Slovakia

The roots of ZONA A can be found in Paradox, a Slovakian punk rock band which existed from January 1980 until April 1984. They produced three demo tapes & played 11 live shows, then went the way of many bands.

Immediately after the break-up of Paradox, Peter "Koňýk" Schredl - lead vocals & songwriting & Jaro "Leďo" Lederleitner - guitar, joined up with Peter (Ozim) Hurtig – drums & Svetozár "Sveťom"  Korbel  – guitar. They were both ex-members of Extip, another Slovakian punk band that had been around since 1980 but had also recently broken up. They recruited Braňo Kalický - bass & ZONA A was born.

There were only very limited places to play gigs in those years under the Communist regime. Shows or parties must be done secretly & bands performed under fake names, because many gigs were cancelled or destroyed by the Slovenská Tajná Polícia. There was no possibility to put records out during the Communist era, so ZONA A only released 4 demo tapes. The first two were recorded in their rehearsal room & the other two in a secret studio. In 1985 a short TV film about the band was made, but was never broadcast, because Communist TV leadership labeled it as " unsuitable for Socialist youth ". There were no possibilities to play outside of CSSR either. When the band was invited to Poland's biggest festival, Jarocin in 1986, the Tajná Polícia took away the band members’ passports so they could not leave the country.

In 1988 Svet’om left the band, to reform Extip. ( They did one great LP in 1991 ). He was replaced by semi-permanent member Elvis who played accordion. After 1988, the musical situation started to be better, because of  Perestroika. There were the first legal appearances at official festivals, interviews in national newspapers, radio etc. State record company OPUS offered to put out a single, but it was never released because the band refused to change the lyrics to the songs. Summer 1989, they were the first punk band to appear in Czechoslovak TV " Top of the Pops" show. Also another TV film was made, but it wasn’t aired until after the Velvet Revolution in the fall of 1989. .

In 1990 Braňo & Ozim left to form Slobodna Europa. They were temporarily replaced by Miki - bass & Tibor - drums, both EXTIP members. That same year, ZONA A finally released their debut album (LP & cassette) on state owned OPUS Records. There were still no independent record labels. The songs on this album were written in the years 1984-1989.

 ZONA A – Potopa, OPUS Records 9313 2262, 1990. 

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Side 1 –

Potopa

Chceš si žiť po svojom

Útok na špicu hitparády

Puf a Muf

Kde je Jozef Mengele?

Pakáreň

Pivo

Nech žijeme!

Side 2 -

Všetko je dnes O. K.

Útek z reality

Janko

Nezmením sa

Všetko je prázdne

Polka

Prečo je život taký?

Keď sa všetci zjednotíme

Záverečná

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Simulacrum is a Slovakian project from Patryc (Cyber) Palkovič (ex-Einleitungszeit). Upuaut is his third album. In ancient Egyptian the title means: "that (man), who opens a door". The style moves from deep ambient to industrial landscapes, where the rhythmic & raw noise share the stage: sampled voices & droning, mystic, hypnotic sexual sounds. Ritual ties it all tightly together

 Simulacrum – Upuaut, Old Europa Café OECD 069, 2004. 

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Tracklist –

Induspoetryal

Beyondeternity

Beings

In Search of Eve

…Immortal…

Kosmosozialmosaik

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The Guta Jasna was established by Duran & Daemonna (Peter Ducai) of Kosice, Slovakia. They are an experimental rock band. They have created twenty different releases, featuring unique artists from all over the world. I think they deserve your time to give them a listen. I believe you will not be sorry.

The guta jasna – Forbidden Poetry, 2012.

