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John 3:16, the brainchild of producer Phillipe Gerber, is one of those projects that carries with it a long standing history over the last decade of being experimental, dark, and unapologetically divergent from its Biblical namesake. I first came into contact with Phillipe somewhere between 2010 and 2011, slightly before the release of his seminal “Visions of the Hereafter” album in 2012. During this time Phillipe has had nineteen releases under the John 3:16 moniker. His latest album “Edax Tempus Rerum,” is without a doubt his most important work yet. It was released on November 30th, 2020.

The cover artwork for “Tempus Edax Rerum” is very earthy. It’s sepia tone evokes desolation, death, and a slow, painful passage of time. These things are only exacerbated by sparse images of brush, sticks, and a solitary rotting lamb (of God?) in the middle left of the image, followed by another image of the lamb below it in a further state of decay. It’s almost as if Mortensen’s “Command to Look” was heavily referenced in the design of this cover as there’s something oddly dangerous about it.

The first thing that stuck out to me when I listened to “Tempus Edax Rerum” was its two hour length—although I quickly caught on to the fact that the album is in fact only a little more than an hour in length. John 3:16 gives the listener a choice, you can listen to the album in a digestible five tracks, or in a consolidated “omnibus” form which collects those five tracks into two thirty-one minute segments. Although, I will note that when you listen to this album in omnibus format, there are some really badass extras, particularly starting around the sixteen minute mark on Side A. I will say no more about this–pick your poison, just know that a slightly different “Tempus Edax Rerum” experience can be felt if you decide to plunge into the collected omnibus tracks.

Over the last two months of physically having this album in my hands I question how to describe “Tempus Edax Rerum.” In a couple of words I can say that this album is spiritually dangerous. At times, Phillipe presents more of an experience than he does actual music, although that experience is largely tied into how the listener relates the the vast soundscape found within this brilliant album. At times, there’s a very “Diablo II”-esque kind of vibe to this album. The latter half of “Part I” and “Part II” exemplifies this quality with shoegazey guitars draped over a tableau of atmosphere, processed pianos, and subtle brass. Repeated over and over again, it becomes very clear that this is music meant to be used for a very specific purpose. Personally speaking, as a long time practitioner of Black Magic, I found that “Tempus Edax Rerum” was the perfect backdrop for my private Grand Conjunction celebration on the 21st of December, 2020. Percussion, when it’s used, is very ritualistic. “Part II” cuts right to the chase when it comes to introducing soundtrack style percussion to help accentuate the medieval tone of the dueling guitars present throughout the track.

One of the things that “Tempus Edax Rerum” does really well is it’s implementation of sounds that might not normally feel listenable into the mix of the album. While present throughout, I feel that the introduction to “Part III” serves as a good example of how this is accomplished. After settling into “Part II’s” groove “Part III” rips you right out of that space with a grating metallic squeal that is used to push acoustic guitars forward into another, entirely different ceremonial tone that once again introduces percussion without feeling out of place or forced. There’s something very elegant about the way John 3:16 works with transitions on “Tempus Edax Rerum,” while still somehow maintaining a dark ugliness that doesn’t merely force you to dip your toes into fire, it pushes your head straight down into the Hells-broth itself.

My favorite track, simply entitled “Part IV,” is a deepcut collaboration with female vocalist Rasplyn (Carolyn O’Neill). This track features Rasplyn’s voice front and center, amidst a backdrop of breathy ambience, muted guitars, plodding soundtrack style ritualistic drums, and heavily EQed Ulver style male vocals to accentuate the experience further. Everything that came before “Part IV” on “Tempus Edax Rerum” serves as a precursor to this track by re-introducing nearly every aspect that helped to create the space here. Halfway through “Part IV” I was treated to a calming Bear McCreary style percussion that just begs to be performed before an audience open to the idea of being participants to something they might not entirely understand. If I had it my way, I would love to hear an entire album of shorter songs by John 3:16 with Rasplyn. This, to me, is the penultimate John 3:16 moment.

