'Bout time. Now let's get the rest of BTC here

Changed the release date from 16-09-2014 to 09-01-2015.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:18

Changed the release date from 16-09-2014 to 09-01-2015.

This was released last year on cassette. Admittedly an awful, terribly dubbed version which sounds quite inferior from the stuff on Bandcamp which went up last night (and presumably the vinyl release).

Written by Guest on 10.01.2015 at 11:17

'Bout time. Now let's get the rest of BTC here

Well, the founder of BTC should be on here, so rightly so that it has been added.
Great album btw.
Strange that the release date said 16-09-2014 when in fact it was only released yesterday (09-01-2015)

Written by Guest on 10.01.2015 at 13:20

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:18

Changed the release date from 16-09-2014 to 09-01-2015.

This was released last year on cassette. Admittedly an awful, terribly dubbed version which sounds quite inferior from the stuff on Bandcamp which went up last night (and presumably the vinyl release).

That was a kind of promo tape as far as I remember and not for sale.
The official release was yesterday on bandcamp, vinyl and also cd.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:22


That was a kind of promo tape as far as I remember and not for sale.
The official release was yesterday on bandcamp, vinyl and also cd.

This page has been up for a while http://crepusculonegro.storenvy.com/products/10294227-cn-26-volahn-aqabal

Written by Guest on 10.01.2015 at 13:24

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:22


That was a kind of promo tape as far as I remember and not for sale.
The official release was yesterday on bandcamp, vinyl and also cd.

This page has been up for a while http://crepusculonegro.storenvy.com/products/10294227-cn-26-volahn-aqabal

and there it says the official release of the cassette was on 09-01-2015

I just wanted to poast this link to it http://crepusculonegro.bandcamp.com/album/cn-26-aqabal

which is a different one than the link you just posted, which was to the store, I see now

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:26


and there it says the official release of the cassette was on 09-01-2015

I just wanted to poast this link to it http://crepusculonegro.bandcamp.com/album/cn-26-aqabal

I wouldn't put much stock in Bandcamp dates tbh. Before that one was up they had two separate pages for two songs they'd released which I'm pretty sure stated 2014, along with the page I linked to buy the cassette. The album also appeared on quite a few official site's end of year lists, like Cvlt Nation.

Written by Guest on 10.01.2015 at 13:31

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:26


and there it says the official release of the cassette was on 09-01-2015

I just wanted to poast this link to it http://crepusculonegro.bandcamp.com/album/cn-26-aqabal

I wouldn't put much stock in Bandcamp dates tbh. Before that one was up they had two separate pages for two songs they'd released which I'm pretty sure stated 2014, along with the the page I linked to buy the cassette. The album also appeared on quite a few official site's end of year lists, like Cvlt Nation.

That the cassette could be ordered, does not necessarily mean it will be shipped. It could have been a pre-order. which happens all the time with cassettes because that is usueally the way those little thingies get financed.
Popping up on end of year lists is also not weird since the promo of the album was already available halfway through November. I even called it "At the end of the year we get one of the very best black metal albums this year has to offer." I see now a brainfart on my part since the promo page had the following to see about it:


Volahn

Aq'ab'al

Iron Bonhead / The Ajna Offensive / Crepusculo Negro

Release: 9 January 2015

One of North America's most elite black metal entities - and founder of the mysterious, ever-churning Black Twilight Circle - VOLAHN returns with his second doctrine of native occult theology, Aq'ab'al. The Mayan calendar symbol for night entering dawn, Aq'ab'al symbolizes the earthly dark spaces & those within our own consciousness. The Maya value these places as both of spiritual and physical wealth. Aq'ab'al is the re-generating power of the still & the dark - the place of rebirth & transformation - as in "Be Still & Know that I am God." A Black Twilight journey to a sound portal opening towards the dawn of Mayan gods and the jaguar warrior-kings who sustained their will: Aq'ab'al proclaims the spirit of indigenous ritual through six tracks of cosmic black metal coming to an hour long. Recorded at Black Twilight Studio and mixed & mastered by Arthur Rizk at Solomon's Gate, VOLAHN's Aq'ab'al captures a professional recording immersed in metaphysical esoteric hysteria. As the hype & hysteria around the Black Twilight Circle and especially VOLAHN continues to grow, Aq'ab'al will be released on both CD and double-LP formats by Iron Bonehead (Europe/UK) and The Ajna Offensive, with Crepusculo Negro handling the traditional cassette release.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 10.01.2015 at 13:36


