Category: Reviews

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

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.

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)

Releasedate: 06.07.2024

Facing the Madness will officially launch their debut EP ‘Torment’ during a release party on November 30, but the EP is already secretly available for purchase. I got my hands on the record during Stonehenge Festival and have listened to it a few times before writing this review. There is little information available online about Facing the Madness. I saw the band live last year during No Sleep Metalfest and was impressed by their performance. So, I was definitely curious about the debut album from these guys.

Torment

Torment is the debut album from Facing The Madness, who previously only released a demo via Bandcamp. Their new album, Torment, isn’t available online yet, so if you’re eager to listen to their music after reading this review, you’ll need to hunt down a physical copy.

Torment is a very raw and honest album. The mix is quite bare, and not all the drum parts are perfectly aligned, which gives it a personal feel. Depending on how you listen to the album, the mix is well-balanced, and the band’s energy comes through clearly. Whether you’re hearing it through your old computer speakers or a good pair of headphones makes a world of difference. In the first scenario, the guitars are drowned out by the many cymbals, but in the second, everything is much better balanced. The bass is nicely crunchy and audible at key moments, the guitars are tight and sufficiently present, and of course, there are plenty of squeals.

Sometimes you have an album that gets better the more you listen to it. Other times, an album is amazing the first time you play it, but the more critical you get, the more flaws you notice. Torment falls into the latter category. I often listen to an album several times before writing a review. The first few times I listened to Torment, I was really impressed. But now that I’m listening more critically, the songs sometimes feel a bit too simple.

Facing The Madness

Torment starts with a very cool intro track, Carved. This cinematic intro tape was unexpected from this band, mainly because I couldn’t clearly remember how they sounded live, and I couldn’t find anything online. But the epic intro, followed by the intensity of Facing The Madness, definitely leaves you wanting more. Old-school sounding death metal, interesting riffs, and a good mix. For a band that has seemingly come out of nowhere with a little CD, this is pretty impressive. It’s super groovy, headbanging music. Live, I think this wall of sound will hit hard; on the album, I miss just that extra layer of production to really feel it.

Dying World

After the title track, the album continues with Dying World. This track is a bit more chugga-chugga but also has an open chorus that’s easy to shout along with. The vocals on this track might be a bit too simple; it also feels like the flow doesn’t quite sync with the music.

Reconstruct

Reconstruct more than makes up for it. The tempo picks up significantly with this track. Fast blast beats are mixed with more mid-tempo sections featuring groovy riffs. The variety makes this a very diverse track and a good introduction to Facing The Madness. From relentless blast beats to a calm break, this track has it all. The many squeals remind me of Machine Head, but the frontman’s growls give it a unique vibe.

Disregard

Disregard is more of a mid-tempo track, again very groovy, and this track also eventually brings back the blast beats. Kudos for the cool bass riff in the intro of this track; it’s always nice to hear a band that gives the bass some room. The sound of the bass in this intro gives the whole thing a huge old-school vibe. Maybe there could have been some improvements in the mastering here, as the cymbals are very prominent in this track.

Narcissism

Narcissism is again more of a mid-tempo track, groovy, and perhaps one of the heavier tracks on the album. It’s also a fairly diverse track, with many different riffs following one another, some cooler than others. This track also feels a bit simple and lacks the more interesting riffs of Facing The Madness.

Solution

After Narcissism, the melodic intro of Solution might be my favorite riff on this album. It’s also the longest track on the album, but at nearly five minutes, it’s still relatively short. The dissonant verse doesn’t really fit well with the intro riff, in my opinion, but there are enough cool parts in this track. Especially the part where the vocals follow the guitars is really cool. This is also one of the few tracks where a proper guitar solo emerges, allowing the guitarist to showcase his skills.

Your Last Ride

Your Last Ride starts with a fast riff. This track was previously released on YouTube, and rightfully so, because besides Facing The Madness, it’s one of the strongest songs on the new album. However, after the intro, it takes until halfway through the song for the powerful riffs to reappear. The wait is worth it, though: there’s even a breakdown included.

