(By Stéphane Froidcoeur for Inferno Sound Diaries/Side-Line Reviews) 2022 has been once again a sad, bloody and terrible year. Living in a mad world music once more remains a true therapy to appease pain and frustration. Concerts and festivals came back; the perfect place to meet friends again. Artists remain prolific releasing great studio work. So I’m once more closing the year by a personal selection of my very own ‘best of’-albums of the year.

Over 700 productions have been selected while 540  reviews have been made all over the year. Some productions have been refused because the style of music didn’t fit, while other reviews will be postponed to 2023. I’m really grateful to all labels, bands and promoters considering my work and efforts and I hope you’ll go on providing me new promos next year.

I one again have to express my deepest gratitude to Rich Bova (NEIKKA RPM) who for years and years now is reading, correcting and improving my reviews. Without Rich there would be no reviews. I also want to thank Bernard Van Isacker – chief redactor Side-Line Music Magazine – for the successful collaboration. 

Up now to 2023. I already reduced my activities this year and will move on reducing it in 2023. I made my first reviews and interviews back in 1991 (!). Some of the readers and artists weren’t even born when I wrote my first review for Side-Line. So after more than 30 years non-stop activities I think it’s not that strange to move on slowly.

I also want to express a big ‘F*** you’ to so-called ‘artists’ and label owners who don’t realise and appreciate the work I’m doing by making reviews and preparing interviews to get them in the spotlights. The attitude and less of respect shown by those people – luckily a very few number – is just unacceptable… but I’m afraid it reflects the world we’re living in… Behind a genius artist is not always hiding a great person… It’s quite strange to realise the ’biggest’- and long-time established artists from this scene often are the most accessible ones.

Writing reviews remains very ‘subjective’ and always a source of discussion, but keep in mind it will be always the perception of the reviewer. I can assure you I’m always trying to argue my reviews the best as possible. A review will be never objective, but has to be honest!

Like every year I’ve made a selection from the best albums of the year. This ‘TOP 25’ covers different styles like EBM, Dark-Electro, IDM, Synth-Pop, Ethereal, Dark-Ambient, Industrial, Cinematographic, Gothic, Post-Punk, Cold/Dark-Wave, Dark-Techno and a few related genres. It remains an exciting but tough exercise.

This ‘TOP 25’ is taken from the promotional material I got while compilations, ‘best of’-productions, EP’s and singles were not considered.

So, here’s my ‘TOP 25’ from 2022 and don’t forget to share it with your friends….

Top 25 albums 2022

1. IVARDENSPHERE: “Ragemaker” – Metropolis Records
2. DIE ROBO SAPIENS : “Robo Sapien Race” – Alfa Matrix
3. EBE04 : “Inrush – Give/Take
4. CALDON GLOVER: “Labyrintia” – Cyclic Law
5. ROME: “Hegemonikon” – Trisol
6. NEIKKA RPM: “Scorpio In The Hourglass – Alfa Matrix
7. VANGUARD: “Spectrum” – Infacted Recordings
8. SUICIDE COMMANDO: “Goddestructor” – Out Of Line
9. ELM: “Penetrator” – Alfa Matrix
10. OBERER TOTPUNKT: “Totentanz” – Danse Macabre Records
11. THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE: “Fascination” – Metropolis Records
12. BLACKBOOK: “Confessions Of The Innocent” – DarkTunes Music Group
13. BEYOND THE GHOST: “Sundown” – Cryo Chamber
14. THEN COMES SILENCE: “Hunger” – Metropolis Records
15. PRINCIPE VALLIENTE: “Barricades” – Metropolis Records
16. DAWN OF ASHES: “Scars Of The Broken” – Artoffact Records
17. MONSTERGOD: “Ozymandias” – Space Race Records
18. STATIQBLOOM: “Threat” – Sonic Groove Records
19. AXIOME: “Field Guide To Alien Planets And Other Disco Balls – Audiophob
20. REICHSFEIND: “Darken” – Alfa Matrix
21. FIRST AID 4 SOULS: “I Am The Night” – Alfa Matrix
22. ORDO ROSARIUS EQUILIBRIO: “Nihilist Notes And The Perputual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing” – Out Of Line
23. KILL SHELTER: “Asylum” – Manic Depression Records / Metropolis Records
24. JAGATH: “Svapna” – Cold Spring Records
25. KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND: “Voodoo” – Shyrec

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Gothic, Ethereal, Dark-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Vaselyne is a Dutch duo driven by Yvette Winkler and Frank Weyzig (known from Born For Bliss and formerly involved with Clan Of Xymox). Nine years after the debut-album “The Fire Within” -released on Echozone, the duo strikes back after having released a few EP’s.

Content: In between the intro- and outro cut you’ll discover a sonic universe touched by grace and delicacy. A melancholic composition mixing Gothic, Ethereal and Dark-Wave. Electronics, guitar and acoustic instruments have been merged together while Yvette’s timbre of voice emerges at the top of the work. Frank is singing as well on several songs. Notice by the way the album also features cover versions from Tori Amos,PJ Harveyand Oceansize.

+ + + : I like the authenticity of the production, which is mainly due to the magic of piano-, violin- and guitar sounds. The work reflects maturity and refinement. The absolute highlight is “Forever After”, which reminds me a bit of the particular, graceful and sensual sphere created by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. And Vaselyne didn’t spare any effort and asked John Fryer to join in for a cool mix of “Down”.

– – – : I experienced the debut songs as a bit hesitant so you better remain patient to discover the beauty of this work. I’m missing an absolute hit.

Conclusion: Sadness and melancholia have been transposed into an artistic creation called “The Sea Says”.

Best songs: “Forever After”, “Down”, “Surrender”, “One Day All This Could Be Yours”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.vaselyne.com / www.facebook.com/vaselynemusic

Label: www.facebook.com/copint Read the news on ‘The Sea Says’.

About Vaselyne

Vaselyne is a Dutch duo formed by Yvette Winkler, also known from John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise project, and Frank Weyzig, formerly of Clan Of Xymox. The duo signed to COP International on the recommendation of John Fryer, who had worked with Winkler on a Black Needle Noise release. Debut album “The Fire Within” was released on Echozone. Three EPs followed: “Winter” (a Tori Amos cover), “Here To Begin” and “Shame” (a PJ Harvey cover), the latter released in 2023 as part of the “Under Your Skin” EP. Second album “The Sea Says” holds 13 tracks including covers of Tori Amos, PJ Harvey and Oceansize, with guest vocals from Lynette Cerezo, Michael Aliani and Searmanas, string arrangements by Einar Ihle, flute by Rina Vervoort, and production on “Down” by John Fryer.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Neo-Folk, Chanson, Martial, Cinematic, Experimental.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.

Background/Info: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio has been active for more than twenty years now. They don’t release a new album a year, but take their time to achieve their productions. This work comes three years after, according to me, the best work ever of the band “Let’s Play [Two Girls & A Goat]”. The opus is available in different formats.

Out Of Line issued the album as a CD digipak, on cassette and as a wooden box set limited to 444 copies that adds the album on 10″ vinyl and five collector’s coins, as reported in Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio offer new ‘Nihilist Notes’ album as CD and boxset. The album followed the four-track mini-album “La Fleur du Mal”, released in March 2022.

Content: The work takes off with an impressive intro while there also is a kind of outro song. In between both you’ll discover 11 songs driven by bombast and orchestral arrangements. ORE has seriously boosted the production by omnipresent, heavy, percussion parts. The global atmosphere hanging over the songs is dark and sad. Choruses often have an elevating effect which is more reminding me of the past few albums. On top of it all you’ll hear the charismatic voice of Tomas Pettersson while Rose-Marie Larsen is still there to inject a feminine and sensual touch as backing vocalist.

