Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Death. Show all posts

#195 Tom/EZR Reviews 4xMC Tapes: Hrob / Morgh / Temora / Witchburn // July 2026

 


 


PRE VAŠE UVÁŽENIE: Ak vás zaujíma kazetová kultúra, omrknite JDØS distro, kde mám okrem vlastných releasov aj rôzne zaujímavosti od mikrolabelov z celého sveta a kludne si vyberte 1,2 kazety, ziny alebo triko a napíšte mi na jablkadalekoodstromu@gmail.com - podporíte tým vydania ďaľších zaujímavých JDØS releasov primárne z lokálnej scény. Ak chcete recku na vašu kazetu (alebo iný fyz. nosič, pošlite mi ho, rád sa mu povenujem). Vďaka za support!!

 

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JÚL 2026:

 

  1. Hrob - Brána Chladu (2026, Night Terror Records)
  2. Morgh - Solus (EP 2026, Fekete Terror Productions) ... IN DISTRO
  3. Temora - Demo (2025, Filth Junkies Records)
  4. Witchburn - Prepare for the Sabbath (1997/2020, Elderblood Productions)  ... IN DISTRO

 

 

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Hrob - Brána Chladu (2026)




Krajina: SK; MC Vydavateľstvo: Night Terror Records (NTR-022); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 Intro A2 Chrám prázdnoty A3 Tiene stromov A4 Genocída snov B1 Medzihra B2 Zotročený oheň B3 Brána chladu  Celkový čas 36:44

"I don't want to live my life again." spieval v roku 1989 Joey Ramone, len krátky čas po tom ako na východ cez veľkú mláku založil Ola Lindgren Grave - pionierov švédskeho death metalu, ktorých prvé dva albumy Into the Grave a You'll Never See považujem za svoje all-time-death-metal-favorite nahrávky. Možno len o desatiny alebo stotiny milimetrov pred inými albumami, ktoré vychádzali v zlatých rokoch 1989-1993, ale predsa. Len naokraj, tak ako sa v Kingovej kultovke domáci maznáčikovia vracali medzi živých po pochovaní v Pet Sematary tak trochu v inej podobe, tak nejak sa neskôr vrátila aj kapela Grave po ich klinickej smrti v roku 1997. O čom to tu miešam kávu a čo má tento úvodný blábol spoločné s kapelou Hrob?

Zdanlivo nič a zároveň všetko. Špinavý death metal sa po troch dekádach vrátil k životu pod zástavou old school death metalu po tom, čo sa v novom miléniu rozvetvil do technických, melodických a metalcoreových mutácií. 

OSDM vstal z hrobky, do ktorej sa nevyhnutne musel odobrať po tom, ako v 90. rokoch už nebolo možné - povedané slovníkom Sinuheta - dosiahnuť úroveň Cheopsovej veľkej pyramídy, ktorú postavili pionieri žánru na samom začiatku. Ich nasledovníci potom stavali už len menšie a menšie pyramídy, až sa napokon scvrkli na malé hranaté objekty na vybíjaných kožených bundách crust-punkerov. Dnešní priaznivci OSDM tak spomínajú na vek Prastarých a pomocou exhumovaných riffov a zvuku vzdávajú hold sonickému bahnu, ktoré sa zrodilo na prelome osemdesiatych a deväťdesiatych rokov minulého storočia.





Hrob oživili mŕtvolu na svojom debute Brána chladu, ktorý vyšiel na holandskom labeli Night Terror Records na jar 2026 vo vinylovej aj kazetovej verzii. Kapela je poskladaná z bratislavských hudobníkov známych z kapiel Krudus, Radiation, Goatcraft, ktoré sú známe svojou náklonnosťou k pôvodnému uchopeniu tradičných metalových žánrov ako thrash a black metal.

Kazeta je v priehľadnom bielom prevedení so štvortstranovým J-Cardom. Na prednej strane je pod Serusovým logom kapely zmenšený artwork albumu. Starec kľačiaci na snehovej planine pred ľadovou bránou, z ktorej žiari biele svetlo. Vizuál navodí asociácie na krutú zimu, hypotermiu a smrť a tieto pocity sprevádzajú poslucháča počas celého albumu.  

Na Bráne Chladu strieda Hrob rýchle brutálnejšie pasáže s pomalými, v ktorých celkovú atmosféru studenej jaskyne alebo krypty umocňujú gitarové vyhrávky šľahajúce do uší ako mrazivý vietor, ale aj dokresľujúce klávesové plochy. Growlový vokál je položený extrémne nízko, ale napriek tomu sa pri miernom sústredení da porozumieť slovenským textom. Skladby sú založené na gitarových riffoch, ktoré miestami vybočia zo svojej temno repetetívnej podstaty do melodickejších pasáží v rámci ktorých sa mihnú aj decentné gitarové sóla. Ak by som ďalej pátral po moste medzi Into the Grave a Bránou chladu, vypichol by som zvuk gitár, ktoré mi spolu s klávesovými podfarbeniami pomalých riffov a striedaním temp pripadajú ako molekuly rovnakej DNA. 

Svoje úvahy o znovu prežití svojho života vďaka resuscitácii mŕtveho žánru, ale aj staviteľoch pyramíd by som uzavrel tým že Brána chladu je mrazivá krypta plná zaujímavých exponátov smrti, z ktorej vedie podzemná cesta až do najposvätejšieho miesta, ktorým je veľká Lindgrenova pyramída vo Visby. 


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Morgh - Solus (EP, 2026)


 

Krajina: HU; MC Vydavateľstvo: Fekete Terror Productions (FTP-058); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 Vale A2 Mizantropia A3 Odium A4 Solus A5 Key to the Void Temple B = A Celkový čas 23:50

Vďaka kontaktu s maďarským UG labelom Fekete Terror Productions, s ktorým som spravil už dve distro výmeny, si dopĺňam znalosti UG scény u našich južných susedov. Samozrejme nie je možné nepoznať legendárny Tormentor a ich frontmana Attilu Csihára, ktorého si vybrali Mayhem ako vokalistu na De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - jeden z najzásadnejších blackmetalových albumov vôbec. Keď sme pri Attilovi - pred dvoma týždňami ho v budapeštianskej Puskás aréne nechal pozdraviť počas koncertu Pantery Phil Anselmo... 

...Attila, ak sa Philov pozdrav k tebe ešte nedostal, tak nech sa páči a nemáš za čo. Tiež, teším sa na tvoj nový vampírsky film, do ktorého si ťa ako herca vybral Panos Kosmatos - dúfam, že po jeho premiére okamžite odmažú kópie Twilight zo všetkých streamovacích služieb a záznam o jeho existencii z IMDB. 

Okrem Tormentor a priekopníkov 90s atmosférického blackmetalu Sear Bliss boli moje znalosti o scéne v Maďarsku ešte donedávna slabšie než odhodlanie nejesť paprikové chipsy po 22hej hodine. To sa zmenilo - prísun kapiel ako Sír, Necroratory a najnovšie aj Morgh do distra JDØS jemne naznačujú, že na maďarskej UG black a doom metalovej scéne sa dá objaviť niečo veľmi blízke a pritom svojim spôsobom exotické. 



 

EP Solus, v preklade Samota, vydali Morgh u Fekete Terror Productions na kazete ako svoj druhý release v máji 2026. O trojčlennej kapele sa dozvedieť veľa nedá, podľa dostupných informácií za ňou stoja priekopníci lokálnej UG scény. Kazeta okamžite zaujme artworkom a prevedením, ktoré je tradične vo vysokej kvalite s full onbody printom. Päťskladbový materiál v dĺžke cca 23 minút sa opakuje na oboch stranách. Hudobne sa jedná o dobre zahraný atmosférický black metal v strednom až rýchlom tempe s kvalitnou produkciou, ktorý v najsilnejších momentoch pripomína neskoršiu fázu Hecate Enthroned

Atmosférickosť materiálu je tvorená repetitívnymi troj až štvorakordovými molovými pasážami, ktoré sú podkladom pre nápadité a melodické gitarové vyhrávky. Miestami je atmosféra zvýraznená klávesmi a hovoreným vokálom. Spev a špeciálne vokálny prejav a blackový rev s koncovkou "yaaaaa" mi pripomína 90s a do istej miery aj domácu kapelu Mystic Death. EP ubehne celkom rýchlo a nákup v Lidli pri jeho opakovanom počúvaní ešte rýchlejšie. Odporúčam toto EP všetkým atmo-black-doom maniakom tajne praktizujúcim JOMO.

 

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Temora - Demo (2025)


 

Krajina: SK; MC Vydavateľstvo: Night Terror Records (FJR-037); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 Koroze A2 Astrální vize A3 Trollmor A4 Znesvěcení slunce A5 Možnost volby 
B = A Celkový čas 15:17

Môžem si stokrát povedať, že už v živote nepotrebujem počuť žiadny nový old school death metal, no a potom prídem na koncert, kde to rozbalí dobre zohratá kapela so staronovými riffmi, perfektným zvukom, chorými vokálmi, a proste to celé na mňa okamžite zafunguje. V momente idú bokom úvahy o potrebnosti a nevyhnutnosti, o tom čo už bolo a už nebude, prípadne originalite a tak ďalej. Lepšie je raz vidieť ako stokrát počuť. Teória versus prax.    

Temora je kapela na prvý pohľad veľmi mladých chalanov z Českých Budejovíc, ktorých som nedávno videl hrať ako support Hrobu pri príležitosti vydania ich nového albumu. Kapela ma udržala v aktívnom strehu počas celého vystúpenie a tak muselo nevyhnutne dôjsť ku kúpe demokazety. 

Táto vyšla v roku 2025 na českom death-metal labeli Filth Junkies Records, má päť skladieb, a DIY trojstranový J-Card s textami a malou fotkou. Farebne sú kazeta a booklet ladené v žltej farbe, ktorú mám v metale veľmi rád (a nie je to kvôli poslednému albumu Metallicy). 