“Part V” closes the album out with a shorter exploration of all the elements that made up “Tempus Edax Rerum.” Although I will say that this exploration is much more straightforward and to the point. There’s a lot of experimental energy to this track that feels like a medieval witch burning.

I think that “Tempus Edax Rerum,” is special because it combines the sensibilities of drone and black metal with a soundtrack quality that shows the sheer range of Phillipe Gerber’s capabilities as an artist. Phillipe understands precisely where he wants to go and how he’s going to get there. Speaking from the heart, there’s only one other album released this year that feels as realized and as polished as what John 3:16 has released here. If I was making movies or short films, (which might actually happen in the near future) John 3:16 would without a doubt be one of the artists I would tap as the imagery I’m attracted to within my mind is congruent to the soundscape presented here. “Tempus Edax Rerum,” is an incredible piece that cannot be easily understood the first, second, or third time you listen to it. I only grew to appreciate it when it became a lingering part of my life over the last couple of months. “Tempus Edax Rerum” is that one album I can turn on to do anything: to relax, to evoke the Prince of Darkness, to be creative.

This album sits within the unholy trinity that is my top three albums of 2020. (Of which, I’ll probably write something else about when we finally get into 2021).

STAND-OUT TRACKS: All.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Ritualists, soundtrack aficionados, burnt out Black Metal enthusiasts, people who understand the true nature of Darkness with a capital ‘D.’

Album Color Profile: EVIL SMOKE FROM HELLISH HELLY HELL

You can find all things John 3:16 at https://john316.bandcamp.com/

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Winterquilt is the project of a nameless producer from Liverpool in the UK. Combining elements from symphonic black metal and vaporwave, Winterquilt creates a fascinating amalgamation of sounds that is bewildering, enjoyable, and cathartic. Winterquilt’s latest release entitled “O’Discordia” was released on August 24th, 2020 through Geometric Lullaby.


The cover artwork for “O’Discordia” by Fvckrender is quite a beautiful piece. It stands out amidst the rest of Winterquilt’s releases as my favorite visual style of the bunch. There’s just something incredibly pleasing about looking a giant chromatic serpent slithering through a rose bush. The artwork fits right in with the Satanic vibe of “O’Discordia.” Aesthetically, this is slick and well-executed.


Musically, “O’Discordia” reminds me of the first time I listened to Arcturus’s “La Masquerade Infernale”…way back in 1997. I feel that both albums do something really similar, where “La Masquerade Infernale” combined a Black Metal sensibility with avant-garde Symphonic Metal, Winterquilt combines the sensibility of a Vaporwave artist with Symphonic Black Metal. The result, at least in my view, is mostly successful, however, without the presence of guitars or any physical instruments it makes me wonder how this would’ve turned out had an actual band collaborated to actually perform what occurs on this release. From a technical stand-point, the virtuoso-esque dynamics explored throughout “O’Discordia” have been greatly demystified as the proliferation of DAWs becomes more commonplace in the hands of the general public. Don’t get me wrong, what Winterquilt has done here is breathtaking—but it wouldn’t exist in its current form without the exploitation of complicated MIDI-manipulation via Piano Roll “painting.” This is an album that wouldn’t have existed thirty years ago. Especially not at the hands of a single producer as a lot of what’s going on here would be near impossible to play. That said, I think that part of the fun of “O’Discordia” lies in that simple fact—its impossibility.

At about 2:30 into “His cloven hoof (feat. Naut)” I was flabbergasted by the sonic textures of what I was hearing. Winterquilt combines all of the good elements of late 90s progressive black metal (especially with regards to the drums), cartoony elevator jingles, and Bach. Winterquilt creates space by really laying down hard on the reverb but not so hard that it distorts the original sounds used here. The subtle use of piano is nice, as it creates a certain ambient kind of reflection allows the music to breathe. There’s a good deal of plucky metallics going on throughout “O’Discordia” that are filtered through various LFOs, pitch bends, and portamentos that give a bouncy sort of warmth to this album.