+ + + : One thing is for sure ORE don’t repeat themselves and that’s rather a good thing as it might have been difficult to improve the masterpiece “Let’s Play [Two Girls & A Goat]”. This work sounds as a mix of early stuff together with the dark, sensible and melodic late productions. The percussion never has been that orchestral and that’s probably also due to Sal-Ocin (Empusae) who became a member of the band. This work is filled with darkness and drama. It’s a perverted mix of sensible passages, erotism, nihilistic atmospheres and total despair. The work reveals uplifting passages but here again the main feeling remains dark and depressed.

– – – : It was a true challenge striking back after their previous album. ORE did successfully although this work never reaches a same, qualitative, level. The songs are even a bit predictable after a while.

Conclusion: Ordo Rosarius Equilibro remains to me one of the most artistic projects from the dark scene. A band with its own sound and unique approach we can only salute and respect.

Best songs: “In The Skies That Burn There’s No Refuge 4 Man”, “Of All The Pearls We Cast To Swine”, “The Sins That I Did, And All The Sin I’ll Ever Do”, “
I Remember, The Perpetual Search For The Meaning In Nothing”, “I Set Fire To Cathedrals, With The Flame Inside My Heart”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/ordorosariusequilibrio

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is a neofolk and martial industrial project from Stockholm, Sweden. Tomas Pettersson started it in 1993 as Ordo Equilibrio, after ending his previous band Archon Satani, together with Chelsea Krook. Cold Meat Industry released “Reaping the Fallen, The First Harvest” in 1995, “The Triumph of Light…. and Thy Thirteen Shadows of Love” in 1997, the “I4I” 7″ in 1997 and “Conquest, Love & Self Perseverance” in 1998.

Rose-Marie Larsen replaced Krook on backing vocals in 2001 and the name changed to Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. Cold Meat Industry issued “Make Love, And War; The Wedlock of Roses” and “Make Love, And War; The Wedlock of Equilibrium” in 2001, “Cocktails, Carnage, Crucifixion And Pornography” in 2003, the split with Spiritual Front “Satyriasis – Somewhere Between Equilibrium And Nihilism” in 2005, “Apocalips” in 2006 and “O N A N I [Practice Makes Perfect]” in 2009. Raubbau released the 10″ “Four” in 2007. Fredrik Leijström and Ronnie Bäck joined on bass and guitar in 2008.

The band signed to Out Of Line in 2010, following the demise of Cold Meat Industry. The label released “Do Angels Never Cry, And Heaven Never Fall?” and “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion” in 2010, “4Play” in 2013, “Vision: Libertine – The Hangman’s Triad” in 2016 and “Let’s Play (two girls and a goat)” in 2019. Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe, who records as Empusae, is listed among the current members alongside Pettersson, Larsen and Leijström. Pettersson discussed the previous album at length in the ‘Click Interview’ with Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio.

“Nihilist Notes (And The Perpetual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing)” is the fourth Out Of Line full-length by the band and its first new album since 2019.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Neo-Folk, Chanson, Dark-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: About three years after their last full length masterpiece “Let’s Play (Two Girls & A Goat)” Swedish formation Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio are back on track. The title “La Fleur Du Mal” clearly is a wink to the famous poems of Charles Baudelaire.

Content: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio moves on from where the previous works stopped. They moved on, creating a perfect twist between their Neo-Folk & Dark-Pop sound on one side and their dark, provocative & sensual poetry on the other side. The sphere is sometimes a bit hostile but always holding on to a kind of evasive feeling. Bombastic- and refined arrangements are in perfect harmony with Tomas Pettersson’s deep timbre of voice.

+ + + : The opening song “In The Name Of The Sun, My Father And The Spirit” is a new masterpiece. Dark sensuality emerging from the composition creates a true symbiosis with the poetry of the lyrics. The next cut “No Time Like The Present – La Fleur Du Mal” sounds darker and even more intimidating but also uplifting. Different feelings are emerging when listening to this music but fascination always remains. These 4 cuts are a perfect teaser to the new album.

– – – : It’s all about personal taste but to me the best cuts are right in the beginning so after having heard the outstanding opener there’s no similar climax coming up.

Conclusion: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is a true artistic creation in the purest sense of the word and this EP is much more than simply an appetizer for the next work.

Best songs: “In The Name Of The Sun, My Father And The Spirit”, “No Time Like The Present – La Fleur Du Mal”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: https://ordo-rosarius-equilibrio.net / www.facebook.com/ordorosariusequilibrio

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, often shortened to ORE, is a neofolk and martial industrial group from Stockholm. Tomas Pettersson started it in 1993 after his previous band Archon Satani ended, working at first under the name Ordo Equilibrio with his then-partner Chelsea Krook. Rose-Marie Larsen replaced Krook on backing vocals in 2001, and the word Rosarius was added to the name at that point. Fredrik Leijström and Ronnie Bäck joined on bass and guitar in 2008.

As Ordo Equilibrio the group released “Reaping the Fallen, The First Harvest” in 1995, “The Triumph of Light…. and Thy Thirteen Shadows of Love” and the “I4I” 7” in 1997, and “Conquest, Love & Self Perseverance” in 1998, all on Cold Meat Industry. Under the extended name came “Make Love, And War; The Wedlock of Roses” and “Make Love, And War; The Wedlock of Equilibrium” in 2001, “Cocktails, Carnage, Crucifixion And Pornography” in 2003, the Spiritual Front split “Satyriasis” in 2005, “Apocalips” in 2006, the “Four” 10” on Raubbau in 2007 and “O N A N I [Practice Makes Perfect]” in 2009.

The group moved to Out Of Line in 2010 with “Do Angels Never Cry, And Heaven Never Fall?” and “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion”, followed by the “4Play” EP in 2013, “Vision: Libertine – The Hangman’s Triad” in 2016 and “Let’s Play (two girls and a goat)” in 2019. The “La Fleur Du Mal” EP precedes the album “Nihilist Notes (And The Perpetual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing)”, also issued in 2022.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio release their new album “Nihilist Notes” today and now also share the new single “I remember, the perpetual Search for the Meaning in Nothing”, which follows the 4-track mini-album “La Fleur du Mal” released in March.

“Nihilist Notes (And the Perpetual Quest 4 Meaning in Nothing)” is the fourth full-length album by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio on the German label Out Of Line to which they signed in 2010 following the demise of Swedish cult label Cold Meat Industry.

“Nihilist Notes” is released today as CD Digipak and on cassette (in red incl. a pencil), and as a deluxe wooden box set, strictly limited to 444 pieces, which, in addition to the CD, also exclusively includes the album on 10″ vinyl and 5 collector’s coins with a noble case.

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio explains the album’s concept: “In a world where the idea of hero and tyrant never has been more urgent. In a world where disinformation has become the new gospel. In times where the concept of good and evil is colored by crayons in various shades of grey. Nihilist Notes kindles the last fires of hope and takes us on a perpetual quest 4 meaning in nothing.”

Here’s the new single.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

“Nihilist Notes (And the Perpetual Quest 4 Meaning in Nothing)” is the 4th full length album by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio on Out of Line to which they signed in 2010, following the demise of the Swedish cult label Cold Meat Industry. The release will be out on May 20th.

Preceded by the super limited and immediately sold-out 4 track mini album “La Fleur du Mal” in March, “Nihilist Notes” appears to move away from the more melodic aspects of the full length album “Let’s Play [Two Girls & a Goat]” from 2019 with a sound that is more martial than folk.