 

Na obale dema je ručne kreslený vchod do krypty, o ktorej sa spieva v skladbe Astrální vize "Ze staré krypty / Astrální projekce / Hnijící duše". Lyrickým highlightom je pre mňa tretia skladba Trollmor, ktorá vysvetľuje žltú farbu v artworku. "S morem žije tvor / Malomocný trol / Do huby chcáňo / Každé ráno // Taky chčije na tvou matku / A na hroby, mrtvola schytá facku / Monstrum vraždí lidi / Šíří se nemoci". 

Takže viem kto nachcal do tlačiarne keď sa robil booklet. 

Hudobne je kapela ukotvená v OSDM, moje prehistorické asociácie mi na prvý dojem vyvolávajú spomienky na Morgoth (Cursed) kvôli spevu a na Krabathor (Only Our Death ...) kvôli mladíckej energii a elánu, ktorú z dema cítim. Demo Temory je špinavé a presvedčivé, nič viac riešiť netreba.

 

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Witchburn - Prepare for the Sabbath (EP 1997/2020)

 

Krajina: PL; MC Vydavateľstvo: Elderblood Productions (EBP-016); 
Zoznam Skladieb: A1 The Burning A2 Witchaven A3 Into the Burning Coffin A4 Twilight A5 Warmageddon 
B1 Intro ('97 Demo version) B2 The Burning ('97 Demo version) B3 Witchaven ('97 Demo version) B4 Into the Burning Coffin ('97 Demo version) B5 Twilight ('97 Demo version) B6 Warmageddon ('97 Demo version) Celkový čas 27:10

Witchburn je poľský projekt z druhej polovice 90s, ktorý má klasický darkthroneovský tandemový lineup. Dvojicu muzikantov zo severozápadného Poľska tvoria Tuna (bicie) a Svart (spev, gitara, basa). V rovnakej zostave chalani pôsobia aj v čisto blackmetalovej kapele Eternich. Podľa dostupných informácií bolo EP Prepare for the Sabbath nahraté v rokoch 1996-1997, potom znovunahraté v rokoch 2012-2016 a zvukovo dokončené v roku 2017. Obe nahrávky vyšli na kazete v roku 2020 na taiwanskom blackmetalovom labeli Elderblood Productions, ktorý sa medzičasom premenoval na The True Fog. Naozaj dlhá a komplikovaná cesta k vydaniu materiálu, za ktorým si kapela stojí s pomerne exotickou koncovkou.

Kazeta z roku 2020 vyšla v náklade 66 kusov v čiernej farbe so sivou potlačou. J-Card má štyri strany a artwork predstavuje maľbu jasnovidkyne od francúzskeho predstaviteľa realizmu Gustava Courbeta. Maľba sa hodí k ústrednej téme EP, ktorá sa točí okolo starých dobrých čarodejníc. 

Novšia nahrávka so spevom je na strane A. Tu Witchburn nasekali 5 skladieb s priemernou minutážou okolo dvoch minút. Jednoduché, ale chytľavé riffy nesú jasný blackmetalový rukopis. Gitary sú zdvojené, zvuk výborný a rovnako dobre sú na tom aj bicie. Spev je monotónny, celý čas sa nesie v jednej tónine a miestami výrazovo pripomína Petrusa T. Steela z jeho 80s kapely Carnivore



 

Hudobne by sa dalo EP Prepare for the Sabbath klasifikovať ako black'n'roll až speed-metal, ktorý má pocitovo bližšie k proto-metalpunkerom Venom než k satyriconovskému poňatiu žánru o 20 rokov neskôr. Prvá strana ubehne veľmi rýchlo a nenudí ani chvíľu. Na strane B sa nachádza pôvodná inštrumentálna verzia EP z druhej polovice 90s. Zvukový záznam dema je pravdepodobne DIY nahratý priamo v skúšobni.

Witchburn nahrali materiál s výrazným black’n’rollovým feelingom ešte skôr, než sa tento prístup naplno etabloval a znovu dostal do povedomia zásluhou nórskych kapiel na prelome milénia. Aj preto pôsobí ich demo spätne unikátne a zaujímavo v kontexte vývoja žánru.


 

 

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Hrob - Brána Chladu (2026)

 

“I don’t want to live this life again,” sang Joey Ramone in 1989 — just a year after, over in Sweden, Ola Lindgren formed Grave, pioneers of Swedish death metal whose first two albums Into the Grave and You'll Never See... — remain my all-time favourite death metal recordings. Maybe only by tenths or hundredths of a millimetre ahead of the countless other masterpieces released during those golden years of 1989–1993, but ahead nonetheless.

Just like the animals — and people — buried in Pet Sematary came back changed, so did Grave after their clinical death in 1997. What the hell am I rambling about, and what does this opening nonsense have to do with Hrob?

Seemingly nothing and yet everything. Dirty death metal returned to life after three decades under the banner of old school death metal, after it had branched out in the new millennium into technical, melodic, and metalcore mutations. 

OSDM rose from the grave it inevitably had to descend into, once it became impossible in the 1990s — to put it in Sinuhet’s terms — to reach the level of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, built by the genre’s pioneers at its very beginning. Their successors then built only smaller and smaller pyramids, until they eventually shrank into small, angular objects on the studded leather jackets of crust punks. Today’s OSDM devotees thus look back to the Age of the Ancients and, through exhumed riffs and sound, pay tribute to the sonic mud that was born at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s.

Hrob reanimate that corpse on their debut Brána chladu, released by the Dutch label Night Terror Records in spring 2026 on both vinyl and cassette. The band is made up of Bratislava musicians known from Krudus, Radiation and Goatcraft — bands already known for their attachment to the original spirit of traditional metal forms such as thrash and black metal.

The cassette comes in transparent white with a four-panel J-card. On the front, beneath Serus’s logo, sits a reduced version of the album artwork — and it’s a striking one. An old man kneels on a snowy plain before an icy gate radiating white light. The visual instantly evokes associations of brutal winter, hypothermia and death, and those same sensations accompany the listener throughout the album.

The death metal of Hrob alternates between fast, brutal passages and slower sections where the atmosphere of a frozen cave or crypt is intensified by guitar leads lashing into the ears like icy wind, as well as subtle keyboard layers. The growled vocals sit extremely low in the mix, yet with a bit of concentration the Slovak lyrics remain understandable.

The songs are built on riffs that occasionally break out of their dark repetitive core into more melodic passages, where even restrained guitar solos briefly appear. If I were to search further for the bridge between Into the Grave and Brána chladu, I would point to the guitar sound — together with the keyboard undercurrents of the slower riffs and the shifting tempos, they feel like molecules of the same DNA.

And so I would close these thoughts on reliving one’s life through the resuscitation of a dead genre — and on pyramid builders — by saying this: Brána chladu is a frozen crypt full of compelling exhibits of death, from which an underground passage leads all the way to the holiest of places: the great Lindgren pyramid in Visby. 

 

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Morgh - Solus (EP, 2026)

 

Thanks to my contact with the Hungarian underground label Fekete Terror Productions, with whom I’ve already done two distro trades, I’ve been gradually expanding my knowledge of the underground scene of our southern neighbours.

Of course, it’s impossible not to know the legendary Tormentor and their frontman Attila Csihar, the man Mayhem chose to handle vocals on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas — one of the most essential black metal albums ever recorded.

And while we’re on Attila: two weeks ago, Phil Anselmo sent him greetings during Pantera’s show at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest...

...Attila, if Phil’s message hasn’t reached you yet, here you go — you’re welcome. Also, I’m looking forward to your new vampire movie, for which Panos Cosmatos cast you as an actor. Hopefully once it premieres, all copies of Twilight will be erased from every streaming service and its existence wiped from IMDb.

Beyond Tormentor and the pioneers of 90s atmospheric black metal Sear Bliss, my knowledge of the Hungarian scene was until recently weaker than my determination not to eat paprika chips after 10 PM. That has changed. The steady influx of bands like Sír, Necroratory and now Morgh into the JDØS distro suggests that the Hungarian underground black and doom metal scene still hides things that feel both very close and somehow exotic.

The EP Solus — “Solitude” in translation — was released by Morgh through Fekete Terror Productions on cassette as their second release in May 2026. Not much can be learned about the three-piece, but from what’s available, the band is made up of veterans of the local underground scene.

The tape immediately grabs attention with its artwork and presentation, traditionally high quality, complete with a full on-body print. The five-track material, clocking in at around 23 minutes, repeats on both sides.

Musically, this is well-played atmospheric black metal with solid production executed in mid- to fast- tempos, that, in its strongest moments, recalls the later era of Hecate Enthroned.

The atmosphere is built around repetitive three- to four-chord minor-key passages that serve as a foundation for inventive and melodic guitar leads. At times, the mood is reinforced by keyboards and spoken-word vocals. The singing — especially the black metal rasp and its trademark drawn-out “yaaaaa” endings — strongly reminds me of the 90s, and to some extent also of the Slovak band Mystic Death.

The EP passes by quickly — and repeated listens make even a trip to Lidl go by faster. I recommend this EP to all atmo-black-doom maniacs secretly practicing JOMO.

 

 

Temora - Demo (2025)

  

I can tell myself a hundred times over that I don’t need to hear any new old-school death metal for the rest of my life — and then I show up at a gig where a tight, well-rehearsed band unleashes a set of old-but-familiar riffs, crushing sound, diseased vocals, and suddenly it all works on me instantly. In that moment, all thoughts about necessity, originality, or whether this has all been done before are pushed aside. Better to see it once than hear about it a hundred times. Theory versus practice.

Temora is a band of seemingly very young guys from České Budějovice whom I recently saw opening for Hrob at the release show for their new album. Their performance made an immediate impression on me, and I had no choice but to buy their demo tape.

The cassette was released in 2025 on the Czech death metal label Filth Junkies Records. It contains five tracks and comes with a DIY three-panel J-card featuring lyrics and a small band photo. Both the tape and booklet are designed in yellow — a color I’ve always had a soft spot for in metal aesthetics (and no, not because of the latest Metallica album).

The cover artwork depicts a hand-drawn crypt entrance, tying directly into the song Astrální vize: “From the old crypt / Astral projection / Rotting souls." The lyrical highlight for me is the third track, Trollmor, which finally explains the yellow color scheme: “With plague lives a creature / A leprous troll / Pissing into mouths / Every morning // Also pissing on your mother / And on graves, a corpse gets slapped / The monster murders people / Diseases spread.”

