News: Lachryma Christi is on myspace!

Lachryma Christi is on myspace too now! Still building up though, but you can have an idea already: 

https://new.myspace.com/lachryma_christi

Top Ten Black Metal albums for 2012

Eïs - Wetterkreuz - Prophecy Productions

Blodarv - Gâst - Self Mutilation Services

Forgotten Tomb - ...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil - Agonia Records

Blacklodge - MachinatioN - Season of Mist

Furia - Marzannie, Krolowej Polski - Pagan Records

Endezzma - Erotik Nekrosis - Agonia Records

God Seed - I Begin - Indie Recordings

Marduk - Serpent Sermon - Century Media Records

Nidingr - Greatest of Deceivers - Indie Recordings

Sathanas - La Hora de Lucifer - Pagan Records

Other releases Lachryma Christi really enjoyed:


Shining - Redefining Darkness - Spinefarm Records
Dordeduh - Dar De Duh - Prophecy Productions
Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas - Candlelight records
Enslaved - RIITIIR - Nuclear Blast
Cradle of Filth - Midnight In The Labyrinth - Peaceville Records

Lachryma Christi's playlist for the week

Wishing you all a Happy 2013, here is the playlist for the week:

Abgott - Godfather in Black

Anaal Nathrakh - Passion

Endezzma - Erotik Nekrosis

Eïs - Wetterkreuz

Furia - Marzannie, Królowej Polski

Blodarv - Gâst

Svartrit - III

Vreid - V

Cradle of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace

Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs

Keep and eye open for the top 10 best Black Metal albums of 2012, coming soon!

Review: Black Autumn's upcoming MCD "The Advent October"

Black Autumn, Doom/Black Metal band from Germany will be releasing a new MCD through label Bylec-Tum in January 2013 and it will be called The Advent October. For those who don't know, Black Autumn were born in 1995 as a two-member band and by then they were influenced by bands like Emperor and Satyricon. Today, there is only one member remaining, M. Krall, and the band plays Doom, Ambient Black Metal.
The MCD is composed by 4 tracks, all of them very melodic and consistent.
Artwork cover shows us desolated greyish woods and skies.
The whole work is the perfect soundtrack for a solitary travel in the Autumn rain and cold. All the songs are very musical and have very well achieved melancholy and solitude expressions, it is a masterpiece.
First track The Advent October is very slow and melodic and matches the atmospheric sounds with acoustic sounds. It's very peaceful for two minutes, before it develops into a very sad and strong melody where voice takes part too.
Second and third tracks follow the same line. Last track A Silver Line of Light is maybe the most remarkable one. Starting with a piano interlude, then little by little all the other elements are introduced in there until it becomes a very powerful song.
If you expect melancholic strong and powerful songs you will like this MCD for sure. It's very pleasant and enjoyable, not trivial. Voice is just perfect, no other voice would match better with this songs. And it's only one month away!

You may contact the label through the following e-mail address:
bylec-tum@libero.it

Interview with Sentinelles (FRA) plus review to Sentinelles' latest album "L'envol"

Sentinelles are a two member Black Metal band from France. They play a very good and full Black Metal and they just released their album L'envol. You can find a review to the same on the bottom of the article.  Lachryma Christi had the pleasure to interview both members, Alann and Nicolas, let's see what they have to tell about this album and all their experience in Sentinelles.

How did Sentinelles start, and why the name Sentinelles?

Nicolas : Sentinelles is born during winter 2012, when Alann and me decided to play an atmospheric Black Metal, in the same vein that commons bands we listen, and to tell a story, based on four seasons. When we finish to prepare “L’envol”, in March/April 2012, we were at the DreamBox Records studio, based at Paimpol.

At the first, we wanted to create a medieval Black Metal band, so Sentinelles wasn’t the name we wanted. When we realised that “L’envol” was more an atmospheric, contemplative album, we decided to call him Sentinelles, men who observe what is happening far away or just near them, parcourant les régions. Sentinelles (eng. Sentry) come from Italian ‘sentinella”,  “sentire”, hear. So it was a great word for the band, and we’ll continue this “contemplation process” in our music.

Where do you get your inspiration, for the music as well as the lyrics?

