En Nihil – Death Keeps (1997)

Country: United States

Tracklist

1. Final Bliss (Edit) 08:58
2. Blood + Bone 14:57
3. Fall 07:35
4. Open Your Eyes And See Death 12:41
5. Drift III 13:38

En Nihil (originally under the name Nihil) formed in 1994, in California, by Adam Fritz 

and over the course of 3 years from 1994 to 1997 created a substantial amount of music 

stretching into every subgenre of the experimental realm. 

Everything from tribal rhythms, ethereal drifts, dark ambient, chaotic harsh noise, death industrial, 

cut-up sound collages, field recordings and so on, all of them with a dark, emotional side 

ranging from minimalism to detailed, heavily layered and intricate productions to pure improvisation.
"Death Keeps" articulates a deep fascination with death, not the physical, but the emotional aspect 

and the fear of the most inevitable fate we will all share.
The album was recorded between October 1995 - October 1996 and released by Red Stream in 1997.
After 13 years of silence, En Nihil returned to recording in 2010, 

and has since unleashed a stream of albums, cassette releases and splits.

Memory

Dolorian ‎– When All The Laughter Has Gone (1999)

 

Country: Finland

Tracklist

1. Desolated Colours 07:19
2. My Weary Eyes 08:22
3. A Part Of Darkness 06:24
4. When All The Laughter Has Gone 05:52
5. Collapsed 09:18
6. Fields 04:45
7. With Scorn / Perish 11:11

Dolorian is a doom metal band from Oulu, Finland.

Their early recordings are viewed as some of the earliest examples of blackened doom metal.

Later recordings mixed dark ambient music with the traditional doom metal style.
The band was founded in mid-1997 as a duo consisting of Anti Haapapuro and Ari Kukkohovi.

Their combination of varied songs, structures and melodies, several vocal styles, 

and obscure spiritual lyrics set the band apart from many others in their genre.
Dolorian recorded their first demos in autumn 1997 at Tico-Tico Studios with temporary keyboard player H. Riihinen.

They were subsequently signed with Wounded Love Records.

In 1998 the band along with their new keyboard player J. Ontero, 

recorded the debut album "When All The Laughter Has Gone" that was released in 1999.
The following year, the band recorded their second album entitled "Dolorian".
The self-titled album was a continuation of the black doom sound of their debut 

with much quieter vocals and a more psychedelic and ambient approach.
In 2002, Dolorian recorded songs for a split release with Shining, but record label problems delayed its release until 2003.

In 2006, the band released their third album, "Voidwards",

which demonstrated a further shift in their sound and included the usage of dark ambient elements.
All the members of the band are involved in dark ambient projects (such as Arktau Eos, Halo Manash, 

Aeoga and I.corax, as well in the 90's melodic black metal band Black Swan), 

which has likely shifted their concentration away from Dolorian.

Memory

Decree – Wake Of Devastation (1997)

 

Country: Canada

Tracklist

1. Delusion 04:27
2. The Last Day 04:29
3. Who Dares? 03:02
4. Fire Of Offering 05:04
5. Madness Unveiled 03:22
6. Talons Grasp 05:43
7. Never Nearer 04:35
8. Darkness Visible 06:20
9. Downward 04:28
10. Bitter End 04:45

Decree is a Vancouver based act currently consisting of Chris Peterson (Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Will), 

Ross Redhead and Sean Lawson.
This is the second incarnation of the band which was founded in 1991 by Peterson and John McRae, 

culminating in the duo's 1996 album, "Wake Of Devastation" that was released on Decibel Records and Offbeat Records.
1997 turned out to be a year of change for Decree as the original line up parted ways opening the door for Sean Lawson (vocalist) and Ross Redhead (guitar, bass, noise) to join Chris Peterson (keyboards) in Decree.
Throughout the following years tracks for a second album were recorded during brief periods of inactivity in between Chris’s obligations with the bands Frontline Assembly, Noise Unit, Pro-tech and Delerium. 

In 2004 "Moment Of Silence" was released on Metropolis Records in North America and Minuswelt/Musik Fabrik in Europe.

Decree's sound has varied a lot over the space of two albums.
"Wake Of Devastation" reminds at times Test Dept. with harsh dark ambient/noise/drone influences.

Their second offering, "Moment Of Silence" brings both beats and guitars into the mix that varies from drum and bass break beats to harder industrial metal-influenced pieces, with less in the way of the noisy drones.
Their third offering was the long awaited album "Fateless" which was released on May 2011 on Art Of Fact Records.

Once again Chris Peterson has managed to build a wall of pounding rhythms and angry noise industrial 

that expands on the sound of prior Decree releases while retaining the vision and sonic values 

that have earned the well deserved reputation as one of the heaviest bands in the industrial music genre.