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Tracks –

Ocean

Birth (feat. Shortbusmusic)

Let’s Dance (feat. Shortbusmusic)

Journey into 5^th Dimension (feat. Shortbusmusic)

Take Me Away (feat. Shortbusmusic)

Johnny

Drop the Bombs

Smile

What U Think, U Become pt.3

Enjoy,

NØ

 

 

Czech Republic

 Any regulars around these parts know by now that I’m a fool for On-U Sound. I’ve posted up a lotta Mark Stewart with or without Maffia, Singers & Players, Bim Sherman, Little Axe, Tackhead…well, you get the picture. I never woulda thought I be finding some righteous dub in the Czech Republic, especially not with a On-U connection. Guess that thunk stunk like a skunk.

Michal Ditrich & Milada Ditrichova, long before world musick became popular, had a dub dream. That dream was Hypnotix. They release their first album in 1990, titled Rastaman in Prague. Throwing down African rhythms & Asian modes mixed with Bourama Badji’s Senegalese verses of dub poetry, Hypnotix grabs the ear of Steve Barker, a prominent DJ on BBC Radio. He gets them invited to contribute to the compilation called Shocks on the Wire along with the likes of Dub Syndicate & Suns of Arqua.

By their third album, they are being produced by Louis Beckett of Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound (producer for African Head Charge & Asian Dub Foundation, among others).

On New World Order, Hypnotix are: Bourama Badji – vocals; Petr Pokorný – guitar; Václav Slon Kořán – rhythm guitar; Michal Ditrich – bass & double bass; Přemek Urban – keyboard; Milada Ditrichova – percussion & xylophone; & Luboš Hnát - drums

 Hypnotix – New World Order, African Dance Records 006, 1993. 

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Tracklist – 

Roots

Zion

Uncle Sam

Ande Sopi

Inkatha

Question

Jambo Style

Roots Dub

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Psí Vojáci (Dog Soldiers) is a Czech Republic underground band from Prague, active between the years 1979 – 2011, then reforming in 2012. Its frontman is a singer, piano player, composer & a songwriter Filip Topol, son of the playwright Josef Topol & brother of the writer Jáchym Topol. He formed the band in 1979 along with his elementary school classmates David Skála - drums & Jan Hazuka - bass. Psí vojáci first performed publicly in 1979 at the IX. Prague Jazz Days. They quickly attracted the attention of the Czech secret police. At the time, the band members were 13 years old. The band was not allowed to perform publicly. They were forced to play at private underground events (one being at future first President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel’s cottage in Hrádeček). 

At first, Filip’s brother Jáchym wrote most of the songs for the band. in song writing for the band. In late 1980s the band started to perform under a pseudonym P.V.O. (Dog Soldiers in Person). They ventured forth once more into the public eye. The Prague Junior Club Na Chmelnici became their home stage.

The Velvet Revolution (Czech: sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution (Slovak: nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 to December 29, 1989. Dominated by student & other popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, it saw to the collapse of the party's control of the country, & led to the subsequent conversion to a parliamentary republic.

After 1989 Psí Vojáci became popular concert performers. They started playing at many clubs as well as music festivals. They toured clubs in Hungary, Austria, Germany, & the Netherlands. They performed at music festivals in Belgium & France.

Filip Topol said, describing their musick:

“There have always been some elements of punk in Psí ojáci. Our music speaks to punks in a different way than the music of truly punk bands, but I believe we share a lot of what they feel.”

The group disbanded in August 2011. They started playing again in the original formation in October 2012.

On Sestra, Psí Vojáci are: Filip Topol – vocals & Casiotone MT-68; Luděk Horký – guitar & bass; Jiří Jelínek – saxophone; David Skála – drums; & Jáchym Topol – lyrics & readings with guest Monika Načeva – vocals on “Ohnivá voda”.

 Jáchym Topol & Psí Vojáci – Sestra (Sister), Indies Records, 1994. 

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Tracklist -

Vlčí sen, Do města, Jiný příběh (Wolf's Dream, to the City, is Another Story)

Ohnivá voda (Fire Water)

Cestou (Way)

Ráno, pořád (In the Morning, Still)

Kdykoli (Whenever)

"Teď jděte v pokoji" (“Now Go in Peace”)

Starý slova (Old Words)

Je tam (Is There)

Já, to mně a B. a obrana (Me, it’s Me & B. & defense)

Enjoy,

NØ

Austria

Austria's past as a European power & its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to various forms of art, most notably music. Austria is the birthplace of many famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss Sr. & Jr. In the18th & 19th century composers were drawn to the Vienna due to the patronage of the Habsburgs. At that time Vienna was the European capital of classical music.

