Thursday, June 27, 2019

Alkhimya/Emergrence/Sleaszy Rider Records/2019 CD Review


  Alkhimya  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Emergence"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  atmospheric  style  and  the  vocals  are  in  between  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Female  vocals  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  keyboards  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  on  later  songs  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental is  added  onto  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alkhimya  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Odysse"  "Fallen"  "Dark  Messiah"  and  "New  Era".  8  out  of  10.   

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Needless Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Needless are from Hungary, we play death metal, with a melodic mixture of thrash and black elements. If you like ferocious vocals, ghostly screams and technical riffs along with energetic pace, Needless is for you.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo and ep?
Perhaps we did more experiments with our melodic side. We tried out some ideas which related to genres like melodic or even progressive death metal. We tried to create a strong atmosphere and mood on our new record along with the usual ferocious and aggressive patterns which are our "brand".

3.The band has been around since 2004 but so far have only put out 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the 4 to 6 year gaps in between releases?
In the first ten years Needless was only a home project, did by friend, for our own pleasure. We did not take the whole band seriously until 2014. From that point Needless started to evolve as an active underground formation here in Hungary. We started to do more serious gigs alongside with Nervosa, or Nuclear, and we came up with our first EP called The Dark Spirit of Ages. After it's release the band had several personal swaps, but we manage to outlive that difficult time. The friendship lasted through all these years, and an incredibly talented guitarist joined us. His name is Botond Fogl, and he also was an old friend of the band. So we can tell that Needless is like a huge family right now.

4.The lyrics on the new album cover different myths, philosophies and religions, can you tell us which mythologies, philosophies ore religious views you explore with your music?
I, as a songwriter have different inspirations regarding the lyrical side of Needless. What is important for me the most is the visions and symbolism. I use stories, myths, and legends as symbols to hide a more profane, moral message to the listeners. I use biblical themes (Babel) alongside with characters and gods from african, mesopotamian, and european ancient folklore, and tales. Or sometimes I have thoughts about criticism of religion and other deceptive and harmful human abstract constructions for example religious wars, or inquisition. The lyrics of Sky Burial stands out a little from Heresy. That song tells a tale about transmigration, and would like to capture a man's hopes about a better afterlife (or not).

 5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Needless'?
Needless is a symbol for all of those things and persons who are neglected, unnecessary, expendable, worthless. These are all the lives which are and was victims of human history. The band tells their sad, and nihilistic story and sing about their legacy.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
It was made by a german artist Maximiliam Wagner. He is mostly into black metal. We saw his works in a page regarding And Justice for Art and were completely blown away. The image visually fulfills our music completely. It is infernal, mystical, and otherworldly. Something you can dwell deep into.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our best show so far was before Dew-Scented and Flotsam and Jetsam. It was an awesome show we did 3 years ago. On the stage we try to be as heavy as possible, and we feel honesty as a very important factor in our career, and we try to communicate this on stage as well.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We will hit several stages in Hungary from the beginning of this autumn. We are trying to get contacts from abroad as well, especially from the neighbor countries.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We received a few interests from labels, from smaller ones up to some serious offers. However due to mostly financial reasons, we weren't in a status to accept any of them.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of death, black and thrash metal?
In a nutshell we have positive feedback from all around the world. We got feedbacks and appraisals from countries like Indonesia, USA, Taiwan ect. This is the most surreal and awesome thing what the band experienced so far. We are very happy about Heresy right now.

 11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Right now we cannot wait to hit the road for a smaller tour, and we are collecting the thoughts and ideas for our new record already. Musically? It is hard to tell yet. We would like to go deeper into that cave we mined with Heresy. Perhaps trying out more progressive and epic stuff on our next record, but time will tell.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We have influenced a lot from the extreme metal music of the nineties. Mostly death and thrash metal. We love the millennial era also: the progressive and melodic works from the 2000's. Right now we listen to all kinds of music. And it's always changing from time to time. For example right now I can't stop listening to Deceased... and Vektor, our guitarists however are both into Queen, and who knows what kind of music comes next.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
We all love video games and cold beer.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Go and listen to our latest work Heresy, we hope you'll all enjoy it, and we also hope to meet you folks live. And at last but not least we would like to thank you all your support with this interview. Cheers from Hungary!

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Stozhar/Holodom Bitv V Obyatya Zimy/Stygian Crypt Productions/2019 CD Review


  Stozhar  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2019  album  "Holodom  Bitv  V  Obyatya  Zimy"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  a  brief  use  of  battle  sounds.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  death  metal  style  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  influences.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  female  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  fast  tremolo  picking  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavic  Paganism,  Patriotism  and  Battle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stozhar  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Yarost"  "Nochi  Horovod"  and  "Pamyat".  8  out  of  10.

http://stozhar-band.ml/   

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Needless/Heresy/2019 Full Length Review


  Needless  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Heresy".