Alann : I write music and texts only in Autumn. I wroted the four tracks and the first version of the lyrics between October and December. It’s a great season to write, I love the atmospher, the colors of the trees and the sky. The music of Sentinelles is the longs walks in nature we done at this period of the year, with Nicolas, the britton atmospher... I listen a lot of music, but i think they influences me maybe just for arrangements. Nonetheless, i listen a lot of bands like Negura Bunget, Wolves in the Throne Room, Patti Smith, Nature and Organization... and they of course influence me.

For the lyrics, i read Rimbaud, Verlaine since i’m 17 years old and i think i have the same vision than Arthur in particulary, so my textes are very influenced by him, and there are some tributes, the most visible in the title of the last chapter of “L’envol” : L’étrenne des Sentiers ( Rimbaud wrote L’etrenne des Orphelins).

All the lyrics were writted first in Britton  but Nicolas don’t speak this language so we decided to translate in French, and guard juste somes sentences, like on “Immensité et tristesses” track.

How did the idea of having Yohann (from Les Chants de Nihil and Belenos) and Sven Vinat (from AntiCorpse) came out? How was the experience?

Nicolas : I meet Yohann who is a friend of a friend one day, by chance. I talk about Sentinelles, but i haven’t think to ask him if he could be interessed to release an album.
Later, Alann and I were to a party and we discuss with him. He was interessed by this project because he have the same feeling as us, and we realised that we have the same conceptions for some lyrics/themes. So he tell that it was okay for an album, and despites he works in four or five bands he was very motivated. and there are a lot of commons points with Malysteria and the project of “L’Envol”, so we started to work on it.  Yohann and Sven are two friends since a long time, so he presented him to us, and the studio was ok for us, and the work of Sven was what we expected.

You released your first album l'Envol this Summer. How have been the reactions to it? Are you happy about the result?

Nicolas : We have good reviews for the album. He was released 2 month ago, so it’s early to talk about reactions, but the people who know “L’envol” saids that we have our personnality, and it the best think for us.

What are your lyrics about?

Alann : “L’envol” is a concept album. There are for tracks, for the four seasons. We talk about a man who is very influenced by the king of his country, and he believes to it like he believes to god; One day the king die and the man decides to travel...It’s difficult to explain the lyrics, but during the album there are the concept of errances, atheism, anti-rural lifestyle

What are your favorite bands?

Nicolas : Behemoth, Nokturnal Mortum, Drudkh and Burzum
Alann : Drudkh, Belenos, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas, Nature and Organisation.

Can you name a band/artist with you would like to work with?

Alann :  Concerning me, with WITTR and Negura Bunget in particulary, because they represents what i think is Black Metal actually, and because i’m feel in the same processus/spirit than they. Furthermore, i would like doing something with Fenriz.

What are your plans for the near future?

Alann : The second album is writed, and he will open a trilogy. I don’t live in France actually, so we don’t know when we will record him. And  we project to work for a special split...

Anything else you would like to add?

Nicolas: We would like  to thanks Saturne VII, who have made the artwork for “L’envol”, which is amazing. You can see her work here :

http://saturne-sept.tumblr.com

We wante to thanks Yohann and Sven for their respective work, and friendship, and we hope it will be others collaboration with them.

You can follow Sentinelles on the facebook page :  facebook.com/sentinelles.bm 

Thanks Lachryma for interest. 

Lineup:

Alann Corfa
Nicolas Salmon

Latest release:

L'envol (2012)

Shortly reviewing L'envol. This is a very good album that just came out last Summer which has a very pretty artwork all in black and white. Includes 4 tracks. What can you expect from this album? Very rich melodies combined with the rawness of the Black Metal,  very into what has been done in France in the last few years. If you like Peste Noire, you will enjoy this album. It is a bit less crude, more melodic, with acoustic interludes as in piano compositions and clean voices and choirs. It is very aggressive at times, but in a good way, not trivial and expected, but surprisingly well done. There is a result here, a pleasant and majestic work. 