Doing his part to uphold Austria’s great musick tradition was Der Kommissar himself, Falco, born Johann (Hans) Hölzel in Vienna, Austria on February 19, 1957. He studied at the Vienna Music Conservatory in 1977 but left after one semester to pursue a career in music. He moved to West Berlin for a short time & sang in a jazz-rock band. When he returned to Vienna he had begun calling himself ‘Falco’. He began playing bass: in the theatrical rock bands Spinning Wheel & Hallucination Company; the hard rock-punk rock band Drahdiwaberl; & the space-disco band Ganymede. While with Drahdiwaberl, he wrote & performed the song "Ganz Wien" which he would also include on his debut solo album, Einzelhaft.

Falco's first hit was "Der Kommissar," from that 1982 debut. It is a song about drug abuse that combines rapped verses with a sung chorus.

Falco died of severe injuries he received when his Mitsubishi Pajero collided with a bus near the city of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic on February 9, 1998. It was initially reported that the autopsy showed high blood levels of alcohol & cocaine (Klaus from American Dad refers to having done cocaine with Falco in the episode entitled 'Con Heir': "Sounds like a disco I used to frequent in Berlin. I did lines with Falco in the men's room. Greedy, greedy Falco.").

He was buried in the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna, Austria. The above picture is from the cover of Austria's largest daily newspaper Kronen Zeitung (The Crown) on Feb 15, 1998, the day after the funeral which was attended by thousands of sympathetic fans. The picture shows some members of the group of rockers "Outsiders" carrying Falco's coffin from the mortuary chapel. They are the same rockers who are seen in the video of "Rock Me Amadeus".

This following poem was recited at the beginning of the funeral. It was written by Christian Ide Hintze, owner of the Schule der Dichtung (School of Poetry) where Falco was a frequent guest speaker. (sorry for the babel-like translation)

For Falco:

James Dean of Vienna

Inventor of the Manhatten Schönbrunner German

57 Chevy assembled in Vienna

Chairman of the Board of the cool speech reform

Principal witness-prince of the eighties

Are you now in your tuxedo with Amadeus

sitting on the lap of Maria Theresa?

Air-clearing commissioner of the Viennese districts

At one with the twenty-three

close to the formula of the freeing speed

In your world it’s always:

"Valid for all passports to all Planets"

Every pair of sun glasses want to perch on your nose, Falco

You are still the little Amadeus under Brillantine

Do we still hear from each other?

Thanks Hans!

   Falco – DerKommissar ep, A&M Records SP-12053, 1983. 

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Side A -

Der Kommissar (The Commissioner)

Side B -

Auf Der Flucht (On The Run)

Helden Von Heute (alles wartet auf...) (Heroes of today [everyone waits on...])

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Dieb13 (Thief 13) is the performing name of Dieter Kovačič, a Viennese based avant-garde musician. Dieter’s best-known alias is Dieb13, but he has also performed & recorded under the monikers Takeshi Fumimoto, Echelon, Dieter Bohlen, & Dieb 14. He sprang into action in the mid-'90s, as the Viennese avant-garde scene was picking up momentum. After appearing on several compilations documenting the burgeoning scene, he released his first solo album in 2000. He has gone on to perform in a number of collaborations with other notable performers, including Burkhard Stangl, erikm, Mats Gustafsson & John Butcher Group. His rare solo releases are complemented by a number of collaborations with the likes of Boris Hauf, Werner Dafeldecker, Martin Siewert, and Christof Kurzmann, all artists revolving mainly around the Viennese labels Charhizma and Durian. 