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  that  also  introduce  elements  of  black  metal  onto the  recording.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts. 

  At  times  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  as  well  as  having  some  more  modern  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  capture  the  semi  melodic  side  of  thrash.

 As  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  closing  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  different  myths,  philosophies  and  religious  beliefs,  to  show  the  marrow  of  humanity's  true  nature  and  it's  place  in  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Needless  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Babel's  Fall"  "Marked  By  A  Black  Sigil"  and  "Sky  Burial".  8  out  of  10.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Vereor Nox/Self Titled/Earth And Sky Productions/2019 CD Review


  Vereor  Nox  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  played  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  album  which  was  released  by  Earth  And  Sky  Productions.

  Dark  sounding  keyboards start  off  the  album  along  with  some  narrative  style  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  a  more  symphonic  style  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  while  the  guitar  riffing  and  keyboards  is  more  in  the  black  metal  vein.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  grim  screams  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  psychology  and  Dark  Souls  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vereor  Nox  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Dear  Sister"  "The  Silence  In  The  Cathedral"  and  "Your  Grave".  8  out  of  10.

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Baradj/Hunnar/2019 Full Length Review


  Baradj  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  an  experimental  form  of  post  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Hunnar".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  vocals  which  also  use  screams  at  times  that  also  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  a  few  seconds  later  as  well as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  folk  instruments  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.

  Clear  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling.  Elements  of  post  rock  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental  along  with  some  songs  also  showing  influences  of  shoegaze  and  ambient  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals,  one  track  also  introduces  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  and  cover  Tengrism,  Bulgarian  Folklore,  the  history  of  centuries-long  wars  and  the  reign  of  great  leaders  who  had  an  immense  influence  on  the  whole  world.

  In  my  opinion  Baradj  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hunnar"  "Attila"  "Tengri"  and  "Khiyal -  Boiek  Bolgar".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: baradj.bandcamp.com
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Youtube: youtube.com/c/Baradj
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Friday, June 21, 2019

Allone/Allone.../Aesthetic Death/2019 CD Review


  Allone  are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  avant  garde  black,  dark  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Allone..."  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.


  Wood  burning  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  slow,  melodic  and  heavy  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  elements  of  dark  and  doom  metal  onto  the  recording.  Synths  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  all  of  the  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  clean  vocals  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental,  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  isolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Allone  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  avant  garde  black,  dark  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Challenge  To  The  Dark"  and  "Ruins".  8  out  of  10.

https://allone2018.bandcamp.com/releases


Thursday, June 20, 2019

Seraph In Travail Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
-We're just three guys trying to write the most powerful songs that we can. There's nothing special about us individually, so we try to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
- Lest They Feed Upon Your Soul is really just a maturation of the sound we've been building for years now. More speed, more tech, more atmosphere, more melody.

3.This is your first album since 2015 can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
-Most of this album was written and recorded before the end of 2017. I couldn't finish the lyrics to most of the songs even after the music was recorded. Nothing seemed good enough. The rest of the guys jumped in to help me and we finished it. Part of the time we were just obsessing over the mix and master which we did ourselves. We learned a lot in the process and have committed ourselves to releasing something every year from here on out.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?
-The main themes: death, dying, the inevitability of death, and of course, being dead. I've found that to think often and well of death builds a firm and lovely frame in which to view the life held therein.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Seraph In Travail'?
-In highschool my buddy Wes played guitar with me; at a practice he said I sounded like an angel giving birth. The phrase struck a chord with me. Later it went through a thesaurus and came out as Seraph In Travail; it's now more of a mascot name than anything.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
-Ollie Gill is a tattoo artist/composer/guitarist from Ireland. His band is called The Blessing Way. I've been following his art and music online for awhile, and I realized he would probably be able to hear the music and represent it visually. I was right. All I told him is I wanted to see a warrior with his back toward the viewer, facing down a massive evil force.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
-Our best shows have been since Mike Shaw took over on drums in 2016. He's a dyed-in-the-wool death metal drummer who leaves nothing to chance. We've really only ever played locally, but our best shows were at the Whiskey Tango and the Trocadero in Philadelphia, both of which are closed now RIP. We try to use movement and facial expression make the show a convicted communication of the music rather than a recitation.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
-We will continue to play locally for now; further out, if the album is decently well-received, we'll look at options to do our first tour as a buy-on situation rather than book it ourselves.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
-There was some marginal interest from a few newer labels after our first album, nothing since this last album. We're not really out shopping either. If somebody wants to come in and can help us do specific, objective things that we cant do for ourselves we'll consider it, otherwise we'll just keep making music at our pace.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and symphonic metal?
-Hard to gauge from where I stand. Seems like a few diehards are really into it just from what I can see on the comments. It seems like the video for Temptress has alot of views. I'm looking forward to getting some critical reviews.

