Review by Vladimir on January 10, 2024.

Every time I come across black metal bands and projects on social media such as Instagram or Facebook and even decide to give them a listen, I would often find myself in a very peculiar situation in which I am either entirely unamused or even unsure as to what to think of it. However, one exceptional case that caught my attention and encouraged me to give it a go, was the black metal project Fantasma from Würzburg, Germany. It originally started as a one-man project by Sarto, who is actively involved in the German black metal scene with bands such as Morgenröthe, Tristețe, Bethlehem, Totensucht and Wehmut, but as of 2023, Fantasma became a two-member project when Martyris joined as the guitarist. On January 5th, 2024, Fantasma released their demo Abomination Of Human Pestilence via Narbentage Produktionen on a limited edition of 66 cassettes, and also as an independent digital release on their Bandcamp page. If you are into German black metal in the similar vein to bands like Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, please join me on this journey as we take a look at the second official release by Fantasma. 

Fantasma provides a very primitive and misanthropic black metal filled with raw energy and cold atmosphere, thanks to its very clever and effective use of traditional black metal traits consisted of tremolo picking riffs, fast drumming and harsh screaming vocals. Even though these are very standard characteristics of the subgenre, what really compliments the songs is the hateful and atmospheric riffs that radiate such immense feelings, especially on the songs like 'Corrupted By Evil'. On top of all the misanthropy and primitive rawness, there is also some room for catchy Darkthrone and Celtic Frost style riffing that appears on the fourth track 'The Poisoner Of Roma' that successfully managed to satisfy my appetite. Other moments that also deserve a mention is the wicked and slow doomy riff on the sixth track 'Manes', which starts off like Black Sabbath’s self-titled song and then all of a sudden transition into primitive black metal extravaganza. 

It’s interesting to see that the songwriting is so dynamic and rich with ideas, helping the songs flow so smoothly and even lead to some surprising moments like the simple yet melodic soloing on 'The Dance Of The Desperate', which perfectly blends with the song’s melancholic vibe. On top of the band’s original material, they also managed to sneak in a pretty good cover of Totensucht’s 'Die Rückkehr Auf Sensus', in which Sarto of Fantasma also plays as the live guitarist. These days it’s often hard to find bands/projects who dabble in oldschool black metal, especially since most of them don’t even bother trying to make their songs more engaging or interesting, however considering the fact that every song feels like it hits the spot, you can easily tell that Fantasma really went ahead to give all they got. Another highlight of Abomination Of Human Pestilence is its atmosphere, filled with that plague-infested and macabre vibe that is presented with the cover art by Özge Nur and yet transferred through various riff ideas. The demo has a very solid production which despite its rawness really sounds and feels natural and organic, especially with the little help of Oliver Kraus (Agathodaimon, Cravenhall, Dagdrøm, The Morgrotuskthululustoccultobskullty Horrormance) who provided his drumming skills. 

I must say that I was quite fascinated that this demo really had plenty of interesting ideas to offer and also showed a great deal of potential with Fantasma’s musical direction. I can guarantee that this experience wasn’t a generic and uninspiring output that would leave anyone feeling unamused or disgusted, rather a very well-thought out work that could get the attention from a solid number of oldschool black metal fans. I highly recommend that you check out Abomination Of Human Pestilence, and also make sure to check out their previously released EP Benevento Black Metal. 

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Tomek on September 14, 2014.

Last album of Oceans Of Night kept me under its spell for a long time and once I stopped listening to it I felt like I was going through some kind of withdrawal. Domain was one of those albums that go right to your head and stay there for a while. In my case it was a long while and then some. And yet when Scott Mosher contacted me about possible review of his newest album Midnight Rising and knowing what it most likely would do to me, I grinned like a drunk getting a free-drinks pass to a local bar.