Next to the 13-track digipak there is also a super deluxe wooden boxset, strictly limited to 444 pieces, which, in addition to the CD, also exclusively includes the album on double 10″ vinyl and 5 collector’s coins with a noble case.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe better known as ‘Sal-Ocin’ and involved with his solo-project Empusae for more than 20 years now, released by the end of 2019 his newest album “Iter In Tenebris”. The album is a new conceptual work around four demons, but still the exorcism of personal demons. The Belgian artist probably released his most personal-, but for sure his darkest- and most accomplished album to date. Released by Consouling Sounds, the four tracks bring together elements of dark-ambient, industrial- and epic music with a solid cinematic touch on top. “Iter In Tenebris” is a truly masterpiece, which also became one of the best releases from the past year.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Iter In Tenebris” is not only a dark title for an album, but it probably also is your darkest work to date! Introduced as the continuation of an exorcism, each track seems to deal about a demon. Tell us a bit more about the concept and in, which way this concept has to be understood as a metaphor of personal demons?

Sal-Ocin: I discovered, after finishing my previous album “Lueur” that I’m using Empusae as personal therapy. I think it has always been like that since the start, more than two decades ago, but I only realized it with “Lueur”. I needed to make that album to help me cope with my inevitable coming blindness. And it helped. So yes, “Iter In Tenebris” is in a way the continuation of it, but even more deliberately to confront some of my personal demons. The concept though, is that each demon can be interpreted and linked in a very personal way. The music has its own power to the listener, a musical illustration of inner demons. The inspiration came from deep down the abyss, I decided to give the compositions a certain name, but don’t let the name mislead you; each song has a link to your own demons. It’s up to the listener to find out which one. Hopefully with the same therapeutic effect. So listen at your own risk…

Q: When I saw the title of the album I immediately linked it to your visual handicap, which you’ve been talking about in different posts. What can you say about it right now and how do you see things evolving as the person you are and your artistic creation?

Sal-Ocin: Like I said earlier, my eye disease greatly influences my latest work, but not exclusively. I’ve been diagnosed about 5 years ago, the impact (in my everyday life) gets stronger every year. This year, I had to quit my job as a caretaker due to my handicap, which was extremely painful to decide, with a huge negative impact as result. At the moment I’m still trying to recover from it as well as trying to find a new professional direction. But it’s not easy, as my eye sight continues to degrade, which makes this quest very difficult.

As for my artistic activities, I didn’t gave up concerts so far (with Empusae as well as playing drums with Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio and Triarii). The people I work with are aware of my handicap and are very supportive, which enables me to continue. It’s not easy, but I really don’t want to give this up.

As for my studio work, with some small modifications and adaptations in my home studio, I can still compose nearly the same way as I used to. And I don’t plan ever to stop this, even if I’m completely blind, I’ll always find a way to produce music.

Q: Back to “Iter In Tenebris”, which I also experienced as your most elaborated and accomplished work to date. I always feel something authentic and intimate running through your music, but this album feels like the ‘opus magnum’! Can you tell us the different stages you’d to go through to achieve this work and what kind of work did you finally tried to compose?

Sal-Ocin: Thank you. I really enjoyed working on this album, as it had a different conceptual approach. Each song was inspired by a certain personal demon as starting point.

For the more practical part, I started sampling old 78rpm records from the early 1900’ I inherited from a relative. I used these recording as a starting point for each song by deforming them, manipulating the sound and structures, to be able to invoke the demons. I guess you could see those old records as the medium between the demons and myself.

The rest of the music was composed around those recordings. I used various different techniques and instruments, much less electronics/software compared to the albums I released on HANDS or Ant-Zen. So those old Century-old records combined with my voice (which I started using since “Lueur”) as well as many unorthodox home-made instruments, were a big challenge for me to make it sound like I desired. Luckily I was aided by Marc T. (with who I collaborated on the “Deugden Van Angst En Het Kwaad”), known from his projects Dirge and Dither, who did a wonderful job with mixing and mastering the album, as well as some added guitars on one song.

Q: I get the impression your work is progressively becoming more epic/orchestral in the arrangements, which I think is totally appropriated to the title of this album and the vision of darkness. But how do you perceive your own evolution as musician and possible influences/interactions in your work with all the other projects you’re involved with?

Sal-Ocin: The evolution of Empusae does not happen deliberately, it just happens. It is true that it has become more epic and orchestral. I have more experience, possibilities and resources than 20 years ago to achieve this kind of sound, but is was always on my head nevertheless. I guess projects I was involved in (Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Triarii, In Slaughter Natives) within the last decade, probably had an impact on that. Those projects are completely different from my solo-project and except for Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, I’m only involved for concerts. But since they were my musical idols decades ago, they already influenced me back then, so being close to them now as friends, probably amplified it. Same for my other projects such as Tzolk’in, Onus and collaborations with artist like Marc T., Nick Grey, Lamia Vox, Sieben, etc… all these joint artistic experiences are influential for Empusae.

Q: “Iter In Tenebris” is much more than simply an album! You again collaborated with your partner Christel Morvan who realized a visual work for each of the songs. The visual side of the work is only accessible through an application on your smartphone, which is a kind of premiere in this scene. How did you get this idea and what’s the idea behind? And how did this new collaboration took place?

Sal-Ocin: The idea came from Christel. We’ve been working together for several years now. She has become the visual representation of Empusae. We had the idea of one illustration for each demon, she found a way to put the demons to life trough the technology of Augmented Reality. She worked with the company (EyeJack) which developed this in the past, so this was the perfect occasion to work together again for this project. The concept of amplifying the music with visuals has always been our concern of collaboration (for cover design as well as live visuals/animations) so with “Iter In Tenebris”, she could do both. The only frustration she has was the lack of time. It was hard to develop what she did, combined with her day job and a tight deadline. Her aim was to do something even more elaborated, but of course, time is the enemy. But personally I’m extremely satisfied with the result.

Q: Your latest productions have been released by the Belgian label Consouling Sounds, while before you were signed to Ant-Zen. The German label decided to stop printing CD formats, which simply says something about sales and music industry today. In which way are you affected by this evolution and how do you see things evolving?

Sal-Ocin: I personally never lived the golden age of music industry. My first release came out during the Napster phenomenon, so somehow, I was prepared for the changes until today. Also, it was never my aim to make a living or to make profit (other than reinvest in musical gear and instruments) out of my music. So on a personal, financial level it never really affected me that much. On the other hand, seeing cult labels such as Ant-Zen and so many others being forced to end their physical release era, if a very painful and frustrating thing.

As for Consouling Sounds, I praise myself lucky to be able to work with them. They are very smart, inventive and passionate business people, but most of all, very warm human beings. These two elements make the label more than just an ordinary one; it’s a community of friends, like-minded people with passion for art and quality, mixed with love and solidarity. Not that obvious one might think, considering the very dark nature of the artistic expression represented such as doom, black-metal, dark-ambient, post-rock, etc

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-ambient, industrial, epic, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Belgian artist Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe better known as ‘Sal-Ocin’ and still involved as live member with famous artists such as Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, In Slaughter Natives ao is back on track unleashing his newest opus “Inter It Tenebris”. The album wants to be an exorcism of four demons, which you’ll find back in each song. The album has been released in his homeland by Consouling Records. There also is an important visual work accompanying the album and realized by his partner Christel Morvan. Each song has its visual content, which you can watch by the use of an application on your smartphone.