Confronted

Your Last Ride transitions into the final track, Confronted. After an intro with guitar harmonies, a groovy, up-tempo riff follows that immediately grabs your attention. The intro riff clearly signals the end of the album. The song builds up with smooth transitions between breakdowns and energetic sections. Besides the bass riffs that form the foundation, there are also blast beats that increase the speed and intensity. This makes Confronted a fitting and memorable closer for the album.

Final Thoughts

Torment is a worthy debut EP for Facing The Madness. I was quite impressed by the intro and the first real track, Facing The Madness. The old-school sound and the cool riffs weren’t what I expected, and I can definitely appreciate them. But it’s not all praise—some tracks feel a bit too simple, and in the mastering, Facing The Madness might have taken an extra step. Nevertheless, the track Facing The Madness is definitely a gem that everyone should hear.

Tracklisting

Carved
Facing The Madness
Dying World
Reconstruct
Disregard
Narcissism
Solution
Your Last Ride
Confronted

You can find Facing The Madness on Facebook. 

Op zaterdag 27 juli was het 30e verjaardagsfeestje van Stonehenge. Maar liefst 24 bands brachten van ‘s ochtend 10.00u tot ‘s avonds 0.00u de klanken van de hel naar Steenwijk. Op een prachtige zonovergoten dag genoten we van metal en bier, en schreven we voor de ongelukkigen die er niet bij waren een stukje over de dag. Met elke 30 minuten een nieuwe band was het enigzins intens, maar zeker gezellig. 

Scroll naar beneden voor meer foto’s van het festival. 

Het is nog steeds niet heel erg druk, maar voor Vendetta maakt dat niet uit. De vocalist springt midden in de pit en begint daar gewoon zijn eigen feestje. Daarmee weet hij de eerste moshpit van de dag voor elkaar te krijgen.

Basement Torture Killings is vooral bijzonder te noemen. Helaas voor de band is het geluid niet in balans en zijn de gitaren nauwlijks te horene. Wat show betreft zit het echter wel goed, dit is zeker een band om naar te kijken. Maar het is wel jammer om de gitaar solo alleen te kunnen zien, en niet horen.

En wederom van de ene Nederlandse act in de andere, maar dan wel met een totaal ander genre. Haliphron begint ook met een introtape, maar doet dit voordat ze op het podium komen, zodat het een stuk beter werkt.

Wat dat betreft is de muziek van Necrot soms wat beter te volgen. Simpeler, wellicht, maar absoluut br00tal.

Zo’n hele dag staan en bier drinken in de zon is wel wat veel, dus Carnation kijk ik vanaf een bankje. Dat kan gelukkig, want de podia staan zo opgesteld dat je eigenlijk precies in het midden van het terrein kan staan en dan beide podia nog net kan zien.

Incantation doet dat gelukkig wel. Incantation is duidelijk een band die al langer meegaat in de scene. De band weet hoe ze moeten bewegen op het podium. Ze hebben meteen gekke bekken en poses naast hun strakke en foutloze riffs.

Ook deze band speelt vooral oudere tracks, en hoewel ik daar weinig van herken, gaat het publiek hier aardig goed los op. Dat kan ook niet anders met zo’n frontman. Een crowdsurfende rolstoeler wordt door de security snel naar beneden gemaand, ondanks dat de frontman het aanmoedigt. 

Benediction is wat mij betreft denk ik het leukste optreden van de dag. Met een enorme hoeveelheid biertjes op het podium vraag ik me wel af wat er nog van de staat van de muzikanten over is, maar het hele optreden is retestrak.

Tot nu toe is de hele planning vlekkeloos verlopen. Maar doordat het niet lukt de backingtrack van Butcher Babies goed aan te sluiten, is even spannend of dit optreden uberhaupt door kan gaan. Het publiek laat ook duidelijk merken dat ze dit niet waarderen, en sommigen mensen haken al af voordat de band begint.

Suffocation begint gelukkig gewoon op tijd. Hier ontstaat dan ook de eerste echte moshpit van de dag, misschien omdat het nu wat minder warm is. Deze band bewijst ook dat je zonder click nog steeds retestrak kan spelen. Een samplepad bij de drummer zorgt voor de extra bassdrops, en een opblaastakkie in het publiek maakt het feest compleet. 

