ADifferentShadeOfBlackMetalZine

Wykked Wytch Interview

2012-01-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Ipek- We are getting ready for the release in February. Also shooting a video next month and getting ready to tour in the spring.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs fromprevious releases?
ipek- The new album is a much more mature album album than the previous. Same type of extreme metal music but better songs and much more going on. This albumalso welcomes the new addition of guitarist Nate Poulson who composed the music. What we have here is raw modern and technical musically and vocally very brutal,/ inhuman sick, with still epic clean vocals. Mixture of all metal syles and should appeal everyone who likes good heavy and extreme music.

3. Whatare some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer release?
Ipek-Lyrics are always evolving and express my emotions to where I was at the time and my mindset. Personal dramas effect the feelings and vision for the album, At the time of writing I was going through some betrayal and deceits. Basically lies and back stabbing issues from close friends and family.I think everyone can relate to this. Seeing true colors of a persons and despising their existence.

4. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would youdescribe your stage performance?
ipek- We have done many great shows over the years but few really stuck with me such as Kreator Tour in 2002, No Mercy Fests in 2005, & 2009 shows at California Metalfest and Portugal which was part ofo our last headlining tour in Europe.With our tour in 2009 this was our most recent line-up and I had very young yet very skilled talented musicians and they played excellent. These guys will bethe same for the tour supporting ‘ The Ultimate Deception’ so we will have thehigh energy shows. Everyone was very high energy pumped on stage unlike old burned out band members.

5. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Ipek-Absolutely,in the next few months everything will be announce. Especially US tour which we have neglected for so long. We were heavily focusing on Europe before because that’s where our previous label Demolition was based. But now since we have the support of our new label Goomba Music, we plan on doing much more touring in the US to support this release.

6. On a worldwide level how has your newer material been received by underground metal fans?
Ipek= Amazing and very well. Which I'm not surprised. ‘The Ultimate Deception’is fucking filler and fans have been waiting so long. I promised that the wait would be worth it. We have only released the track ‘Despised Existence’ so far which is streaming on the label site. Just getting a small dose of this beast of a single makes the fans even more excited to hear the rest of the album!

7. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
ipek- I have not changed any direction. I always had the same vision for WW. SometimesI didn’t have the right creative team behind me at the time. But as time goes on you mature with your music and you get more creative, picky, and make better decisions. Also new members bring in fresh idea and new blood which is the reason some of the past members had to go. Don’t want to settle for less. We will continue to write more technical and epic tunes. The future will just mean making better music. More complex songs, technical, melodies, catchy riff, more solos, brutal & clean singing.

8. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer material andalso what are you listening to nowadays/
Ipek- I myself been classically trained so from Bach to Rock, blues , jazz and mainly all Metal styles have captured my attention. Older and newer bands always turned me on. Mercyful Fate & Testament had a big impact on early years of my career. Dio, Black Sabbath & Death my favorite old stuff. Can’t think of all the current bands but dig Opeth, Faceless, Obscura, August Burns, Behemoth.Winds of Plague. Nate the guitarist listens to more modern bands like Periphery, Born of Osiris, After The Burial, Job For A Cowboy since he is from the new generation of musicians, but still love Pantera like us all.

9. Does Occultism play any role in the music?
ipek- No,I don’t think so. We have some fantasy type lyrics that could be interpret as occult, but no one is practicing any type of religion.

10.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Ipek- In addition to doing the band I also do a metal radio show weekly “Ipek’s WytchingHour” on www.metalmessiahradio.com and interview my favorite bands and expose new bands that needs promotion. Still love going to concerts and festivals.Love Music period. I am also very much into true crime shows that you will find on History & Discovery, 48 hour type shows with scientific data and solving death and missing person mysteries. Love independent films and also animal lover. Cooking is another passion of mine. I can't speak for the band members they all have some different hobbies and maybe have a few skeletons in their closets which I don't care to know.

11. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thank You for the interest in Wykked Wytch and the interview. Hope You all go out and buy the new album on February 14th ‘ The Ultimate Deception ‘and supporting the independent bands in the scene,Stay Sick!!!!!!!! Check usout at www.facebook.com/wykkedwytch
Ipek

Eternal Decay/Beyond The Ties Of Flesh/2010 CD Review

2012-01-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

Eternal Decay are a band from Isreal that plays a very symphonic and epic form of black metal and this is a review of their self released 2010 album "Beyond The Ties Of Flesh".

