Review by Fernando on September 17, 2023.

The writings of J.R.R. Tolkien have been a staple of black metal, and heavy music in general since forever, be it Black Sabbath’s classic song ‘The Wizard’, or the entire discography of Summoning, and the countless artists and bands named after Middle-Earth characters and locations. So it was a matter of time before a new black metal band would emerge that’s completely Tolkien-themed. Which brings us to One Of Nine, a promising new group out of the US, who emerged fully formed with a striking debut album titled Eternal Sorcery through Wolves of Hades.

One Of Nine are exactly what it says on the tin, they’re melodic and sorrowful black metal with a thing for the darkness of Melkor, and while many would bristle at a band doubling down on fantasy books as the foundation of their lyrics and image, what truly matters is the music, however, and to this band’s benefit, they do a damn good job of their music and image being perfectly linked since the songs truly evoke the fell presence of the most vile denizens east of Gondor and the darkest caves of Dor Daedeloth. That’s to say I don’t think the music on Eternal Sorcery would work with the usual blasphemous and satanic lyrics of traditional black metal, unless you do a lot of rewriting and pivoting.

But with that out of the way, how is this record musically? Well, this is some quality melodic black metal that’s equally depressive as it is furious. The band obviously check all the marks, pay due respect to their influences, particularly mid 90’s Swedish black metal from the likes of Marduk and Dissection, but also with the grim aggression of Gorgoroth, and the band also add their own American flavor in the form of intense riffs and desolate atmospheres. The guitar work especially is the major highlight throughout, as expected, but at the same time, the rest of the instruments are equally impressive. So if you want a dark and intense record, One Of Nine definitely has you covered. However, while the band are devout and talented adepts of black metal and were able to distill it to its most efficient and impactful elements, where this band truly shines is with their atmospheric and acoustic leanings. The major highlights of that are the intro track ‘Lurkers Of The Half-Light’ and second-to-last interlude ‘Wrathful Rebirth’, the former being a synth, riff and ambiance driven preamble to the band’s sonic darkness, and the latter being a beautifully morose palette cleanse in the form of an acoustic melodic dirge, and if that wasn’t enough, the band incorporate those atmospheric tendencies into their pure black metal songs, such as the coda on ‘The Silence Of Heaven’ and the opening of ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, and their use of synths are perfectly applied throughout the album, making the whole thing cohesive and consistent.

The last aspect to highlight is the production, which is actually perfect for the band. Granted, this production will be a bit too clean for some folks but make no mistake, the band do an excellent job of their sound being enhanced by the production as every instrument pops. The sound of the drums especially, the sound so massive and overwhelming and yet they don’t overshadow the rest of the instruments, so yes, this is definitely a modern sounding record, but it's actually a GOOD production and a well put together record, as it not only sound great, but you can feel the intensity of the performances, which is ultimately what you would want. It's not a plastic and manufactured sound, and it also isn’t an awfully atrocious recording so as to hide subpar musicianship.

One Of Nine is frankly one of the better surprises of this year, doubly so considering how many legacy acts are putting stellar records around the same time. So yes, this one’s highly recommended and One Of Nine are a band to look out for.

Best songs: ‘Dark Magic River’, ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, ‘God Chain’, ‘A Hunter Rides The Night’

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Fernando on September 17, 2023.

The writings of J.R.R. Tolkien have been a staple of black metal, and heavy music in general since forever, be it Black Sabbath’s classic song ‘The Wizard’, or the entire discography of Summoning, and the countless artists and bands named after Middle-Earth characters and locations. So it was a matter of time before a new black metal band would emerge that’s completely Tolkien-themed. Which brings us to One Of Nine, a promising new group out of the US, who emerged fully formed with a striking debut album titled Eternal Sorcery through Wolves of Hades.

One Of Nine are exactly what it says on the tin, they’re melodic and sorrowful black metal with a thing for the darkness of Melkor, and while many would bristle at a band doubling down on fantasy books as the foundation of their lyrics and image, what truly matters is the music, however, and to this band’s benefit, they do a damn good job of their music and image being perfectly linked since the songs truly evoke the fell presence of the most vile denizens east of Gondor and the darkest caves of Dor Daedeloth. That’s to say I don’t think the music on Eternal Sorcery would work with the usual blasphemous and satanic lyrics of traditional black metal, unless you do a lot of rewriting and pivoting.