So now we know who pissed in the printing shop when the booklet was made.

Musically, the band is firmly rooted in OSDM. My prehistoric associations immediately bring back memories of Morgoth — especially their Cursed era — mainly because of the vocals, while the youthful energy and enthusiasm of the demo remind me of Krabathor around Only Our Death Is Welcome.... Temora’s demo is filthy, and convincing. Nothing more is needed.

 

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Witchburn - Prepare for the Sabbath (EP 1997/2020)


Witchburn is a Polish project from the second half of the 1990s built around the classic Darkthrone-style two-man lineup. The duo from northwestern Poland consists of Tuna (drums) and Svart (vocals, guitar, bass). In the same formation, the two also play in the purely black metal band Eternich.

According to available information, the EP Prepare for the Sabbath was originally recorded between 1996 and 1997, then re-recorded between 2012 and 2016, and finally completed sonically in 2017. Both versions were released on cassette in 2020 by the Taiwanese black metal label Elderblood Productions, which later changed its name to The True Fog. A long and rather complicated road toward releasing material the band clearly stands behind with unusual conviction.

The 2020 cassette came in an edition of 66 copies on black tape with grey print. The four-panel J-card features The Clairvoyant by Gustave Courbet, a painting that fits the central theme of the EP perfectly, as the lyrics revolve around old-school witchcraft.

The newer vocal version occupies side A. Here Witchburn deliver five songs averaging around two minutes each. The riffs are simple yet memorable, carrying a distinctly black metal character. The guitars are doubled, the sound is strong, and the drums are equally well-produced. The vocals are monotone, locked into one register throughout, at times recalling Petrus T. Ratajczyk in his 80s Carnivore era.

Musically, Prepare for the Sabbath could be described as black’n’roll leaning into speed metal, spiritually closer to the proto-metalpunk of Venom than to the later Satyricon interpretation of the style. Side A flies by quickly and never drags for a second.

Side B contains the original instrumental version of the EP from the late 90s. The demo sounds like a raw DIY rehearsal-room recording, preserving the atmosphere of its original era.

Witchburn recorded material with a strong black’n’roll feel even before this approach fully established itself and returned to wider attention through the efforts of Norwegian bands around the turn of the millennium. That is precisely why, in retrospect, their demo feels unique and intriguing within the broader context of the genre’s evolution. 

 

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OTHER CASSETTE REVIEWS AT JDØS:
 
   
MAY'26: 4x Cassette Review: Peace Vaults (2026); Sniffah (2026); Cancer Void (2025), Torturetwinn (2025)
APR'26: 4x Cassette Review: False Figure (2026); Gott (2022); 2x Otras / Chevallier Skrog / Bahratal / Pakosteň (2026) 
APR'26: Therapist (2026); Carnivore A.D. (2026),  Miguel and the Living Dead (2026)
MAR'26: 5x Cassette Review: Depleted (2023), Sekeromlat/Vazio (2024), Messa (2022), Wermut (2010), Morgain (1997)
FEB'26: 5x Cassette Review: Necroratory (2024), Ockultist (2024), Ys Jensyts/Howl (2025), Dool (2018), Bizarre of Brutality (1997)
JAN'26: 5x Cassette Review: God's Funeral/Hades (2019), Hibernant (2025), Morbid Angel Dust (2022), Master's Hammer (2025), Mentally Parasites (1993)
DEC'25: 5x Cassette Review: Sír (2025), Burial Hex (2025), Bleib Modern (2024), Aeon Winds (2025), The Last Days of Jesus (1995) 

 


 

#192 Flork Reviews: Klokotor - Riziko úhynu (Risk of Perishing) (2026)

 


Klokotor - Riziko úhynu (Risk of Perishing) (2026)
By Flork


Seeing as Klokotor is a one-man band project, I had to admit that I was curious from the get-go about how Riziko úhynu (Risk of Perishing) would sound. Honestly though, it‘s one of those rare albums whose concept might sound absurd on paper, but actually proves remarkably effective in execution. I would never guess that there is only one performer, since the the album sounds like a full band, especially with its intricate layers of guitar changes and vocal harmonies (goblin and deep growl). The mastermind behind this album is Martin Huba. He occupies a unique space between tribute and parody, with compositions that he himself describes as parodies of the world around us (he also mentions that the lyrics are funny, although I can’t really  make out a word he is singing). Nevertheless, rather than filling his songs with tales of ancient evil, cosmic destruction, or serial killers, Huba finds inspiration in the overlooked texts that surround us every day, such as notices taped to apartment doors, warnings in elevators, signs on fences, announcements at clinics, and handwritten messages left by frustrated neighbors (much like where I live in Bratislava). These fragments of public communication become the foundation for ten songs united by a common theme - the omnipresent possibility of illness, injury, conflict, contamination, and death. Tand so, the album‘s title is entirely fitting. Whether the subject is bedbugs infesting an apartment building or questionable drinking water, every track reflects some form of threat to health, safety, or social harmony. 



 

Beginning with Asanačný zásah (Sanitation Intervention), a track about a notice of repeated bedbug infestations, listeners are treated with an assault of guitars that translate communal panic and the fear of contamination. I’m intrigued by the sound immediately. This is followed by Nepiť, len úžitková (Don‘t Drink, Utility Water), more pandemonium building an entire narrative around a warning sign informing visitors that the water is unsuitable for drinking (apparantly a deer regularly urinates in the reservoir).  Po deviatej hodine (After Nine O‘Clock) derives its tension from the cold bureaucratic language of a dental clinic sign, while Šedý osol hryzie (The Gray Donkey Bites) elevates a simple zoo warning into something unexpectedly memorable. Elsewhere, tracks such as Slušný človek (A Decent Person), Špiny (Piece Of Dirt!) and Vážení susedia (Dear Neighbours) document the passive-aggressive battles that emerge within shared living spaces, where anonymous notes and public accusations become weapons in neighbourhood disputes. But Huba approaches these subjects with affection rather than ridicule. The humour comes not from mocking ordinary people, but from recognising the inherent strangeness of everyday reality. In many respects, the album functions as a collection of miniature social documentaries, which preserve voices that would otherwise be filed away in the trash bin. Each complaint and warning hints at a larger story, and Klokotor exceeds at imagining the human drama concealed behind these seemingly insignificant scraps of text.

 



And Flork‘s prognosis? Surprisingly positive, despite being surrounded by bedbugs, contaminated water, dental bureaucracy, biting donkeys, angry neighbors, and countless reminders of mortality. What prevents Riziko úhynu from becoming a mere novelty record is the quality of the music itself. Drawing from death metal, thrash metal, and progressive metal, Huba delivers compositions that are engaging even without the lyrical concept. The riffs are sharp and energetic, balancing aggression with memorable hooks, while the arrangements demonstrate a progressive sensibility that keeps the songs dynamic and unpredictable. Most impressive of all is the guitar work. Throughout the album, Huba unleashes a series of extended lead guitar passages that frequently become the emotional centerpiece of the songs. Many of these solos soar high on the guitar‘s top strings, producing a piercing, expressive tone that contrasts beautifully with the heavier rhythm sections beneath. 

And rather than serving as displays of technical excess, these melodic excursions add depth and atmosphere, giving the music a surprisingly emotional dimension. Klokotor clearly loves heavy music and understands its language intimately, allowing the humour to coexist naturally with genuine musicianship. More importantly, Riziko úhynu reminds listeners that some of the strangest, most revealing stories are not hidden in history books or horror novels, but are instead found in the handwritten notes, warning signs, and public announcements that most of us pass by without a second glance. The result is an album that rewards repeated listening long after the novelty of its premise has faded. 

============================================================================ 

Links:

https://klokotor.bandcamp.com/album/riziko-hynu-risk-of-perishing 

https://www.facebook.com/klokotor/

https://www.youtube.com/@klokotor 

 

Martin Huba @ JDØS 

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2024/05/241-ucholak-dark-ambient-noise-martin.html

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2025/04/dsw18-mimo-mimo-2025-martin-huba.html 

 

Flork's Reviews

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/search/label/Flork


#191 Lord Belial Reviews: Realms of Chaos - Torment of Belligerence (2026)

 


 

 


 

 

Realms of Chaos - Torment of Belligerence (2026)

By Lord Belial 

 

 

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, 
but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

Albert Einstein


Banskobystrickí mäsiari Realms of Chaos oslávili svojich desať krvavých rokov na slovenskej undergroundovej scéne tým najlepším spôsobom, vydaním druhého albumu Torment of Belligerence. A že sa s tým vôbec nesrali! 9 skladieb na ploche 35 minút je presne toľko, koľko očakávam od death metalového albumu. Dosť na to, aby ma odpálil ako bombová nárazová hluková vlna, dosť na to aby mi zovrela krv v žilách a nezačala chladnúť. 

Album otvára The Cacophony of Pandemonium, mučivá výpoveď o kolobehu bolesti; nové vojny, nové obete, nové hroby. Preživší zostávajú s pocitom, že ľudská krv sa stala lacnou menou, a že sila a ambícia sú vždy nad obyčajným životom. Matky plačú nad hrobmi svojich detí a svet ide ďalej, akoby nič, zatiaľ čo mocní sedia vo svojich vilách, slepí k tomu, že každá vojna, ktorú začnú, je trýzeň, ktorá sa nikdy neskončí. Zbabelci, skrývajúci sa za falošnými modlami a idolmi v tom tichu medzi plačom a spomínaním spôsobujú nekonečné utrpenie. Ten song je absolútna metalová apokalypsa, čistý chaos – hypnotický, desivý a zároveň fascinujúci. Hlavne na jeho konci, kedy  z death metalového besnenia na svetlo božie vypláva klasické heavy metalové sólo. Hravosť patrí do každého žánru, death nevynímajúc. Takto to chcem! 





