Mazikeen
The Solace Of Death
Satanath Records
When you look at last four title tracks of this album you will see that these are cover songs of well known European black metal bands. Mazikeen itself comes from Australia. These songs are not exact versions of originals, they have little changes in arrangements and sound (it is the sound of this album, which is just different). Of course, you can recognize these classics easily by riffs that every maniac of black metal should know or at least have heard them once or twice in their life...My favourites of the four are Freezing Moon (Mayhem) which is the song that always gives me creeps and Transilvanian Hunger from other pioneer of raw black metal who is Dark Throne. The Mourning Palace is not as pumped as original of Dimmu Borgir (better budget) but keyboard orchestrations and bombastic atmosphere is very dark, by which this Mazikeen song is basically memorable. Back when DB released this composition, it sounded much more spectacular.
The Solace Of Death is a mixture of sounds of all these covered bands by Mazikeen, which even gave them original sound. I do not write it because Mazikeen made these covers, there is just that obscurity and an evil atmosphere in music of this band that strikes you from all directions. Mazikeen in tone is a total darkness - many other Australian bands that I heard have it too. When you have it like Mazikeen, the songs just sound better as they composed them around dark sensations, also they added various elements into songs that go beyond typical black metal, such as skilled, melodic guitar leads.
In track Apostate are ominous sounding keyboards, heavy pace, crushing guitar shreds, some fast tempos, mind blowing choirs and plenty of extremely harsh riffs.
Vexation Through The Golden Sun has sort of musical chapters. It`s speed black metal track spreading death and destruction. Acoustic guitars and melodic guitar solos in between make a nice musical contrasts. End of the song is majesty of chaos, as it is in many parts of this album also.
Another very harsh track with many orchestrations ala Dimmu is Fractricide.
Slower pace, groove, plenty of kick drums and different keyboard variations are in track Psychotic Reign which streams a cosmic chaos.
Two instrumental songs are Harrowing Cessation and MORS VINCIT OMNIA, the second one is particularly very well played on keys.
In Cerulean Last Night there are some riffs that remind infamous funeral march, and the song is just in depth, very dark and chaotic black metal with organ sound among other sound ideas added to the instrument. Vocals are harsh, just like in other songs.
Album has massive but little overpowered kick drums (fortunately not so loud, which is a good thing) that in my opinion have gone too far sometimes, beyond reasonable sense of what black metal is, which is drumming simplicity and organic sound. No, The Solace Of Death just sounds insane on drums at times, but not always – tom-tom drumming is more traditional black metal. Vocals on the album are roars of dying souls (you can only imagine), very much like early Mayhem, you can sense that there is something sinister in the air when you hear those haunting screams. I have to say that guitarists, drummer and singer (some songs also feature guest vocalists) play technical on the album few times, but music overall is more restrained and Mazikeen curves possibilities of black metal without super experimentations with music, at least not that much.
The Solace Of Death is a mixture of sounds of all these covered bands by Mazikeen, which even gave them original sound. I do not write it because Mazikeen made these covers, there is just that obscurity and an evil atmosphere in music of this band that strikes you from all directions. Mazikeen in tone is a total darkness - many other Australian bands that I heard have it too. When you have it like Mazikeen, the songs just sound better as they composed them around dark sensations, also they added various elements into songs that go beyond typical black metal, such as skilled, melodic guitar leads.
In track Apostate are ominous sounding keyboards, heavy pace, crushing guitar shreds, some fast tempos, mind blowing choirs and plenty of extremely harsh riffs.
Vexation Through The Golden Sun has sort of musical chapters. It`s speed black metal track spreading death and destruction. Acoustic guitars and melodic guitar solos in between make a nice musical contrasts. End of the song is majesty of chaos, as it is in many parts of this album also.
Another very harsh track with many orchestrations ala Dimmu is Fractricide.
Slower pace, groove, plenty of kick drums and different keyboard variations are in track Psychotic Reign which streams a cosmic chaos.
Two instrumental songs are Harrowing Cessation and MORS VINCIT OMNIA, the second one is particularly very well played on keys.
In Cerulean Last Night there are some riffs that remind infamous funeral march, and the song is just in depth, very dark and chaotic black metal with organ sound among other sound ideas added to the instrument. Vocals are harsh, just like in other songs.
Album has massive but little overpowered kick drums (fortunately not so loud, which is a good thing) that in my opinion have gone too far sometimes, beyond reasonable sense of what black metal is, which is drumming simplicity and organic sound. No, The Solace Of Death just sounds insane on drums at times, but not always – tom-tom drumming is more traditional black metal. Vocals on the album are roars of dying souls (you can only imagine), very much like early Mayhem, you can sense that there is something sinister in the air when you hear those haunting screams. I have to say that guitarists, drummer and singer (some songs also feature guest vocalists) play technical on the album few times, but music overall is more restrained and Mazikeen curves possibilities of black metal without super experimentations with music, at least not that much.
Tracklist:
1 The Solace of Death
2 Apostate
3 Vexation Through the Golden Sun
4 Fractricide
5 Psychotic Reign
6 Harrowing Cessation
7 Mors Vincit Omnia
8 Cerulean Last Night
9 Freezing Moon (Mayhem cover)
10 Night's Blood (Dissection cover)
11 The Mourning Palace (Dimmu Borgir cover)
12 Transilvanian Hunger (Darkthrone cover)
1 The Solace of Death
2 Apostate
3 Vexation Through the Golden Sun
4 Fractricide
5 Psychotic Reign
6 Harrowing Cessation
7 Mors Vincit Omnia
8 Cerulean Last Night
9 Freezing Moon (Mayhem cover)
10 Night's Blood (Dissection cover)
11 The Mourning Palace (Dimmu Borgir cover)
12 Transilvanian Hunger (Darkthrone cover)
Review by Slawek Migacz
Added: 09.01.2021
Added: 09.01.2021