I had this album spinning in my player for some time now and I think it’s safe to say that for someone that knows and likes Oceans Of Night their newest album might to be like a wet dream, but for me it falls short of the mark. Now, before you decide to start looking for a rope to make a comfy noose for me let me explain myself. I consider Midnight Rising to be a good album. It’s Oceans Of Night album and if you look for music that only they can create - you’ll find it on here. There is plenty of everything that we know and love; there are plenty of subtle keyboards, spacious guitars, beautiful vocals, dynamic drums, screaming solos and yet I believe there is something missing on it. I've listened to the album numerous times and I tried it with all kinds of settings and moods, so my opinion is based on many hours of listening to it and it just isn't what I expected and even though I like it, to some point I feel underwhelmed. Me expecting something could very well be one of the problems here (expecting something from a band rarely works out) but the new album for me is missing the vibe, the energy and the atmosphere that Domain had. It feels like this are the ideas that were put on the back burner during the previous session and since they were not good enough they didn't end up on the album. After reworking some things and adjusting some others we have new album but it is with b-sides material. Just like on the previous release Scott composed all music, Scott Oliva took care of vocals and Alan Smithee was the guy that hits things with sticks, so all creators are the same but this material doesn't feel new and it doesn’t sound fresh. It feels dated and sounds much less interesting than Domain was. There are a couple of guest appearances on the album to spice things up but only the vocals of Stephanie Warren stand out enough to be remembered. Extra keys and a guitar solo disappear somewhere in the mix.

There is plenty of good stuff going on here so it is not all that bad and I probably shouldn't compare it to any previous material anyway, but after hearing Domain how can I not? I feel Oceans Of Night needs to step up their game and come up with some butt kicking material for the next release. I want to suggest more guitars and more diversity in a drum department. It’s something that I've waited for and it’s something that I hope Scott will address on let’s say next album maybe - if he decides to do another.

Review by Tomek on September 14, 2014.

Last album of Oceans Of Night kept me under its spell for a long time and once I stopped listening to it I felt like I was going through some kind of withdrawal. Domain was one of those albums that go right to your head and stay there for a while. In my case it was a long while and then some. And yet when Scott Mosher contacted me about possible review of his newest album Midnight Rising and knowing what it most likely would do to me, I grinned like a drunk getting a free-drinks pass to a local bar.

I had this album spinning in my player for some time now and I think it’s safe to say that for someone that knows and likes Oceans Of Night their newest album might to be like a wet dream, but for me it falls short of the mark. Now, before you decide to start looking for a rope to make a comfy noose for me let me explain myself. I consider Midnight Rising to be a good album. It’s Oceans Of Night album and if you look for music that only they can create - you’ll find it on here. There is plenty of everything that we know and love; there are plenty of subtle keyboards, spacious guitars, beautiful vocals, dynamic drums, screaming solos and yet I believe there is something missing on it. I've listened to the album numerous times and I tried it with all kinds of settings and moods, so my opinion is based on many hours of listening to it and it just isn't what I expected and even though I like it, to some point I feel underwhelmed. Me expecting something could very well be one of the problems here (expecting something from a band rarely works out) but the new album for me is missing the vibe, the energy and the atmosphere that Domain had. It feels like this are the ideas that were put on the back burner during the previous session and since they were not good enough they didn't end up on the album. After reworking some things and adjusting some others we have new album but it is with b-sides material. Just like on the previous release Scott composed all music, Scott Oliva took care of vocals and Alan Smithee was the guy that hits things with sticks, so all creators are the same but this material doesn't feel new and it doesn’t sound fresh. It feels dated and sounds much less interesting than Domain was. There are a couple of guest appearances on the album to spice things up but only the vocals of Stephanie Warren stand out enough to be remembered. Extra keys and a guitar solo disappear somewhere in the mix.

There is plenty of good stuff going on here so it is not all that bad and I probably shouldn't compare it to any previous material anyway, but after hearing Domain how can I not? I feel Oceans Of Night needs to step up their game and come up with some butt kicking material for the next release. I want to suggest more guitars and more diversity in a drum department. It’s something that I've waited for and it’s something that I hope Scott will address on let’s say next album maybe - if he decides to do another.