Kovačič was born in 1973. He came to music from the DJ side, instead of a more traditional musical background. He began to tweak cassette players & turntables in the late '80s. He later moved on to the computer. In 1995, he applied for a studies program in electro-acoustic music at the Viennese College of Music, but was turned down. Ironically, his professional career started at around the same time. First, he self-released a cassette with Stefan Geissler titled Lomophonien. The label Rhiz invited him to contribute to the compilation Picknick mit Hermann (1997). Things for Kovačič picked up from there. He began to play in the following groups: Kurzmann's Orchester 33 1/3; ©; Shabotinski; Radio Fractals; & Efzeg.

In 1998, he contributed a track to Turntable Solos, a compilation released by the Japanese label Amoebic. Disguised as Takeshi Fumimoto, he was right at home amid Otomo Yoshihide, Christian Marclay, & Merzbow.

For "Restructuring" Dieter remixed the contents of a whole experimental music festival. The album is released "open content" by Kovačič, who is a conscientious copyright objector. This CD confirmed his mastery of the turntable.

 dieb 13 – Restructuring (Restrukturierungen), Musikprotokollim Steierischen Herbst 99, 

Charhizma - charhizma 13, 2000. 

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Side 1 –

Formlos

Side 2 –

Restructuring

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Allerseelen (All Souls’s Day) are an experimental, post-industrial group started by Austrian musician Gerhard Petak, aka Kadmon. Petak is a Gnostic mystic. Allerseelen’s music is inspired by nature. It has a strong philosophical/alchemical context inspired by the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Jung, Ernst Jünger, & Julius Evola. Industrial Folklore might be an appropriate expression to embrace these seemingly contradictory qualities. 

On this first cassette release, the band consists of Petak – instruments, samplers, synthesizers & vocals.

 

 Allerseelen – Morgenröte cassette, Apocalyptic Krautfolk self-released, 1988.

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Side A –

Auferstehung

Lucifer Rising (Aurora Consurgens Quae Dicitus Hora Aurea)

Lichtbringerin (Aphrora)

Es Werde Licht (Fiat Lux)

Side K –

Gold Tausender Morgen

Mors Justi (Nosferatu)

Rosentau

Es Werde Licht (Fiat Luciditas)

Enjoy,
NØ 

Liechtenstein

There isn't a huge music scene in the tiny country of Liechtenstein, but Weltenbrand is a native Darkwave band from this European country. The band embraces Liechtenstein’s history. They perform songs about their country's myths & legends.

Weltenbrand was formed in 1995 by Oliver Falk. Falk plays all the instruments while Ritchie Wenaweser & Simone Steiner handle the vocals. The aim of the founder Falk, was the present the ‘true’ history of the Principality of Liechtenstein & to represent by the lyrics of the songs the works of Dr. Otto Seger, whose focus is the Science of History.

Weltenbrand has featured guest artists on many of their releases: Daniela Nipp – violin since their second album; Liv Kristine & Alexander Krull – additional vocals on their third release; & on this album, In Gottes Oder Des Teufels Namen (In God’s or the Devil’s Name), Jürgen Büchel – timpani & percussion.

 WeltenBrand ‎– In Gottes Oder Des Teufels Namen, M.O.S. Records Ltd ‎– MOS 666 CD, 2001. 

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Tracklist –

The Sunken Bath

The Ghost Without a Head

The Bell Carrying Devil

Pine Cone

In God’s or the Devil’s Name

The Red Ghost

The Pious Man

Never Touch a Ghost

The White Horse of Lochgass

The Fiddler (Spiritual Cramp cover)

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Liechtenstein, an independent principality situated between Switzerland & Austria, is well known for banks, tax seat companies, insurance companies & other money business. So at first sight this is clearly not fertile ground for a hard rock band. But, sooner or later it was gonna be time for HARD RAWK!   