“I’m thinkin of you.. (feat. sage hardware)” stands out as my personal favorite from “O’Discordia.” There’s a couple of reasons for this. The strings on this sound vibrant and alive, but not so alive that they sound like the blah-blah soundtracky Hans Zimmer quality that’s all the rage in the Synthwave scene. These strings are cheesy AF and harken back to projects like Limbonic Art or “Prometheus…” era Emperor. The drums sound rather “human,” albeit in a Deathspell Omega “Drought” sort of way. Winterquilt also tastefully (and unironically) uses that familiar downsampled, slow as molasses, Vaporwave vocal we’ve all grown to love. The kicker, is that instead of coming off as a novelty, it adds real, tangible weight to this song. Go figure. Truly, this is the high water mark of this album.

The title track “O’Discordia (feat. fire-toolz)” is also nothing short of an orchestral odyssey, but it builds upon what the two tracks before it did. It also adds an extra dollop of glitch into the mix that keeps the forward momentum of the album fresh. I particularly enjoy the “applause” that occurs at around 7:30. It just adds a slight visual element that makes me think of some twisted kind of carnival stage show starring the Marquis De Sade himself. The first time I heard the “Boogie” vocal come in, I didn’t really like it, but after a few spins of this album, I think it’s a neat little nod to proper Vaporwave. I quite enjoy it.

The final song “The Pathos of Things” is an upbeat instrumental tribute to the dreamfunky t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者. It reminds me (greatly) of Arcturus’s “Aspera Hiems Symfonia,” both in general vibe and execution.

I often wonder the direction music will take after the “new-car smell” of extreme automation, glitch, and filters finally wears off. Something tells me it’s only going to get weirder from here. As a traditional flesh and bone musician, I feel that the sort of thing Winterquilt is presenting with “O’Discordia” is absolute fucking sacrilege, but as an fellow artist I can’t help but absolutely admire what they’ve done with this album. I think that while Vaporwave can occasionally sound like nightmare fuel, Winterquilt has given that idea legs by creating something frightening, beautiful, and a little controversial (due to how it was artistically constructed).

I think it takes a lot balls to release an album like this. So please check it out. It’s definitely going to be a nominee on my personal list for 2020’s album of the year.

RECOMMENDED FOR: People who aren’t scared to admire art.

STAND-OUT TRACKS: “I’m thinkin of you.. (feat. sage hardware),” “O’Discordia (feat. fire-toolz)”

Album Color Profile: #8E44AD

You can find all things Winterquilt at https://winterquilt.bandcamp.com/

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Arcturus V is a mysterious project by a dude from Minnesota who goes by the psuedonym Vakhul. I can’t really find much more information about the project than that. He seems pretty active on Instagram where I was able to find a some videos of him performing. In so many words, I can say that this guy really likes horror flicks, black metal aesthetics, and all manner of dark stuff. Arcturus V first showed up on the scene on October 31st, 2019 with the release of “First Verse.” Since then he has had eight digital releases, including five full-lengths, two singles, and an EP. While I don’t entirely understand this sort of rapid fire release strategy, I will say that I have a soft spot for music like this.

“Verse 3” is the fourth full-length album by Arcturus V. It features nine tracks that are a near perfect fusion between suicidal black metal, and ambient darksynth. The cover art is pretty intense using only variations of black, white, and red for the color scheme. The image depicts a very angry looking gentleman surrounded by a red aura and an almost mandala-like sigil blob above his head.