You can find more information and music of Sentinelles on:

https://www.facebook.com/sentinelles.bm

Review: Blodarv's new album "Gâst"

Danish Black Metal band Blodarv just released exactly five days ago their new album called Gâst, through Self Mutilation Services. The album is available in both regular CD format and in a limited edition A5 format with different artwork. Booklet has 16 pages and includes lyrics. The limited edition merchandise includes a T-Shirt, patch and pin are also available.  
Please find an image for the artwork cover above.
This album musically is actually very attractive. Very melodic and melancholic.
The album has 8 tracks.
First track Indelukket starts with a 55 seconds intro with a low tuned sound until the song itself starts as a hymn. Very melodic and sad and also very powerful. It has throaty and clean voice on it. It's absolutely marvelous. Very slow and strong.
Don't expect lots of blast beats or you will be disappointed. But get ready for an explosion of emotions as this album is really very warm. There are also clean female voices, as in the fifth track The Heart of Art, which is maybe the slowest track in the album, before it really opens to some very fast and heavy drums when you are not expecting it to happen anymore. Good surprise.
Track 6 is called Lonely Journey and that title is just perfect. All you hear is a very creepy and almost funeral melody by the keyboards, and a monstrous voice kinda reciting. It is actually creepy and makes you feel very lonely and sad and empty of anything good. 
Last song Into the Halls of Orion is an acoustic song with varied voices (male and female) and sounds like whispers, very dreamy, very nostalgic. Beautiful harmony and melody. Sense of peace but great sadness as well.
These are probably the most remarkable songs in the album for Lachryma Christi.
If you like melodic, nostalgic, touching the depressive, sad, introspective, warm, emotional Black Metal, go for it, one of the best for 2012!
This really brings lots of intense feelings so get ready for an amazing journey while you listen to it.

Frequently asked questions about Lachryma Christi webzine

Sometimes online or in person people ask some questions regarding Lachryma Christi, and the questions are usually the same and they are really asked too many times. So here are the replies to two of these questions. 

Q - How many people contribute for Lachryma Christi? Are you accepting contributors?
R - Lachryma Christi is one person only. And no, there is no need of more contributors for now, but offer is much appreciated.

Q - Will Lachryma Christi ever have a proper website and leave the blog format? Will it ever be printed?
R - Both are in the plans for the future. But it is not easy so it is on stand by. However, a hard copy may be available to deliver in future gigs.

So, if you have any questions, don't be shy and address them to lachrymachristizine@gmail.com

Again, personal questions will not be answered.

You can also find the webzine on the following links:

http://www.facebook.com/LachrymaChristiWebzine

https://twitter.com/L_ChristiZine

Review: Spektr's upcoming album "Cypher"

Spektr, Industrial Black Metal band from France, will be releasing in February 2013 a new album called Cypher, through Agonia Records. Cypher has 9 tracks and will be available as a deluxe digipack CD and limited vinyl.
You can see the cover image on the picture above.
This is for Lachryma Christi a very good example of Experimental/Ambient/Industrial Black Metal. Very good quality. Very intense, even hypnotic.
Spektr really have their own identity, nothing or almost nothing sounds like them, and Cypher is a good proof of that.
This album was recorded with no vocals at all, which makes it even more special if you are a fan of this kind of music. You can hear some words being said and also yelled on the track Cypher though.
Don't expect this to be popular with a lot of dancing industrial sounds, because it is nothing like that. Black Metal is very evident here. Every song has very good arrangements of good healthy noise and everything makes sense.
The track Teratology is maybe the most ambient one, with keyboard sounds in the beginning, and after one minute of creepy and sharp keys, the song bursts into amazing Black Metal stuff, fast, grim, where guitars couldn't be better, very close to perfection in fact. Just before it gets back to the creepy keys and the experimental drums. Very groovy at times.
There is a message spoken in the beginning of the track The Singularity that will certainly make you think.
This is a very well elaborated work, full of experimental sounds and melodies which will leave you in a a trance.
So if you like Blut Aus Nord or Haemoth, for example, you will find Skeptr and Cypher album very interesting. For those who don't know, one of the two members, Hth, is also a member of Haemoth. Anyway, if this is your kind of music at all, don't ignore this masterpiece, it's just almost out there!

Lachryma Christi's playlist for the week

And because today is Monday, here is the playlist for the week. Please note that next week there won't be a playlist for the week due to going abroad and not having blog access, but it will be back! 

Marduk - Serpent Sermon

Negură Bunget - OM

Ancient - Svartalvheim

Carpatian Forest - Through Chasm, Caves and Titan Woods

Necromantia - Scarlet Witching Black

VON - Satanic (Demo)

Vreid - V

Nidingr - Wolf-Father

Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

Ov Hollowness - Diminished

Enjoy!

