Z’ev & Hati * Heart Of A Wolf (2cd 2011)
I have known Z’ev for many years, but only by name. Zoharum released a cooperation with Hati (who are new to me) which you can get as a single cd, as a double cd (limited to 423 copies) and as a double cd with shirt (limited to 23 copies). The album contains a live recording from Torún, the second cd a live show from Gdansk, both from March 2011. My idea about Z’ev is (unfortunately) confirmed by this release. The music is monotous, ambient and ritualistic in the sense of using singing bowls and the like. There are a few parts with deep drones which are alright, but the more minimalistic parts are not my cup of tea. A reason to buy the 2cd version, by the way, is that they did not give the same show twice, so if you do like this kind of music…
Links: Z’ev, Hati, Zoharum
I know, I know, I am a prejudiced music buyer. I heard about this band with a band name and album title that are obviously pagan, but I also heard that these are (ex-)black metal musicians, so I no longer felt the need to hear “Runaljod”. Wardruna happen to play at a festival in Tilburg where also Der Blutharsch and a couple of other bands that I want to see play (but not on the same day…), so I figured I might just try what this band is all about. Wardruna is nothing like neofolk like pagan music, but has a more traditional and also a more ritual or sjamanistic sound. Perhaps a tiny little bit like the early releases of 
At this year’s WGT I bought the shirt of this album (since it wasn’t black) and I figured I might buy the album with the shirt! As you all know, Inade makes dark but meditative dark ambient soundscapes and their latest album is no exception. “Incarnation…” is not a masterpiece, but has some very good tracks and some nice experimentation with sounds and voice. For some reason also this album has arguments with my cd-player, just like that other Inade cd that I have and contrary to all my other cds. Anyway, much better dark ambient than the recent CMI releases and also for lovers of the more ‘ritualistic’ side of the genre.
Two bands that I find allright, but not great. I do not think I would have bought this cd if it was just a split album, but because this is actually the result of a joint recording, I was interested enough to give this album a try. “Sang Graal” turned out to be a nice album, going from moody ambient soundscapes to more bombastic and martial pieces, folky and orchestral tones and of course ‘ritual’ sounds, because that is an element in both the projects’ sounds. The sounds of the bands go well together and they made a good balance resulting in an album sounding between both of them.
The Eastern Front has released a very nice double cd compilation with a whole range of famous bands on the first cd, most of them not from their own label. Cd 1 (“Grief”) has bands such as the resurrected Belborn, Cold Fusion, Cawatana, Kammer Sieben and Horologium and includes a cooperation between H.E.R.R. and Von Tronstahl. Most tracks are bombastic and militant, sometimes more orchestral, sometimes more neofolky and in most cases quite enjoyable. The second cd (“Birth of Psyche”) has mostly more minimalistic and ambient tracks from Artefactum, Rose Rovine, Shining Vril, Bisclaveret and a range of projects that are new to me. This cd surely isn’t bad, but less interesting than the first cd, but the projects Wach and Sitra Ahra offer a nice surprise. Both cds have a running time of well over an hour, so you get what you pay for! The simple but very nice booklet looks good, like we get used to from this label and also the limited amount of 1000 copies goes for this compilation. I noticed that it is available from about every descent mailorder, so it shouldn’t be too hard to lay your hands on a copy.
When I bought the “The Ritez Of Higher Communication” lp (2003) I was quite impressed by the minimalistic ritual ambient of this project. Later I bought the “…And Outside Glows The Red Dawn” cd (2005), which sounds quite the same; nice but nothing really special. The same I can say about this new album. Ritual soundscapes that are minimalistic and monotous. Maybe the sound becomes even more minimalistic with every new album, because “A Broken Union” seems to appeal to me even less than the other albums that I have…
Yes I know the bandname, albumnames and artwork looks like a metal band and indeed, it is from that very corner. The man behind this project owns the label and has several more projects, either electronic or metal. Some 15 years ago I listened to all those dark “ritual” projects popping up in the black metal scene of that time and it seems that nothing much changed since. BNIIPOTD also is such a dark ambient ritual soundscapes project with the dark sound and the creepy vocals (on the older release). “Sermons…” (2006) is also available from Itunes and “Saturnine…” (2007) has been added to this release for a limited cd version. The sound is rather typical and often too monotous for my liking, but not bad or boring and there are some nice moments. I guess you may want to contact the band if you are interested in projects such as Profane Grace, Darkness Enshroud and the like.