Saturday, September 28, 2019

Cradle Of Filth/Cruelty And The Beast/Music For Nations/2019 Re-Issue Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Cradle  Of  Filth  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  gothic  black  metal  direction  and  the  album was  originally  released  in  1998  and  called  "Cruelty  And  The  Beast"  and  the  re-issued  and  re-mastered  version  will  be  released  in  November  of  2019  by  Music  For  Nations.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  having  its  symphonic  moments  and  also  bringing in  the  haunting  atmosphere  of  a   horror  movie  soundtrack.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  and  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.  Elements  of  gothic  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit throughout  the  recording  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Iron  Maiden's  "Hallowed  Be  Thy  Name".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  Elizabeth  Bathory.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Cradle  Of  Filth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thirteen  Autumns  And  A  Widow"  "The  Twisted  Nails  Of  Faith"  and  "Portrait  Of  A  Dead  Countess".  8  out  of  10.

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Savaoth/Neophyte/2019 EP Review


  Savaoth  are  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  plays  a  very  experimental  form  of  industrial  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  ep  "Neophyte".

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  and  throat  singing  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  some  synths  and  industrial  elements.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  death  metal  growls  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Savaoth  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  modern  sounding  while  the  experimental  and  industrial  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult,  metaphysical  and  psychological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Savaoth  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  industrial  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eleusis"  and  "Gnosis".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/savaoth/
https://savaoth.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSKDcfnk9A 

  

Friday, September 27, 2019

Devilish Impressions/Postmortem Whispering Crows/Non Serviam Records/2019 EP Review


  Devilish  Impressions  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  melodic   mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Postmortem  Whispering  Crows"  which  was  released  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  A  very  distorted,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

 When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly

  Devilish  Impressions  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  sides of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  inspired  by  Polish  literature  written  in  between  1880  and  1918.

  In  my  opinion  Devilish  Impressions  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Interregnvm".  8  out  of  10.

www.devilish-impressions.com
www.facebook.com/devilishimpressions
www.twitter.com/DevilishImpress
www.youtube.com/devilishimpressions



  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Orquilux/The Desire To Vanish Myself/2019 Full Length Review


  Orquilux  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  recently  been  featured  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "The  Desire  To  Vanish  Myself".

   A  very  dark  sounding  prologue  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  stringed  instruments  and  synths  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  bring  in a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  show  an  influence  of  folk  music.  Flutes  and  Celtic  instruments  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  symphonic  sounds  are  also  mixed  into  some  of  the  heavier  sections  of  the  recording.

 When  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  songs  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  but  keeping  the  focus  more  on  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  love,  anger,  nostalgia  and  happiness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Orquilux  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic,  melodic  and  progressive  black  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Strange  Feeling"  "Trying  To  Reach"  and  "The  Bell  Tower".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Orquilux/   

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Funeral Mortem/Misanthropic Majesty/2019 Demo Review


  Funeral  Mortem  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  melodic form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  demo  "Misanthropic  Majesty".

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  melodic  death  metal.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  focusing  more  on  a  heavier  style.

  Funeral  Mortem  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Funeral  Mortem  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  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Opening  The  Eye  Of  Leviathan".  8  out  of  10.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Birth Of The Monolith/Cult/2018 EP Review


  Birth  Of  The  Monolith  are  a  band  from  Siberia,  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Cult".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  emtal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  post  metal  along  with  some  touches  of  screamo  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody. Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Birth  Of  The  Monolith  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Rituals  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Birth  Of  The  Monolith  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ritual".  8  out  of  10.

https://botm.bandcamp.com/album/cult

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Epta Astera/Feste Burg/Mourning Light Productions/2019 CD Review


  Epta  Astera  is  a  solo project  from  Virginia  that  plays  Gregorian  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Feste  Burg"  which  will  be  released  on Halloween  by  Mourning  Light  Productions.

  Folk  instruments,  synths  and  Gregorian  chants  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Voices  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  enhance  the  folk  side  of  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  whispered  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  historical  events  of  October  31,  1517  when  the  German  monk  Martin  Luther  nailed  his  Ninety-Five  Theses  to  the  door  of  a  church  in  Wittenburg,  Germany..