News: PANTHEON I

Norwegian Black Metal band PANTHEON I will be hosting a video Question and Answer Session, through their frontman Andre Kvebek. Anyone interested in participating just post your questions on their official facebook page on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/pantheoni


According to Kvebek, there will be no bounds, meaning you can ask whatever you like, and he will reply.
As soon as they get enough questions, a video with Kvebek reading the replies will be published on PANTHEON I's official youtube chanel on the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/user/tjalve1349

Read more in:

https://www.facebook.com/pantheoni

Review: CSSABA's latest album "Underground Lo-Fi Songs"

CSSABA just released a new album on the 6th of December through Polish label Pagan Records. For those who don't know, CSSABA is an Industrial Black Metal project of Nihil, well known from bands like Furia. The album is called Underground Lo-Fi Songs and it is the second full-length of the project.
If you like noisy, experimental, industrial music, you will adore this release. 
The cover doesn't say much about what you will listen, as you can see on the picture above.
So this album has 8 tracks, all of them very much more experimental than properly industrial. Very hypnotic too, especially the last track.
First and third tracks (they have no names) are a bit more groovy and electronic.
Second track resembles Black Metal a lot more than the others, for the rhythm and composition itself and use of instruments, and also for the voice which is very throaty.
Forth track is also a bit groovy and slow, and actually much more melodic than the others. 
These are maybe the tracks that allow a description, because everything else is not much more than beats and noisy experimentations and unsettled voice.
There's the predominance of low tuned sounds, all very bassy.
If you are a fan of Ulver's Industrial works, you will find this album amazing. It's just a bit less melodic than Ulver.

Review: Sathanas' latest album "La Hora de Lucifer"

Sathanas, US Black/Death/Thrash Metal band, released their latest album La Hora de Lucifer in May 2012, through Pagan Records. It is a very easy going album. Very rhythmic and the influences of old Thrash are very there, which is expected since Sathanas were formed in 1988 and this has been their main influence since then. This is one of those bands who kept their style since the beginning, never changing much or following other styles. So if you like Old School Thrash Black Metal, this is the album and the band to go for. If you are already a fan of the band, you will really enjoy this album as they keep doing their thing and so well. Maybe this album is faster and more thrashy in fact.
The album has 8 tracks and the vinyl has two bonus tracks.
As for artwork cover, each version has a different cover and layout: the CD cover was painted by Kris Verwimp and the LP version by Chris Moyen.
Maybe for Lachryma Christi the most remarkable song in this album is Dark Conjuring's, as it is the most melodic song, never losing the rawness or the heaviness or the characteristically high pitched voice. There is also Forged in Eternal Fire, the first track in the album, which seems to never leave your brain anymore after you hear it, and lyrics are fantastic, very typical and very embedded in the song itself.
There's not much to say about each song really, as they don't bring us anything too new compared to what the band has been doing for so many years. It is a good album, one of the best of 2012 for Lachryma Christi, so the advice here is: if this is your kind of music, listen to it as soon as you can!

Review: Pandemonium's latest album "Misanthropy"

Black/Death Metal band from Poland, Pandemonium released their latest album in March 2012 through Pagan Records. The album is called Misanthropy and contains 8 tracks.
Regarding the artwork cover it was created by Paul, the singer.

This album is a bit different as it is quite varied. It certainly is a Black/Death Metal band and album, it's hard if not impossible to deny that, even though in this album the doom influences are very notorious. All the album is very dark and atmospheric as it is characteristic from Black Metal, but it is also very doomish and with influences from Death Metal, and erudite music. It is a very strong and powerful album which has the collaboration of Androniki Skoula (Chaostar and Septic Flesh). This collaboration is precious  apart from the participation on the song Stones Are Eternal, which seems to be the only less positive point in the album. In the middle of such power and strength it is a bit out of place when the voice comes along, as it sounds a bit dissonant at times. Androniki Skoula's voice is amazing but maybe this song is not the best way to show it, sadly. As for the other songs where you can hear her voice, it is a very good combination.

The track Necro Judas is impressive, really really good and with a bit of every little thing Pandemonium can do. Memorable song.
There are also other remarkable songs like Only The Dead Will See The End of The War, with some Middle Eastern melodies in addition to such a rich heaviness and imponence, it is amazing.

The song Avant-Garde Underground is a bit different, it is a bit Avant-Garde really, and also a little influenced by punk at times.

If you are a fan of Triptykon, early Samael and  Tiamat, you will certainly adore this album.