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown into the music, while the keyboards bring a very dark, symphonic and epic feeling, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffs that are very melodic sounding and not at all primitive with some influences from other genres of metal in addition there is a brief use of soft and clean playing while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding black metal guitar leads and solos, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to enhance the darkness of the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some spoken word parts as well as a brief use of demonic sounding deep growls, while the lyrics cover occultism and mysticism, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Eternal Decay are a very great symphonic and epic sounding black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Beyond The Illusion Gate" "Darkness And It's Faithful Servant's" and "Bericades Of Iternal Mysticism". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Sangre Eterna/Asphyxia/Maple Metal Records/2012 CD Review

2012-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sangre Eterna are a band from Serbia that started as a more symphonic gothic black metal band but evolved into a more melodic death/black metal band with this release and this is a review of their 2012 album "Asphyxia" which was released by Maple Metal Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very atmospheric and symphonic feeling to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast melodic death metal riffs that have a black metal edge to them, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are a mixture of deep death metal growls and high pitched melodic death/black metal screams with some samples being thrown in at times as well as a brief use of clean singing male and female vocals, while the lyrics cover dark themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Sangre Eterna are a very good sounding symphonic melodic death/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you shoulod check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Masquerade" "Seventh Angel" "Shattered Sun" and "Asphyxia"> RECOMMENDED BUY.

Thunderkraft/Totentanz/Svarga Music/2012 CD Review

2012-01-22T17:32:00.000-08:00

Thunderkraft are a band from Ukraine that plays a mixture of industrial, folk, death and symphonic black metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Totenanz" which was released by Svarga Music.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with some fast playing and blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very dark, industrial, atmospheric and symphonic sound to the music with some folk instruments being thrown in at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine folk, thrash, industrial death and black metal together to create their own sound, while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very chaotic sounding heavy metal guitar solos and leads with a good amount of melody.

Vocals range from gruff vocals, deep death metal growls, high pitched black metal screams, clean singing and some spoken word parts, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Ukrainian, Russian and German with themes that cover problems of mankind’s relation to the past, ideas of greatness and boundless possibilities of the human spirit, and the strength of will and character. Cosmology concepts are also represented, albeit leaning toward the social aspects, as for the production it has a very strong, heavy, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Thunderkraft are a very great sounding industrial/folk/death/symphonic black metal with their own sound and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Hacathe Yac(A Time Will Come)" "Totentanz(Dance Of The Dead)" "Habctpeuy hobon Sape(Towards A New Dawn)" and "Tbopeub Xnttr(The Creator Of Life)". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Wykked Wytch/The Ultimate Deception/Goomba Music/2012 CD Review

2012-01-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

Wykked Wytch are a band from Florida that plays a very gothic form of symphonic black metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "The Ultimate Deception" which was released by Goomba Music.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards and prograamming bring a very dark gothic and symphonic feeling to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark sound with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine black metal with death and thrash metal with some dark sounding melodies being thrown in at times with a brief use of clean playing, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals range from high pitched black metal screams,,deep death metal growls, spoken word parts and a brief use of clean singing, while the lyrics cover dark themes and witchcraft, as for the production it has a very strong, professional and powerful sound to it.

In my opinion Wykked Wytch are a very good sounding symphonic/gothic/black/death metal hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Birthing The Beast" "Serpents Among Us" "Prayers Of The Decapitated" and "Abolish The Weak". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Abigail Williams/Becoming/Candlelight Records/2012 CD Review

2011-11-30T00:43:00.000-08:00

Abigail Williams are a band from New York that has had their previous recording reviewed before in thia zine that plays a very mainstream form of atmospheric black metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Becoming" which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown into the music, while the keyboards have a very dark, progressive and atmospheric sound with some violins being thrown in at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast mainstream black metal riffs that also have some progressive, thrash and death metal influences with some dark sounding melodies and clean playing being thrown in at times and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with a small amount of deep growls and clean singing, while the lyrics cover dark themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this is another good album from Abigail Williams and if you where a fan of their previous recordings, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Acension Sickness" and "Beastial". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Krampus/Kronos Heritage/2011 EP Review

2011-11-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

Krampus are a band from Italy that plays a mixture of folk metal mixed with melodic black/death and this is a review of their self released 2011 e.p "Kronos Heritage".

