11/10/10

Tartaros (Nor)

Carnival black metal from a creator of extremely goofy and twisted evil aesthetic.

Clear and textured with the grit of a blasting metal session, yet not obtrusive and nicely integrated to the flow of sound.

Review: Black metal's wicked melodrama found adherents worldwide in the gothic tradition of narrative melodrama as vital forces enact upon one another the combinations of their fate, only to plunge further into the blindness of existence and death. One could say Tartaros is that agency also in its creation of dream music, where the narrative winds through insane tunnels of logic and finally spins itself into nothingness.

Drifting keyboard riffs fill the most of the sound that will come from your CD player, followed by the crashing fire of guitars and the vibrating husk of bass warbling behind. Cymbal crashes punctuate otherwise mechanistic (heh) drumming as the journey permutates through melodic changes to riff, without really leading the melody anywhere - wandering lead keyboards overlay the droning guitar thrash and vocals play dominant rhythm instrument to counterpoint the monolithic river of sound. Song structures are closest to techno, with breaks and breakdowns and re-entry phases. It never loses intensity but winds through the passageways of the mad.

Last known line-up
Charmand Grimloch - Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Trym Torson (Kai Johnny Mosaker) - session Drums

Former/past member(s)
Tormentor - Drums

Additional notes
Formerly known as Grimlock (Nor).

Many members of different bands have been part of Tartaros.

Charmand Grimloch's The Thrill has recorded a demo, sent out 3 copies for review but he changed his mind and never released that stuff... He planning to record it again and release on vinyl in the future.

Discography

Tartaros (Nor) - The Heritage from the Past

1.	Intro : den Forseglede Tid	02:55
2.	Skimtet av det Siste Lys	08:34
3.	The Heritage From the Past	07:14
4.	Morkedalen	05:10

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Tartaros (Nor) - The Grand Psychotic Castle

1.	Intro	03:03
2.	Dark Red Light Upon the Bomos	05:03
3.	Images of the Mystic Sphere	04:36
4.	Tones Towards the Empyrean	05:47
5.	The Grand Psychotic Castle	06:38

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Tartaros (Nor) - The Red Jewel

1.	The Lamentable Sonata (Intro)	02:17
2.	The Ruby Mine	05:51
3.	A Shape in Fair Disguise	04:33
4.	Storm of Terror	05:25
5.	Into the Faculty of Wonderful Secrets	04:46
6.	The Red Jewel	05:02
7.	In the Intense Domain of Grievousness	05:12
8.	The 5th and the Hysteric	07:26

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Calling idiot or idiot-savant will not help, most likely; where it is beautiful Tartaros builds exciting bends of melody inside otherwise repetitive ambient rock/metal cyclic structure, and where it is predictable it is more coherently assembled than most music. Aesthetically almost carnival gothic and rhythmically close to the waltzes of Graveland mixed with the pop throb from Ace of Base, this music is both ludicrous and intriguing through the clarity of its ability mixed with its deliberate obscurity.

8/10/10

Nokturnal Mortum

The story started on 31.12.91 with the birth of the band SUPPURATION (Unholy Death Metal). The main members were Knjaz Varggoth, Munruthel & Xaarquath.

SUPPURATION discography:

'92 "Ecclesiastical Blasphemy" (officially sold in 1500 copies, distributed by SHIVER Records in Belgium).

As SATAROTH joined the band in '92 as vocalist they recorded '93 "Unspeakable Journey Into Subconscious World"

In April'93 WORTHERAX (guitar) joined the band.

'93 (May) "Cosmic Flight Around Astralspher" - this demo was supposed to be out as 7"EP on The Final Holocaust Records which was PEACEVILLE branch in Russia......... But the label collapsed and SUPPURATION died with no hopes for future... It was summer'93.

But already in Autumn'93 the new band CRYSTALINE DARKNESS (Black Metal) was brought to life. Line-up included Knjaz Varggoth - voc/guit, Karpath - guit. & Munruthel - drums. Having recorded "Mi Agama Khaz Mifisto" demo the band negotiated with View Beyond Records (Czechia)...

In 1994 former SUPPURATION members got together and recorded demo "Twilightfall" under the name of NOCTURNAL MORTUM (with "C" in the first word). As the band then went into black metal the name suffered change to NOKTURNAL MORTUM (now with "K").

