of  Light"  which  was  released  in  2013  as  a  joint  effort  between  Great  turf  Deluxe  Records  and  In  The  Morningside  Records.

  The  album starts  out  with  drones  and  war  sounds  before  adding  in  a  dark  atmosphere  and  militant  drum  programming  and  after  awhile  classical  music  elements  are  brought  into  the  music  in  a  more  dark  and  avant  garde  manner  along  with  some  female  vocals  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  we  get  more  into  the  album  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  in  at  times  and  it  brings  a  neo  folk  sound  to  the  recording  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  folk  instruments  becoming  a  part  of  the  recording  and  later  on  dark  ambient  soundscapes  make  their  way  into  the  music  along  with  elements  of  old  school  noise.  and  as  time  goes  on  by  synths  become  a  part  of  the  album  and  they  enhance  the  atmospheric  parts.

  As  the  album  progresses  male  and  female  Gregorian  chants  are  added  onto  one  of  the  songs  and  on  the  track  that  follows  the  synths  get  more  tragic  and  spoken  word  World  War  II  samples  are  added  onto  the  album  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  gets  more  militant  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  accordion's.

  With  this  recording  Dark  Awake  bring  in  a  different  sound  than  the  previous  recordings  with  the  music  being  more  neo  classical  and  symphonic  this  time  around  while  alos  keeping  around  the  occult  and  ritualistic  atmosphere's.

  Song  themes  cover  esoteric  deathcult's  in  pre  war  Germany  like  Fraternitas  Saturni,  Vril  and  other  old  mysteries  dealing  with  North  Witchcraft  and  the  Babylonian  dreamcycle  of  awakening,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo  folk/classical,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Luminous  Vril"  "Seidr  And  Runes"  "Le  Conte  D  Graal"  and  "Meine  Nacht  Ist  Licht".  8/5  out  of  10.            

www.facebook.com/pages/DARK-AWAKE/189786207738223?ref=ts&id=189786207738223

www.darkawake.bandcamp.com

www.myspace.com/meseonas

Dark Awake/Epi Thanaton/Rage In Eden Records/2013 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Dark  Awake  with  the  music  style  being  a  mixture  of  apocalyptic,  ritual,  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  with  the  album  being  called  "Epi  Thanatan"  and  released  by  Rage  In  Eden  Records  in  the  year  of  2013.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  dark  an  atmospheric  sound  and  a  few  seconds  later  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  are  added  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  drum  programming  becomes  a  part  of  the  recording  and  the  album  gets  more  experimental,  avant  garde  and  ritualistic  as  time  goes  on  by.

  When  we  get  more  into  the  album  the  music  starts  getting  more  classical  influeneced,  ambient  and  symphonic  in  certain  parts  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  melodic  chanting  becomes  a  part  of  the  recording  along  with  some  classical  guitars,  folk  instruments  and  human  bones  being  brought  in  later  on  during  the  recording.

  With  this  album  Dark  Awake  get  more  darker  and  apocalyptic  with  this  album  while  still  having  some  of  the  classical  and  neo  folk  elements  of  the  first  album  while  also  bringing  in  a  more  avant  garde  and  ritualistic  sound  this  time  around.

  Song  themes  cover  Typhonian  Witchcraft,  Necronomicon,  Sumerian  Mythology,  Runes,  Qabalah  and  Mithriaism,  while  th e production  has  a  very  dark  adn  ritualistic  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  into  dark  ritualistic  ambient  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Epi Thanaton"  "Sigillum  Of  Cutha"  "Ichor"  and  "Spheres  of  Qlippoth".  8  out  of  10.  .

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/

Dark Awake/Meseonas/Twilight Records/2008 CD Review

  Dark  Awake  are  a  1  man  band  from  Greece  that  plays  an  occult  mixture  of   neo-classical,  martial,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  neo-folk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2008  album  "Meseonas"  which  was  released  by  Twilight  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  later  drum  programming  and  symphonic  elements  are  added  into  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  a  more  medieval  and  dark  ambient  sound.