I Am Morbid, wat eigenlijk natuurlijk vooral Morbid Angel is, heeft er ook duidelijk zin in. Ze vieren de verjaardag van twee albums dit jaar en spelen daar dan ook de meeste tracks van. Helaas heb ik geen fotos van het moment dat de shirtjes uitgingen tijdens de solos.

Tot slot heeft het Nederlandse Graceless de moeilijke taak EN de eer om het festival te mogen afsluiten vanavond. Dat doen ze absoluut overtuigend, en ze maken hun podiumplaats meer dan waar. Wij moeten helaas naar huis, dus het einde van Graceless heb ik niet meer mee kunnen maken. 

De tickets voor volgend jaar, en de eerste namen, zijn al bekend. Wij zijn er volgend jaar zeker weer bij. Jullie ook? 

Foto’s

Happy People

Belphegor

Benediction

Birdflesh

Butcher Babies

Coffin Feeder

Defleshed

Deicide

Graceless

Haliphron

I Am Morbid

Icons of Brutality

Inhume

LEH

Necrot

Necrotesque

Suffocation

Sun of the Suns

The Lucifer Principle

EP Review Sietse de Krieger

Releasedate: 02.08.2024

We predicted it once we saw all the featured tracks getting released earlier this year, but now it has become real. Sietse de Krieger has released his debut solo EP, ‘Zenith’. Sietse has been making a name for himself in many bands and projects: Wake of Dawn, Crisis Theory, Raven Called Sin, and his latest band, SugarSpine. His name has been all over the internet and with over 9.000 monthly listeners, this guy is going places. Let’s take a look at this long-awaited debut EP. 

Sietse de Krieger

Sietse says about Zenith: “The EP explores the disillusionment and inner struggle of an individual caught between conflicting philosophies and societal expectations. The lyrics combine themes of personal introspection, social criticism, and a desire for authenticity. ZENITH delves into the journey of self-discovery and the longing to break free from the constraints imposed by society. This EP takes listeners on a journey through the chaos of existence, where the lines between truth and deception blur.” The need for authenticity and self-discovery is strong with this artist. Going from a guitarist to being a producer, combining various talents in the scene, and being part of collaborative projects like Crisis Theory, it’s clear that Sietse is on a path. 

While his previous work has always been instrumental, for ZENITH, Sietse enlisted the help of other artists. SugarSpine’s Josh Mucke has been one of the motivators behind the EP, and features on two of the tracks. The other spots are taken by Mees Stevens from Torn From Oblion and No Permissions, Vincehatred, and Mike Evans (Profiler). Sietse is a very technical guitarist, taking inspiration from Sleep Token, Polaris, and Spiritbox. We get complex riffs, guitar solos, and layers upon layers upon layers of electronic vibes, synths, guitar, and bass. 

The Weakest Predator

The Weakest Predator, The Worst and Zenith have been released prior to the EP release. When The Weakest Predator first dropped, even though I love Sietse, I wasn’t a huge fan. There were two reasons for that. I felt like there was too much repetition in the synth loop, and the synth pad had a very slow attack. That just sounded a little off to me.

But that might be a little nitpicky, just because the previous tracks like Divided, Disgrace, and Proton were all really good. And, to be honest, after hearing it at least over 20 times since then, while I still feel the synth loop is too repeating, I can’t help but say that this track slays. It’s the combination of modern, heavy riffs and electronics that makes this a wall of sound you can’t escape.

The Worst

The Worst was a step up from The Weakest Predator. Daniel Brooke is really adding something else to this track with his vocals, and I like the cleans on this track a lot. The groovy riffs and droning synths grab you on this track, and those vocals complement the heavy riffs well. The haunting ‘it’s madness” really stands out. Speaking of songwriting, the breaks make this track a little more dynamic, and therefore more interesting. Oh, and there is a kickass solo on this track.  