Content: “Inter In Tenebris” features 4 long duration and elaborate cuts. Multiple influences are running through the composition, but the main characteristics are the overwhelming atmospheres supporting the album, the empowering epic orchestrations and chants –which sometimes remind me of In Slaughter Natives, and the complex percussion patterns remaining an essential element of Empusae.

+ + + : Each time again, I make the same observation that Empusae is getting better and better album after album. This work is without a shadow of doubt the masterpiece from Empusae’s discography. The tracks have been carefully crafted, mixing numerous influences and featuring impressive sound layers. The production is totally high-tech while the writing is sophisticated –which is an aspect mainly revealed by the drum sections. The epic part of the work only reinforces the overwhelming impression while the slow progression of the song structure are ending with an apotheosis. “Shabriri” and “Iso” both are great exposures from Sal-Ocin composer skills. I also have to say a word about the great artwork (digipak) while the visual concept of this release is something ‘new’ and interesting.

– – – : I regret there are only four tracks delivered, but quality is definitely better than quantity!

Conclusion: Empusae is not only a very single project in its genre, but it also is a project that never stops to improve little details from the writing and production. This is probably the darkest- and maybe the most intimate work to date, and for sure the opus magnum from the Empusae discography.

Best songs: “Shabribri”, “Iso”, “Purah”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.empusae.com / www.facebook.com/empusaemusic

Label: http://consouling.be / www.facebook.com/ConsoulingSounds

About Empusae

Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe, recording as Sal-Ocin, has run Empusae for more than two decades. “Iter In Tenebris” followed the 2017 album “Lueur,” and Van Meirhaeghe later discussed the album’s four-demons concept in a Click Interview with Side-Line.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Just like the Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio fans I was stupefied reading Tomas Pettersson announced after the release of his newest album “Let’s Play”, it possibly could be the last album! The Swedish masters of ‘apocalyptic-pop’ are now active since 1993 and moved throughout different periods of artistic creation. While their earlier work was characterized by a neo-folk approach they progressively experimented with other influences, which brought them to label their music as ‘apocalyptic-pop’. “Let’s Play” again released by Out Of Line took them nearly ten years to get accomplished, but the result is their most refined and artistic creation ever. It’s a poignant and deeply artistic exposure, which might become a kind of legacy for all lovers of this music genre. I got in touch with Tomas who had a lot to say about this major work.

(Picture credits by Post-Mortem / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I first of all have to say thank you for this new and beautiful album “Let’s Play [Two Girls & A Goat]”. I’ve been touched by the artistic grace of the writing and global production, which according to me stands for the most accomplished work you have ever released! It took you seven years to achieve this album, which you also have introduced as possibly the final album of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. Can you give us a bit more details about it all?

Tomas:Thank you. It pleases me to hear that you are able to perceive what I see too, and what I thought I saw already years ago when the process commenced.

My work with “Let’s Play” began already back in 2010/2011 when I completed “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion”. This has always been the situation for me, to initiate the work on another album just as I complete the first. But as I started to finish my work on “Let’s Play” in 2013, after all plans had been made, video recorded, 4Play released and Out Of Line had been informed, something unexpected occurred; we got pregnant with our second child and all I had planned was more or less obliterated. We were facing two options, either we released the album despite the pregnancy (without promotional material and concerts etc…) and just hoped it wouldn’t disappear in a void of social and medial emptiness, or we looked behind door number 2 and assumed that the potential that we felt the album had, would withstand the test of time, and that we simply postponed the release till another days when the stars were aligned.

So we went with option number 2, which led to the birth of “Vision:Libertine” as a result of frustration, disappointment and personal hardship.

Whether or not “Let’s Play” will be our final album or not remains to be seen, but I doubt it. What I meant was more willingly that “Let’s Play” as I see it, is the final form of apocalyptic-pop. I can’t see how we would be able to progress further without imitating ourselves. So from this point on I feel the need to reinvent myself and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio to prevent what we have created from becoming a caricature of itself.

Q: That being said, what have been the main difficulties you encountered in the global production process and what are the aspects making you proud?

Tomas: When I ultimately came to the conclusion that “Let’s Play” had to be put on hold, it felt a little overwhelming. To feel and accept that the best songs you had ever made were not going to be heard by anyone for years to come. I played them incessantly until I couldn’t bear to hear them anymore. But after the release of “Vision:Libertine” in 2016, I also realized that I had become a better, more competent producer, a better vocalist, and that the material I once felt was so incredibly good, didn’t live up to this ‘new’ standard. So I consequently decided to deconstruct “Let’s Play”; remix it, re-sing it and reproduce it to meet with these new and improved standards. And in retrospective it’s easy to see that this was a very time consuming endeavor, and which led to a process of successive completion which altogether took 6-8 years.

Q: The lyrical content remains very explicit although using metaphors and enigmatic titles. I get the impression the lyrics are very intimate and yet meant to tickle the listeners, but what did you really want to accomplish?

Tomas: I write texts that serve a personal purpose, texts that manifest a feeling, a vision and/or an idea; let it be sexual, philosophical, spiritual or ideological. I desire to write texts that paint the vision I see when I close my eyes; and if I am able to tickle and provoke, then my work is done. That is what I seek to accomplish.

Q: ‘Sex’ in a wider perception has been always one of your fetish themes and still very present in the imagery and performances of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. While it clearly concerns artistic freedom… and maybe a little bit of provocation, I can easily imagine you (at least some images, maybe clips) must have been censored. I especially think about some social media. What’s your personal experience about it and what does it say about the Century we’re living in versus artistic freedom?

Tomas: Sexuality defines us. We are our sexuality. Our preferences and provocations are directly and intimately linked to who we consider ourselves to be. I like to use sexuality and ‘explicit’ imageries as a catalyst for greater motives, to raise other questions and ideas that otherwise would be disregarded and/or shunned.

Social media is a phenomenon. An interactive judgment tool by which you are forever judged for the things you do and don’t. Years ago your accomplishments were judged and deemed worthy or worthless by alleged ‘professionals’ in ‘established’ magazines, but nowadays you are judged every day, every hour, every minute by people with an opinion. Nameless, faceless writers who seek nothing more than to slander you without reprieve and consequence. The magazines have been replaced by social forums that dictate under what conditions and censorship you are allowed to operate. I’m no longer the sole dictator of what imagery and intellectual message our ‘art’ will convey, but the social forums and even my visitors are ultimately in charge, deciding what they ‘allow’.

There has been occasional censorship, but not as much as you probably imagine. “Menage A Trois” was naturally removed by Facebook after 16 hours, which however was a lot longer than anyone thought it would be up. We were banned from performing in Berlin years ago, as I was accused of being a satanic fascist by the organizer’s friend’s fiancé. But for me, the strangest and most abstract act of censorship was posed by Facebook some 6 years ago when they closed the official Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio channel based on my publication of the “Make Love & War” cover (Rose having the gun in her mouth). For that reason only they choose to close down the page and made me start over completely.

Q: New clips have been made and especially “Ménage A Trois” is a deeply, artistic exposure, but still a huge success regarding the number of views. Tell us a bit more about the song and the link with the clip plus the accomplishment of the clip?