Memory

Helga Pogatschar – Mars Requiem (1995)

 

Country: Germany

Tracklist

1. Mars 03:29
2. Introitus 05:34
3. Kyrie 05:59
4. Graduale 05:42
5. Tractus 06:12
6. Sequentia 06:14
7. Offertorium 08:05
8. Sanctus 07:43
9. Agnus Dei 07:05
10. Communio 06:30
11. Qohelet 03:01

Helga Pogatschar (born in 1966) is a German composer.
Her work covers a wide range of styles, from songs for piano and voice, radio plays, 
music for dance performances and theater projects combining contemporary music with electronics, 
video/computer graphic installations, music for children, commercial jingles and music that stands outside every genre.
She studied classical piano at the Munich Music University from 1986 till 1991.
Her education was followed by composition studies in classical and film/TV field.
She also spent two years as a guest student at the Studio for Electronic/Acoustic Music in Göteborg, Sweden.
While still a student, she saw the premiere of some of her works, like the music for the video-installation  
Lost In Space in 1992, a piece for two singers and electronics, 
where she worked with Ernst Horn, musician and composer of electro/darkwave band Deine Lakaien.
Afterwards she was a lecturer at the colleges of music in Munich and Hamburg.
She was awarded the project scholarship for contemporary music and media and the music award of the city of Munich.
In 1995 she released her first album, "Mars Requiem".
This album was constructed as a classical requiem with liturgical Latin texts, sung by five vocalists, 
and it mainly was generated on samplers using sometimes strange and threatening sounds.
This work gained her some attention in the music press and oddly enough proved to reach people of various genres, 
as Helga Pogatschar got well-known in the gothic circle and even was mentioned on play lists of death/black metal fanzines.
In parallel her works "Mars Requiem", "Titus Trash Tatar“ and "Inanna“ were published on CD by Chrom Records.

Memory

Opertum – Forbidden Anthems (1999)

Country: Greece

Tracklist

 1. Lamentations In Crystal Temples... 03:41
2. Forbidden Anthems 07:40
3. Mesmerised By Nocturnal Breeze 06:32
4. Chorus Of Undying Desires 09:25
5. ...For The Forsaking Of Celestial Realm 03:00

Opertum was an atmospheric death metal band from Greece.

Created in 1997 by Michael K. (drums/vocals), Tilemachos B. (guitars),  

George M. (bass/backing vocals) and Nick Z. (keyboards). 

In 1998 they released their 1st promo-demo tape "Beyond The Shades Of Mystery" 

that recorded, mixed and produced at "Ν studios".
In 1999 while the band was in the middle of the composition of their 1st CD "Forbidden Anthems"  

George M. replaced by bassist Lord Satha of Dark Embrace.

Also at that time guitarist Kyriakos S. joined the band adding more melody and finesse.  

Thomas B. (ex-Evade, ex-Exhumation) and Vasiliki A. were the new season vocalists, 

resulting to the completion of the ¨Forbidden Anthems" album 

that recorded mixed and produced in "Underground Sound studio" by Sotiris N. (ex-Sarissa, ex-Anxiety) and Opertum.

For this CD there were participations of guest musicians such as Lina (keyboards, ex-Rotting Flesh),  

Athameron (vocals, Culto Apokrypho, Dark Embrace) and Mimis T. (violin). 

Unfortunately this album didn't released. 

After this Opertum changed for one more time their composition and their style of music 

adding more atmosphere and theatrical elements.
Their last album, called "Red", was completed with Michael K. (drums), Tilemachos B. (guitars/vocals),  

Aris D. (bass) Nick Z. (keyboards) and Vasiliki A. (vocals). 

"Red" recorded, mixed and produced by Fotis D. and Opertum in 2002 at "Studio Mix". 

Just after this album the band stopped its activity 

because of the different directions that members followed exploring other styles of music and ideas.

Memory

Each Dawn I Die ‎– Notes From A Holy War (1995)

Country: Sweden

Tracklist

1. Talisman 09:24
2. Brethren Of A Dark Priesthood 12:58
3. Notes From A Holy War 05:09
4. Non Compos Mentis 10:00
5. Trader Of Life 21:34

Each Dawn I Die were Peter Nyström (Megaptera, Negru Voda and other projects) and Mårten Kellerman (Statemachine).

They released one album, "Notes From A Holy War" through the German label Dark Vinyl in 1993.
The album is taking inspiration from the witch trials of the 14th century and from the book "Talisman Of Death".
Dark orchestral pieces mixed with mid paced keyboard acoustic tunes with deep clean male vocals, 

movie samples and heavy bass kicks are the main ingredients that constitute the music of Each Dawn I Die.
A second more orchestral and medieval album entitled "Frozen Smiles On Faces Forgotten" 

was supposed to be released, also through Dark Vinyl, 
with Magnus Sundström (The Protagonist, Des Esseintes, Third Eye) replacing Peter Nyström but this never happened.
The original release packaging of  "Notes From A Holy War" incorrectly has the first two songs switched.

Memory

Xharathorn – Immemorial Atlantic Veneration (MCD 1996)

 

Country: Spain

Tracklist

1. Immemorial Atlantic Veneration 04:35
2. The Triumph That Will Give Birth To The Uprising Golden Era (The Ultimate Reign Rises) 03:40
3. Poderes 04:36
4. In Diabolical Posse I'm Carried By The Stellar Storms 02:31
5. The Unheard Dismal Cry Of A Self-Abnegated Monarch 05:36

Xharathorn was a Spanish black metal band that was formed in 1992.
Their line up was: Sir Lucimrev (vocals), Iblis Trismegisto (guitars) and Lovhazhon (drums, bass).
In 1994 they released a rehearsal promo tape with four tracks.

The next year Sir Lucimrev left the band and was replaced by Goab.
In 1995 Xharathorn offered a live performance which was recorded on audio and video.
From this gig came up their "Iberian Wrath" live demo which featured six tracks of violent unholy black metal.
In 1996 they spawn their last effort the "Immemorial Atlantic Veneration" MCD.
After this release the band split up.

Memory