11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
- Dan is working on a solo project which is mainly finalizing unfinished material from his last band. He's considered doing it as a Seraph album. Mike has done fill-in tours with Grave Gnosis and session drums with Nakhiel, hes also studying for a degree in music so he's playing all the time. I filled in with Malphas for a few months until they got a full time bassist.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? -Were working on two things now, one is probably going to be an EP full of covers of classical music in tech death style: Bach, Vivaldi, etc. The other is a concept album on which we're trying to create a more soundtrack feel and sharpen our rhythmic edge.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? Obviously classical music is a big player for us. My greatest phobia is plagiarism, so if I hear a great song I try not to listen to it often. That said, I've recently listened to Abiotic, the Kennedy Veil, Angelseed, Since The Fire, and Erciyes Fragment (!) ...do yourself a favor.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
-Science and math. I used to love sci-fi, but the -fi part just got boring. So I'm back in school. Every day is like the one good part in a movie where they explain the hypothetical ideas or drop words you want to look up.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-We appreciate the opportunity to do these questions. To the reader, thanks for giving our music a chance. If it means something to you please give it to someone else.

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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Tovarish/If The War Comes Tomorrow/Argonauta Records/2019 CD Review


Tovarish  are  a  band  from  Providence,  Rhode  Island  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  noise,  drone,  dark  ambient, black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "If  the  War  Comes  Tomorrow"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Argonauta  Records.



  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  A  touch  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  screams  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.



  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  harsh  noises  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.  Spoken  word  samples  are  also  brought  onto  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of field  recordings,  female  vocals  and  demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard,  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Soviet  era  Communism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tovarish  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  noise,  drone,  dark  ambient, black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They  Know"  "Silver  And  Lead"  From  Trench  To  Triumph"  and  "If  The  War  COmes  Tomorrow".  8  out  of  10.

https://tovarish.bandcamp.com

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Seraph In Travail/Lest They Feed Upon Your Soul/2019 Full Length Review


  Seraph  In  Travail  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Lest  They  Feed  Upon  Your  Soul".

  Choirs  and  symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  elements  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  female  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Seraph  In  Travail  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "At  The  Stormed  Shore  Of  Heaven"  "In  Frostbitten  Moonlight"  and  "The  Tide  I  Could  Not  Turn".  8  out  of  10.

https://seraphintravail.bandcamp.com/album/lest-they-feed-upon-your-soul

  

Friday, June 14, 2019

Anticosm/The Call Of The Void/Hell Kill Destroy Records/2019 Full Length Review


  Anticosm  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  traditional  metal  and  thrash'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Call  Of  The  Void"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Hell  Kill  Destroy  Records.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  The  solos  and  leads  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of   the  music  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  thrash ,  traditional  metal  and  rock  music.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  track  also  introduces  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  death  emtal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  On  this  recording  Anticosm  takes  the  black  emtal  side  of  their  music  into  more  of  a  melodic  direction  while  also  keeping  elements  of  thrash,  traditional  metal  and  rock  music  that  where  present  on  their  previous  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Anticosm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  thrash,  heavy  metal  and  rock  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viral"  "Call  Of  the  Void"  "Behold  the  Venom  Crystals"  and  "Never  Enough".  8  out  of  10.

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Sunday, June 9, 2019

Tenebra Arcana/Martiri dell 'odio/Vacula Productions/2019 Full Length Review


  Tenebra  Arcana  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Martini  dell  'odio"  which  was  released  by  Vacula  Productions.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  evolving  into  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  The  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  the  keyboards  also  bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  darkness,  apocalypse,  gloom  and  melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tenebra  Arcana  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Martini  dell  'odio"  "Santa  Morte"  and  "Dolor  Aeternum".  8  out  of  10.


    

Heather Wasteland/Tre Sverd/2019 Maxi Single Review


  Heather  Wasteland  are  an international project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  maxi  single  "Tre  Sverd"  which  also  contains  4  different  versions  of  the  same  track.

  Nature  orientated  soundscapes  and  battle  sounds  start  off  the  single  before  adding  some  folk  instruments  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  clean  style.

  Spoken  word  parts recorded by Mortiis  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  re-mixed  version  of  the  song  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  or  television  show  soundtrack  along  with  some  elements  of  electronic  music.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  version  being  an  acoustic  version  in  Russian  and  they  close  the  maxi  single  with  an  instrumental  version  of  the  same  song.