Tomas:The genesis of “Ménage A Trois” requires quite a history lesson, so here it goes. After years and years of declining all requests from Russia, I finally decide to accept an invitation from Alexey Kluyev and Arcto Poomo in 2011. We prepare, we get all the tickets and documents, and finally when we are set to depart for Moscow, everything starts to crumble. Considering the amount of money and organization that have already been invested to bring Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio to Russia, I feel obliged to go, but Rose is however forced to stay home because Julius, or oldest son, bursts out in chickenpox the night before departure, and simultaneously, Fredrik (the bass player) is also forced to stay home due to various family emergencies; so ultimately it only our former guitarist and me who depart for Russia and destination unknown. Finally in Russia we are picked up at the airport by Alexey and his sketchy taxi-driver Dragan dressed in a white suite that someone else must have stopped wearing in the 80’s and white loafers. Alexey takes us to our base camp outside of central Moscow at “Rob’s House” where we are supposed to stay with Rob and his mother between concerts. Next morning we travel 4 hours by airplane to Yekaterinburg where we are set to do our first show. An utterly bizarre experience where we are observed as mythological creatures and where female fans start to tremble and burst out in tears simply from confronting us, and finally, the rented guitar appears to be 6 metal strings connected to two assembled pieces of plywood, rather than an actual guitar. After Yekaterinburg we fly back to Moscow and are picked up again by Alexey and Dragan. We are brought back to Rob’s house and start to get ready for our second show in Moscow. At this show we have a support act; an avant-garde black-metal opera-noise act featuring renowned Russian actor Vladimir Epifantsev. Supposedly he’s a big fan of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, but during the show, Vladimir only comes to the club 5 minutes before the show, and leaves immediately after, so our meeting is brief, but we are also informed that after we return from Rostov-on-don, Vladimir wants to meet for dinner. So after Moscow we travel south to Rostov-on-don (the hometown of Andrei Chikatilo). We meet old friends for the very first time, have a magnificent barbeque in our host’s backyard, make new friends and play another bizarre show for just a handful of people. Thereafter we return to basecamp in Moscow and later that same day we meet the famous Vladimir in central Moscow and go to one of his favorite pizza restaurants. We eat luxury pizzas and drink imported beer, and that’s when Vladimir says to Alexey that he wants to make a video for Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio.  A dialogue follows where I decline his offer to make a video for “S4H&D” (because its already out) and I suggest that its better if we make a video for the upcoming album “Let’s Play”. Alexey thinks this is very funny as says in English with a heavy Russian accent ‘Hahahahaha Tomas, you are just as much businessman as you are artist’. And it is decided, we will come back one year later for two concerts and the making of a video for a song of Vladimir’s choice.

So we go back home, work on “Let’s Play”, send the songs to Vladimir who makes his ‘surprising’ choice, and we go back again in 2012 for a four day visit to Moscow. We performed twice over two days in Moscow, and on the third and fourth day we filmed the video with Vladimir and his crew. On the first day we filmed an entire day at Vladimir’s big summerhouse outside of Moscow. Everything was arranged by Vladimir and there were several other actors from his day job (as a soup opera actor on a daytime drama series) joining us to fulfill the script. There were exploding vegetables, AK47s, Spetsnaz soldiers, blood, the drowning of his wife, Fredrik almost losing his hearing after an AK47 goes off next to his ear, me walking around all day dressed as a pantomime, Rose throwing confetti from the balcony and all this madness came to an end in a huge organized barbeque. Next day was spent in central Moscow at Vladimir’s studio apartment filming close-ups and vocal scenes, still dressed as a pantomime. After day four we returned to Sweden. I was informed by Alexey that Vladimir will begin editing and that we will receive the finished video in due time. We waited and waited. After six months I contacted Alexey and asked what’s going on, I am informed ‘Vladimir is an artist, you need to wait’. So we waited, and waited some more.

After a year I contacted Alexey again to hear what’s happening; same answer ‘Vladimir is an artist we need to wait inspiration’. So we waited some more, and some more. But suddenly, one random night in winter after three years of waiting, an email unexpectedly appears in my mailbox, moscow.mp4. It’s there, finally. I called out to Rose ‘It’s here!’ She said, ‘What’s here?’ I said ‘The Russian video. It’s here! Should we watch it?’ Rose said ‘No let’s wait’. So we waited another few weeks before we out it on. But once we did, our jaws just drop (all the way to the floor). The video was not what we recorded in Moscow those two days in 2012. It’s something completely different. ‘An artist’s personal vision’ perhaps, but not what we paid for and not what he expected. But over time we accepted it and learned to love it. It’s a fantastic video, the first of several videos we will make with Vladimir, and after all these years it is finally out, and now, another 1.4M more people have watched it too.

Q: I noticed some interesting names among your list of favorite artists, but I especially want to mention Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg (who did some real great things together and not only “Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus”), but also Nancy Sinatra, Johnny Cash and Lee Hazelwood! What do you like in their work and what makes them special?

Tomas:I like the way the way their music make me feel. I like the musical orchestrations, especially from Lee Hazelwood. The simplicity; the complexity. They represent an interesting and aesthetically fascinating era in history. Perverted, yet sophisticated. Seemingly stupid(?) yet intellectually provoking.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Genre/Influences: Neo-folk, industrial-pop, chanson.

Background/Info: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio’s mastermind Tomas Petterson started to compose “Let’s Play” seven years ago. The Swedish musician has commented his work as ‘the final version of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. It‘s my cruel mistress. It’s my white whale.’ The album has been presented as the ultimate artistic work of the project, which appears to be a real challenge after the outstanding “[Vision Libertine] – The Hangman’s Triad” released in 2016. Notice by the way the album is available in different formats and limited edition.

Content: Earlier this year the EP “Ménage A Quatre” already give us an idea about this new opus. You rapidly will recognize Petterson’s grave and charismatic timbre of voice and the sonic twist between neo-folk, industrial-pop and certain chanson approach. Dark ballads and obscure, evasive passages are leading the listener into the mysterious and perverted universe of the Swedish artist. The songs are driven by melancholia while enlightened by carrying choruses. The songs are carried by slow rhythms while the arrangements are alternating orchestral- and delicate parts. 

+ + + : I can perfectly seize Petterson’s words about the ‘final version of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio”. If his last album already was a true masterpiece, this album revealed a more refined and artistic approach. There’s no song to throw away; all songs feel like they belong to a higher dimension. It becomes a kind of sacred composition with a truly authentic feel. The songs have been accomplished by piano arrangements revealing delicacy, but other cuts are featuring orchestral/epic arrangements reinforcing the obscure side of the band. Some passages are pretty cinematic and even leading to a transcendental sensation. “This Is Life This Is War (Let’s Play And Make Believe)” is an outstanding exposure of this poignant sensation. I also have to mention the opening song “Forty Years After Null (There’s No Answer To The Riddle)” and the already familiar “Ménage À Trois – There Is Nothing To Regret”. I also have to say a last word about the brilliant singing performance of Petterson who once more inject a real spirit in the music.

– – – : I can’t imagine one single minus point about this work; this is a masterpiece!

Conclusion: Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio never stopped to fascinate me for its image and lyrical content, but it also became one of the most poignant and artistic formats of dark music. I can easily imagine it took years to accomplish this major work, which is without a shadow of doubt the best work ever composed by this artist. Respect!

Best songs: “This Is Life This Is War (Let’s Play And Make Believe)”, “Forty Years After Null (There’s No Answer To The Riddle6)”, “Ménage À Trois – There Is Nothing To Regret”, “There’s No Pride Love Is Dead (Kiss My Eyes And Crush My Head)”, “[Social Darwinist Contortion] Who Is Born To Rule The World?”.

Rate: (9½).

Artist: www.ordo–rosarius–equilibrio.net / www.facebook.com/ordorosariusequilibrio

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is the dark-cabaret and neofolk project of Swedish vocalist Tomas Pettersson, joined on vocals since 2000 by Rose-Marie Larsen. The project debuted with “Make Love, And War” in 2000 and built its catalogue on the Swedish label Cold Meat Industry before signing to the German label Out Of Line in 2010.

