The one-man bands phenomenon has always caught my attention since aside from showing how talented or “virtuoso” a musician can be playing multiple instruments, it becomes the perfect scenario to reflect in depth the feelings, ideas and overall, the philosophy behind the music. And it may look easy if you can arrange melodies and chords and structures jumping from guitar to drums, but it will challenge your creativity and intellect at a certain point for sure. And this is precisely the case. AZKETEM, from Berlin, Germany, has been around since 2018, playing a very raw Black Metal on their demos, but at the same time always incorporating a pretty atmospheric taste to its beginnings. The band gradually moved to a more and more hazy style and for this year, 2024, landed at the proximities of a more ethereal sound, as it gives relevance to the synthesizers. And the vocals definitely tend to be way more focused on being aligned with a “state of mind”. Eight tracks are enough to immerse you in a journey to the subconscious, but still keeping you in the bounderies of what Black Metal is about. Of course they may have influences from the old BURZUM days or might remind you more recently of bands like SELBST, as they start from similar conceptions, although they may sound different. But “Azketem” is certainly a very good one for 2024. www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100030921802437, www.facebook.com/darknessshallriseproductions