One of North America's most elite black metal entities - and founder of the mysterious, ever-churning Black Twilight Circle - VOLAHN returns with his second doctrine of native occult theology, Aq'ab'al. The Mayan calendar symbol for night entering dawn, Aq'ab'al symbolizes the earthly dark spaces & those within our own consciousness. The Maya value these places as both of spiritual and physical wealth. Aq'ab'al is the re-generating power of the still & the dark - the place of rebirth & transformation - as in "Be Still & Know that I am God." A Black Twilight journey to a sound portal opening towards the dawn of Mayan gods and the jaguar warrior-kings who sustained their will: Aq'ab'al proclaims the spirit of indigenous ritual through six tracks of cosmic black metal coming to an hour long. Recorded at Black Twilight Studio and mixed & mastered by Arthur Rizk at Solomon's Gate, VOLAHN's Aq'ab'al captures a professional recording immersed in metaphysical esoteric hysteria. As the hype & hysteria around the Black Twilight Circle and especially VOLAHN continues to grow, Aq'ab'al will be released on both CD and double-LP formats by Iron Bonehead (Europe/UK) and The Ajna Offensive, with Crepusculo Negro handling the traditional cassette release.

That makes me wonder if the new Arizmenda was officially released last year then, as they came out the same time supposedly.

Eh, this album lost its shine rather quickly. I still enjoy a few parts of it, but overall it doesn't have enough interesting content for me to call it anything above average.

This record is truly astonishing. It's a total kaleidoscope of psychedelic jams, galloping rhythm sections and euphoric soloing, as well as ending (some of) the tracks with really nice instrumental "ethnic" music of sorts. Nice, and subtle, use of keyboards too. Can't comprehend how he constructed this. It works almost too well to be improv, but at the same time that's what it feels like. I hope more black metal goes more this way, instead of aping the whole sterile, modern, hey look it's dissonance aren't we clever, kind of thing which is getting a bit old hat now. Amazing stuff.

Written by Alex F on 18.01.2015 at 00:34

Eh, this album lost its shine rather quickly. I still enjoy a few parts of it, but overall it doesn't have enough interesting content for me to call it anything above average.

you clearly need a new set of ears.

Written by Guest on 20.01.2015 at 16:18

I hope more black metal goes more this way

Yeah, this kind of opens up new doors for black metal. Which is always nice.

Written by Zap on 20.01.2015 at 19:28

Yeah, this kind of opens up new doors for black metal. Which is always nice.

Opens up doors whilst still keeping a nod to the past in the DIY, lo-fi sense of black metal.

Written by Guest on 20.01.2015 at 19:30

Opens up doors whilst still keeping a nod to the past in the DIY, lo-fi sense of black metal.

Opens up new doors while leaving old ones ajar

Written by Zap on 20.01.2015 at 19:34

Opens up new doors while leaving old ones ajar

Yeah you gotta leave a few doors open or you'll have smelly black metallers stinking up the place.

Written by Guest on 20.01.2015 at 19:37

Yeah you gotta leave a few doors open or you'll have smelly black metallers stinking up the place.

And maybe smash in a window or two.

I just had to nine this. The original 8 I gave wasn't paying enough respect to the sheer brilliance of this record.

The melodies and guitar tone remind me of early Taake. For me, that's a compliment. I'll be giving this some extra time. How come there is nowhere on the bandcamp page to purchase the album?

So this just sounds like a more spastic Absu with a bit more Scandinavian influence. Frankly, I got bored as fuck halfway though the first song though it got worse as the hilariously shoehorned 'ethnic' parts are soooooo dull. Put in some spanish guitar, give it some windpipes, slap it in the ass and call it Mayan. Honestly, the album would have been better without them but then I guess it wouldn't be a 'unique Mayan experience'.

Future of black metal? P. L. E. A. S. E.

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 03:20

Future of black metal? P. L. E. A. S. E.

Congratulations on disproving your point a grand total of six times. That's gotta be a new record somewhere.

...And Absu? Seriously? That's almost as meme-worthy as comparing it to Botch.

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 05:32

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 03:20

Future of black metal? P. L. E. A. S. E.