“Let’s Play [Two Girls & A Goat]” followed the 2016 album “[Vision:Libertine] – The Hangman’s Triad”, which Pettersson had called ‘the final version of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio’. The project continued in 2022 with the mini-album “La Fleur Du Mal” and the Out Of Line full-length “Nihilist Notes (And The Perpetual Quest 4 Meaning In Nothing)”, followed by “4 Equilibrium & Nihilism” in 2025.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-pop, neo-folk.

Background/Info: “Ménage A Quatre” has been announced as an appetizer for the new full length album “Let’s Play”, which is meant to be released in September. Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio delivers four songs,  which next to the CD version are also available on vinyl.

Content: Tomas Pettersson and his acolytes are once again moving into sensual controversy, which remains a kind of muse for the music of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. The work reflects this taste of sensuality by the charismatic, commanding vocals of Pettersson, but also in the global song writing. The songs are mixing bombast with refinement, ritual passages with neo-folk arrangements, elevating choruses and slow, danceable rhythms.

+ + + : Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio is a band that has never stopped to reach a higher artistic degree. It’s not that different for this new EP. The songs are meticulously crafted, mixing opposites and excelling in great choruses. It’s the kind of music where sensuality and heavenly melancholia become one! It’s a fusion between different elements and in the end it’s hard to define the real style, but it’s filled with elegance, mystery and a bit of angst. The choruses and especially these from the opening track “Ménage À Trois – There Is Nothing To Regret (There Is No One To Resent, We Hate You All)” have a hypnotic effect. It really sounds like taking you away in a forbidden world of lust and sins. There’s something to say about the four songs and that’s really interesting as only the opening cut will be featured at the next album. So this is much more than a teaser to announce the album, but simply a must have! Notice by the way the last song previously appeared at the festival compilation “Ashes Ov Angels”.

– – – : This EP confirms the artistic writing skills of the band and I don’t see any single minus point here except I can’t wait to discover the full length, which took seven years to be accomplished!

Conclusion: This is an EP with attitude and not an easy, cheap release featuring a title track and endless remixes by other artists. This is Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio!

Best songs: “Ménage À Trois – There Is Nothing To Regret (There Is No One To Resent, We Hate You All)”, “4 All Our Scissor Sisters (And Brothers In Arms)”, “Believe In Me (We Are One) / (Do You Believe In Carnage Too?)”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ordorosariusequilibrio

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Out later in September – and available now for ordering – is the new Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio album “Let’s Play (Two Girls & A Goat)”. The music on this album was composed during the past 7 years.

For Tomas Petterson this is the ‘final’ album: “I see “Let’s Play” as the final version of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. It‘s my cruel mistress. It’s my white whale. And finally, 7 years after its genesis, with numerous interferences and surprises in between, it is ultimately finished.”

“Let‘s Play” comes as single digipak CD and as a strictly limited deluxe boxset in 404 copies made of noble wood including a double-LP in purple and silver with the “4Play” EP as bonus, the digipak CD version and finally a very special electric toy alongside ‘a pair of wicked seamed stocking for general excitement’ as the band calls it.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Epic, experimental, neo-classic, neo-folk, industrial.

Background/Info: Catalonian artist Sathorys Elenorth formed Der Blaue Reiter in 2005. Two albums were released by Caustic Records, one by Ars Musica Diffundere and two albums by Neuropa Records. Three years have passed since the last work. Sathorys Elenorth joined hands again with Swedish artist Cecilia Bjärgö (Sophia, Arcana). Notice by the way the album has been mastered by Peter Bjärgö and that it’s the first album from the band released by Dark Vinyl. 

Content: The least I can say is that Der Blaue Reiter is an ‘engaged’ formation or simply a band with a meaning. “United, Yet Divided” sounds as one of the most ‘political’ albums of this Catalonian project. It rapidly creates a link with neo-folk music, but the influences are more diversified while the result is hard to define. From epic- to neo-classical arrangements, from melancholia to overwhelming passages, this work also reveals a kind of dark-wafting sensation. The songs have been sung by both members while sometimes performed as a real duo.

+ + + : There’s an exciting duality between the epic parts and refined, neo-classic driven arrangements. A few guest artists added an extra touch, reflecting the authenticity of the work. Der Blaue Reiter is coming closer to the selected area featuring artists such as Rome and Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. It’s much more than simply neo-folk, but a truly chemistry between different styles. It sometimes becomes a bit ‘chanson’-like, but I like it. The themes and lyrical content might be interpreted as a bit controversial, but here again this duo first of all is an engaged formation.

– – – : I can’t say there are avoidable track featured here. I personally consider this work as the best album in the list!

Conclusion: On “United Yet, Divided” Der Blaue Reiter has reached a high artistic degree, which makes me easily say it’s the best album from this project thus far.

Best songs: “The Hungarian Revolution”, “United, Yet Divided”, “East And West”, “Prologue.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/derblauereiterband

Label: www.darkvinyl.de / www.facebook.com/darkvinylrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: death-industrial, dark-ambient, drone, industrial, EBM.

Background/Info: Henrik Nordvargr Björkk last year released the album “Psychosis”. Seven songs from this album has been taken and exposed to the remix skills of nine artists, considered as ‘friends’ of the Swedish master.

Content: The remixes have been made by MZ.412, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Vasafor, Visions, Kristoffer Oustad, Spetsnaz, Michael Idehall, Thorofon and The Benjolin Codex. It creates a quite diversified opus, where you can easily recognize most of the original songs, but also the input from each remixer.

+ + + : Remix-albums aren’t exactly a very common practice in this kind of music. So the result is rather original and definitely diversified. If you would like to know how Nordvargr-stuff sounds in an EBM approach I can only, but recommend the Spetsnaz remix. But my personal favorite one is the dark and delicate accomplishment by Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio remixing “Sweet Death Triumphant”. In fact it’s much more than simply a remix, but a totally reworked edit featuring the vocals of Tomas Pettersson. Another essential piece is the remix of this same song by Thorofon. I like the electronic sequences mixed with spoken-like growls.

– – – : Even if this album has something ‘fun’-like I would have preferred discovering a new work from Nordvargr himself.

Conclusion: I’m not sure if the fans will be totally satisfied with this album, but it clearly is a kind of collector’s item and an ode to this genius artist.

Best songs: “Sweet Death Triumphant – Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio Rework”, “Sweet Death Triumphant – Thorofon Rework”, “Salve Teragmon – Spetsnaz Rework”, “Sweet Death Triumphant – Kristoffer Oustad Rework”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/hnordvargr

Label: www.cycliclaw.com / www.facebook.com/cycliclaw

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro, future-pop, electro-pop, gothic, industrial-rock, industrial-metal.

Background/Info: The latest volume of the Out Of Line compilation “Awake The Machines” brings us 3 CD’s for a total of 45 artists.

Artists: Blutengel, Solar Fake, Rummelsnuff, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Heimataerde, Rave The Reqviem, Fear Of Domination, Davey Suicide, Combichrist, Rabia Sorda, Ost-Front, Solitary Experiments, Melotron, Hocico, Signal Aout 42, Accessory, Dive, Suicide Commando, Amduscia ao.

Content: The first disc is the most eclectic one although more focalized around gothic-inspired formations. The second disc reveals the ‘newest’ direction of the label, which is inspired by metal-related formations. This is an opportunity to discover different bands that aren’t (or not yet) signed to Out Of Line. Finally we get the last disc revealing electronic bands that have made the name and reputation of Out Of Line.