V rovnakom duchu pokračuje Crumbling of Stones. Slová dýchajú katastrofu a zmar, každý verš je obrazom utrpenia, hladomoru a neúprosnej ničoty; zem je znetvorená, život sa vytráca a všetko, čo bolo, sa mení na popol. Hudobne sa jedná o nezastaviteľnú mašinériu, prešpikovanú rozmanitými drviacimi riffmi, rýchlymi a presnými bicími  a growlingovými orgiami. Nech je utrpenie! Ako by ho nebolo málo. Svoloč si vždy nájde spôsob, ako sa mať dobre na úkor druhých. Nech je hlad! Všetko zmysluplné sme už aj tak prežrali. Nech je ničota! Podrobiť sa krutosti, zavretí v klietkach, zbavení slobody, bezmocní. Najslabší padnú, a po nich prídu ďalší najslabší.  No a opäť krátke, no impozantné sólo v závere. Znova sa budem opakovať, slovenský death metal má odjakživa vysoké parametre a toto je ďalší parádny kúsok pre export do celého sveta. 

Neodvratiteľné zničenie všetkého je ústredným motívom fenomenálneho songu Mutually Assured Destruction. Na úvod krátky motív, pripomínajúci nesmrteľný Death, v momente prejde do dychberúcej rúbanice,  jasným poznávacím znamením celého albumu. To, čo ma na tomto albume extrémne baví, je práve schopnosť citlivo zakomponovať technické alebo melodickejšie motívy do inak brutal death metalového základu. Prizvukujem, všetko je to zahrané  na vysokej úrovni. Mutually Assured Destruction sa nesie v duchu beznádeje, kde sa opakovane vracia téma smrti, chaosu a existenčnej hrôzy. Frázy ako „som zatratenie“, „inkarnácia pekla“ či „druhý úder vezme všetko“ dodávajú textu surovú silu a nekompromisnú brutálnosť a zároveň vytvára ponurý, takmer hrozivý obraz konca dní. Je to hlasný výkrik do sveta o hrozbe zániku a neustálom strachu, ktorý ma silný emocionálny aj filozofický náboj. 

Počas krátkej očisty v podobe The Agonizing Purge sa Realms of Chaos nadychuje do ďalšieho death metalového besnenia. The Discarding Death  ma vtiahlo do sveta rozkladu a zničenia, kde nič nie je isté, iba smrť, a všetko pomaly horí v plameňoch konca. Je to skladba, ktorá vo mne zanecháva hlboký, neodstrániteľný pocit zo živej apokalypsy, ktorá sa odohráva priamo pred mojimi očami; ozvenou vojny a následného účtovania, ktoré prichádza bez varovania ako ničiaci oheň, ktorý likviduje všetko na svojej ceste. Tu si uvedomujem, ako blízko má navonok imaginárny text od desivej reality, ktorú dnes žijeme, ako blízko má k tomu aby sa stal skutočným. Ak je toto varovanie, tak potom treba kurva dobre počúvať! Studená vojna ešte nevychladla a červené zlo ostalo nevykynožené. Oblieklo si nové tričko a ostalo v našich hlavách. Zavreli sme ho do pivnice a tvárime sa, že nesmrdí, pritom sme sa ten smrad len naučili dýchať. Ostnaté drôty ostali v nás, neviditeľné, ale o to ostrejšie. V živote niekedy príde moment, keď sa svet, ktorý sme poznali, začína rozpadávať. Niekto hovorí o deštrukcii, iní o nevyhnutnej zmene, no podstatné je, že všetko sa mení rýchlejšie, než si dokážeme uvedomiť. Zhlboka dýchať v takých chvíľach znamená nielen prežiť chaos okolo, ale aj čeliť vlastným vnútorným démonom, ktorých sme si možno doteraz nevedeli priznať. 

As Their Saviors Led Them to Demise  zvoľní v tempe a pridá na technickej ekvilibristike. Spomeniem si na famózny debut The Seed z roku 2020, kedy kapela sama sebe nasadila latku pekelne vysoko. A hoci áno, za šesť rokov sa toho môže stať veľa, Realms of Chaos sa stalo to najlepšie čo sa stať mohlo; nahrali  Torment of Belligerence, album bez kompromisov, ktorý svoju brutalitu konštruuje veľmi inteligentným spôsobom. Málokedy sa mi nejaký album zo škatuľky „brutal death metal“ tak rýchlo a nekompromisne vryje pod kožu, zovrie ma a nepustí. Tento je navyše podporený  viac ako zmysluplnou lyrikou. Ako v tomto prípade o spasiteľovi, ktorého prebudenie neprinieslo úľavu, len poznanie: si sám, umieraš na vlastných nohách. Budúcnosť je márnosť, zostala len história. A tú písal nepriateľ. Stojí ako jediný nie preto, že je najsilnejší, ale preto, že všetci ostatní už padli. 



 

Krátke intermezzo A Solid Uncertainty dá na chvíľu oddýchnuť pred blížiacim sa masakrom It Must Be Done.  Ústrednou témou je samozrejme vojnová tematika, Realms of Chaos odhaľuje nebezpečenstvo slepej poslušnosti, ideologickej zaslepenosti a presvedčenia o vlastnej neomylnosti. Autoritárske ideológie často používajú protirečivú logiku, viď naši ficoidný bojovníci za mier. Hovoria o jednote, ale sami rozdeľujú. Hovoria o slobode, ale vytvárajú novodobé otroctvo. Hovoria o pravde, ale len o tej svojej, nepripustia diskusiu. Nepripustia iný názor. Text tak možno vnímať ako nadčasovú výpoveď o fanatizme, imperializme a ľudskej tendencii deliť svet na „nás“ a „ich“. Hudobne ide o nekompromisný death metal bez zbytočných ústupkov. Kapela stavia na masívnych, drviacich riffoch, hutnej rytmike a agresívnom vokále, ktorý dokonale podčiarkuje militantnú atmosféru skladby. Hudba nepôsobí samoúčelne brutálne – naopak, jej intenzita prirodzene podporuje význam textu. Rýchle pasáže striedajú ťažké, valivé momenty, ktoré vytvárajú pocit pochodu vpred (alebo skôr vzad?). 

Medzi všetkou agresiou, hnevom a bojovnosťou albumu Torment of Belligerence predstavuje záverečná  Uberous Desolation jeden z jeho najtemnejších a najatmosférickejších momentov. Tam, kde iné skladby zobrazujú samotný konflikt alebo mentalitu, ktorá k nemu vedie, sa Uberous Desolation sústreďuje na to, čo zostane po jeho skončení. Ľudia mohli stáť na opačných stranách konfliktu, bojovať za rozdielne ideály, ale po smrti ležia vedľa seba. Jedným z najzaujímavejších motívov skladby je kontrast medzi človekom a prírodou. Zatiaľ čo ľudské osudy sa končia v bahne a rozklade, supy prichádzajú osláviť svoju hostinu. Tam, kde človek vidí tragédiu, príroda vidí pokračovanie vlastného cyklu. Smrť nie je nejaký heroický koniec, ale návrat do kolobehu, v ktorom sú všetci napokon rovnakí. Mimoriadne silné je odmietnutie akejkoľvek glorifikácie vojny. Opakované konštatovanie, že „žiadna sláva neslúži tejto ohavnosti“, pôsobí ako jasné posolstvo. Hudobne skladba dokonale podporuje svoj textový koncept. Realms of Chaos tu upúšťajú od neustáleho tlaku a rýchlosti v prospech ťažkých, valivých riffov a dusivej atmosféry. Gitary znejú masívne a neúprosne, bicie skvele udávajú tempo a agresívny vokál pôsobí ako hlas pozorovateľa, stojaceho nad ruinami. Práve pomalšie a stredne rýchle pasáže dávajú skladbe priestor dýchať a umožňujú vyniknúť jej ponurej nálade. 

Aalbum Torment of Belligerence  je výborným príkladom toho, že death metal nie je vždy len o intenzite a brutalite, ale aj nositeľom silnej atmosféry a inteligentnej myšlienky. Bez moralizovania, no o to účinnejšie pripomína, že za každou vojnou, ideológiou či túžbou po moci nakoniec zostávajú predovšetkým straty, utrpenie a ticho. Výsledkom je mimoriadne silná nahrávka, ktorá obstojí nielen svojou hudobnou intenzitou, ale aj obsahovou hĺbkou. 


 

 

Realms of Chaos - Torment of Belligerence (2026)

By Lord Belial 

 

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, 
but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

Albert Einstein


The Banská Bystrica butchers Realms of Chaos celebrated ten bloody years on the Slovak underground scene in the best possible way: by releasing their second album, Torment of Belligerence. And they didn't fuck around. Nine songs spread across 35 minutes is exactly what I expect from a death metal album. Enough to hit me like the shockwave of an explosion. Enough to make my blood boil and never let it cool down.

The album opens with The Cacophony of Pandemonium, a harrowing statement on the endless cycle of pain: new wars, new victims, new graves. The survivors are left with the feeling that human blood has become a cheap currency and that power and ambition will always outweigh ordinary human life. Mothers cry over the graves of their children while the world moves on as if nothing happened, and the powerful sit comfortably in their villas, blind to the fact that every war they start becomes a torment that never truly ends. Cowards hiding behind false idols and empty symbols create endless suffering in the silence between mourning and remembrance.

The song itself is absolute metal apocalypse—pure chaos, hypnotic, terrifying, and at the same time fascinating. Especially towards the end, when a classic heavy metal solo suddenly emerges from the death metal carnage. Playfulness belongs in every genre, death metal included. This is exactly how I want it.

Crumbling of Stones continues in a similar spirit. The lyrics breathe catastrophe and ruin. Every verse paints a picture of suffering, famine, and relentless nothingness; the earth is disfigured, life is fading away, and everything that once existed is turning to ash. Musically, it is an unstoppable machine packed with crushing riffs, precise drumming, and growling excess.

Let there be suffering! As if there wasn't enough already. The scum will always find a way to prosper at the expense of others. Let there be famine! We've already consumed everything meaningful anyway. Let there be oblivion! Submitting to cruelty, locked in cages, stripped of freedom and rendered powerless. The weakest fall, only to be followed by the next weakest.

And once again, a short but impressive solo closes the song. I keep repeating myself, but Slovak death metal has always maintained remarkably high standards, and this is yet another excellent export-quality release.