News: Darkthrone

Darkthrone, Punk/Black Metal band from Norway will be releasing their new album The Underground Resistance on the 25th of February 2013 through Peaceville Records.
The Underground Resistance was written and recorded between 2010 and 2012 at Necrohell 2 studios by the band themselves, and mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door, Texas USA. Artwork cover is by Jim Fitzpatrick. The album will contain 6 tracks.

Read more in:

http://www.peaceville.com/news/article/40672

News: Mysticum

Mysticum, Industrial Black Metal band from Norway are re-releasing In The Streams Of Inferno and it should be out on the 25th of February 2013, including two bonus tracks.
The artwork cover is new and the package will contain liner notes and additional lyrics.
In The Streams Of Inferno reissue also includes a bonus DVD containing two live shows from 1996: ‘Grotten’, in Asker, Norway; and Bradford, UK, from Mysticum’s European tour with Marduk and Gehenna.
It will also be available on vinyl.
In the meanwhile, Mysticum already started working on their follow-up album, Planet Satan, to be released 2013 through Peaceville Records.

Read more in:

http://www.facebook.com/mysticums

News: Rotting Christ

Rotting Christ, Black Metal band from Greece, are scheduled to release a new album on the 1st of March 2013 in Europe and on the 5th of March 2013 in North America through Season of Mist. This album will be called ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ, Greek for “Do What Thou Wilt” and it will be available as jewel case CD, double gatefold LP and limited edition Digibox including a Digipak CD with bonus track Welcome to Hell, a pendant in velvet bag and a flag.

ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ tracklist:

01. In Yumen - Xibalba

02. P'unchaw Kachun - Tuta Kachun

03. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos

04. Kataton Demona Eaftou

05. Cine Iubeste Si Lasa

06. Iwa Woodoo

07. Gilgames

08. Rusalka

09. Ahura Mazda Anra Mainiuu

10. 666

Read more in:

http://www.season-of-mist.com/bands/rotting-christ

News: Spektr

French Industrial/Black Metal band Spektr are scheduled to release a new album on the 5th of February 2013 in Europe and on the 19th February 2013 in North America through Agonia Records, and it will be called Cypher.
It is an experimental psychedelic release, entirely instrumental without any voices except sampling, and it is supposed to make the listener feel as if they were experiencing a powerful hallucinogen effect.
The album will be available in CD, Vinyl and digital download.

Cypher tracklist:

01. Hermetism
02. Teratology
03. The Singularity
04. Solitude
05. Antimatter
06. Solve Et Coagula
07. Cypher
08. Decorporation
09. Le Vitriol du Philosophe  

Read more in:

http://agoniarecords.home.pl/
http://www.facebook.com/agoniarecords

Lachryma Christi's playlist for the week

So, as the playlist for the week usually has lots of viewings, Lachryma Christi will keep publishing it every week!
This week:

Abgott - Godfather in Black
Anaal Nathrakh - Passion
Fen - Epoch
Covenant - In Times Before the Light
Graveworm - When Daylight's Gone
Dimmu Borgir - Stormblast 
Cradle of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace
Vreid - V
Forgotten Tomb - And Don't Deliver Us From Evil
Saille - Ritu

Enjoy!

Interview with FEN plus review to FEN's upcoming album "Dustwalker"

In this cold Wintry evening, Lachryma Christi would like to present you an interview with The Watcher, singer and guitarist of the Atmospheric Black Metal band FEN, who will be releasing a new album called Dustwalker early next year, through the Italian label Code 666 Records (Aural Music). You can find the review to this upcoming album on the bottom of the interview. For now, just keep reading, and find out what Fen have been doing and what is still in store!







Why Fen as a name? What is the meaning of it for you as band?

A Fen refers to a low-lying area of drained land – that is, land that was once
underwater. Both myself and Grungyn were raised in an area called The Fens whereby
the surrounding landscape is predominantly like this. It’s very flat, very bleak and
quite strange – the human presence is few and far between, the skies are vast and the
deep, dark peat soils seem to hide a myriad of secrets.

It’s a landscape that had a profound effect on me as a teenager and when we put the
band together, we wanted to try and channel these atmospheres through the music.
Hence, Fen makes perfect sense as a moniker for the band –it perfectly captures what
we are about musically, aesthetically and conceptually.

How did the band start? Would you like to tell us a little story about it?

