REVIEWS
Enorht Eht Nihtiw Si Taog Eht dt. I (1997)
Review : From the look of things, Black Metal is what I expected from Kratornas. Interestingly they end up more on the Death-Industrial side of the spectrum. Throughout the 9 tracks they weave an eerie keyboard sound (resembling a Transilvanian pipe organ, owling wind, among other creepy atmospheres) under splattered chunks of vacalized noise that sounds literally like a chainsaw. Slightly more than a glorified version of Black Funeral, there is some use of Black Metal guitars; for the most part they dwell in the same sonic mist as the noise elements, only breaking up the pattern with a squealing, improvised cluster of tuneless and frayed notes. While many of those things bleed into one another, those of you accustomed to Death-Industrial, Noise or Dark Experimental Music won't be bothered by it. Kratornas have more substance to offer within their evil craft than the norm, as a few tracks could pass for the soundtrack to an obscure horror film. The right mood and setting make this well worth owning, like on a chilly October night with a few open windows and a flickering candle in the room. My one major criticism is the fact that this demo is not marked with "SIDE A" or "SIDE B", thus once losing track of what side is what song titles lose their meaning. 89/100
Whereabouts : Milwaukee, USA
Author : Joe Headcrash
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Review : It is said to be non poser Black Metal. So I check it out. Well - the intro sounds pretty normal to me, a synth intro which seems to invoke silence and rest. I like its title and because of this title it reminds me very strong of a funeral mass in a Christian church. I can even picture the white and thin face of the dead person...
Then the first song bursts loose upon me with a typical demo-sound. Fast it is and melodic anyway, whatever the flyer may say - there's a synth playing a ritual tune in the background. But due to the mixing that synth isn't at all on the background but it's very present. The bad mixing makes the voice sound extremely black. The music is furious, I could say and sounds non-standard because of the bad mixing. So I wonder how this would be if prepoerly mixed and smooth... it's better this way, it's aggressive. A ritual of feasting orcs in the mines of Moria or Barrad-Dur.
Also in the next two songs the synth appears, the music is still fast, brutal and the voice seems to fit in wonderfully through the bad sound. Words are not to be caught in this hell of a sound. It goes on and on and does not change much. Fast and pounding and through a raging guitar solo leading on to an evil climax.
Then a long outrro starts with a piano like synths, solemn as evil spirits that come out at midnight to blaspheme the organ of the Christian church by playing their evil music on it. Just to show the Christians have no power over their church...
On the next side of the tape comes an intro, placed deep in the forest by midnight or midday - it wants to make you doze off and let green elfish creatures come out who want to snatch your soul... Lay yourself to sleep on the bottom of the stream nearby, it's warm, it's summer and a little cool water would do good - come dance with the elves! Hmm. That's certainly not what Kratornas intended when they made this song...
Then come three more black songs, monotone guitars and pounding (but for the bad production) drums and the inevitable synth in the "background". There's a hint of a superfast Summoning like music, that is, when Summoning still played Black Metal. But I like the solos on this tape, they make the music more fast, more raging and evil.
Final conclusion: The sound is bad; the music is good.
Whereabouts : Warmen, Netherlands
Author : Lady 'Lou' Elessar
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Review : Okay, this is the first band that I’ve ever heard from the Philippines. Now these guys play raw black metal with some very eerie synth layering. The production kind of fucks things up here and it makes it difficult to distinguish what is going on. The entire band sounds like a gigantic mass of feedback. I like the parts that are clear – mainly the keyboards; they are very moody and dark. I’d like to hear this band with a renewed and clearner production job as they remind me of early Bathory (only with synth!). The vox are harsh and screamy and with a weird echoey effect. I think Kratornas has the potential to be one sinister band! Let’s see what the future holds. Ten tracks total with titles like “Love of Evil” and “Crowned in Darkness”.
Whereabouts : Allentown, USA
Author : Lucy Poems
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Review : Black metal fara complezanta, dur, rupt in looping-uri rapide, ar putea fi eticheta acestui demo. Ar trebui insa mentionata si atmosfera halucinata, intunecata, mult mai captivanta in care se ascund clapele lui OBSCURTO. BRIAN ZAMORA & co. ne prezinta un material glacial si artificial, necomercial si interesant, insa mult prea umbrit in sunetal prost in care se incatuseaza. Riffurile sunt stranse si intinse intr-o uitata dementa; ritmurile de tobe sunt furibunde si fara o oarecare idée; clapele, mult prea metalice, ingropand diabolismul in care se desfasoara acest demo.
Whereabouts : Romania
Author : Prutescu
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Review : This is a one man band again from Brian Zamora and it’s chaotic, brutal and cryptic black metal in the old way. Makes me think of early Bathory, Profanatica style and I like this demo.
Whereabouts : Philadelphia, USA
Author : Dale Roy
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