The phenomenal Mutually Assured Destruction revolves around the inevitable annihilation of everything. After a brief opening motif reminiscent of the immortal Death, the track instantly erupts into a breathtaking slaughter, one of the album's defining trademarks. What I particularly enjoy throughout the record is the band's ability to seamlessly incorporate technical and melodic passages into an otherwise brutal death metal framework.

And all of it is performed at an exceptionally high level.

The song radiates hopelessness, repeatedly returning to themes of death, chaos, and existential terror. Lines describing damnation, the incarnation of hell, and the devastating second strike lend the lyrics tremendous weight and brutality while painting an ominous vision of the end times. It is a loud warning about extinction and perpetual fear, carrying both emotional and philosophical force.

After the brief cleansing ritual of The Agonizing Purge, Realms of Chaos take a deep breath before launching into another round of death metal devastation. The Discarding Death pulls me into a world of decay and destruction where nothing is certain except death itself and everything slowly burns in the flames of the end.

The song leaves me with a lingering feeling of witnessing a living apocalypse unfolding before my eyes—a vision of war and the reckoning that follows, arriving without warning like a consuming fire that destroys everything in its path.

Here I realize just how little separates imaginary lyrics from the terrifying reality we are living through today. How close they are to becoming reality themselves.

If this is a warning, then we had better listen.

The Cold War never truly cooled down, and the red evil was never completely eradicated. It simply put on a new shirt and remained inside our heads. We locked it away in the basement and pretend it no longer stinks, when in fact we've merely learned to breathe the smell. The barbed wire remains within us— invisible, yet sharper than ever.

There comes a moment in life when the world we knew begins to fall apart. Some call it destruction, others inevitable change. What matters is that everything is changing faster than we can comprehend. To breathe deeply during such moments means not only surviving the chaos around us, but also confronting the inner demons we may have never dared acknowledge.

As Their Saviors Led Them to Demise slows the pace and increases the technical sophistication. It reminds me of the band's phenomenal debut The Seed from 2020, a record that set the bar incredibly high. And although six years can change many things, the best possible thing happened to Realms of Chaos: they recorded Torment of Belligerence, an uncompromising album that constructs its brutality with intelligence.

Rarely does an album filed under "brutal death metal" bury itself beneath my skin so quickly and refuse to let go. This one is further strengthened by lyrics that actually have something meaningful to say.

In this case, they tell the story of a savior whose awakening brought no relief, only realization: you are alone, dying on your own feet. The future is meaningless. Only history remains. And history was written by the enemy. He stands alone not because he is the strongest, but because everyone else has already fallen.

The short instrumental A Solid Uncertainty offers a brief respite before the approaching massacre of It Must Be Done. Once again, war remains the central theme. Realms of Chaos expose the dangers of blind obedience, ideological fanaticism, and the conviction of one's own infallibility.

Authoritarian ideologies often thrive on contradiction. They speak of unity while creating division. They speak of freedom while constructing new forms of slavery. They speak of truth, but only their own truth. Discussion is forbidden. Dissent is unacceptable.

The lyrics can therefore be understood as a timeless statement on fanaticism, imperialism, and humanity's tendency to divide the world into "us" and "them."

Musically, this is uncompromising death metal without unnecessary concessions. Massive crushing riffs, dense rhythms, and an aggressive vocal performance perfectly reinforce the militant atmosphere. The brutality never feels forced; instead, the music naturally amplifies the meaning of the lyrics. Fast sections alternate with heavy, rolling passages that create the feeling of a relentless march forward—or perhaps backward.

Among all the aggression, anger, and combativeness that define Torment of Belligerence, the closing Uberous Desolation stands as one of its darkest and most atmospheric moments. Where other songs focus on conflict itself or the mentality that produces it, this track examines what remains after the war is over.

People may have fought for opposing causes and stood on opposite sides of the battlefield, but in death they lie side by side.

One of the song's most compelling themes is the contrast between humanity and nature. While human destinies end in mud and decay, vultures arrive to celebrate their feast. Where humanity sees tragedy, nature sees merely another turn of the cycle. Death is not a heroic ending, but a return to a process in which everyone ultimately becomes equal.

Particularly powerful is the rejection of any glorification of war. The repeated assertion that "no glory serves this abomination" functions as a clear and unmistakable message.

Musically, the song perfectly supports its lyrical concept. Realms of Chaos abandon constant speed and pressure in favor of crushing riffs and suffocating atmosphere. The guitars sound massive and merciless, the drums drive the composition with authority, and the aggressive vocals resemble the voice of an observer standing over the ruins. The slower and mid-paced passages allow the song to breathe and give its bleak mood room to fully unfold.

Torment of Belligerence is an excellent example of how death metal is not merely about intensity and brutality. It can also carry atmosphere, intelligence, and genuine meaning. Without preaching, yet all the more effectively, the album reminds us that behind every war, ideology, and lust for power, what ultimately remains are loss, suffering, and silence.

The result is an exceptionally powerful record that succeeds not only through its musical intensity, but also through the depth of its message.

 

============================================================================ 

Links:

https://realmsofchaos.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RealmsOfChaosSVK 

https://www.instagram.com/realmsofchaosband/ 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4MfUAVOHjvbd-aQBQIoAmA 

 

Realms of Chaos @ JDØS 

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/2021/10/113-realms-of-chaos-death-metal-z.html 

 

Lord Belial's Reviews

https://jablkadaleko.blogspot.com/search/label/Lord%20Belial 

#190 Flork Reviews: Egocide - Fall of the Risen (2026)


 

Egocide - Fall of the Risen (2026)
By Flork 

If you look at where Egocide comes from, the anachronistic, but chill backdrop of Tiraspol, it might be easy to understand where the band draws its inspiration. The quartet‘s latest offering rocks hard under the city‘s concrete weight, with its buzzing vibe bleeding into their sound, giving Egocide‘s music a raw, though highly professional identity. Since forming in 2016, Egocide has undergone a transformation of sorts by steadily distancing itself from its earlier, more straightforward deathcore foundations and has evolved into a more layered and sophisticated unit. Years of playing together have clearly tightened the chemistry between the members, and that unity shines throughout their March 2026 release, Fall of the Risen.

With eight tracks and a mere twenty-seven tightly-packed minutes, the album creates a deliberately claustrophobic world filled with suffocating atmosphere and punishing grooves, as well as solos that are nuanced and mind-boggling, like intergalactic signals transmitting from a death star in a distant galaxy. Could „cosmic“ be the right word I‘m trying to use to describe this? I really don’t know, but I have to say that these guys definitely don‘t rely on predictable breakdowns or cheap extremity, but focus instead on tension and texture, and especially solid, dynamic pacing. Darth Vader would dig this album. Yoda too.



 

The journey begins with Last Breath, one of the album‘s longest and most expansive tracks at nearly five minutes in length. Right from the get-go, the band establishes the record‘s signature wall of sound with dense guitars and layered ambience, as well as rhythmic shifts that immediately drag you beneath the surface. Kirill Eremchenko deserves enormous credit here, not only for his commanding vocal performance, but also for his guitar work, which balances hardcore with atmosphere remarkably well. His riffs carry a sense of emotional weight rather than simply functioning as a vehicle for aggression. Alongside him, Ivan Grabko adds depth and precision through textured and subtle melodic accents that give the songs their cinematic quality. The end result is a record that is freakin‘ cool, since it pulls the listener deep down into the hallows of its dark and immersive soundscape. 

As I listen on, the album progresses through tracks like Fallen Dolls Home and Hope for Tomorrow. It becomes apparent at this point that Egocide demonstrates confidence in their songwriting. The transitions are natural, the pacing never drags. Beneath the massive guitar tone, each song contributes something distinct to the overall experience. Pavel Parshin delivers a bass performance that might go underappreciated on first listen, but becomes essential once the album starts revealing its layers. His bass lines add weight and melancholia simultaneously, reinforcing the groove while thickening the atmosphere beneath the guitars. 

The momentum really takes off with Kingdom of the Unfaced, which is one of the strongest songs on the record and one of my favourites. This track encapsulates what makes Egocide stand out in the modern extreme metal underground. The riffs are crushing and groove-heavy and instantly memorable, while still retaining a technical edge. The interplay between Kirill and Ivan is especially impressive here, as the two guitarists lock into hypnotic rhythmic patterns before exploding into towering walls of sound. It’s aggressive without becoming mindless, technical without sounding sterile, and atmospheric without losing impact.

But I have to admit that the album‘s peak lies in the emotional and structural centerpiece of Inside Paranoia, and by far the track I like the most. And why? Well, at over five minutes, it is the longest and most ambitious track on the record, and honestly, it feels like the moment where everything Egocide has been building toward fully comes together. The song thrives on tension and dark space, slowly constructing an overwhelming sense of dread through eerie ambience and crushing claustrophobia. The guitar work here is phenomenal. Kirill and Ivan weave together layers of haunting melodies and dissonant textures, as well as solos that cut beautifully through the gloom. This type of guitar-interplay is also heard on Asylumed and Infeared, which are both amazing tracks that could take the voices in your head to even scarier realms of psychosis.

 



The album closes with Quiet Calm, a haunting finale that refuses to offer easy resolution. Rather than delivering a sense of relief, the track leaves the listener suspended in the aftermath of the album‘s crushing emotional weight, questioning whether any real peace has been found at all. It is a quick instrumental haunt of one minute or so that offers a lingering uncertainty. Perhaps this is exactly what makes the ending so impactful.

And the Florkmeister‘s prognosis? Fall of the Risen is an amazing deathmetal record that is forward-thinking and rewards repeated listens. Each time I press the play button, new layers hidden beneath its oppressive atmosphere come to the surface. I can safely say that this band is an undeniable force in the modern extreme metal underground scene and one of the best groups I have heard in 2026. Don‘t let this masterpiece pass you by.