But with that out of the way, how is this record musically? Well, this is some quality melodic black metal that’s equally depressive as it is furious. The band obviously check all the marks, pay due respect to their influences, particularly mid 90’s Swedish black metal from the likes of Marduk and Dissection, but also with the grim aggression of Gorgoroth, and the band also add their own American flavor in the form of intense riffs and desolate atmospheres. The guitar work especially is the major highlight throughout, as expected, but at the same time, the rest of the instruments are equally impressive. So if you want a dark and intense record, One Of Nine definitely has you covered. However, while the band are devout and talented adepts of black metal and were able to distill it to its most efficient and impactful elements, where this band truly shines is with their atmospheric and acoustic leanings. The major highlights of that are the intro track ‘Lurkers Of The Half-Light’ and second-to-last interlude ‘Wrathful Rebirth’, the former being a synth, riff and ambiance driven preamble to the band’s sonic darkness, and the latter being a beautifully morose palette cleanse in the form of an acoustic melodic dirge, and if that wasn’t enough, the band incorporate those atmospheric tendencies into their pure black metal songs, such as the coda on ‘The Silence Of Heaven’ and the opening of ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, and their use of synths are perfectly applied throughout the album, making the whole thing cohesive and consistent.

The last aspect to highlight is the production, which is actually perfect for the band. Granted, this production will be a bit too clean for some folks but make no mistake, the band do an excellent job of their sound being enhanced by the production as every instrument pops. The sound of the drums especially, the sound so massive and overwhelming and yet they don’t overshadow the rest of the instruments, so yes, this is definitely a modern sounding record, but it's actually a GOOD production and a well put together record, as it not only sound great, but you can feel the intensity of the performances, which is ultimately what you would want. It's not a plastic and manufactured sound, and it also isn’t an awfully atrocious recording so as to hide subpar musicianship.

One Of Nine is frankly one of the better surprises of this year, doubly so considering how many legacy acts are putting stellar records around the same time. So yes, this one’s highly recommended and One Of Nine are a band to look out for.

Best songs: ‘Dark Magic River’, ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, ‘God Chain’, ‘A Hunter Rides The Night’

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 6, 2021.

The debut of Occult Burial from Canada had a playtime of less than 32 minutes. Maybe this is the reason why Burning Eerie Lore begins with a comparatively long (and unfortunately completely boring) intro which repeats the same guitar tones again and again. Things can only get better and indeed, the following title track delivers a ladle full of malicious energy. The vile guitar sound and the pumping, very present bass liaise with fast drumming, while the sometimes pretty shrill lead vocalist combines nagging and screaming in an unholy manner. It's nice to see that the band has shed the teething troubles of the debut. Nearly nothing reminds of the almost prehistoric discs of Venom. Not that these were bad - but now the plus in independence and sharpness catapults Occult Burial to a higher level. The combo seems to be reborn.

Anyway, this first fast-paced and wicked attack represents the album appropriately, although a few tracks feature other characteristics as well. For example, the casually titled 'Skeletal Laughter' holds some rocking elements that sound quite strange in the context of this album. The longest track, the mid-paced 'Highway Through Borderland', puts the focus on the rasping (and, by the way, very casual) old school riffing and on a more and more apocalyptic mood. Anyway, usually the formation jumps headfirst in the dirty pond where Nifelheim are already waiting. No doubt, this output makes fun due to its evil aura - and the fact that the end of the French titled fifth song evokes associations with Mercyful Fate (listen to the King-like vocals, in particular the diabolic laughter) is anything but bad. But the best comes at the end: the last two tracks surpass the previous highlights once again in intensity, density and madness. The trio is completely electrified during these songs. I'm surprised I didn't get an electric shock from just listening to them.

The production is well done for this filthy kind of metal. It is reduced to the essentials, it sounds slightly old (but without any reference to the early eighties) and finds the nearly perfect balance between clarity and dirt. The raw musical approach (including the echoing hate speeches of the lead singer) and its technical implementation go hand in hand and that’s exactly how it should be. Due to the fact that black thrash metal generally spits on innovation, we can fully concentrate on the quality of execution. Believe me, Occult Burial do not fail. Quite the opposite: Their diabolic energy is contagious and compared with the relatively mediocre debut, Burning Eerie Lore, an album that grows with every new round, is nothing less than a quantum leap.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Fernando on September 17, 2023.

The writings of J.R.R. Tolkien have been a staple of black metal, and heavy music in general since forever, be it Black Sabbath’s classic song ‘The Wizard’, or the entire discography of Summoning, and the countless artists and bands named after Middle-Earth characters and locations. So it was a matter of time before a new black metal band would emerge that’s completely Tolkien-themed. Which brings us to One Of Nine, a promising new group out of the US, who emerged fully formed with a striking debut album titled Eternal Sorcery through Wolves of Hades.

One Of Nine are exactly what it says on the tin, they’re melodic and sorrowful black metal with a thing for the darkness of Melkor, and while many would bristle at a band doubling down on fantasy books as the foundation of their lyrics and image, what truly matters is the music, however, and to this band’s benefit, they do a damn good job of their music and image being perfectly linked since the songs truly evoke the fell presence of the most vile denizens east of Gondor and the darkest caves of Dor Daedeloth. That’s to say I don’t think the music on Eternal Sorcery would work with the usual blasphemous and satanic lyrics of traditional black metal, unless you do a lot of rewriting and pivoting.