The first time I listened to “Verse 3” I ended up playing it on repeat all day long. I grew up listening to some pretty gnarly black metal, so this was not only real treat, it was something quite different than what I usually listen to nowadays. Sound-wise the production quality is absolutely stellar for this type of music. Typically, I think that it’s satisfactory for music of this nature to be a little muddy and/or noisy. Arcturus V goes above and beyond that expectation with a clean, but not too clean production value that reminds me of early Shining. There isn’t a lot of singing on this album, but when there is, it’s pretty fucking awesome. The album closer, “Spirits Ov the Sun,” which reminds me of suicidal black metaller Leviathan (“Tenth sub Level of Suicide,” and “Scar Sighted”). It is a really great cut that showcases the full potential of Arcturus V as a traditional song writer. Generally though, the album is mostly instrumental. “Verse 3” has a lot of droning clean guitars, reverb galore, and a fair amount of dark synthy goodness. “Visonary” features a pretty disturbing atmosphere combining the sound of a choir and a sample of a man talking about his “odd tastes and eccentricities.” “Throne of the Stars” stands out to me as the most Synthwave like track of the album. I really thought it was something special even though I was singing Theatre of Tragedy’s “Black as the Devil Painteth” to it every time it came on (they share the same chord progression). Comparatively speaking, I think that “Verse 3” shares the same pedigree as stuff like Vrolok’s “Soul Amputation” from 2005, and Xasthur’s “Noctural Poisoning” from 2002. I can even hear a little bit of influence from Snorre Ruch’s Thorns, in “Aten” even if it’s coincidental.

Overall, I think that Arcturus V has produced a very passionate look into the darkness that dwells deep inside of us all. It definitely has that creepy suicidal feel to it that really brings back a lot of memories for my fondness of this type of music. If you’re at all curious to find out what darksynth would sound like if it was mixed with suicidal black metal, look no further than “Verse 3.”

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR: People who like darksynth but want something a little darker.

Stand-out tracks: “Spirits Ov the Sun,” “Throne of Stars,” and “Visonary.”

Album Color Profile: #000000

You can find all things Arcturus V at https://arcturusv.bandcamp.com

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Philippe Gerber is something of a visionary. I was first introduced to his occult project JOHN 3:16 way back in the early 2010s. The first track I ever heard from him was his interpretation of Jonathan Edwards’s fire and brimstone leaden sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” I instantly knew right then and there that what I was hearing was an intimate glimpse of Hell itself. Mr. Gerber is connected to something I can’t even begin to describe with words. It scares me to death—and I can’t keep myself from looking away.

Earlier this year, Philippe released a short EP entitled “Sodom & Gomorrah.” The artwork is by the amazing Azi Hariramdani. It features a black and white ram’s skull and sigil that easily could have been used on an early Deathspell Omega release. It gives “Sodom & Gomorrah” a certain cult-like mystique that I haven’t felt the presence of since 2004.


Musically, I find that “Sodom & Gomorrah” matches its namesake well. To me, this EP is sixteen minutes of pure bliss. Inside are two tracks, each one based off of the depraved bibilcal cities. Here JOHN 3:16 took me on a doomy whirlwind journey that took me places beyond the outer reaches of human experience. It is transcendent, metallic atmospheric, dark, and hellish. Of the two tracks available I much prefer “Gomorrah” especially for it’s industrial infused moments. It also breaks off into a ritualistic drum rhythm towards the end of the track that adds some cinematic excitement to the overall release. It made me feel like I was walking hand-in-hand with the Devil himself through Israel during the crucifixion.


Of all JOHN 3:16’s releases, this is probably my favorite. It’s concise, the artwork is on point, and it just sounds great. It’s releases like “Sodom & Gomorrah” that makes me remember what it’s like to be mystified by music that goes beyond the music.


RECOMMENDED FOR: War-torn veterans of the black/death/doom/occult crowd looking for something completely new, but familiar. It reminds me of something that could’ve been on Northern Heritage back in the mid-2000s.

Album Color Profile: #000000


You can find all things JOHN 3:16 at https://john316.bandcamp.com/