+ + + : This new edition is quite fascinating for its diversity revealing a label, which has seriously enlarged its sonic horizon throughout the years, but especially during the past few years. The tracklist is impressive and confirms the leading status of the label. When a label has bands such as Blutengel, Suicide Commando, Hocico, Dive, Solitary Experiments, Ost-Front, Combichrist, Ordo Rosarius Equilbrio, Client ao flying under their wings you only, but agree this is a major company.

– – – : From a very personal point of view I’m not totally convinced by the metal direction of the label although it clearly will catch the attention of a wider -and different audience. But my main regret is that the familiar bands have been featured with known songs. I even noticed Angels & Agony with a song from 2015!

Conclusion: This is a colossal compilation, which is really interesting if you’re not that familiar with Out Of Line and/or simply you’re a die-hard fan of the Berlin-based label.

Best bands: Blutengel, The Ritualists, Heimataerde, Rave The Reqviem, Rabia Sorda, Solitary Experiments, Massive Ego, Chrom, Dive, Amduscia.

Rate: (7).

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Widerstand’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe aka ‘Sal-Ocin’ and instigator of the dark-ambient/ritual/cinematographic project Empusae is a Belgian artist I discovered since his early years. He also played live percussions and got involved in very diversified bands (Implant, Ah Cama-Sotz, This Morn’Omina, In Slaughter Natives, Sophia, Triarii, Tzol’kin, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio ao.). With his newest opus (cf. “Lueur”) released on the Belgian label Consouling Sounds, Empusae took me by surprise achieving a poignant and transcendental work.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Nicolas, you’re an artist I’m following since your very first official releases (on Divine Comedy Records) and I’m really impressed about the evolution in the global production process between the early work and what you’re composing today. How much of early Empusae do you recognize in your latest work?

Sal-Ocin: Thank you for your kind words. Since the beginning of Empusae, it was always about creating soundtracks for the imaginary. Certain elements in sounds and compositions you might recognise through my work such as being atmospheric, dark, melancholic melodies, ritual rhythms and a mixture of unearthly sounds and sounds and scenes from our lives (I used to sample a lot from movies, which I changed now to field recordings and recordings in my studio). In all my albums you will find out there is something beautiful within the darkness. Which is exactly the theme of my last album, literary.

Q: I experienced your newest work “Lueur” as an album with a diversified and dark sonic canvas. What kind of work did you’d in mind and how did you came to work together with Chve?

Sal-Ocin: I started to write “Lueur” as a therapeutic exorcism against a recent demon I encountered 3 years ago (genetic eye disease). I had no idea of any particular style or sonic result, it was more about transcribing emotions, fear, pain and anger into music. The result is indeed very dark but you might recognise there also is some light within. When I was at a certain point of composition, I felt something was missing. Since I didn’t know what, I experimented several ways to fill it in, but without results. After a few days it hit me like thunder: It was Colin’s voice who was needed at that passage of the song.

After he said yes to try some things out, I (re-)composed the two songs with his voice in mind. He perfectly did (even more) what I had in mind and I think the end result speaks for itself; an enhancement of the emotions I needed to express with the album. He instantly grasped the concept and it all happened very fast and naturally.

Q: I especially like the balance between music and vocals, but still the progression running through both songs, which are reaching a kind of transcendental final. How did you get such an apotheosis and do you’ve references in the genre?

Sal-Ocin: To be honest I have no idea what to compare it with. I really just did what come out during the writing of it, without thinking how I would do it and especially without any particular result. It’s the first time I used my own voice and someone else’s (except Tom De Doncker’s Vox Demonii). But it felt very natural and I need also to mention the work of  Tim De Gieter (Much Luv Studios) who did an astonishing craftsmanship in mixing the whole album into a perfect result!

Q: You’ve worked with numerous guest artists while you’ve been –and still are involved in numerous other (and sometimes famous) bands. What do you like in the work and exchange with other artists and what’s the impact on your own work and evolution as musician?

Sal-Ocin: Working as percussionist (live) with Triarii definitely helped me finding the way to compose orchestral passages within ‘Sphere From The Woods’, ‘Split’ and ‘Lueur’. Those are elements which were also present in previous albums, but not as well orchestrated and integrated in the dark ambiences and electronics.

This aspect I actually put in “Vision:Libertine” from Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio. I think Tomas (Pettersson) recognised that as well and asked me to integrate that into his songs, together with the tribal rhythms.

What I do as Tzolk’in (with Gwenn from Flint Glass) is something similar as with Empusae in the sense that we create a soundtrack to the pre-Colombian civilisations.

With Onus (with Peter Bjärgö from Arcana and Sophia) it is for me the same principle: creating atmospheric music based on the burden of life.

Q: What means this artistic involvement and creation to you?

Sal-Ocin: Some people have kids, Christel and I have art. It is more than just a passion, it’s our drive of life, our therapy, our essence of life and our catharsis. It’s an obsession, an endless source of pleasure, commitment, self-development, symbiotic interactions.. In other words, hard to describe, but it means the world to me.

Q You’re right back from WGT 2017. How did it happen for you and what’s the importance of playing live plus did you see other interesting bands on stage?

Sal-Ocin: WGT was very intense this year. The Empusae gig was in a full house ‘Volkspalast Kantine’. The sound was amazing, so was the audience, they were very silent (which is not always the case and can be a huge pain in the ass during ambient parts of a concert) and attentive with a huge feedback from then at the end. It’s one of the concerts where myself as well as several people in the audience started crying.

A few hours later we performed in ‘Volkspalast Kuppelhalle’ (full house as well) with Orde Rosarius Equilibrio. One of those concerts where I had a big smile on my face at certain moment and where I had so much fun playing my percussions. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit any other band or venue, I decided to spend some feel good quality time with the band and friends.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Mortiis will present a live reinterpretation of the 1994 release “Ånden Som Gjorde Opprør” this fall at the Cold Meat Industry 30th Anniversary celebration in Stockholm. The event will take place on the 3rd & 4th of November 2017 at Klubben.

To celebrate this the “Ånden Som Gjorde Opprør” can now be downloaded for free right here.

“Together with CMI founder Roger Karmanik we have now gathered more acts signed to the famed Cold Meat Industry than any other festival has ever managed to and we intend to make this event the ultimate Cold Meat Industry 30 Years Anniversary!” says Mortiis, and he continues: “I don’t just want to do the record as it was back in 1994, but rather excavate it from 1994 and drag it into the new light of the current world, while retaining the atmosphere of the original sound.”

Other artists performing at the event are Arcana, Archon, Satani, Brighter Death Now, Coph Nia, Desiderii Marginis, Deutsch Nepal, In Slaughter Natives, Mothhound, MZ.412, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Raison D’Etre, Sanctum, Sephiroth and Sophia.

You can order your tickets right here. Below is the posterartwork for the festival.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

picture by dark.edge photography

From 2nd-5th June 2017 the annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen takes place in the area of Leipzig, Germany. WGT focuses especially on the gothic, (steam)punk, new wave, electro, EBM, industrial and medieval music and (sub)culture. It is a total-concept world festival including exclusive concerts, renaissance fairs, viking and pagan markets, exhibitions, CD/DVD and film premieres, lectures, artist signing events, fetish events, and (late-night) parties.