Lovechild is that band. They were founded in 2002 in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, by former Tess member Roger Kaufmann - guitars. He recruited ex-Satrox vocalist Werner Schweizer to join his new band. With the addition of bassist Sven Sieber & drummer extra-ordinaire Danny Zimmermann, also ex-Satrox, Lovechild was a rawking unit.

 Lovechild - SoulCollector, Escape Music ESM 139, 2006. 

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Tracklist -

1. Prisoner

2. Perfect Day

3. Soul Collector

4. Left on the Outside

5. Sunset Rider

6. No Return

7. Battlefield

8. Line on Fire

9. Promised Land

10. Lion

11. Midnight Train

12. Close

\^^/

NØ

Switzerland

Re-uploaded by request 3/18/2023

 

  

Could hardly journey through Switzerland searching for musick without stopping by Montreux, a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud, located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps.

The Montreux Jazz Festival, started in 1967, is probably the preeminent jazz festival in the world. It was begun by Claude Nobs, Géo Voumard, & René Langel with considerable help from Ahmet & Nesuhi Ertegün, the heads of Atlantic Records. The first festival was held at Montreux Casino & lasted for three days, featuring almost exclusively jazz artists. Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Evans, Soft Machine, Weather Report, The Fourth Way, Nina Simone, Jan Garbarek, & Ella Fitzgerald highlighted the 60s festivals. In the 1970s the festival opened to other types of music & today presents artists of nearly every imaginable music style. Jazz remains the main focus of the festival. Today's festival lasts about two weeks. It currently attracts an audience of more than 200,000 people.

But what about jazz bands from Switzerland? One of the best was formed by Willy Bischoff in the mid 70s. Bischof had studied at the Zurich Music Academy from 1965 to 1967. From 1970 to 1973 he studied musicology, sociology & journalism at the University of Bern. Starting in 1969 he worked at the Swiss Radio DRS , first as editor, then later as Head of Music.

 

 

Bishop first played keyboards in the S & L Group Ltd. From S & L Group Ltd. the Willy Bishop quartet emerged. Then he teamed up with Peter Candiotto - saxophone, Christian Geiser – bass,  & Marc Hellman – drums & formed the jazz-rock group Tetragon, which was the most successful Swiss jazz group in the second half of the 70s.

Appropriately, a Swiss jazz quartet recorded at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival.

 

 Tetragon – Live at Montreux '77, Schnoutz Records – 6326 935, 1978. 

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Seite 1 –

Jekyll Hydes

Crisis – What Crisis?

Seite 2 –

Gäng Zwäg

Polo

Dig this,

NØ

Monaco

As Timothy told us: “…the love of money is the root of all evil…”. Well, when I was looking for musick from the tiny (second smallest area in Europe, yet the most densely populated in the world) principality of Monaco, all I could find was that evil ole death metal. In a country of casinos & grand hotels, of Chemin de Fer & le Grand Prix, there probably aren’t a lot of jive dive bars for punk (or other up & coming) bands to hone their chops. Most of the musickians feeling themselves outside the ‘norm’ would obviously see easy opposition in the cult of wealth & corruption surrounding them. I’m not a huge fan of metal, but I’ve been coming to appreciate subtle (or not so subtle) distinctions within the wide genre.

I think this Monacan metal sounds really fine. Perhaps some of my favorite so far. I didn’t really feature any French black metal, which is a flavor all its own & I haven’t hit Italy or Greece yet, both bastions of large metal movements.

First up are two projects by Benjamin Labarrère or Duke Satanaël. The first is the Total Extermination demo EP from Uranium 235. This was released in 1995 ( the same year as the Zyklon-B’s Blood Must Be Shed  EP & both haunt similar ground…wonder what was in the water???). This is a blend of hyperspeed black metal, ambient guitars, vocals spewing echoed venom & a full-on martial feel. All instruments & vocals are by Nuclear Extermination (Duke’s nom d’demo). 

 Uranium 235 - Total Extermination demo, self-released, 1995.