We formed at the start of 2006. It was an idea that had been fomenting away in my
brain for about six months before this – myself, Grungyn and Theutus (our former
drummer) were playing in another more traditional black metal band but we were
starting to feel a little constrained by this. We wrote a new song (which eventually
became ‘Under the Endless Sky’ from our debut EP) and it became clear we were
moving in a different direction.

So, at the start of 2006 the three of us entered the rehearsal room to work on some
new material. No boundaries, no expectations, our only goal was to make music
that truly satisfied us. At this stage, we were only planning on being a studio
project, we hadn’t even considered playing live! Within the first few months, we had
recorded ‘Ancient Sorrow’ and from that point onwards, people outside the band
started to take interest in us. We were very surprised – we only became aware of
this ‘post black metal’ movement after our EP was released and it was illuminating to
realize a number of other acts were thinking along similar lines to ourselves.

How were the reactions to your latest album Epoch? Was it what you were expecting?

The reactions to Epoch were pretty positive – I think some people were disappointed
that we hadn’t changed our sound significantly from the debut album but that was
never the intention. We aren’t the sort of band to willfully change for the sake of it,
we’re more about honing our sound and carefully crafting our material. Some critics
thought we had abandoned the metal side of things too much but this is nonsense –
Epoch is first and foremost a metal album – but it is true that we wanted to inject even
more non-metal elements into the record.

Ultimately, I’m not surprised by the reactions to Epoch really. I am flattered by some
of the more positive responses we got and when the album ended up on a few end-of-
year lists this was quite humbling. I don’t think we’ll ever get the thumbs-up from the
more traditional end of the extreme metal community but for listeners who embrace
a wide variety of atmospheric music as well as black metal, they seemed to really
connect with the album.

How did the deal with Code666 come up?

They approached us after the release of the ‘Ancient Sorrow’ EP and made us a great
offer to release out albums. The strength of the roster, the obvious consideration they

take over their releases and their established distributional network made it a very
attractive offer which we snapped up! Since then, they have done our releases proud.

From your point of view, what differences can your followers expect from the album Epoch
to the upcoming album Dustwalker?

If Epoch is a twilit evening in Autumn, Dustwalker represents the glare of a freezing
winter’s dawn. It’s a colder, harder record. The metal elements are more intense for
sure – there are very little synths, instead layers of guitar and effects-laden bass
deliver the atmospherics. Each track on Dustwalker is a separately-considered entity
with the intention being for each of the songs to be as defined as possible.

We are always conscious of maintaining dynamics and with Dustwalker, the contrasts
are more pronounced than ever. The album contains some of the heaviest songs we
have recorded (‘Consequence’ and ‘Walking the Crowpath’) but also the ‘lightest’
song yet recorded in the form of ‘Spectre’ (which contains no harsh vocals and almost
no distorted guitars). Light and shade – sun and shadow – battling under the aegis of
winter’s glare.

There will be a especial edition of new album with a pendant of your logo. Who had that
idea? How did it come out?

Code666 always like to ensure that each album release is preceded by a strictly
limited special edition. In this instance, it was their idea to include a pendant of the
band logo – I think this is a great idea as the Fen logo lends itself very well to such a
design. I’ve seen some photographs of the pendant and it looks marvelous.

What have been your main influences along the band's existence?

In a musical sense, I guess the key inspirations have always been the early
atmospheric black metal masters – Ulver’s ‘Bergtatt’, early Emperor, early Dissection,
that sort of thing as well bands of that ilk with a more progressive touch (Artcturus,
Borknagar). Fusing these sorts of sounds with post-rock/shoegaze/guitarwave such
as Fields of the Nephilim, Mogwai and Slowdive was always a concept we had in mind
when forging material.

Some may argue that there is a contradiction between these influences but I do not
see this – ideologically, black metal and post-rock may be poles apart but there is
definitely a kinship in the pursuit of ambience, atmosphere and affectation through
layering, soundscapes, textures. And I think this has been acknowledged for some
time, to be honest. Indeed, acts such as Fluerety and Ved Beunes Ende were fusing
new wave-tinged avant gardism with black metal long before ourselves (or any of the
more recent ‘post black metal’ bands) came into being.

Can you name a band with who you would like to play/tour with?