Drums range from slow to mid apced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards and folk instruments bring a very atmospheric and medievel feeling to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffs that combine folk metal with melodic death and black metal, while the lead guitars have a very melodic sound to the guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched meldodic black/death screams and growls mixed in with some clean singing, while the lyrics cover Moral Principles and Values In The Ancient Times, as for the production it has a very strong and powerful sound to it.

In my opinion Krampus are a very good meldoci sounding folk/death/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACK "Aftermath". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Nordheim Interview

2011-11-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are a folk metal band with strong black metal influences. We are talking here about the Modern Black Metal sound, not the old black metal and poorly produced sound we used to listen to in the 90s. We mix the catchy side of folk metal with the speed and ambiance of black metal. We also strive to create the stunning guitar sound of modern metal artist such as Children Of Bodem and Black Dahlia Murder to put us aside from other folk metal bands.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?
Brutal, heavy, fast and so fucking festive :)

3. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
The lyrics refer to everybody's life. We write about sad times, good times, all disguised in pagan themes and metaphors so that nobody really gets what we are actually writing
about hahaha... Some of the songs are actually WAY MORE depressing than they may sound like.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
Well... it just kinda sounded great and epic hahaha! Nothing special with any particular meaning.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
The show at the Bar Octobre in Quebec City was particularly awesome... we managed to give a kick-ass performance with bodysurfing and stage diving despite having a few technical problems! The power-bar where our amps were plugged into burned down and we still managed to finish the show with honours, and we even caught the eye of a local manager! We also did some f***ing awesome shows in the Province of Quebec with our friends from Valcknacht and Valfreya... what a great tour it was!

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Hahaha... We wish to tour for f***ing ever and ever! That's what metal is all about! A European tour would be awesome... isn't that the goal of every American metal band :D

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by folk/pagan metal fans?
Well... if we refer to the Youtube views... it is WAY MORE than what we expected! It's actually amazing how much attention we have received from European metalheads! We have over 23,000 views for ‘Beer, Metal, Trolls and Vomit!’ I mean if we compare ourselves to other Quebec metal bands we are among the most famous and well known for our Genre! It is such an honour!
Our label Maple Metal Records has just announced that they have released ‘Beer, Metal, Trolls and Vomit!’ for gameplay on RockBand 3 via the Xbox 360 & PS3 platforms. So look out for the song in the next few months via the Rock Band Network!

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases? For sure faster riffs with more blastbeats and energy!
The epic side of our music will always be primordial, so I would say expect a folk metal album with REALLY STRONG modern black metal influences like Keep of Kalessin or Watain mixed up with accordion and flutes hahahahaha!

9. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?
Not really, we concentrate all our energy on Nordheim!

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
It really depends on each member of the band! Everyone has individual influences that they bring into the creative process. I mean Fred is more into Melodic Metal such as Mors Principium Est and Varg. Benfok is into Cheesy Folk metal such as Alestorm and Ensiferum. Thom is nowadays into Symphonic metal such as Fleshgod Apocalypse and metalcore like Unearth. As for myself ( Warraxe ) I'm now in an old school mood such as Toxic Holocaust, Darkthrone, Nekromantheon ( you gotta check this out thrash metal fans) and other black-thrash metal bands! We all have individual influences in writing music and that's what makes this band so special and interesting!

11. What role does Paganism play in your music and how would you describe your views on this topic?
Eeeee... Absolutely nothing... it is just the fact that we play folk metal that has put us in the same barrel with paganism! I mean we are just some ordinary metalheads playing the music we love and we just don't give a f*** about Odin, Thor or other Scandinavian deities... Some of our lyrics mention Thor or Odin but it is not in eulogy or honour that we talk about them... Can't we just shred the shit out of our guitars while being drunk and not giving a shit about anything… hahahahahaha!

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Beer, booze, lifting weights and naked girls... yeah...

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
? We just hope that we will be able to keep on doing the music we love with the people we like! I mean nothing is more worthy than being drunk with our bandmates and friends! Thanks to ALL our fans and keep on supporting NORDHEIM! NUKE THE CROSS!!!