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Tracks -

Nuclear Satan

A New Order, a New World

Sodom 1999

The Third World War

Next is the first album release by Duke’s main project, Godkiller. Titled The End of the World, it was released in 1998 on Wounded Love in a limited run of 500 hand numbered records. Once again, Duke plays all instruments & does all the vocals. This is metal, but it’s also electronic & rock. Awfully tastee.

*A note on why I try to only put up out of print, unavailable, freely offered or hard to find music & then why it pisses me off so much when the Sherriff of Interweb decides Metallica or Van Morison are losing 23 cents because someone posted up some song or album of theirs. There are real criminals out in the Net ripping off artists by illegally selling material that is not theirs.

Godkiller left this note on his website:

“I come out of my shell to issue a warning against a rip-off. Recently, a so-called label released the two first demos of Godkiller, Ad majorem Satanae gloriam (1994) and The Warlord (1995) on CD, without any permission, without any consent, without even informing me about this. I discovered this swindle quite by chance while surfing Internet.

This is an absolutely non-authorized version.

The guy behind this rip-off had even the impudence to present the CD as a “remastered” version. Given that these two demos have only been released on cassette some 15 years ago, the sound is inevitably bad and even worse as ever.

Needless to say, this guy sells the CD and all the money will go directly to him.

So please do not buy this CD.

Instead, I am very pleased to propose here a free download of the two demos, from the original recordings that I am the only one to have.”

If you enjoy this album, check out the demos & if you aren’t lazy as usual, you can drop Duke a line.

Godkiller – The End of the World, Wounded Love Records ‎– WLR 014LP, 1998.

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Side 1 –

The End of the World

The Inner Pain

Down Under Ground

Following the Funeral Path

Side 2 –

Day of Suffering

Nothing Left but Silence

Still Alive

Waste of Time

De Profundis

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Now I’ll switch to a much newer group from Monaca, Black Knight Symfonia. The group was started in January 2008 by Michael “Saga” Fiori - guitar with his childhood friend Julien “Siegfried“ – piano & other keyboards. They began as an instrumental unit, adapting classical music tunes (some Bach, Beethoven etc.) into a more neoclassical & symphonic metal way. They soon had written new original material & decided they wanted a female vocalist. They advertised in local ‘zines & put up flyers in local shops. Two weeks later they auditioned Anaïs “Nymphadora”. They immediately loved her powerful & pure heavy/rock voice. In June Adélaïde (Arya) was introduced to the band by a friend of Michael’s. After teaming up with Anaïs, the three were looking to add some operatic vocals to their music. Adélaïde had studied operatic singing many years in the conservatory of Nice & she is also fond of metal, so she was a perfect fit. In July Julien left the band to focus on his day job & personal life. Michael was already writing all the music & had played keyboards in previous bands, so he took over the duty of all instuments. The alchemy between Nymphadora, Arya & Michael was so evident and strong that he composed their entire debut album, Heavenly Chaos, during the rest of July. They entered the Harkam studio at the end of July for the “preproduction phase”. They began recording the final album version in September 2008. They finished the recording mix & mastering by the end of December 2008 with the aid of Leviathan as studio drummer.

Heavenly Chaos blends lots of different types of vocals: female rock vocals, female operatic vocals; male rock vocals; black metal vocals, death metal vocals). Add this to a style of music containing: classical music; opera; epic soundtrack; & metal. Very original sounding.

I’ve posted an interview with the band from Chazz & Marian from Sounds of the Underworld recorded in 2009. I’ve also included several songs from Heavenly Chaos & a tune from their upcoming as yet to be released Ancestral Torments. If you like this, checkout their myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/bksymfonia) & buy their musick.

Black Knight Symfonia –Various Items, 2008 – 2013.

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Emission09Sfuw - #08 Monaco nos presenta a  "Black Knight Symfonia"

Dragonland

Emerald Kingdom

Voyage Initiatique

Eternal Life

Hell on Earth – from Heavenly Chaos

Hell’s Gate from upcoming Ancestral Torments

 

Enjoy,

NØ