Fields of the Nephilim, Enslaved, Primordial, ChameleonsVox, Anathema, Katatonia,
Whitesnake (ha!). We’ve been lucky in that we’ve played with some of our most
respected artists such as Agalloch and Negura Bunget. I guess touring properly with
Agalloch would be a great experience as we get along very well with those guys. I can
see a lot of quality beer being consumed if that were ever to happen…

Not wanting to ask you for a label, how would you describe the music you play?

Atmospheric extreme metal. To be honest, I don’t really mind ‘labels’ as such, I think
it’s a handy way of getting a quick handle on how a band might sound. After all, this
is all a label is really, it’s intended as an abbreviated way to identify what to expect
when listening to a band. If you’re listening to a Darkthrone album and someone asks
you what style of music it is, it’d be facetious to turn round and say ‘rock’. If someone
wants to label us as ‘post black metal’ or ‘shoegaze black metal’ I have no massive
problem with this. Those labels have been over-used in the last four-five years but it’s
a shorthand way of someone referencing our sound.

How did it go at the Aurora Infernalis Festival in Arnhem, Netherlands on the past 27th October?

Very well, thanks. The venue was excellent – a really well-equipped theatre with a
great stage, lighting system, PA. I was highly impressed, it’s definitely the best venue
I’ve played so far in my career. The crew there as well were very professional – we
were only second out of six bands so were hardly the highest priority yet they were
very attentive and helpful.

Unfortunately, I had a few issues at the start of the set – my throat was a little dry
which didn’t help with the vocals and I couldn’t power a few of my pedals which
meant the guitars were lacking some texture. Nevertheless, we got into it and after
a few songs, I think we really got into our stride. The PA was thundering and some
of the audience seemed to be connecting with what we were doing which was quite
impressive given it was about 4 in the afternoon!

What can we expect regarding live acts after Dustwalker is out? Anything planned so far?

Nothing concrete is planned as of yet but obviously, we’d like to play live as much as
we can to promote the new record. I think the next show we play will be an intimate
album launch gig for the record somewhere in London, we just need to finalize the
arrangements for this.

Other than that, we would like to do a proper tour to reach some of the places in
Europe we haven’t yet been able to play and also appear at some of the big festivals
taking place in the summer. I think this would be a great way for us to spread our
message even further.

Any message you would like to leave to your fans, and Black Metal fans in general?

Just a big thank you to all of those who have supported us and shown an interest in the music we
have done. We hope to see you onstage soon!

Line up:

Grungyn - bass, cries
Derwydd - drums
The Watcher - voices, strings and woe

Upcoming release:

Dustwalker (January 2013)

So, Dustwalker. Well, this is a very varied album, where you can find a lot of aggressiveness at times, but also a lot of cheesy and acoustic melodies (good cheesy).

The album is scheduled to be released on the 21st of January of 2013, which is a good way to start the new year. Dustwalker contains 7 tracks. There is a bonus track for the special edition. Meaning it will be available  on CD format and as a limited edition clambox, which will include a bonus track and a pendant with the band's distinctive logo.

The cover artwork is in a grey colors range with nature related symbolic imagery. It was created by FEN bassist Grungyn. 

If you are looking for something different from the traditional Black Metal stuff as well as to enrich your musical culture, this will be certainly the right album to go for.

Dustwalker brings us some heavy Black Metal but also some post rockiness as well as progressiveness. First song, Consequence, is really heavy, dark and obscure and also very cold. The aggressiveness in the voice helps you bringing the cold from outside to inside and all the composition is replete of good quality. In opposition to this, there is the track Spectre, the third track of the album, which is so melodic and accoustic and full of good vibes. Guitars are just awesomely combined with the voice and the chorus really resembles the hits from the 70's heavy rock most famous bands. First thought was: "aaawwww". it's a very pretty tune, if we can put it like that. 

There is also an instrumental short song called Reflections. 

The song Walking the Crowpath is a very good song too, where you can listen to crows in the beginning, followed by an acoustic interlude to suddenly explode into a perfect progressive heaviness. 

Maybe these are the most remarkable songs in the album for Lachryma Christi, because each of those tells us what FEN are able to do with all the influences they suffer in their music, without horribly ridiculously mixing them as unfortunately some bands do lookin for some forced originality, and still without success. 

Dustwalker is a great example of how listening to different kinds of music and allowing this fact to interfere in the composing process can work really well.

You can find more information and music of FEN on:

http://www.facebook.com/fenofficial