 

#179 Flork Reviews: Chaos Over Cosmos - The Hypercosmic Paradox (2025)

 



Chaos Over Cosmos - The Hypercosmic Paradox (2025)
By Flork



Across vast digital distances, in our galaxy where the planets of Poland and Pakistan connect only by signals and shared visions, Chaos Over Cosmos return with The Hypercosmic Paradox, their fourth release and possibly their most extreme transmission yet. With just 33 minutes, the album (or Ep) is less like a conventional release and more like an apollo mission re-entry, with blazing guitars burning up in the atmosphere and elements of Sci-Fi that are impossible to ignore. 

The Hypercosmic Paradox was written and recorded entirely online. The partnership between guitarist/composer Rafal Bowman and vocalist/lyricist Taha Mohsin defies geography and also proves that artistic chemistry is not bound by borders, but instead, fueled by shared imagination. And what began years ago as an ambitious collaboration has now evolved into something unmistakably cohesive, a project that is unified and deliberate, and increasingly confident with every release.

Some of the longtime listeners might remember the 17-minute epic Armour of the Stars from their 2018 debut The Unknown Voyage, which is an expansive, progressive odyssey that announced the band‘s love for grand structures and extended instrumental exploration. That sense of ambition has hardly disappeared. In fact, it has simply been refined. So where earlier material stretched outward into vast, compositional journeys, The Hypercosmic Paradox compresses that scale into something denser and more immediate. The result is an album that exudes presence, yet does not overstay its welcome, all the while channeling the spirit of those longer works into tighter, more concentrated forms (still, three of the five tracks are around 8-9 minutes long). But let’s take a closer look at the tracks.



 

From the opening surge of Nostalgia for Something That Never Happened, the album launches into a storm of highly technical lead guitar work and immersive, cosmic ambience. Bowman‘s playing is nothing short of virtuosic. The guitar work is rapid, yet amazingly articulate and complex with a high level of emotional resonance. The melodic death metal backbone remains powerful, but this is elevated by progressive structures and a cinematic sense of atmosphere. When the Void Laughs and Event Horizon Rebirth twist through time shifts and layered arrangements, while The Cosmo-Agony: Requiem takes centre-stage as the album‘s gravitational centre. This track is nearly ten minutes of pure intensity and existential weight. Mohsin‘s vocals are commanding and cut through the dense instrumentation with authority and conviction.  Every track feels like the astronauts on board have hit the afterburn button and are bracing themselves in their seats.

I also need to remark that the production is polished and meticulously balanced. The programming and layers never overwhelm the organic aggression of the guitars or vocals. Instead, they enhance the interstellar aura that defines Chaos Over Cosmos. All of the instruments occupy their own space, which allows even the most technical passages to breathe. The outro, which is the instrumental The Fractal Mechanism, drifts like cosmic dust after an explosion in its brevity and evocation. Furthermore, the album‘s artwork is really cool, as it depicts a desolate planet beneath a vast celestial sky, watched over by a godlike cosmic face looming in silence. It perfectly mirrors the music‘s themes of scale, isolation, and transcendence.

And Flork‘s prognosis? The Hypercosmic Paradox is a supernova contained within a precise gravitational design. Chaos Over Cosmos have harnessed the ambitions of their past, including the monumental scope of their earlier works. With genius-level production and a fully realised visual identity, the album doesn’t just explore the cosmic vastness, but instead, embodies it. And so, if this is the direction of their evolution, the universe Chaos Over Cosmos are constructing is only expanding and illuminating brighter and stronger.




#296 Mallephyr // Death Black Metal // Opat // 25.1.2026


/// English version below /// 

 

1 Kto si, čo robíš, čo ťa najviac zaujíma práve v týchto dňoch?

Zdar. Jsem Marek, člen Mallephyr, Cult of Fire, Stínů plamenů, živě též vystupující s War for War. V civilním životě jsem redaktorem v České tiskové kanceláři. Zajímá mě toho mnohem víc, než stíhám sledovat, no věnuji se hodně světovému dění kvůli práci, hudbě, snažím se občas nějaký film zhlédnout či knihu přečíst, ale to je u mě vždy nadlouho. Zároveň se po nějaké době vracím do tvůrčího procesu, takže se budu v příštích týdnech a měsících hodně věnovat tomu.


2 Ako, kedy a prečo došlo k založeniu Mallephyr popri všetkých kapelách, v ktorých ste pôsobili?  

Na konci roku 2013 z popudu toho, že jsem chtěl skládat něco jiného než v předchozí kapele. Trochu víc se vydat svojí cestou, skrze vlastní myšlenky, které jsem chtěl zhmotňovat. V té době jsme tolik kapel jako aktuálně nikdo z nás neměl, takže s časem na Mallephyr problém nebyl. Hlavním důvodem byl tedy žánrový i skladatelský posun.


3 Pri pohľade na zostavu kapely vidím, že minimálne traja členovia sa môžu poznať z deathcoreovej kapely Gate of Illusions - ako ste sa dostali z deathcoru k blackened death metalu? Bola to dlhšia cesta, alebo konkrétny impulz?

On to nebyl úplně deathcore, spíš takový mix různých žánrů, prolínal se tam black, thrash, death, heavy metal a nějaký ten core. Zde vlastně navážu na předchozí odpověď – v Gate of Illusions se do skladatelského procesu zapojovali všichni, byl to často takový ten styl „komponování ve zkušebně“, což někomu může vyhovovat, osobně jsem ale zjistil, že mně to nevyhovuje vůbec. Navíc jsme byli jakožto jednotlivci žánrově dosti rozkročeni a to se odráželo i na výsledku, kdy byly skladby trochu „každý pes, jiná ves“. Ke konci jsem zjišťoval, že mě to táhne trochu jinam, že se chci žánrově i tematicky ukotvit. 






4 Spoločným menovateľom vašich predchádzajúcich projektov je smrť, samota a deštrukcia. Ako sa tieto motívy premietli v čase do vašich troch albumov? A v čom sa od seba jednotlivé nahrávky líšia?


U předcházejících projektů si tím jistý úplně nejsem, ale u Mallephyr to obecně je tak, že texty hodně vychází z vlastního nitra, z, řekněme, jeho bolestnějších částí, které se otevírají pouze v samotných textech a nikdy jindy. Spíše destrukce sebe sama, než všeho kolem, ač i to se v některých náladách promítá.

Pokud myslíš tematicky, tak první album bylo více rouhačské, žánrově standardnější, od „Womb of Worms“ už jsou to skutečně niterné koncepty, často schované do neurčitých metafor, není jednoduché se otevřeně vypsat.

Hudebně se nahrávky liší posunem od, řekl bych, standardního black/deathu, trochu k vlastnímu pojetí (ač vzorů a inspirací je slyšitelné obrovské množství a není to nic, zač se stydět), více k rozmáchlejším kompozicím, k mnohovrstevnatosti, k některým, možná trochu netypickým elementům, třeba občasnému čistému vokálu a podobně. Poslední deska „Ruins of Inner Composure“ je určitě značně rozmanitější než debut.


5 Pri dlhodobom skúmaní týchto tém - nachádzate v nich stále niečo nové? Mení vás to ako ľudí a umelcov, alebo hrozí po čase rutina?

Jak jsem zmínil, texty vycházejí z vlastního nitra, vlastních zkušeností, vlastních pocitů, tato studnice je ve svém smyslu nevyčerpatelná. Nicméně pro komponování je v takovém případě potřeba určité rozpoložení, určitá nálada, nelze to takzvaně „lámat přes koleno“ a do něčeho se nutit. Rutina, minimálně aktuálně, rozhodně nehrozí, věcí, ze kterých se potřebuju vypsat, je dost.


6 Aké podnety spracovávate pre inšpiráciu k novej tvorbe a ako sa jednotliví členovia dokážu naladiť na jednotnú úroveň pri tak individualistickom a samotárskom vnímaní reality? Existuje medzi vami nejaký spoločný prienik v individuálnom vnímaní temnoty?

Podněty už jsem rozepsal výše. Nemyslím si, že bychom vyloženě všichni měli stejný náhled na něco, co je vlastně pocitovou interní výpovědí, to ani nelze. Hudebně se ale na stejnou notu naladit dokážeme a výsledkem je podle mého soudržné těleso, kde všichni jasně chápou, co je vizí a jak k věci přistupovat. 


 

7 Nový album "Ruins of Inner Composure" vznikal 6 rokov - bol tento proces spomalený pandémiou alebo skôr prácou na iných hudobných či osobných projektoch? Ako prebiehala práca v štúdiu a boli nejaké komplikácie?

Samotné skládání desky trvalo tak rok a půl, maximálně. Proces zpomalila jak koronavirová pandemie, tak i prodleva při hledání vhodného labelu k vydání alba, tak i hledání finálního zvuku. Komplikacemi bych to nicméně nenazval, vše mělo svůj vývoj a není, kam spěchat. Hlavní je výsledek, se kterým jsem i s odstupem spokojen, ač už vím, že na příštím albu se posuneme zase trochu jinam.

Ve studiu s Karlem Švejnohou (jinak bubeník Inferno, Stíny plamenů aj.) je vždy práce naprosto příjemná, tam nebyly komplikace vůbec žádné. Hlavní je už do studia jít s jasnou zvukovou vizí, pak se výsledná podoba hledá s radostí. Bohužel pro příští album budeme muset vyrazit jinam, Karel už studio neprovozuje, ale není na škodu si vyzkoušet něco nového.


8 Je nový album ovplyvnený konkrétnou filozofiou či myšlienkovým smerovaním alebo ide skôr o intuitívny, emocionálny proces?

To už jsem asi popsal výše. Vše je výrazně založeno na emocích, pocitech, na aktuálním rozpoložení, na nitru.


9 Aký je váš postoj k okultistickým a ritualistickým tradíciám a ich prepojeniu s hudbou?

V hudbě Mallephyr nic takového nenajdeš, nicméně jakožto milovník black metalu v mnoha jeho podobách mám k takovým věcem kladný postoj. S jedním velkým ALE – spousta kapel si na podobné věci pouze hraje, jednoduše jim to nemůžeš věřit. Pokud k tomu interpret přistupuje skutečně „pravě“, studuje podobné směry do hloubky, pak jednoznačná podpora. Nicméně falešného okultna a ritualismu je bohužel v žánru též hodně, často ve snaze zaujmout, když hudební stránka strádá.