  When  we  go  more  into  the  album  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with more  folk  and  classical  influences  and  after  awhile  classical  guitars  become  a  part  of   the  recording  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  ritualistic  sounds  throughout  the  recording  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  Current  93  cover.

  Dark  Awake  created  a  very  interesting  sound  with  this  album  with  the  music  being  in  a  medieval  avant  garde direction  while  also  having  neo-folk  and  classical  elements  which  also  helps  to  make  the  album  sound  more  original.

  Song  themes  and  lyrics  cover  Gnosticism,  Sumerian,  Macabre  Fantasies  and  Left  hand  path  concepts,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and r aw  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Awake  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  mixture  of  neo-classical,  martial,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  neo-folk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alpha  And  Omega"  "Mourn  The  Loss  Of  Ishtar"  "Nigrim  Serpentis"  and  "All  the  Pretty  Little Horses".  8  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/ 

   

Merdarahta Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?

When Fuck The Facts was doing Die Miserable we had a recording that I really wanted to use as the B side of the cassette version. This was the “Snake Charmer/Towers” release. It just didn’t feel like Fuck The Facts, it felt like something new. So we made the decision to put it under a different name even though all members of FTF played on it.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

The approach is very different from Fuck The Facts. I see Merdarahta as our vacation away from FTF. We started Fuck The Facts as a place where we could have complete artistic freedom, and I don’t think anything will ever replace FTF for me. So to do something else there had to be a very different method and frame of mind to how we would create.

In Merdarahta the music we make is based mainly on improvisation sessions that we record. Nothing is perfect, but it really captures the moments when everything starts to come together. There’s no going back and trying it again, what you hear is the idea being played as it was coming out. We end up with something that I don’t think we ever would have, if we had sat down to try and “write” it.  It’s an unbroken flow of ideas and sense of simply being submerged in the moment.

3. What are some of the concepts the band brings out in the music?

Simplicity is what I aim for. Lots of room and space to let everything slowly morph from section to section. Since there are no lyrics and any vocals are used more as an extra layer, we’re really just trying to create ambience more than send a message.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The name “Merdarahta” itself is taken from an ambient noise Fuck The Facts track from 2003. Even if it’s a different project, I wanted it to be connected to FTF.

5. Has the band had any oppurtunities to do any live shows, if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We did one show so far. It was opening for Jucifer in Aug of last year. Since all the recordings are based solely on improve sessions I didn’t think it would be fair to try and recreate those performances, so instead we came up with some new ideas and a basic structure to play with. I was really happy with how it turned out and I look forward to taking Merdarahta to the stage again.

6. Has there been any label interest for the project?

That not something we’ve tried to look for and since the project is very new and really something we just do on the side, it’s not something that’s really needed. I’m happy to release Merdarahta recordings independently.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of drone?

The feedback we have gotten has been very positive. But again, because the activity level of the project is so low, there are not a lot of people that have heard these recordings.

8. What is going on with the other band projects these days?

Fuck The Facts is always busy. We have a lot of new recordings in the works, which also includes our new full-length album. Also, The Sun Through A Telescope (who is one of the main contributors to Merdarahta) is also just about to release a new full length album.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I already have a lot of recording sessions to go through and work on. Most of it is pretty similar to the 2 releases we’ve already done, but some others have a bit more of “jam” vibe with more drums and even riffs. We’ll see how it all comes together.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I’ve always loved noise and ambient music and that’s what I’m trying to get out with this project. Create noise that’s still somewhat musical. Bands like Painkiller, Massonna and Trail Of The Bow are a few bands I can think of as influences. As for what I’m listening to recently, it’s been a lot of Black Sabbath, Priestess and Marvin Gaye. 

11.Does Occultism play any role in the music?

No. It’s all about atmosphere and creating a mood. I’m not really into any sort or Occultism or religion.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Not many, but I could probably use another hobby. Even when I’m not working on my own music, I’m recording and mixing bands at my studio Apartment 2. Music and hanging out with my 2 year old daughter are the only things I really like to do.

13.any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for the interview and your interest. Cheers!

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