Zenith

And then there was Zenith. By this time, we were quite sure an EP was on the way. It took Sietse a while to announce it though, but it seems we were right. The title track to this EP takes us right back to his earlier work, with loud, hard, modern riffs and just enough electronic and EDM influences to make it unique and really LOUD. Zenith is a really upbeat track, almost a redemption song. It’s powerful, hopeful, and I’d say, the best thing we’ve heard so far from Sietse. 

Illusions

But that’s ‘so far’, ‘cause now we have two more tracks to enjoy! Illusions takes off where Zenith ended. A different vocal sound with Mike Evans. I like his lower cleans a lot, and the vocal melodies on this track are very different than the previous tracks. It’s The vocals take this track a little bit into the nu-metal genre, with a kinda KORN on steroids vibe with the heavy guitars and beats. The slowdown in the end prepares us for what’s to come, and Masquerade kicks in even harder because of it. 

Masquerade

Masquerade kicks off with the heaviest riff and screams we’ve heard so far. This is dark. Deathcore even, maybe. The fact that Josh and Mees are doing double vocals on this track makes it even heavier. It might be a touch too heavy for me though (I know, I’m surprising myself by saying that). But the thing is, it’s such a wall of sound, that the intricacies in the synths and guitar get a bit lost because of it. You really have to listen closely to pick up all the details in this track. But, oh man, it slams. The end is SO LOUD and SO LOW that I was worried I would blow up my headphones. 

Final Thoughts

Sietse is one of the gems of the Dutch metalscene. The metalcore community have known him for a while know, and I really hope the rest of our Dutch metalscene gets to know him with this release as well. His approach to metal is quiet unique in the scene, combining modern technical guitar riffs with electronic vibes, breaching walls by collaborating with many others. Zenith is probably my favorite track of the EP, but make sure you check out Illusions as well! 

Tracklist:

1. The Weakest Predator (Feat. Sugar Spine & Vincehatred)
2. The Worst (feat. Daniel Brooke)
3. Zenith (feat. Mees Stevens)
4. Illusions (feat. Mike Evans)
5. Masquerade (feat. Sugar Spine & Mees Stevens)

You can find Sietse de Krieger on socials, or in our database. Oh, and we did an interview with him, so check that out too!

On Friday 26th, the Cave had their last live bands before their summer break. Myth of Origin, Thoughtless and Pandora’s Key joined forces to bring Amsterdam a night of symphonic and melodic metal. Having hear both Myth of Origins and Pandora’s Keys latest album, we wanted to see how these bands would perform these tracks live. The night was supposed to start at 21.00, but knowing the Cave, we weren’t surprised to have that time delayed by 30 minutes.

For more info about the bands, and pictures of the night, scroll down!

Myth of Origin

Myth of Origin released their album Sane Asylum in January last year. Since then, they have been playing live at various venues while working on new music. The breakdowns in Myth of Origins music hit a lot harder live than on the album. The band also plays one of their newer tracks, which hasn’t been released yet. It’s clearly a track they haven’t been playing for that long, because they can’t perform it flawlessly yet.

Thoughtless

Time for Thoughtless. They label themselves thrash, but because they don’t have a thrash vocalist, and have quite a lot of vocal harmonies in the tracks they do play, I’d probably label them melodic metal as well. Thoughtless is having a lot of issues during their performance. They were probably feeling the stress because Myth of Origin had to cut their performance short. The guitarist doesn’t seem to be able to get his guitar to work at the start of the gig, and this proved to be the beginning of the end. Even though there are some technical issues, the band still tries to power through with a smile. At least it looks like they have good energy on stage.

Pandora’s Key

If you’ve ever been to The Cave, you know the stage is very tiny. It’s a bit of a complicated Tetris game to get all the members of Pandora’s Key on stage, so they are probably lucky to have that extra build-up time. This band plays symphonic metal, and in their case, that means they play with a backing track and in-ear monitors. They have a great wall of sound coming our way because of that. However, I don’t really like having backing vocals on a track, and there is A LOT on the backing track. At some point, I even heard some guitarwork on the track, and I’m not sure that was necessary. But that is my personal preference. 