  In  my  opinion  Epta  Astera  are  a  very  great  sounding  Gregorian  folk  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  original,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Noche  Oscura"  "Exsurge  Domine"  and  "Augsburg  in  Epra  Astera".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/eptaastera/       

Monday, September 16, 2019

Dreamarcher/The Bond/Indie Recordings/2019 CD Review


  Dreamarcher  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  progressive  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Bond"  which  will  be  released  on  September  27th  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  heavy  and  avant  garde  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  alter  while  the  heavy  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  prog  metal.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  black  metal s creams  also  being  used  at  times.
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  When t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times.

  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in   certain  sections  of the  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  psychedelic  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  small  industrial  town  surrounded  by  majestic  nature,  fjords  and  glaciers.

  In  my  opinion  Dreamarcher  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  progressive  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Coal"  "From  Which  We  Came"  and  "Dominance".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.dreamarcher.net/     

Eternal Storm/Come The Tide/Transcending Obscurity Records/2019 CD Review


  Eternal  Storm  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this recording  plays  a  very  melodic,  atmospheric  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Come  The  Tide"  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  touches  of  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well   as  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  at  times.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  saxophones  onto  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  and  the  closing  track  shows  an  influence  of  post rock.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  inner  struggles,  personal  growth.philosophy  and  society  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eternal  Storm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  atmospheric  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  the  Wall  of  Light  Pt.  1  (The  Strand)"  "The  Mountain"  and  "Embracing  Waves".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/dwZhkhmafxs      

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Scimitar Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?



Scimitar was formed in 2007 by George Anstey (Guitars 2007-2017) and me after I complimented his Iron Maiden shirt in a high school Spanish class.  At the time I was hopelessly enamored with the Death, Black and early Viking/Pagan Metal bands that I had found on file-sharing networks such as Kazaa and Limewire; George and I immediately knew that was the type of metal we wanted to play.  Soon after we began jamming, George’s little brother Noel also learned guitar and in 2008 we recruited our high school friend Clayton Basi to play drums. We began gigging that year and had the advantage of local originality, as our blend of Melodic Death/Black/Pagan Metal was well established in Europe but didn’t yet exist in our area of Canada. Since then we have released two albums, two EP’s, three singles and played extensively across Western Canada. We are happy to call Victoria, BC our home base and to still be involved in the awesome metal scene that has supported us there.



2. Recently you have released a new full length, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



Our sound has heavily matured since ‘Black Waters,’ ‘Shadows of Man’ is a much more coherent album with stricter songwriting. Like many young metal bands, we used to have a tendency to write long songs that are largely compilations of riffs with not always similar themes.  We still write overly long songs, but at least on ‘Shadows’, the structure of them isn’t quite as arbitrary. There is also more variety in the genres of metal we integrate into ‘Shadows,’ with quite a few sections of folk instruments, Brutal Death Metal and Black Metal. Lyrically ‘Shadows’ also has much more historical narrative than ‘Black Waters.’



2. This is also your first full length since 2010, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?



In the eight years since ‘Black Waters’ Scimitar has toured Western Canada, played multiple festivals, gigged in Victoria and Vancouver consistently and released three self-produced singles.  All four members of Scimitar also finished their university degrees during this time; George with a major in Business, Noel with a double major in Computer Science and Music, Clayton with a major in Communications and myself with a double major-minor in History, Political Science and Writing.



With Noels new training in music production from his degree, we attempted to self-record ‘Shadows’; resulting in the ‘To Cultivate with Spears’ and the ‘Wandering at the Moon’ singles. The album was never entirely finished as Scimitar also went through two major lineup changes over this period, with keyboardist David Douglas leaving the band in 2012 to pursue his education and founding member/guitarist George leaving in 2016 to join the emerging Canadian cannabis industry. Early in 2017, Jesse Turner was recruited to replace George on guitar, two years of dogged production later ‘Shadows of Man’ was finally complete.



4. Your lyrics also cover historical fiction and fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?



Clayton and I love the Warhammer universe and other dark fantasy such as Steven Erikson’s ‘Malazan Book of the Fallen’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings/Silmarillion’.  Our Warhammer 40k obsession eventually led us to find our album artist Hammk. I have also always enjoyed writing short stories; a few Scimitar songs reflect this fantasy-narrative style.



