Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genres: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Century Media Records

Behemoth’s “breakout” album is a slab of brutality, a kick to the face of God and the paying audience both.
Black metal riffs played like death metal and death metal riffs played like black metal combine and then are coupled with one of the most powerful voices in metal, and a monster is made.
Favorite tracks are “Rome 64 C.E.”, “Inner Sanctum”, and “Christgrinding Avenue”. 9 out of 10.

Genres: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Century Media Records

This album is what really started to gain Nergal’s merry crew of blasphemers real media attention, as far as I could tell. One could blame Century Media for the strong push, even getting the band videos and such. But one should also remember that this album totally kicks ass, and could have gotten the attention all by its lonesome.
Songs like “Conquer All”, “Before the Æons Came”, “Slaves Shall Serve”, “XUL” (which features Nile’s Karl Sanders shredding a solo), and of course the title track make Demigod an album that’s a must-have for black metal and death metal fans alike. 10 out of 10.

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Svartgalgh Records

Wow.
For starters, this is black metal with the “flame of Berber Tradition”. From what I understand, it’s a North African culture and language, and some of the lyrics are sung in the language, and it really lends itself well to a big, epic black metal sound.
Which brings me to the music itself. Big and epic is the right way to put it. It’s definitely inspired by second wave black metal, with primitive drums and guitar sounds, and the riffs are fucking amazing, touches of punk more than thrash coloring them.
So I guess comparison-wise, Emperor and Burzum (whom Barbaras covers) mixed together. The grandeur of Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk mixed with the rawness of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.
Mayhem’s “Freezing Moon” is covered, and while paying tribute to Mayhem, Barbaros takes the song and makes it his own.
Burzum’s “Det som en gang var” is also covered, and Barbaros again makes this classic his own song.
Fans of Mayhem and Burzum should really enjoy these interpretations.
All told, Barbaros’s awesome album gets an 8 out of 10.

Genre: Dark Ambient
Label: Serpent God Records

Cadant in Obscurum is a tape of eight dark ambient songs, four from each artist. Both sides have different takes on the genre, Balpehor’s side having a slightly more industrial feel to the music, especially in the song “Forever and Abuse (Goat Remix)” which is very much club worthy. Not to mention great.
Considering the fact that this is dark ambient, parallels can be found in obvious references like Burzum’s latter work, but also Steve Roach and some Black Tape for a Blue Girl at times. As such, I recommend this great tape for fans of those bands, but also to fans of doom and goth music. Favorite tracks for me are the aforementioned “Forever and Abuse” mix, “Animas Defunctorum”, and “Old and Alone”.
I give Cadant in Obscurum a 7 out of 10.

Since our first interview, Ed, you’ve been playing more shows. How many shows has The 11th Hour played now?

We haven’t done any shows since the Dutch Doom Days, but there are some cool gigs planned for later this year. First up there’s a show in Essen as special guests of the mighty Asphyx (featuring my fellow Bullets Paul and Martin), then it’s the renowned Doom Shall Rise festival in Göppingen and some dutch shows as well.

Any shows in particular that are sticking out for you? How about fans, how have they been accepting the music?

I’m really looking forward to Doom Shall Rise, I hear it’s a terrific festival and the location is breathtaking. At the Asphyx show Martin will announce us, we imagine this will help audience reception ;-)

What are your next dates, and where are you going to be?

Ah, looks like I answered that one already…

Any plans to cross the pond and do any American dates soon? Or is it straight to the recording studio?

I wish, it’s insanely expensive to come over, so unless a rich promoter with an insatiable thirst for dutch doom metal gives me a call I’m afraid I’m stuck on this side of the pond… As soon as the Hail Of Bullets album is done I’m laying down drums for the next Demiurg album, then I expect to be called into the studio by Arjen Lucassen for his next project and after that I’ll start working on the follow-up to Burden of Grief .