 




10 Zažili ste v rámci umeleckej kariéry dotyk nadprirodzena alebo je to skôr chladná matéria - akési „obrábanie kovu“?

Nikoli dotek nadpřirozena, ale jakýsi vnitřní únik do „outer universe“ zažívám poměrně často, ať už při komponování, nebo při živých vystoupeních. Chladná matéria to rozhodně není, naopak, pro mě je hudba obrovsky intenzivní záležitost.


11 Ako vzniká hudba Mallephyr? Je to postupné nabaľovanie okolo jedného, dvoch nápadov, alebo máte jasný koncept skladby od začiatku?


V podstatě prvotní podobu skladby si vytvářím v hlavě ještě bez použití nástrojů. Podobnou vizi následně přemítám skrze kytary do hmotné podoby, nicméně při tomto procesu se prvotní idea může proměnit do značně rozdílného výsledku. Každopádně zprvu dávám dohromady kytary, řadu vrstev, skladba má jasnou podobu, následně si do ní Tom vytváří bicí. Máme spolu, řekl bych, určité hudebně-duševní pouto, moc dobře víme, co od sebe navzájem očekávat, takže skladby po tomto procesu už nedoznávají nějakých výraznějších změn. Je to velice přirozený proces, což je pro mě obrovský důležité. Buď to ven leze samo, nebo nemá cenu se do ničeho tlačit.


12 Existuje konkrétna domáca alebo medzinárodná scéna, do ktorej Mallephyr patrí a s ktorými kapelami v CZ a SK si rozumiete najviac?


Jestli někam patříme, ať posoudí jiní, my se snažíme jít v jistém ohledu vlastní cestou. Rozumíme si každopádně na české i slovenské scéně s řadou kapel, rádi vystupujeme společně. Kromě personálně s námi spjatých kapel zmíním Inferno, Depths Above, Můra, Infer, Ceremony of Silence, dalo by se jmenovat dál a dál. Vždy tyhle borce rád vidím, ať už při samotné show, nebo před a po ní.


13 Čechy majú bohatú históriu black a death metalu - ktoré domáce kapely považujete za tvorcov vášho DNA?

S historií máš pravdu, vznikla tu v minulosti řada kapel, která se dokázala prosadit za hranice a vsunout žánru svoji tvář. V tomto ohledu samozřejmě na mysl připadají Master’s Hammer nebo Root. Nicméně mám ten dojem, že v současnosti česká blacková, a vlastně i deathová scéna trochu stagnuje. Že by se na ní nacházelo nějaké velké množství kapel, které k věci přistupují svojsky, snaží se skutečně posouvat sama sebe, vložit do hudby trochu více ze sebe… nepřipadá mi to tak. Ale možná jsem jen přílišný skeptik, každopádně mi přijde, že třeba slovenská black a death scéna v poslední době tu naši překonává.






14 Kam všade a najďalej sa dostala hudba Mallephyr - či už fyzicky ako kapela, alebo prostredníctvom odozvy od poslucháčov?

Prostřednictvím odezvy či prodeje alb se dostali Mallephyr leckam, namátkou Indie, Austrálie, Spojené státy, ale to jsou samozřejmě jednotky reakcí/kusů. Fyzicky se dostaneme na zajímavá místa letos, a to například do Bukurešti na famózní festival Underground for the Masses nebo do Londýna na Cosmic Void Festival. 


15 Posledný album Mallephyr vyšiel u francúzskych Epictural Production. Ako došlo k spolupráci a ako ste spokojní s tým čo pre vás label robí? Predchádzajúce albumy vyšli na poľskom a gruzínskom labeli. Čo vnímate ako pridanú hodnotu dobrého labelu - oproti samovydaniam?

Hledání labelu, který by měl zájem vydat v té záplavě nosičů neznámou kapelu z Česka, zabralo poměrně dost času. Renaud z Epictural se nicméně ozval asi půl dne po odeslání promo materiálů s jasnou nabídkou a zájmem, který mě ihned přesvědčil, že to je správná volba. Potvrdilo se to i v další spolupráci a komunikaci.

Loni se ovšem Renaud rozhodl ukončit svoji pouť životem, což byla obrovská rána… Měsíc předtím jsem se s ním setkal ve Švýcarsku, dlouze jsme rozprávěli o všem možném, o hudebních plánech do budoucna (byl také skvělým muzikantem, viz Ferriterium)… srdcař, který přijel do Švýcarska, kde jsme tehdy hráli s Cult of Fire, z Francie jen proto, aby mi předal vinyly, protože doručovatelské služby nás několikrát vypekly. Nikdy nevíte, co se děje uvnitř…

Upřímně, neměl bych ještě čas se sám starat o vydání desky, o všechny potřebné náležitosti, lis, tisk a podobně. Nejsem v tom zkušený, label ví, co a jak. Dokáže tomu udělat patřičné promo, postarat se o distribuci. Uvidíme, kam nás to zavane s další deskou...

 




16 Aké sú podľa vás plusy a mínusy fyzických nosičov (vinyl, kazeta, CD)? Existuje formát, do ktorého dnes už nemá zmysel ísť?


Fyzické nosiče miluji a svoji sbírku vinylů v poslední době poctivě rozšiřuji. Samozřejmě je výhodou digitální doby, že máš možnosti si v jedné sekundě pustit vše, co tě napadne. Ale sednout si, vypnout myšlenky, pustit LP a několik desítek minut vnímat jen to, na takový hudební vjem nic nemá. Podle mě má smysl jít do všech zmíněných nosičů, každý má své kouzlo. I na kazetě by mělo v blízké době vyjít naše poslední album, a to u Monastyr Records. 


17 Nergal z poľských Behemoth nedávno "radil" mladým ľudom, aby nezakladali kapely, nech idú radšej študovať a pracovať, že scéna je preplnená, a že investícia času do hudby nemá význam. Je na tom podľa vás niečo pravdy, alebo sú to generačné cynické kecy?

Tento výrok jsem nezaznamenal, moc takové věci nesleduji, nicméně moc nevím, proč by měl kdokoli někomu kecat do toho, zda chce hrát, založit si kapelu a podobně. Scéna je plná, to je sice pravda, je těžké nějakým způsobem prorazit, ale to neznamená, že se má člověk na vše rovnou vysrat. Pokud chceš něco vyjádřit, máš nějakou vizi, anebo si prostě jen tak chceš s partou kámošů hrát oblíbené věci, proč bys neměl? A 99 procent lidí při hraní v kapele zároveň stejně studuje či pracuje, takže to mi přijde úplně mimo.


18 Zaujímavá historka zo života kapely, ku ktorej sa pri spomínaní na staré časy vždy vraciate.


V mysli se člověk často vrací třeba k vydařeným koncertům, perfektním akcím a podobně, ale nějaké další historky mě takhle z voleje nenapadají… nebo nejsou publikovatelné, ha ha ha.


19 Ktorý album, artwork a videoklip vás v poslednej dobe zaujal najviac?

Vyberu alba z poslední doby, které budou u mě rezonovat ještě dlouho: Martröđ – „Draumsýnir eldsins“, Lychgate – „Precipice“, Enthroned – „Ashspawn“, Arkhaaik – „Uistis“, Patristic – „Catechesis“ nebo Malefic Throne – „The Conquering Darkness“. A zrovna třeba artwork nových Enthroned je skutečně vydařený. Videoklipy nesleduji.


20 Hudobný album, kniha, film, seriál, počítačová hra, tetovacie štúdio ktoré odporúčaš a prečo.


Pokud bych tedy hudební album vzal za větší časové období, tak těch by bylo nespočet, nicméně jedno si dovolím vyzdvihnout, a to Rebirth of Nefast – „Tabernaculum“ z roku 2017. Nadpozemská záležitost, pro mě jedno z nejlepších alb, co jsem v životě slyšel.

Z knih teď čtu hodně Zolu a Dostojevského, namátkou doporučím „Zabiják“, „Člověk bestie“ či „Štvanice“ od prvního jmenovaného, „Idiot“ či „Výrostek“ od druhého.

V nových filmech se nestíhám orientovat, v poslední době jsem jel zejména klasiky se Schwarzeneggerem či filmy s Madsem Mikkelsenem. Silný je ale rozhodně film „Mistr a Markétka“ z roku 2023, fajn je i novinka s DiCapriem „Jedna bitva za druhou“. 


21 Je niekto na scéne s kým by si si rád prečítal rozhovor na Jablkách ďaleko od stromu?

Z českých a slovenských kapel třeba s těmi, které jsem zmínil ve 12. odpovědi. Ze zahraničních by jich byly stovky. 


22 Motto/obľúbený citát pripadne odkaz na záver.

Don't resist the darkness, for there is beauty at its core… (Dødsengel)

============================================================================ 

Links:

https://mallephyr.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mallephyr

https://www.instagram.com/mallephyr_official/ 

============================================================================

 


 

1. Who are you, what do you do, and what interests you most these days?

Hi. I’m Marek, a member of Mallephyr, Cult of Fire, Stíny plamenů, and I also perform live with War for War. In civilian life, I work as an editor at the Czech News Agency. I’m interested in far more things than I can realistically keep up with, but because of my job I follow world events a lot. Music is, of course, essential, and I try from time to time to watch a film or read a book, though that usually takes me quite a long time. At the same time, after a certain break I’m returning to the creative process, so in the coming weeks and months I’ll be dedicating myself to that quite intensely.

2. How, when, and why was Mallephyr founded alongside all the other bands you were involved in?


At the end of 2013, mainly because I wanted to compose something different from what I had been doing in my previous band. I wanted to follow my own path a bit more, through my own ideas that I felt the need to materialize. At that time, none of us were involved in as many bands as we are now, so finding time for Mallephyr wasn’t an issue. The main reason was therefore both a genre shift and a compositional shift.

3. Looking at the band lineup, I see that at least three members previously played together in the deathcore band Gate of Illusions. How did you get from deathcore to blackened death metal? Was it a long journey or a specific impulse?