  On  this  recording  Heather  Wasteland  expands  on  their  pagan/folk  metal  style  by  adding  in  vocals  and  also  doing  4  different  versions  of  the  same  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heather  Wasteland  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  maxi  single.  8  out  of  10.
https://heatherwasteland.bandcamp.com/album/tre-sverd-maxi-single





  

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Postumo Lumbre/Empirikkal/Australis Records/2019 CD Review

Postumo  Lumbre  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Empirikkal"  which  was  released  by  Australis  Records.



  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  being  introduced  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.



  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.



  Chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  sadness  and  solitude  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Postumo  Lumbre  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lacerad"  "Fascinacion  Interfectuz"  and  "Manos  Postumas".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/postumolumbre.talca/    

Friday, June 7, 2019

Antartandes/Illvsio Machina/Australis Records/2019 EP Review


  Antartandes  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Illvsio  Machina"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Australis  Records.

  Ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  At  times  the  vocals  sound  very  deep  while  synths  and  symphonic  elements  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Antartandes  plays  a  style  of  black  emtal  that  is  very  dark,  symphonic  and  melodic  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferian, Occultism,  Battles  and  Death  themes.

In  my  opinion  Antartandes  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lucifer  Arquetipo  Acorporeo"  and  "This  Is  The  Flame".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcwHeh5hb7k&fbclid=IwAR0Y7Glz9dkc6xr3TYF2CXXjwpv9HRtf66UQSIZijSRcMvRgXJ6uI2xzydQ&app=desktop    

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Tyrmfar Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We played 5 shows in Germany and Switzerland. Managing digital distribution and our new brand merch. The release party will be the 22 of June in Martigny.

2. You have a new album coming out in June, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The diversity of the riffs is even more noticeable in this new album. Indeed, these are more sought-after and correspond as closely as possible to the style we want to make appear.
We have also the sound quality that we want.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
In this album the lyrics are talking about how and why the humankind is destroying itself. It talks about chaos and desolation. It’s a kind of story who follows the track number. It starts with the arrival of evil forces and ends with the end of the world.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tyrmfar'?
It’s a secret ;)

5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
We asked our friend from Venezuela, John Quevedo Janssens, to draw the artwork for our new album. We send him a description of what we wanted and what the albums talks about and he did this awesome painting for us. We’re really satisfied about that.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Last year we played on the second stage of the Metaldays. It was such a great experience. We also played at the mighty Z7 in Pratteln.
On stage we’re all full of energy, headbanging the most we can and trying to give our best performance on each show. For all of us it’s always exciting to play a show, wherever it is.

7. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We have 3 shows planned in Germany and 2 in Switzerland. Other shows will be soon confirmed for France, Germany and Italy. No touring yet.

8. Currently the band is signed to 'MTAF Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
MTAF is the 2nd label of our friend Asterix. The first one, Asgaard Hass, being intended for black metal projects, so the 2nd label has been created to allow other bands in other kinds of metal to be under a label.

9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Pretty well. I mean, we’re not a big band but we sold our merch worldwide and we have good feeedbacks all around the world. For the new album, we have pre orders in England, Ireland, Denmark, Canada, Germany and Switzerland.

10. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We will continue to compose in the same vein as our last two albums because that is what makes Tyrmfar so strong. Trying to improve the diversity of the riffs, the quality of the lyrics and the structure of the songs.

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
Most of the people will tell you Amon Amarth but they are wrong. We are mainly influenced by bands like Kataklysm, At the Gates or Hypocrisy for the Death Metal parts of our music and inspired by Sargeist, Angantyr, Imperium Dekadenz… for the Black Metal passage.

12. What are some of your non musical interests?
We live in the South of Switzerland, in the mountains.. so we all like hiking and enjoy the wilderness with beers or some wine and good stuff. I think it’s part of our music influences too.

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First thanks for the opportunity to write those few words and express ourselves.
We are extremely motivated and we already working on the next album. It will probably be recorded at the beginning of next year.
Cheers.

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Monday, June 3, 2019

Ov Lustra/Tempestas/Black Lion Records/2019 CD Review


  Ov  Lustra  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Tempestas"  which  will  be  released  on  June  9th  by  Black  Lion  Records.

  A  very  cinematic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestral and symphonic  sounds  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Choir  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  while  one  track  also  introduces  stringed  instruments  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of t he  mid  tempo  sections  add  in  slam  style  breakdowns  and  the  last  4  tracks  are  orchestral  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics are  a  concept  album  involving  a  character known  as  'The  Speaker'  and  his  journey.

  In  my  opinion  Ov  Lustra  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Ritual"  "The  Orator"  and  "Ov  Lustra".  8  out  of  10.

https://ovlustrablacklion.bandcamp.com/album/tempestas