They manage to get the crowd going as well with their headbanging and jumping on stage. It’s hard to stand still with happy music like theirs. They end their set right before The Cave’s curfew, so I’m sure they were glad with the extra time they got from Thoughtless. Next time, maybe two bands instead of three at the Cave! But it’s always a fun place to hang out, so I’m sure I’ll be seeing you there at some point!

Where to find the bands?

Myth of Origin can be found on Facebook or in our database

Thoughtless can be found on Facebook

Pandora’s Key can be found on their website.

Releasedate: 23.07.2024

Eenling (Dutch for Loner) is a new name in the Dutch black metal scene. And, befitting of the name, Eenling is mainly a one-man project. Abdelhakim Boutachkourt, better known as Eenling, has been the webmaster and promotor for Cradle of Filth in the Netherlands. He has worked with the band for 23 years. Because of that long relationship, Eenling is the first and so far only band to be promoted through the official Cradle of Filth and Dani Filth channels. About the first single of this EP ‘I Am Here’, Dani Filth wrote:

“The song itself is awesome, very old skool catchy thrash/black metal in the vein of  Venom/Bulldozer/Bathory/Sodom with some strong melodious guitar work. I highly recommend this if you’re a bit partial to the old command!”,

naming Hakim as a good friend. If that doesn’t spark your interest, I don’t know what will. 

The End Of The Beginning

The End of The Beginning has been produced by Devi Hisgen. We know him from The Color Of Rain, Chutuluminati, and Teitan. Hakim is the core member of Eenling. For The End of the beginning, he had the help of Devi, Matthijs Snoek and his wife. Next year, a full album is expected. Eenlings debut EP was released exactly one year after the release of the track ‘I Am Here’. A remastered version has been included on this EP. The End Of The Beginning consists of five tracks, spanning just under 13 minutes long. While that’s quite short for an EP, that isn’t unheard of in the Black Metal scene. 

About the tracks

The EP opens with the haunting instrumental intro track Preludium. If these scratchy violins and haunting piano tunes are a prelude to what’s to come, we’re in for a very interesting release indeed.  I Am Here is the first actual track on the EP. It’s an old-school song, with a modern sound. Hakim’s vocals are easy to follow, which is probably deliberate as the EP tells a very personal story. The dissonant tunes from Preludium lead us into the intro for I Am Here. After a short intro, the track is mainly fast-paced thrashy riffs. The I Am Here vocals on the chorus are layered to give it more of an impact. Hakim’s vocals have an interesting sound. Unique enough to stand out, gritty and again, old school, and strong enough to convey the message. 

Those vocals are even more interesting in the spoken word parts. We first hear those on the next track, Murder is OK. I’m not sure you can actually call it a track with just 30 seconds, but the message is loud and clear. If you want to know why (or when) murder is okay, listen to the lyrics. 

Climate Change

Climate Change is the gem of this EP. It’s a chaotic track, with lots of layers to make it even more complex. The orchestrations from the intro return for a few seconds, before we get thrown into the absolute chaos that is the verse of Climate Change. The track balances itself with the clean vocals in the chorus. It’s a really interesting track, which gets even more interesting after a break with samples. 

The final track on the EP with the fitting title ‘A Final Word’ is actually a spoken word track, again with a very personal message and beautiful lines such as ‘A spirit forged in fire and steel, a testament to wounds that heal’. If you ever needed a redemption track, this sure is one. After the spoken word intro, the orchestrations from the intro return, accompanied by acoustic guitar to bid us farewell. This track could have easily been the intro to the EP as well, leading us into the story of abuse and trauma. 

Final Thoughts

The End of the Beginning is an interesting debut EP, and it makes us want more from Eenling. While the EP has just two actual tracks, the filler tracks around it make for a complete story. My personal favorite is Climate Change, because of the complexity and chaos it brings. The balance between the heavy chaos and clean vocals makes it an interesting track. 

You can find Eenling on his website or Facebook. 

See more pictures below the post

Day 4 of Jera is a weird surprise. In the past few years, Jear On Air only had three days. And when this year’s edition was announced, it only had three days. However, since it was the festival’s 30th anniversary, and the ticket sale had already started, the organization announced the 4th day. Some people were happy; it was another day of festival! Other people not so much, because they had been planning for three days. 