It wasn’t entirely deathcore — more of a mix of various genres. There were elements of black, thrash, death, heavy metal, and some core influences. This actually ties back to the previous answer: in Gate of Illusions, everyone participated in the songwriting process, often in that typical “composing in the rehearsal room” style. That might suit some people, but I personally realized it didn’t suit me at all. On top of that, we were all quite genre-diverse as individuals, and that was reflected in the final result — the songs were a bit all over the place. Toward the end, I started to realize that I was being pulled in a different direction, that I wanted to anchor myself both genre-wise and thematically.

4. A common denominator in your previous projects seems to be death, solitude, and destruction. How have these motifs evolved across your three albums? And how do the individual records differ from one another?

I’m not entirely sure about the previous projects, but with Mallephyr it’s generally the case that the lyrics draw heavily from my inner self — from, let’s say, its more painful parts, which only open up within the lyrics and nowhere else. It’s more about self-destruction than the destruction of everything around, although that does surface in certain moods as well.

If you mean thematically, the first album was more blasphemous and more genre-standard. Starting with Womb of Worms, the concepts became truly introspective, often hidden within vague metaphors — it’s not easy to open up directly in writing.

Musically, the albums differ by moving away from what I’d call standard black/death toward a more personal approach (even though a huge number of influences and inspirations are clearly audible, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of in that). There’s a shift toward more expansive compositions, greater multilayeredness, and some perhaps slightly atypical elements, such as occasional clean vocals. The latest album, Ruins of Inner Composure, is certainly far more diverse than the debut.

5. When dealing with these themes over the long term, do you still find something new in them? Does it change you as people and artists, or does routine eventually set in?

As I mentioned, the lyrics come from my inner self, my own experiences and feelings. This source is, in a sense, inexhaustible. That said, composing in this way requires a certain mindset, a specific mood — it can’t be forced. At least at the moment, routine definitely isn’t a threat; there are plenty of things I still need to write out.

 



6. What impulses do you process as inspiration for new material, and how do the individual members tune in to a unified level when the perception of reality is so individualistic and solitary? Is there any shared overlap in how you perceive darkness?

I’ve already outlined the impulses above. I don’t think we all share exactly the same view of something that is essentially an internal, emotional statement — that’s not really possible. Musically, however, we are able to tune into the same wavelength, and in my opinion the result is a cohesive entity, where everyone clearly understands the vision and how to approach it.

7 The new album “Ruins of Inner Composure” was in the making for six years – was this process slowed down by the pandemic, or rather by work on other musical or personal projects? How did the studio work go, and were there any complications?

The actual songwriting of the album took about a year and a half at most. The process was slowed down both by the coronavirus pandemic and by delays in finding a suitable label to release the album, as well as by the search for the final sound. I wouldn’t really call these complications, though – everything had its own development, and there’s no need to rush. What matters most is the result, which I’m still satisfied with even in hindsight, although I already know that on the next album we’ll move a bit in a different direction.

Working in the studio with Karel Švejnoha (also the drummer of Inferno, Stíny plamenů, etc.) is always absolutely pleasant; there were no complications at all. The most important thing is to enter the studio with a clear sonic vision – then finding the final form becomes a joy. Unfortunately, for the next album we’ll have to go elsewhere, as Karel no longer runs the studio, but trying something new isn’t a bad thing.

8 Is the new album influenced by a specific philosophy or line of thought, or is it more of an intuitive, emotional process?

I think I’ve already described that above. Everything is strongly based on emotions, feelings, the current state of mind, and the inner self.

9 What is your stance on occult and ritualistic traditions and their connection to music?

You won’t find anything like that in Mallephyr’s music. However, as a lover of black metal in many of its forms, I do have a positive attitude toward such things. With one big BUT – many bands only play at these ideas; you simply can’t believe them. If an artist approaches it genuinely, studies these directions in depth, then they have my full support. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of fake occultism and ritualism in the genre, often as an attempt to attract attention when the musical side is lacking.

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10 Have you experienced any contact with the supernatural during your artistic career, or is it rather cold matter – a kind of “metalworking”?

Not contact with the supernatural, but a kind of inner escape into an “outer universe” happens to me quite often, whether during composing or live performances. It’s definitely not cold matter – on the contrary, music is an enormously intense thing for me.

11 How is Mallephyr’s music created? Is it a gradual build-up around one or two ideas, or do you have a clear concept of a song from the very beginning?


Basically, I first create the initial form of a song in my head, without using instruments. I then translate a similar vision through guitars into a tangible form, although during this process the original idea can transform into a significantly different result. In any case, I start by putting together the guitars, multiple layers; the song then has a clear shape, and only afterward does Tom create the drums. I’d say we share a certain musical–spiritual bond; we know very well what to expect from each other, so after this process the songs don’t undergo any major changes. It’s a very natural process, which is extremely important to me. Either it comes out on its own, or there’s no point in forcing anything.

12 Is there a specific domestic or international scene that Mallephyr belongs to, and which CZ/SK bands do you get along with the most?

Whether we belong somewhere is for others to judge; we try to go our own way in that regard. We definitely get along with a number of bands on both the Czech and Slovak scenes and enjoy playing together. Besides bands that are personally connected to us, I’d mention Inferno, Depths Above, Můra, Infer, Ceremony of Silence – the list could go on and on. I’m always glad to see these guys, whether during the show itself or before and after.

13 The Czech Republic has a rich history of black and death metal – which domestic bands do you consider part of your DNA?

You’re right about the history; in the past, a number of bands emerged here that managed to break beyond the borders and imprint their own face on the genre. In this respect, Master’s Hammer or Root naturally come to mind. That said, I have the feeling that the current Czech black, and actually death, scene is somewhat stagnating. It doesn’t seem to me that there’s a large number of bands approaching things in a truly personal way, really pushing themselves forward, putting more of themselves into the music… but maybe I’m just too much of a skeptic. Either way, it seems to me that the Slovak black and death scene has been surpassing ours lately.

14 How far has Mallephyr’s music reached – either physically as a band or through listener feedback?

Through feedback and album sales, Mallephyr have reached quite a few places – off the top of my head India, Australia, the United States – though of course these are just individual reactions or copies. Physically, we’ll be getting to some interesting places this year, for example Bucharest for the fantastic Underground for the Masses festival, or London for the Cosmic Void Festival.

15 The latest Mallephyr album was released by the French label Epictural Production. How did the collaboration come about, and how satisfied are you with what the label does for you? Previous albums were released on Polish and Georgian labels. What do you see as the added value of a good label compared to self-releases?


Finding a label willing to release an unknown band from the Czech Republic amid the flood of releases took quite a long time. However, Renaud from Epictural got back to us about half a day after we sent the promo materials, with a clear offer and genuine interest that immediately convinced me it was the right choice. This was later confirmed through further cooperation and communication.

Last year, however, Renaud decided to end his journey in life, which was a huge blow… A month before that I met him in Switzerland; we talked at length about all sorts of things, about future musical plans (he was also a great musician himself – see Ferriterium)… a true passionate soul who came from France to Switzerland, where we were playing with Cult of Fire at the time, just to hand me the vinyl records in person because delivery services had failed us several times. You never know what’s going on inside…

Honestly, I wouldn’t even have the time to handle a release myself – all the necessary matters, pressing, printing, and so on. I’m not experienced in that; a label knows what to do and how. It can provide proper promotion and take care of distribution. We’ll see where the next album takes us…




 

16 What do you see as the pros and cons of physical formats (vinyl, cassette, CD)? Is there a format that no longer makes sense today?

I love physical formats and have been steadily expanding my vinyl collection lately. Of course, the advantage of the digital age is that you can play anything you think of within a second. But sitting down, switching off your thoughts, putting on an LP and spending several dozen minutes focused solely on that – nothing compares to that kind of musical experience. In my opinion, all of the mentioned formats still make sense; each has its own charm. Our latest album should also be coming out on cassette in the near future, via Monastyr Records.

17 Nergal from the Polish band Behemoth recently “advised” young people not to start bands, but rather to study and work, saying the scene is overcrowded and that investing time in music makes no sense. Do you think there’s any truth in that, or is it just generational cynical talk?

I didn’t catch that statement and don’t really follow such things, but I don’t see why anyone should tell others whether they should play, start a band, and so on. The scene is crowded – that’s true, and it’s hard to break through in some way – but that doesn’t mean one should just give up on everything right away. If you want to express something, if you have a vision, or if you simply want to play your favourite stuff with a group of friends, why shouldn’t you? And 99 percent of people who play in bands also study or work at the same time anyway, so that argument seems completely off to me.

18 An interesting anecdote from the band’s life that you always return to when reminiscing about old times.


One often returns in their mind to successful concerts, great shows and the like, but no other anecdotes come to mind off the top of my head like this… or they’re not publishable, haha.

19 Which album, artwork, and music video have impressed you the most recently?

I’ll choose albums from recent times that will resonate with me for a long time: Martröđ – Draumsýnir eldsins, Lychgate – Precipice, Enthroned – Ashspawn, Arkhaaik – Uistis, Patristic – Catechesis, or Malefic Throne – The Conquering Darkness. And for example, the artwork of the new Enthroned album is truly excellent. I don’t really watch music videos.

20 A music album, book, film, series, video game, tattoo studio you’d recommend – and why.

If I were to pick a music album over a broader time span, there would be countless ones, but I’ll allow myself to highlight one: Rebirth of Nefast – Tabernaculum from 2017. A transcendental work – for me, one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.

As for books, I’ve been reading a lot of Zola and Dostoevsky lately. Offhand, I’d recommend The Assommoir, The Beast Within, or The Chase by the former, and The Idiot or The Adolescent by the latter.

I don’t really manage to keep up with new films; lately I’ve mainly been watching classics with Schwarzenegger or films with Mads Mikkelsen. But the 2023 film The Master and Margarita is definitely powerful, and the recent DiCaprio film One Battle After Another is also good.

21 Is there someone on the scene whose interview you’d like to read on Jablká ďaleko od stromu?

From Czech and Slovak bands, for example those I mentioned in answer 12. From abroad, there would be hundreds.

22 Motto / favourite quote or a final message.

Don’t resist the darkness, for there is beauty at its core… (Dødsengel)