Congratulations on disproving your point a grand total of six times. That's gotta be a new record somewhere.

...And Absu? Seriously? That's almost as meme-worthy as comparing it to Botch.

If you say so.

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 07:03
If you say so.

I fail to hear any Absu (with due respect but LOL) or any scandinavian influenced either. I'm cool if you don't like it, but please.... If you actually know other stuff that sounds like this and is not from BTC collective then please tell me as I've never heard BM that is based on actual improv with near constant psychedelia and isn't based on too much dissonance.

I barely mentioned the acoustic interludes because they sure as hell are not a big part of the album, at least we agree on something.

You people really like to twist my words. I'm not saying that this is an Absu clone. It has a lot of influences from a shit load of bands (I heard stuff from Taake to Peste Noire in this) and I feel that Absu was the biggest one in that a good number of the riff patterns seem like they are taken from their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums (even more so since I literally listened to those albums a few weeks ago).

Again, I'm not saying that its an Absu clone, there are a lot of bands in the pot here and I'm willing to say that the music is unique in its own way. Doesn't mean its good though

But if you're willing to believe that this album is completely without any outside influence, then be my guest.

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 08:29
But if you're willing to believe that this album is completely without any outside influence, then be my guest.

1) I wasn't twisting your words or being arrogant towards you. I wont speak from Lit. So don't act the same way towards me. I was NOT twisting your words as I can read perfectly fine.
2) If I ask, it's because I want to know WHERE those influences lie. Honestly, the more bands you name the more confused I am. It's not the first time someone mentions Taake. Again, I have no idea, therefore curiosity, where that came from. Peste Noire? Even less to be honest, Peste Noire's sense of avantgarde and structure-sense of glewing different genres can't be found here as the sound here is too homogenous. Can't see the sense of thrashing riffing and death influences from Absu either. The entire scandinavian scene hasn't evolved a lot and the structures of songs are too solid and traditional to be similar in anyway of the improvisations and jams done here.

I like entertaining discussion (read: not fighting), not someone that just looks the other way and says "if you say so" or "be my guest"... But sure, if you dont want to continue and act bitchy to someone with honest interest to know another perspective... "be my guest".

Written by X-Ray Rod on 20.02.2015 at 13:36

2) If I ask, it's because I want to know WHERE those influences lie. Honestly, the more bands you name the more confused I am. It's not the first time someone mentions Taake. Again, I have no idea, therefore curiosity, where that came from. Peste Noire? Even less to be honest, Peste Noire's sense of avantgarde and structure-sense of glewing different genres can't be found here as the sound here is too homogenous. Can't see the sense of thrashing riffing and death influences from Absu either. The entire scandinavian scene hasn't evolved a lot and the structures of songs are too solid and traditional to be similar in anyway of the improvisations and jams done here.

I'm not talking about the overall structure of the album reminds me of those bands. I'm personally referring to specific riffs which is the main thing I listen to in metal albums. I do admit that the main thing that set off my Absu bells was the beginning but there were more than a few times where I went "I think I heard that before" and the album that popped into mind was one of the classic Absu albums. Hell, I would even go so far as to recommend this to any fans of Absu. The Taake and Peste influences are faint and are mainly due to a few riff patterns that I heard that would not look out of place in one of those band's albums

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 19:07
I'm not talking about the overall structure of the album reminds me of those bands. I'm personally referring to specific riffs which is the main thing I listen to in metal albums. I do admit that the main thing that set off my Absu bells was the beginning but there were more than a few times where I went "I think I heard that before" and the album that popped into mind was one of the classic Absu albums. Hell, I would even go so far as to recommend this to any fans of Absu. The Taake and Peste influences are faint and are mainly due to a few riff patterns that I heard that would not look out of place in one of those band's albums

I see your point, dude. Find it valid enough.
Hey, if I was a bit too harsh, my apologies. All my comments were in good blood. So yeah, cheers and stuff.

Written by X-Ray Rod on 20.02.2015 at 21:45

I see your point, dude. Find it valid enough.
Hey, if I was a bit too harsh, my apologies. All my comments were in good blood. So yeah, cheers and stuff.

Its cool. Lit got me a bit worked up and I kinda lashed out on you.

Written by Guest on 20.02.2015 at 22:26
I kinda lashed out on you.

I usually don't mind that... But only for bedroom times.