Review by Michael on February 20, 2023.

It's time again to give some music lessons. Can anyone besides me remember the Norwegians from Kvist, who back in 1996 released an absolutely underrated classic of the 2nd wave of black metal called "For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike"? Yeah, you guys back there? What's your name? Mysteria Mystica Aeterna? Soso, when I hear you like this, it doesn't surprise me. And this is also one of your favorite albums? That's not a big surprise either. But it's nice that there are some other people who like the album.

With this I have already said everything necessary about the second album The Temple Of Eosphoros by the two Germans. The guys play very atmospheric, keyboard-heavy black metal, which seems quite mysterious and unfolds a pleasantly calm mood, but subliminally always provides an uneasy feeling. Especially when the duo presents its keyboard passages, one feels reminded of the old Scandinavian role models and immediately wallows in nostalgic feelings. However, when the driving and often slightly harsh guitars start, then you are soon torn out of your comfort zone and you know again that this is not a walk with a few decrepit trolls, but rather pretty cool black metal. Especially the sawing guitar riffs, which are very cleverly combined with the keyboard, are what always remind me of Kvist. Also the often staccato-like drumming and the creaking vocals show certain parallels. But the title track especially pays homage to the first Gehenna EP "First Spell" - the acoustic guitar resurrects the spirit of "Shivering Voice Of The Ghost" - a great song and the tribute here as well! Besides the four traditionally influenced black metal songs, there is an atmospheric intro that quickly draws the listener into its maelstrom and a short interlude called 'Thelema', which is a quiet acoustic guitar part that briefly gives the listener time to breathe and linger. Otherwise, the four "real" songs on the very powerful and well-produced album are orthodox black metal through and through without any new innovations or influences. The songs are all on a similar high quality level and are of average length (between 6 and 10 minutes). However, The Temple Of Eosphoros has become a very entertaining and entertaining album and a clear recommendation for every black metal traditionalist who is somehow stuck in the 90s and still considers the already mentioned Kvist, old Gehenna, Emperor or Satyricon (yes, and because of me also the first two Dimmu Borgir) as his favorite bands. By the way, if you know that drummer Frater Odium Aeternum otherwise has his unholy fingers in the game with death metal bands like Abythic or Abschwörung, you might be even more surprised about the result.

And another small surprise (even I was pleased and that means a lot) - according to Metal-Archives the real Kvist are also active again. Maybe there will be something from Hønefoss again soon....

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Michael on February 20, 2023.

It's time again to give some music lessons. Can anyone besides me remember the Norwegians from Kvist, who back in 1996 released an absolutely underrated classic of the 2nd wave of black metal called "For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike"? Yeah, you guys back there? What's your name? Mysteria Mystica Aeterna? Soso, when I hear you like this, it doesn't surprise me. And this is also one of your favorite albums? That's not a big surprise either. But it's nice that there are some other people who like the album.

With this I have already said everything necessary about the second album The Temple Of Eosphoros by the two Germans. The guys play very atmospheric, keyboard-heavy black metal, which seems quite mysterious and unfolds a pleasantly calm mood, but subliminally always provides an uneasy feeling. Especially when the duo presents its keyboard passages, one feels reminded of the old Scandinavian role models and immediately wallows in nostalgic feelings. However, when the driving and often slightly harsh guitars start, then you are soon torn out of your comfort zone and you know again that this is not a walk with a few decrepit trolls, but rather pretty cool black metal. Especially the sawing guitar riffs, which are very cleverly combined with the keyboard, are what always remind me of Kvist. Also the often staccato-like drumming and the creaking vocals show certain parallels. But the title track especially pays homage to the first Gehenna EP "First Spell" - the acoustic guitar resurrects the spirit of "Shivering Voice Of The Ghost" - a great song and the tribute here as well! Besides the four traditionally influenced black metal songs, there is an atmospheric intro that quickly draws the listener into its maelstrom and a short interlude called 'Thelema', which is a quiet acoustic guitar part that briefly gives the listener time to breathe and linger. Otherwise, the four "real" songs on the very powerful and well-produced album are orthodox black metal through and through without any new innovations or influences. The songs are all on a similar high quality level and are of average length (between 6 and 10 minutes). However, The Temple Of Eosphoros has become a very entertaining and entertaining album and a clear recommendation for every black metal traditionalist who is somehow stuck in the 90s and still considers the already mentioned Kvist, old Gehenna, Emperor or Satyricon (yes, and because of me also the first two Dimmu Borgir) as his favorite bands. By the way, if you know that drummer Frater Odium Aeternum otherwise has his unholy fingers in the game with death metal bands like Abythic or Abschwörung, you might be even more surprised about the result.

And another small surprise (even I was pleased and that means a lot) - according to Metal-Archives the real Kvist are also active again. Maybe there will be something from Hønefoss again soon....

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Vladimir on November 8, 2023.

Death knocks on many doors, but how many of us would dare to open? If you wish to find out, stay tuned for today’s death-defying topic. The subject of this review will be covering a Venezuelan black metal one-man band Lvctvs and his third independent full-length album Sobredósis De Pensamiento Fúnebre, released on November 3rd, 2023. 

Everything begins with sounds of rainfall in pure somber autumn depression, until you suddenly hear the buzzsaw distorted guitars backed up with screeching and agonizing screams from the distance, where you will also hear some melancholic keyboards that contribute by adding an atmospheric flavor to this death-defying brew. On top of all the agony expressed through eerie guitar riffs and tormented vocals through every song, there are moments of catchy mid-tempo riffing and drumming, including occasional tremolo picking riffs and blast beats, which give the songs additional edge and dynamic songwriting. The only exception that this album has is the third track 'Heidegger O De La Muerte', which is two and a half minutes long and in terms of its execution in clean guitars and slow tempo drums, it’s a musical departure from the rest of the album but nonetheless a well-executed interlude that serves as a gateway to the closing track 'Me Hundo En Mi Ocaso'. The general songwriting is fairly simple depressive black metal with songs that last around 10 minutes (with the exception of the third track 'Heidegger O De La Muerte'), containing a variety of ideas that range from melancholic to horrifying. Although the output seems quite straightforward and easy to grasp, what is truly the highlight of this album and probably its quality work is the fact that every song is like a chapter that tells its own story, which slowly builds up all the way towards the moment where one embraces death. The lyrical theme of this album is a philosophical concept about death and the fact of thinking about that last moment that ends all existence, which is wonderfully presented with the macabre cover art. The sound production of this album is quite raw with its buzzsaw guitar sound that is backed up with distorted harsh screams, although I personally feel like the vocals could have been done a bit better in the overall mix/master process due to the added vocal distortion that is a bit over the top. 

Even though I am not a fan of DSBM in general, I quite liked this album’s execution from one song to another, especially since it feels like a 4-chapter story that does a good job at transcending that feeling of impending doom and the constant agonizing fear before dying. Lvctvs managed to combine emotion with atmosphere and the result of it is a work that really deserves to be noticed by DSBM fans all over the world. If you are indeed one brave soul that would open the door for the figure in black, then you will definitely like this album for its eerie macabre vibes mixed with melancholy. 

Rating: 8.1 out of 10