Judging from the number of people that are still left on the festival grounds today, I’m not so sure the 4th day was a success. I think at least half, if not more, of the people was gone today. In a way that was nice – very easy to navigate the festival and no lines at the toilets at all. But it felt a little empty for the bands on the main stage. 

Bongloard was actually a Dutch band, but since it really isn’t metal, we didn’t do a full review of their performance. However, they had a lot of energy on stage and it was a fun break in the day. The Hawk stage never disappoints in that regard. One point of feedback though. The bass player was headbanging so much, that I really don’t know what he looks like, ‘cause all we saw was hair. Talking about dedication lol. 

I’ll say it again: I love good vocals. Make Them Suffer has those, and a female keyboard player to add not just a layer of synths and vocals, but a layer of badasserie on stage as well. While the guitarist likes to show his perfectly carved body, she is just banging her head and being a total badass on stage.

Another band that’s bringing the energy is Death Before Dishonor. Again, lots of energy, and a really cool band to watch. It helps that their music is energetic and fun as well. It’s mainly the bass player and the vocalist bringing the energy though. 

The band I was most excited for today was obviously Distant. I saw them at Jera last year, and since then, I’ve been following their releases closely. These guys are growing so fast. With a number of awesome gigs under their belt, touring with Born of Osiris and Whitechapel this year, this band has really grown out of the small stage on Jera. Just listening to one of their releases will show you why.

Their show at Jera is a perfectly produced piece as well. So well, that at the moment both the guitarist and the bass player switch out on stage, no one really notices at first. Why would they switch? Well, if you’re on the small stage, there is no pyro. So of course, you bring your own!

After the kickass Distant show, we manage to see a small part of the Caskets set. I didn’t know this band, and when you don’t know the music and the vocals are off-key, there’s not much reason to stay. The vocalist has a really nasal tone of voice, and it’s turning me off. Maybe more people thought the same, ‘cause there aren’t many people in the tent at this point. 

After seeing Zulu at Graspop, we went to check them on Jera as well. In my memory, Zulu was pretty hard and pretty fun. However, I might have had a beer or two too much at Graspop, ‘cause seeing them at Jera was a totally different experience. The crowd seems to love it though. Lots of stagediving and moshing again, and the energy on stage is good. It might be because I’m tired, but it just doesn’t really grasp me. It’s a bit boring, too much of the same. 

Decking to go watch Atreyu was the best decision today. We entered while they played Euphoria, probably one of the few tracks I know from this band, and it couldn’t be better. My mood changed in an instant. Artreyu is very fun to watch. This band obviously has a very good time on stage. All of them were continuously smiling, and there was great interaction between the band members on stage. They were shaking butts, doing weird stuff, and just having fun.

I wasn’t too sure if I wanted to see Lionheart. However, after hearing the great stories of their performance yesterday, and not much else to see really, we went for Lionheart. That was a good choice; their music is as straightforward as their name, and the happy vibes from Artreyu continued for a bit during their set. 

Tesseract maybe shouldn’t have been in the line-up, and the main stage probably wasn’t the place for them, either. Even less so on this last day, the 4th day that was added later on as a surprise. As most people already went home that morning, and Tesseract didn’t really fit the ‘core’ vibe, that showed in the number of people in the tent. While it was somewhat crowded when they started their set, at the end, there were probably just 4 rows of people left in front of the stage. Maybe 50 people at most. While there were still groups of people scattered, I actually felt sorry for the band. 

It didn’t help that the band started out with pretty technical and challenging music. Not the groovy, head-banging tunes we’ve been hearing all weekend. It’s technically really good, but it might be a bit to intellectual for this festival. Tesseract is listening music, not party music. 

And with the tunes of Enter Shikari in our ears, we sadly have to miss them this time, ‘cause it’s a long drive back home. We were lucky enough to get our car out without the help of the tractor (of course the parking turned into one, big mud pit). See you next time, Jera!

Distant

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