But with that out of the way, how is this record musically? Well, this is some quality melodic black metal that’s equally depressive as it is furious. The band obviously check all the marks, pay due respect to their influences, particularly mid 90’s Swedish black metal from the likes of Marduk and Dissection, but also with the grim aggression of Gorgoroth, and the band also add their own American flavor in the form of intense riffs and desolate atmospheres. The guitar work especially is the major highlight throughout, as expected, but at the same time, the rest of the instruments are equally impressive. So if you want a dark and intense record, One Of Nine definitely has you covered. However, while the band are devout and talented adepts of black metal and were able to distill it to its most efficient and impactful elements, where this band truly shines is with their atmospheric and acoustic leanings. The major highlights of that are the intro track ‘Lurkers Of The Half-Light’ and second-to-last interlude ‘Wrathful Rebirth’, the former being a synth, riff and ambiance driven preamble to the band’s sonic darkness, and the latter being a beautifully morose palette cleanse in the form of an acoustic melodic dirge, and if that wasn’t enough, the band incorporate those atmospheric tendencies into their pure black metal songs, such as the coda on ‘The Silence Of Heaven’ and the opening of ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, and their use of synths are perfectly applied throughout the album, making the whole thing cohesive and consistent.

The last aspect to highlight is the production, which is actually perfect for the band. Granted, this production will be a bit too clean for some folks but make no mistake, the band do an excellent job of their sound being enhanced by the production as every instrument pops. The sound of the drums especially, the sound so massive and overwhelming and yet they don’t overshadow the rest of the instruments, so yes, this is definitely a modern sounding record, but it's actually a GOOD production and a well put together record, as it not only sound great, but you can feel the intensity of the performances, which is ultimately what you would want. It's not a plastic and manufactured sound, and it also isn’t an awfully atrocious recording so as to hide subpar musicianship.

One Of Nine is frankly one of the better surprises of this year, doubly so considering how many legacy acts are putting stellar records around the same time. So yes, this one’s highly recommended and One Of Nine are a band to look out for.

Best songs: ‘Dark Magic River’, ‘Moonlit Sacrifice’, ‘God Chain’, ‘A Hunter Rides The Night’

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on November 17, 2021.

If you want to be politically respected in my country, you cannot ignore the whore called zeitgeist. That’s why more or less all politicians babble the whole day long about the climate change. Honestly speaking, I thought that they over-emphasize this topic. But as if so often the case, I was wrong. Now I have learned that the Ukraine, once a region with severe winters and comparatively warm summers, has turned into a jungle. The transformation process took just 33 minutes. Welcome to Mind Manipulation.

The quartet called Mortal Vision swings an iron axe which was forged in a house with the name Cavalera on the nameplate. Many riffs “arise” and none of them can hide the love of its creators for the once great South American flagship. The breaks, the phrasing of the vocals and even the solos do not leave any doubts. Therefore, it is only logical that the sharp, pure and sometimes apocalyptic atmosphere of Sepultura’s third and fourth full-length jumps out of its grave. Given this, everybody can feel free to avoid this album due to its obvious influence and the fact that it sounds pretty one-dimensional. However, to do so would be a fatal mistake, because Mind Manipulation kicks you massively in the pit of the stomach.

Mortal Vision thrash with a maximum of energy. Their spirit reminds me of Danish hordes like Killing or Battery. Despite their inspiration from the late eighties / early nineties, everything sounds new and intoxicating. This fresh breeze is combined with a surprisingly mature songwriting. The sawing guitars are never an end it itself. They shape coherent tunes that do not suffer from unnecessary ingredients. Instead, everything is offered in pure and clean contours. The riff massacres characterize the material, but surprising, short melody fragments like the alarming one at the beginning of 'Condemned To Death' also show up occasionally. Maybe Schmier from Destruction is in search of his once amazing energy level – now he knows who has taken possession of it. By the way, 'Possessed' is another mix of straight riffing, mega-heavy mid-tempo thunderclaps, high velocity, defiant melodies and an inspired solo. Too bad that the solid yet somewhat colorless vocals leave room for optimization. Nevertheless, this is an “Exumer in ecstasy” trip that makes a lot of good feelings.

Consequently, it’s not fair that only 500 copies (where can I buy one?) of this debut were produced. I am sure that this form of restless, dynamic thrash metal deserves more attention. But this is just the start for Mortal Vision. Surely, the best is yet to come as soon as they emancipate themselves from their Cavalerian leitmotif. I believe in the power, the stamina and the creativity of the band. Better still, now I also believe in the necessity to fight against the climate change. Or have I only fallen victim to a Mind Manipulation?

Rating: 8.1 out of 10