Approximately 200 artists are on the list, spread over 52 locations and the festival has about 20.000 visitors. At this moment the program is not complete yet, but as usual some great names in the black scene are already confirmed, like: Cabaret Voltaire, Skinny Puppy, Revolting Cocks, The Mission, VNV Nation, Noisuf-X, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Peter Heppner, Pouppée Fabrikk, Amorphis, Rotersand, Sex Gang Children, Suicide Commando, The 69 Eyes, …

A lot of pre- and after-parties are organised as well on different locations with DJ’s from all over the world! On 1st June for example there is the “Elektro All Stars meets Schwarzes Leipzig Tanzt! – WGT PreOpening Party” in Moritzbastei featuring Adrian Hates (Diary of Dreams), Daniel Myer (Covenant, Haujobb, Architect, DSTR) and more. The next day (2nd June) our own Side-Line collaborator DJ Wildhoney will play at the same location in the Veranstaltungstonne as well!

Info and tickets for WGT can be found here.

Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio was set up at the end of the 90s by Tomas Pettersson (Liber T). Together with his girlfriend, Rose-Marie Larsen (backing vocals and live member) the band rapidly became a renowned formation of the legendary Cold Meat Industry label. The sound has been often describes as a mix of dark-ambient, neo-folk and industrial revealing an explicit lyrical content. A few years ago now Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio made surprising move, leaving CMI to sign at Out Of Line. The album “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion” was released in 2010 and the EP “4Play” in 2013. The band is now back on track, having unleashed a new opus “Vision:Libertine”, which according to me appears to be their most accomplished work ever. Time for a chat with Liber T.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: How does it feel to have achieved this new album, which is the first one in six years?

Liber T: It feels relieving and fulfilling; especially since there were times when I doubted that another ORE album would ever see the light of day.

Q: “[Vision:Libertine] – The Hangman’s Triad” was originally meant to be released as an EP so how did it finally become a full length album and what is it all about?

Liber T: I came to the conclusion that full-length albums are a waste of time. Why spending years and years making an album that has a life expectancy to survive for about two months before it is obsolete? It doesn’t seem very constructive. So I decided that ORE would start making EP’s and that I would release a smaller number of songs more frequently. But I failed. First I made 6 songs, which then became 9, and finally 14. So I divided the songs accordingly into two albums, “Holy Blood, Holy Union” and “The Tribalism of Tribadism” and decide to release them 4 months apart.

But after I started to observe the situation more clearly, keeping in mind that I already have another album ready, and hearing from the label that 4 months apart was too quick, that we better wait 6 to 12 months. I decided that the songs I had belong together and should be released accordingly in order to speed up the release process and avoid confusion similar to that of “Make Love And War” (which still baffles people almost 20 years later), and which in turn explains how all 14 songs became “The Hangman’s Triad”. The third format, three becoming two as one.

Q: I’m always fascinated by the titles of your songs, which are once more filled with intriguing themes, but still reflecting a deeper content (often linked to perversion & provocation) and an artistic format (a kind of poetry). Tell us a bit more about content, format and the importance of lyrics?

Liber T: Sexuality and eroticism are interesting topics. The very essence of sex defines who we are. Our being is reflected through our sexual consciousness and in the very search for it. We are our sexuality. We are homo even if we are not homo, and we aspire to be gay although we are not homo. And within my reflections of sexuality and eroticism as I see them, I am able to embody other more profound topics that I wish to address, but that individually would appear far less interesting. Sex rouses attention. Philosophy rouses suspicion. So not only is sex interesting on its own, but it is a catalyst for greater good.

When I write lyrics, a text or a poem, depending on how I see it and also how others relate to my writings, it is a process. Sometimes it comes easily sometimes it is considerably more difficult. The intention is clear, but words are chosen, carefully. Rhythm is crucial. And as I read and sing the accomplishment to myself over and over, the intent and the result begin to paint a picture of the very essence. The symbols become clear and they start to unveil the title, which also is a process of its own. Similar but equally fundamental.

I ascribe my lyrics the outmost importance. I need to feel that every writing is able to withstand on its own, even without the music itself. I don’t write for the music and I don’t make music for my writings. Only when they coincide I allow them to intertwine. Without saying that my writings are especially brilliant or particularly important, I sincerely don’t understand why some artists bother to sing at all considering the absolute lack of meaning and greater essence. “Work work work work work work, He said me haffi, Work work work work work work! He see me do mi, Dirt dirt dirt dirt dirt dirt! And so me put in work work work work work work, When u ah guh, Learn learn learn learn learn learn, Mi nuh cyar if him, Hurt hurt hurt hurt hurting”.

How the hell did Rihanna come up with that? Why does she even bother? She is laughing all the way to the bank, but the lyrical quality of that is so excruciatingly bad she ought to be publicly penalized. But on the other hand, maybe it appeals to such a vast number of people because their lives are equally empty.

Q: I’ve been –more than ever before, fascinated by the mix of neo-folk influences, epic arrangements, sensual and ritual cadences and a rather surprising pop touch. Tell us a bit more about all these elements making the ‘sound’ of Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio?

Liber T: This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer. In order to explain what you inquire and possibly understand the answer myself, I would have understand myself and my nature even more profoundly than I already do.

The sound of ORE is a canalization, a reflection of who I am. It’s a psychological evidence of my very being, and the evolution process I endure. It sound the way it does with the very elements embodying because of who I am and what I aspire. That’s the closest thing to an explanation I am able to provide. But if you ask me again in ten or twenty years, then I might be able to provide a more precise answer.

Q: Sal-Ocin (Nicolas Van Meirhaeghe) of Empusae joined in for this new work so what has been his input and addition to your sound?

Liber T: I decided to ask Nicolas for his involvement, not only for this album but on a more fundamental and ongoing basis. And it started with his contribution to “Vision:Libertine”.

I didn’t choose Nicolas randomly or accidentally, but intentionally. He is great friend, artist and musician, and knowing what I aspired with “Vision:Libertine” and the accomplishment at the time of my request, I sought his involvement and contributions to manifest a deeper sense of ritualism and tribalism. And I think we managed it.

Q: How do you look back at the Cold Meat Industry years, which was not only a leading label in the industrial/neo-folk/dark-ambient scene, but still a kind of family featuring numerous great bands and your move to Out Of Line, which is a famous and mainly dark-electro & EBM label?

Liber T: Leaving a sinking ship with a captain who drank all the rum himself, to embark on a journey into space to a destination unknown both was and is a huge change for better and worse.

I don’t regret anything, neither the time I spent with CMI and all the adventures we shared, all the friends we have made, or the albums we have released over the years, nor the decision to leave, to move forward rather than sideways and start a new journey and a new chapter with a more unorthodox companion in another country.

The modus operandi of the two labels is completely different. The language in which they operate is completely different. The role which we play within the context of each labels is aeons apart. Maybe the fundamental intent of both labels is the very same; to release music and make money, but there is a difference still. Maybe we were just a product and at CMI too, but it is considerably more obvious now as we live on life-support in the shadow of more renowned and important acts.

But there are advantages too, advantages I investigated prior to joining. Out of Line have financial muscles, and it’s only because of them that we had the possibility to release the two videos we did with Solobuio for “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion” and realize the success they accumulated. With CMI, none of this would have been possible and what we are today, thanks to the success of “Songs 4 Hate & Devotion” would probably not have been. Being part of Out Of Line also opens new and different channels in which to spread the gospel, new festivals that CMI did not grant access to, and the possibility to expand beyond the bubble in which we partially existed in the past. So it’s fair to asses that everything we do, we do for a reason; to stay true to ourselves and keep moving forward.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences:

Read the news on ‘[Vision:Libertine] The Hangman’s Triad’.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Read the review of ‘[Vision:Libertine] The Hangman’s Triad’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com