V/A: Spiritual Sounds For Artsakh Release year: 2021Label: Steinklang Industries A bit of background to begin with, to better understand the nature of this two-disc compilation release. Artsakh is a region between Armenia and Azerbaidjan, which has been contested for … Continue reading Spiritual support for Artsakh
CARVED IN STONE: Wafts Of Mist & The Forgotten Belief Release year: 2021Label: Schwarzdorn Production A long, long time ago, back when I was working with my first webzine, I received for review a compilation called In Wüsten Lohe by … Continue reading Of mist and a belief carved in stone
DIE WEISSE ROSE: White Roses In Bloom In Kyiv Release year: 2015/2021Label: Old Captain Originally released in 2015, White Roses In Bloom In Kyiv is Danish Die Weisse Rose’s third live album – with only one studio full-length to their … Continue reading Our martyrium of white roses
The history of Europe is a history of war. Throughout the centuries, men have waged war, fought valiantly – and died. Some are remembered in song and story, but most are cast aside by history. This history of violence and … Continue reading Ignoto Militi: remembering the fallen
KAELTE: Lieblingslieder Release year: 2021Label: self-released You can hardly be faulted for asking “Kaelte who?” – this German neofolk act aren’t household names even in the neofolk scene. I don’t have any recollection of how I first discovered them, but … Continue reading Kaelte revitalizing the old
PYHÄ KUOLEMA: Uusi panssaroitu Suomi Release year: 2021Label: Anima Arctica Whilst there is neofolk from elsewhere too, in many ways the genre is a very European phenomenon. As a genre, it has always been tied to tradition, history and the … Continue reading A holy death and an armoured Finland
IGNOTO MILITI: Presente Release year: 2020Label: self-released Martial industrial is a genre that forever lurks somewhere in the distance, beyond “regular” industrial and neofolk, the two genres it is most closely related to. Even the more illustrious names of the … Continue reading Unknown Italian Soldiers
DARKWOOD: Twilight Garden Release year: 2020Label: HeidenVolk There are only a precious few neofolk acts in the world who’ve managed to truly break out from the decidedly esoteric confines of the genre – apart from the old guard of Death … Continue reading Twilight Darkwoods
ULVER: Trolsk Sortmetall 1993-1997 Year: 2014/2019Label: Century Media Records Ulver are certainly one of those artists who should need no introduction to any extreme metal fan. Though their time as a black metal band was limited and yielded only a … Continue reading The bewitching black metal of Ulver
So, Only Death Is Real has witnessed the first year-end, and it is time to jot down some thoughts as summary for 2019 and a plan of action of sorts for 2020. The site was created in mid-May, and since … Continue reading A year in summation: 2019