The historical lyrics became much more prevalent in Scimitar as we all labored away on our degrees, as previously mentioned I majored in History.  I always had a feeling that human history is so fraught with compelling stories of violence, glory, and terror that I would be hard-pressed to imagine anything more Metal than our past itself. I then began to make notes specifically for Scimitar songs while I was doing research for essays or even during lectures in class.



Three songs from Shadows of Man are the direct result of these notes; ‘Knights Collapse’ is a tongue-in-cheek tale of the Battle of Agincourt from a History of Medieval Warfare class, ‘Flayed on the Birch Rack’ narrates a Beaver Wars era Haudenosaunee captive-taking ritual from an Early Colonial North America class and ‘To Cultivate with Spears’ is a biographic ballad about Shaka Zulu from an African History class.



5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Scimitar'?



Our earlier music had a much more nautical feel as evident in our 2010 release, Black Waters and we initially considered a few different pirate-ish band names. The name Scimitar was eventually decided upon largely by the influence of an item drop in Diablo II, which Clayton and I logged many hours in.



6. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?



The artwork for the album was done by the renowned Warhammer fan-artist Hammk.  It depicts a scene from the two-part title track of the album, Shadows of Man I: Imperium and II: Cataclysm.  These songs are a fantasy narrative about the rise and fall of an ocean-locked archipelago empire, mainly influenced by the fall of Easter Island and 1833-1836 series of paintings ‘The Course of Empire’ by Thomas Cole.



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 stage performance is specifically sculpted to be highly professional while still maintaining furious energy. We take pride in being an easy and efficient band to work with and in respecting our audience by making our performance as compelling as possible for them.  This approach has earned us the honor of opening for quite a few of our Metal heroes over the years; for example Inquistion (2010), Soulfly (2014), Arkona (2013 and ‘15), Heidevolk (2015) and Hibria (2017). Recently we were ecstatic to open for our single biggest influence; Ensiferum, at a Vancouver theatre shows alongside Septic Flesh (2019).



A very memorable show for us was at the late Edmonton festival Farmaggeddon (2014); the festival area was in the middle of a farm plot and a small tornado rolled through the campgrounds while we were mid-song! We didn’t end up stopping our performance even as tents were torn up from the ground and a pair of jeans was carried up into the stratosphere.



Our most recent gig at Vancouver Island Metal Festival 2019 also holds a special place in our hearts as it was our release show for ‘Shadows of Man.’  It was an indescribable feeling of elation to present the material we had worked on for so many years to such a manic crowd in the main square of our home city.



8. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?



We have a few exciting gigs coming up soon; speaking of our pirate-metal beginnings we are opening for the Scottish legends Alestorm in our hometown this November.  We are also playing Winterfest 2020 at the Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver in January. No solid tour plans as of yet, but we are planning a Western-Canadian festival circuit for summer 2020.



9. Currently, you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?



Honestly, we have not received any direct interest but we have also not shopped ourselves around yet.  Once we determine that getting signed is our next priority we will put in the specific work to make it happen.



10. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk, pagan and melodic death metal?



The reception has been overwhelmingly positive; we have received lots of compliments referring to the originality we bring to the melodic death and pagan metal genres, our song and lyrics-writing and how polished the record is despite being self-produced.  We have gotten a few negative reviews of the single, ‘Knights Collapse’ due to the unconventional rappy nature of the vocals – though we did expect it to be a divisive song.



11. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?



Noel’s Ska/Raggae group Blackwood Kings is also busy gigging around BC. Clayton also plays drums in the rising deathcore act Shallow End and does vocals in Parasitic Twin. Jesse plays guitar and sings in Secondhand Habit, Aetherion, Thigma, and Strategic Abuse.  Scimitar is my only musical project.



12. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We will continue to refine our sound to be ever more grandiose, catchy and efficient – we want to achieve excellence with our music that is demonstrable by the experience of the listener. We are also striving to write more concise and musically coherent songs.



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?



