27th part of short reviews.
ASGRAUW – Gronspech
Year of release: 2018
Label: Hidden Marly Production (CD) / Heidens Hart Records (vinyl)
Rating: 6,7 / 10
Tolerable Dutch metal with a slant to the local dark folklore. It has a recognizable germanic melody and atmosphere, although sometimes it turns into something very similar to Ukrainian projects like ZGARD. The press release tries to fool us with the words about Black Metal and a tribute to the 90's, so you already understand how many patterned riffs there are. And of course it has nothing to do with Black Metal. But in general, the album can be listened to, although this is still quite a local thing that probably could be fully understood only by the inhabitants of it's region of origin.
DICTATOR – Dysangelist
Year of release: 2008 / 2019 (this release)
Label: Aesthetic Death
Rating: 7 / 10
The only album of one of the many projects of the Cyprus madman, originally released in 2008. Blackest funeral doom with moderately dosed dark ambient and noise elements. For the fans of XASTHUR and NORTT. Very good and very mournful.
MESLAMTAEA – Niets en niemendal
Year of release: 2019
Label: Heidens Hart Records
Rating: 5,5 / 10
The project of ASGRAUW members that sounds about the same, only poorer in every sense. The press release is trying to mislead with the phrases about “unorthodox Black Metal" " (ha ha), music in the vein of ULVER, ALCEST and MOURNFUL CONGREGATION, avant-garde toches and post-apocalyptic conception. But this is all lies, except the words about concept. This is just a rather uncertain and unmemorable melodic chewing gum, which you can safely ignore. The best thing about this release is the design from Maya from BLACKDEATH.
OCULUM DEI – Dreams of Desire and Torment
Year of release: 2019
Label: self-release
Rating: 2,5 / 10
Such releases seem to be released solely in order to make people laugh. I am far from blind hatred for the United States, characteristic of many others, but this is typical atheistic American wannabe-garbage, which, in addition, is morally obsolete for 15 years. A bunch of fools with painted faces, proudly calling themselves "American Blackmetal", embodies all the clowns' clichés of metal scene: a lot of idiotic pretentious photos with every trash they can get in their hands, a half-naked sexy nun on the cover, an instagram with photos of attention whores in cheap merchandise (subscribe to our YouTube channel! buy our T-shirt!), many, many stupid words about Satan , Evil, Darkness, etc., and above all - a cramped and extremely flat mixture of melodious death scraps with a weary tremolo, which, like, is obliged to instantly explain the band's claims on Black Metal. The final nail is unbearably lousy vocals. t seems that in California there is no ban on carrying weapons, so I do not understand why this bawler has not yet been shot. The worst thing is that the band sincerely believes in their music, since they invested some money in the promo campaign. Although they could just send their stuff to More Hate productions where it would be welcomed with open arms. Avoid at all costs.
RIGOR SARDONICOUS – Ridenti Mortuus
Year of release: 2018
Label: self-release
Rating: 5,5 / 10
The American group RIGOR SARDONICOUS is well known to all owners of underground distros. Although it is one of the oldest in the genre of funeral death doom metal, it is difficult to call it a breakthrough or especially popular one. The specific sound of the group doesn't serve well to increase the number of fans. This is an extremely primitive metal, deliberately working in the range where you no longer understand if it was originally conceived or the musicians simply cannot do better. The “Ridenti Mortuus” EP is a collection of very slow, primitive, sticky chords recorded using simplest hardware. In fact, it is an unkempt gray block of the funeral doom, and that's all. I'm not sure that those killed in the First World War, to whom the EP is dedicated, are so flattered by this release, but if the group intended to convey the ruthless coldness of war, then it successfully coped with the task. “Robotic” vocals and a small arrhythmia give the music a bit of a twist. It is recommended to fans of projects like FLEGETHON, but I'll take my leave right now.
English (UK) 
Крыўская