Thousand Year War Interview

2011-10-23T21:53:00.000-07:00

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We had a line up change right before the official release of our debut
'Tyrants and Men'
Kellen who had played bass/guitar and helped with songwriting was
removed from the band for personal reasons and I took on Pablo
Magallanes(Guitar/Bass- Live Demonical, Live Internment) and am using
our session drummer from the first album, Fredrik Widigs(Live
Drums-Witchery, Live Drums-Demonical, The Ugly, Ex- Angrepp)

I just finished working on 5 new songs and a misfits cover of London
Dungeon for an EP entitled "Vulture Eyes"
The artwork is in the process is being finished and I believe Pablo
and Fredrik will be recording soon and I will be jumping into the
studio once that is all done for vocals. Right now its a pretty hard
time for me. Just moved back to the states and really struggling hard
to keep my head afloat and get Thousand Year War live. Trying to push
for a mini tour in the States!

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Its much much different....The influences are significantly more
subtle than Tyrants and Men and I doubt anyone will be thinking of
Amon Amarth when listening to the new tunes. Its very rocking and dark
metal! Title track vulture eyes almost has this black'n'roll feel to
it and its a really catchy song. Then you have Sombre as the Nightly
Shrouds is very dark, slow, but with riffs that really hook you in,
while bloodlines just rips you apart with aggression and melody. My
vocal approach is also much different in that Im straying away from
the lows while using mainly highs and a sort of low gravely singing
voice ....its very original but also fits the songs really well. When
you think some of the riffs are poppy my vocals will come in to being
a certain darkness and desperation to the mix.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explore with
the music?

The lyrical topics all have to do with opposition of Government, world
leaders, and organized religion. My lyrics hold as much importance as
to the music I write. I believe in every single word I write down!
When I look around I see a people that are being warped and
manipulated to function under control of the ruling powers. It is
really disheartening and dispiriting, but also inspirational as far as
lyrics are concerned. Seems like people are becoming the product the
new world order wants them to be.

Here is an excerpt from a new song Vulture Eyes that I especially like:

Take in what you see, below your black wings, a kingdom built on ruin
now laid in tragedy

The founders of this land, lay buried in the waste, memories of them
now the legacy of hate

Betray all that you know, soar high above the lands, rip flesh from
all the bodies, in this country of the damned!

America is simply one of the foundations of a sadistic kingdom murder
obsessed and power hungry....our founders were nothing but villains
and theives with intent on building an empire of injustice, and the
best democracy money can buy

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

The name Thousand Year War is inspired by the holy war the crusaders
waged close to a Thousand Years Ago and how that war or crusade is
simply continuing on in the Middle East and orchestrated by the
leaders of the United States, England, and other countries....so
Thousand Year War

5. Are there any touring plans for the future?

Absolutely....but none of its really solidified at all. I really need
some session guys in the U.S.A to work with and we need a booking
agency. I 100% want to get a tour going to spread the word, get some
funding coming in, and gather up a broader audience. Desperately want
to get the music live in Europe. I hope summer 2012....

6. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by melodic
death/black metal fans?

It seems like its been very well received so far! I'm happy with the
response. There have been the typical Amon Amarth comparisons, but
everything has been real positive. Abyss Records and Clawhammer PR are
really doing a good job getting the word out there...I hear from
people all over the world that are enjoying the sound of TYW:)

7. Are there any projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

For me my focus is Thousand Year War right now...I just don't have
any time or energy for anything else. I have 2 kids and am married, so
this is plenty for me to concentrate on. Although I would do vocals
for anyone wanting someone to lay down some tracks studio wise of
course. Long as its just writing lyrics and and doing vocals I would
gladly take part in something else. But writing guitars takes a lot
out of me and I want to just do that in TYW. I really could see myself
eventually working on some old school black metal with an eerie
atmosphere. Something like Arckanum/Wolves in the Throne Room,
Gorgoroth. I enjoy alot of raw but well produced black metal. Its
great art and expression of the natural world.

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

I see TYW taking on a sort of more black metal style and very
emotional.....a lot of feeling and depth. Sort of taking a step away
from the Swedish Death Metal while circling around it and embracing
certain elements of it. There is something very original in this
upcoming Vulture Eyes but its hard to say exactly what it is, if that
makes sense. I think I am finding our very own style....which is a
great thing!