Our primary influences are the first wave of Viking/Pagan/Folk Metal bands such as Ensiferum, Einherjer, Tyr, Thyrfing and Falkenbach.  Mithotyn, Kromlek, Black Messiah and Svartsot were also very influential musically, as well as bands from other extreme metal genres like Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Destroyer 666 and Sodom.  We also have to give a serious nod to the legends; Rush, Iron Maiden, Dio, Judas Priest, and Manowar.



Personally I listen to a lot of rap – lately, it’s been Jarv, Masta Ace and A Tribe Called Quest.  For metal I always have King Diamond, Taake and Bolt Thrower on rotation; more recently I have really been digging Idle Hands, Heron, Wormwitch and the cassette from Clayton’s other band Shallow End.



14. Does Paganism play any role in your music?



The primary role that Paganism has played in Scimitar is by our influences; as previously mentioned our greatest musical influences were early European Viking/Pagan metal bands that we found on file-sharing networks in the mid 2000’s. A few of our earlier tracks thus have some pagan themes in the lyrical content, but since then our focus has shifted much more towards historical narrative and fantasy.



15. What are some of your non musical interests



As previously mentioned Diablo II played a role in the selection of our band name; both Clayton and I are avid PC gamers.  Clayton also is quite involved in tabletop gaming and RPG’s.



Other than making metal I also enjoy lifting it; I compete in powerlifting competitions, this year I did British Columbia Provincials, Canadian Westerns and Nationals as well as the strongman competition at the Victoria Highland Games.



Noel is very involved in music production outside of our band as well; he is part owner and founder of a new studio in Victoria called Quadratic Sound.



Jesse is kept very busy by music as he currently plays guitar and sings for five different bands including Scimitar.



16. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?


Well, first of all, we would like to thank you for interviewing us!  Also a major hail to the Scimi-Tarmy for their steadfast support over the last ten years, and to all the new fans joining us now with the release of ‘Shadows.’  We love you dearly and stay Metal \m/
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Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Totengefluster/The Faceless Divine/Black Lion Records/2019 CD Review


  Totengefluster  are  a  band  from Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Faceless  Divine"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Black  Lion  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  and  also  introduces  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  which  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well as  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  mostly  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  symphonic  style.

 A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  songs    also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  as  the  album  progress  guttural  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music,  one  of  the later  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  clean  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  closing  bonus  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  death  an  insanity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Totengefluster  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "On  Carrion  Wings"  "Affliction"  "Vermin"  and  "The  Hollow  Wanderer".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/eD_smf7fjw4

Monday, September 9, 2019

Selenite/Mahasamadhi/Seance Records/2019 CD Review


  Selenite  are  a  solo  project  from  Austria  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Mahasamadhi"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Seance  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  funeral  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  yet  depressive  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  Keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  90's  era  doom/death  metal  influences.  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  symphonic  elements  at  times.

  One  track  also  introduces  clean  male  vocals and  grim  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when t hey  are  utilized  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  as  the  album  progresses  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.   The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Sanskrit  Mantras  and  Eastern  Spirituality  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Selenite  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Requiem  For  a  Soul"  and  "Final  Reckoning".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/sNQ9sW0isBY

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Kurgan/Yggdrasil Burns/Massacre Records/2019 CD Review


  Kurgan  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019 album  "Yggdrasil  Burns"  which  will  be  released  on  September  20th  by  Massacre  Records.

  Thunderstorm  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  viking  music  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Scandinavian  style,  classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  Kurgan  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic forms  of  viking,   black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Death,  Norse  Mythology,  Battles,  Blood,  Gore  and  Medieval  character  themes.

  In  my opinion  Kurgan  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fall  Of  Asgard"  "Kill  The Enemy"  "Evil  Dead"  and  "Over  the  Lands,  Into  The  Sea".  8  out  of  10.

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Monday, September 2, 2019

Singularity/Place Of Chains/The Artisan Era/2019 CD Review


  Singularity  are  a  band  from  Tempe,  Arizona  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  and  technical  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Place  Of  Chains"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  the  Artisan  Era.

  Symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  technical  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  head.

  Vocals  bring  in a  mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  guttural  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  getting  very  technical  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  some  of  the  faster  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  and  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  enslavement  and  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Singularity  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  technical  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Victory  Or  Death"  "Consume  And  Assume"  and  "As  Dark  As  This  Nefarious  Night".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/_ew4XwrAlVM