End of '94-'95: Legendary "Lunar Poetry" demo was created and recorded. The MC was released in Spring'96 by MetalAgen Records. Shortly after release WORTHERAX left the band and was replaced by KARPATH. Plus second keyboard player SATURIOUS joined.

Summer'96 - 2nd album "Goat Horns" was recorded (released in Spring'97 by MetalAgen). December'96 - "Return Of The Vampire Lord" EP was recorded. It included brand new title song + 2 songs of CRYSTALINE DARKNESS ("Mi Agama Khaz Mifisto", "Crystaline Darkness"). This EP was supposed to be released by MetalAgen Records as a split-MC with LUCIFUGUM (Ukraine) but the band canceled their relations with that label due to MetalAgen wrong policy. One of the unforgiven points was releasing band songs on two Metal Ballads compilations.

In 1997 NOKTURNAL MORTUM have recorded "To The Gates Of Blasphemous Fire" album and "Marble Moon" EP that included Ukrainian folk song "Lastivka". At the same time the band signed with THE END Records (USA) that offered very good conditions and agreed to release all NOKTURNAL MORTUM albums on CDs.

So the first release was "GOAT HORNS"('96) released on the March, 31, 1998. The new album "To The Gates Of Blasphemous Fire"('97) is available as of March, 1, 1999.

The Voice of Steel

1. Intro
2. The Voice Of Steel
3. Valkyria
4. Ukraina
5. The Islands Of My Dream
6. By the Way of The Sun
7. Sky of Sorrowful Nights
8. White Tower

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Necromantia

Complex mystical black metal from Greece which frequently involves instrumentation of retuned 8-string basses.

The Band Was Created In Late 1989 By Two Like Minded Individuals: The Magus (Bass/Vocals) And Baron Blood (8-String Bass). Their Aim Was To Create Original, Powerful And Innovative Diabolical Music, Replacing The Usual 6-String Guitars With 8-String Bass! Their First Recordings Earned Them A Cult Status In The Scene Since They Were Very Original, Ritualistic And Utterly Sinister! NECROMANTIA Never Hesitated To Use "Non -Metal" Instruments Like: Saxophone, Percussions E.T.C. In Addition To Their Standard Metal Orchestrations. And That Option Made Them Unique And Established Their Own Sound. They Have Released : -1 Split LP/CD With VARATHRON(THE BLACK ARTS-1991) -2 Full Albums And 1 Mini-Album In The Legendary OSMOSE PRODUCTIONS(CROSSING THE FIERY PATH-1993,SCARLET EVIL_WITCHING BLACK-1995, ANCIENT PRIDE-1997), -1 Full Album And 1 Best Of Compilation With BLACK LOTUS RECORDS(IV:MALICE-2000, 12 YEARS DOING THE DEVIL'S WORK-2002) -1 Full Album On DOCKYARD 1 (THE SOUND OF LUCIFER STORMING HEAVEN 2007) -1 Split CD/LP With ACHERONTAS On DARK SIDE RECORDS (FOR THE TEMPLE OF THE SERPENT SKULL 2009) The Band Is Considered A Pioneer Of The Second Wave Of Black Metal Along With DARKTHRONE, SAMAEL, IMPALED NAZARENE, EMPEROR, ROTTING CHRIST, ENSLAVED E.T.C. They Have Influenced Various Bands And Set The Standards For The Greek Black Metal Scene.

Crossing The Fiery Path

1. Devilskin
2. Black Mirror
3. Pretender to the Throne (Opus I: The Userper'S Spawn)
4. The Arcane Light of Hecate
5. Scarlet Witching Dreams
6. The Serpent and the Pentagram
7. Pretender to the Throne (Opus II: Battle at the Netherworld)
8. Spiritdance

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Scarlet Evil Witching Black

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Ancient Pride

1. Shaman
2. Ancient Pride
3. For the Light of My Darkness
4. Each Dawn I Die (Manowar Cover)

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IV: Malice

1. The Blair Witch Cult 04:12
2. Those Who Never Sleep 06:25
3. Disciples of Sophia (the Templars)05:55
4. Murder, Magic and Tears 05:03
5. Invictus 07:38
6. Malice 08:07
7. Circle of Burned Doves 05:48

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