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and
also what are you listening to nowadays?

Some bands that have influenced my music are Old Man's Child, Amon
Amarth, In Battle, Rotting Christ, Satariel, Composer Phillip
Glass...to name a few. But now I really don't find bands as being an
influence anymore. Feelings, anger, hope, despair, the great
wilderness, wars, human emotion, these are all being translated into
TYW's music.

Nowadays I am enjoying Astriaal, Cradle of Filth's new album,
Summoning,Heaven and Hell, Dio, Gorgoroth, Windir, the Misfits,
Primordial, Iron Maiden, Arckanum, Three Inches of Blood, Demonical,
Diabolical, Bane(BM band), Nordman, and some traditional scandinavian
folk.

There is this style of music called Deathcore and I FUCKING HATE IT.
Can't wait until it passes. Its just a stupid trend and a pissing
contest to see how complicated of a shit ass riff you can write and
throw together in one huge shit pile of a song. uhggg
Hopefully those bandana wearing, above the knee shorts sporting, penny
picking model styled half assed long haired d bags dance their dumb
asses out of the metal scene and onto the next dumb ass trend.
Necrophagist chartered those territories years before this trend with
tasteful songwriting and skill. Get a clue!

10. Does Paganism play any role in your music?
.
No, not at all. To me paganism is just a spin off of modern day
Christianity. They both feed off each other and I find them both
unappealing and just a tool used by people to control other people.
Concerning spirituality what I find I find attractive is the movements
by buddhist, tibetan monks, and the ways and beliefs of native
americans and other native tribes throughout the world. Power and
positivity through our minds is more impressive than having somebody
shove a bible, koran, or whatever and tell you what to believe and
think.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

My interest is first of all my two kids and wife.....and I love being
out in old growth forests and away from people. I'm pretty much
obsessed with Disc Golf in a big way. Play at least an hour or more a
day...its a great game once you get really into it! I like studying
about Freemasonry, natural medicine, illuminati,ancient alien
existence, and any and all lost or deceased civilizations. We have so
much to learn from these people if we approach them with an open mind.
Used to do subsistence fishing in Alaska which I really
enjoyed....basically anytime I can hunt and gather I'm truly happy.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

I would like to thank you very much for the priviledge of this
interview!! If you enjoy TYW's music please purchase a cd from me
through paypal@ thousandyearwar@gmail.com 11$ including shipping(send
shipping info!)
And of course support our label and buy TYW Merch/CD's and other great
abyss records bands @ http://www.officialabyssrecords.com
Download our demo for free at http://www.thousandyearwar.com and
'Like' TYW at http://facebook.com/tyrantsandmen
Check out http://www.infowars.com for more info on the New World
Order......HAILS!!!

Dethcentrik Interview

2011-10-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We formed in 2009 in Colorado Springs, a city outside of Denver. Død actually wanted to join a friend's band as vocalist, so he went home and recorded a vocal demo. The name of the band he used for his vocal demos was "Deathcentrik." Many band members have come and gone, and the current lineup is just the two of us: Jackie T and Død Beverte

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new ep and how it differs from previous release?

It's much more fluid. Død actually did do one darkwave album as Dethcentrik before Jackie joined the band, but other than that it's generally less abrasive and much more structured than our previous works as a band.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the duo explores with the new release?

Død is a college student, and to say the least he is not treated well at school, this town in general is very conservative and honestly treats most metalheads poorly, and the fact the the headquarters for the Christian organization Focus on the Family is actually in town seems to excuse that mistreatment. Anyway, the school had attempted to take disciplinary action against Død based on someone's word that he had done something that he actually hadn't. In turn, he made a joke about wanting to shoot people and was questioned by the campus police. "If Only" expresses anger towards those that had wronged Død, and "Columbine Justice Spree" was indirectly prodding at the school for assuming he would become violent. The video for Columbine Justice Spree was sadly banned by YouTube because to make it more controversial we used actual footage from the security cameras, and video the shooters had filmed. "Rip My Heart Out" is a song Død wrote about parting ways with a friend.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Død came up with the name Deathcentrik as a way of saying "centered around death." At the time the friend's band that he wanted to join was thrash. Thrash was all his friend would really listen to at all actually, and it rubbed off enough that as a way to pay tribute to Megadeth he changed "Death" to "Deth."

5. Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows yet?

Yes actually. Despite the fact that our first performance was awful to see visually, mainly because Død was having a bad night and took it out on everyone else and was sarcastic to boot, it actually sounded good enough that we released the audio in Live 2010. The idea actually arose when his friend was over and he was reviewing show footage and had left the video on in the background, and what was funny is that the show sounded like very well performed raw black metal.

6. I have read that you run a record label, can you tell us a little bit more about the record label and if any other bands are singed to the label?

We have generally been helping promote bands that Død is in contact with. The actual releases under the label are Dethcentrik's discography, which on the single release of Rip My Heart Out includes a remix by the industrial group Cold Metal Future, we co-released one split between Dethcentrik and Bassookah, although their label actually was the official imprint, and Død Beverte's solo album. That said, we want it to be known we are willing to work with bands to the extent they need, and many bands that we help want to remain independent altogether, so we simply promote them, and in a few cases we have worked with the label Seven Times More Scary Productions to get bands Død is in contact with into compilations. Many of the bands we work with do not understand how label contracts work, and in many cases for rights reasons and to keep our bases covered we have to do as little as possible until we know we can do more. We like to help bands in a way that they will appreciate it, rather than feel infringed upon, so Død Incarnate is a promotional outlet and label hybrid really.

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by fans of underground music?

People either love it or hate it. Funny thing is that when we started there was more hate, and more recently more people like it.

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Jackie wants to add more blues influence and incorporate more sub genres of heavy metal in future releases.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Every genre has rubbed off on us in some way or another except country and rap. We listen to and are and have been influenced by Steve Vai, Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Nightwish, Emperor, Pink Floyd, Burzum, Enslaved, Dimmu Borgir, Sektor 304, Equilibrium, Combichrist, Nine Inch Nails, and quite a few others.

10. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?

No. Jackie is a Buddhist and Død is an agnostic. In some of the older imagery Død's frustrations with the Catholic church did play a part as he was raised Catholic.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Jackie plays World of Warcraft, Død likes first person shooters. We both like messed up movies and TV shows a lot.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

We want to thank you for taking the time to interview us, we really appreciate it!

Thousand Year War/Tyrants And Men/Abyss Records/2011 CD Review

2011-10-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Thousand Year War are a band from Anchorage, Alaska that plays a mixture od melodic death and black metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Tyrants And Men" which was released by Abyss Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being used on occasion, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine melodic death and black metal together along with some traditional and classic metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are a mixture of deep death metal growls and high pitched melodic black/death metal screams, while the lyrics cover Mythology, epic and wat themes, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Thousand Year War are a very good melodic death/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Defiance" "No Gods, No Masters" "The Storm I Ride" and "Spartacus". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Sarah Jezebel Diva/The Corruption Of Mercy/Listenable Records/2011 CD Review

2011-10-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sarah Jezebel Diva is a singer from England that has been a part of many well known metal projects that had here previous album reviewed in this zine that plays a style that mixes symphonic, ambient and gothic metal together with a black metal edge and this is a review of her 2011 album "The Corruption Of Mercy' which was released by Listenable Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some ocassional blast beats, while the keyboards are very dark, symphonic and atmospheric sounding with an industrial edge, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast meloduic gothic metal riffs that still have a small amount of a black metal influence, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are all clean singing female vocals that are very operatic sounding mixed in with some whispered vocals, while the lyrics touch on dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this is another decent album from Sarah Jezebel Diva and if you where a fan of her past album, you probably wont be disapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "No Paragon Of Virtue" "Pretty With Effects' and "The Eyes That Lie". RECEMMONDED.

Dethcentrik/Why The innocent Die Young/2011 CD Review

2011-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Dethcentrik are a band from Colorado Springs, that plays a mixture of industrial, experimental, noise, grindcore, black metal and doom metal to create a sound of their own and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "Why The Innocent Die Young".

Drums range from slow to midpaced drumming, while the noise effects add a very dark, experiemental and avant garde feeling to the music and there is no bass playing present on this recording.

Guitars when they are utilized are mostly rock/metal guitar riffing, while the synths bring a very dark ambient sound to the music.

Vocals are very dark and depressing with somewhat of a grim black metal approach to the music with some clean singing male and female vocals being used on one song as well as some spoken word samples, why the lyriocs cover hateful themes, as for the production it has a very weird and dark sound to it.

In my opinion Dethcentrik are a very good avant garde metal band that is very hard to classify and if you are looking for something that is very original and different, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Demise Of Mankind" and "Columbine Justice Spree". RECEMMONDED BUY.

DungeonHammer Interview

2011-10-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?
R: We are DungeönHammer, a 2 man act totally dedicated to honor the old gods of metal!
E: We want to honor and to perpetuate the tradition of old school black metal.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the 7 inche's
E: We just want to sound as badass as Hellhammer did!
R: We are trying to make metal the way it used to be: simple, raw and passionate. We hope to convey this feeling in both 7"-es.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
R: We write about hell and damnation! What did you expect?
E: And about witchery and the occult.

4. I can tell by the bands name and music there is a huge Hellhammer influence, can you tell us what is about Hellhammer that inspired this project and also what are your views of Tom G Warrior disowning his first band?
R: You're right about the HellHammer influence! It should be an influence in every band. HellHammer is just one of the best bands ever (early Celtic Frost too). There's just something magical in those songs, they really don't make 'em like that anymore. My views on Tom G Warrior these days: he should do whatever he wants, this guy is a living legend.
E: Yes Hellhammer and the two first albums of Celtic Frost are our main influence. I really dig the new sound Tom G Warrior has created with Monotheist and Triptykon. I can't wait to hear the new album.

5. I have noticed that the 2 members live in different countries, how do you both work on the song writing and recording process?
R: That's right! I live in The Netherlands and E lives in France, about 600 km apart from each other. There is no other way than to mail each other a shitload of demo recordings and ideas, so that's what we do. When the basics of the songs are fully explored, we record drums, bass and guitars in our rehearsal rooms. I then make a mix and from there on we start working on vocals and solos. It takes a lot of time, but it's worth it!
E: I think it's a good thing to be in a 2 members band. It's easier to agree on riff ideas and song structures. On the other hand, It'd be definetely easier if we both lived in the same town.

6. Currently your stuff is being put out by Bestial Invasion Records, how did you come in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given the band so far?
R: Dominik of Bestial Invasion Records is really the best guy ever! When we put our first demo track on myspace he contacted us and said he wanted to release it! So he started Bestial Invasion Records. The amount of releases he put out is insane! He trades actively with all the cool distros around the world, like Hells Headbangers for example. It's really cool to see that our records are sold all over the planet. Without Dominik's support we couldn't have done this!
E: Eternal hails to Dominik!

7. Are there any other projects besides this band?
R: I also play in an experimental project and a noise project. Nothing that's really interesting for the people that like DungeönHammer...
E: DungeönHammer is my priority at the moment.

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by underground metal fans?
R: Really well! We were really surprised about that! Our first split with the Necro-Thrashers of RUST got some great reviews and is already sold out at Bestial Invasion Records! That's 500 records in 1 year! We are still really happy with that split and it's great to notice that the fans like it too.
E: We had a lot of positive reactions from true old school metal fans which is the most important thing for me.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
E: Same direction, making badass tracks from hell!
R: Yeah, we keep on heading in the same direction as the last 2 releases.

10. Besides Hellhammer what are some other bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
R: Bathory, Motörhead and Discharge are my main influences for DungeönHammer. For the rest I listen to grindcore and experimental stuff, I don't listen to a lot of black metal.
E: My main influences are of course the first wave of black metal but also some doom metal and 70s rock too. I'm a huge fan of Pentagram and Saint Vitus.

11. Does Satanism or Occultism play a role in the music?
R: It does not play any role for me.
E: Occultism plays a role in the lyrics writing.

12. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?
R: The usual stuff: hanging with friends, listening music, watching movies, going to gigs...
E: Headbanging, hanging out in pubs...

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
R,E: Thanks a lot for this interview, we really appreciate it! Check out our songs at our bandcamp: http://dungeonhammer.bandcamp.com/ and add us on facebook (www.facebook.com/dungeonhammer). Pay your respect to these bands and labels: Occvlta, Rust, Purgatör, Bestial Invasion Records, Burning World Records, Do Not Run We Are Your Friends, Geiser and Dead Neanderthals!

DungeonHammer/Frozen Wasteland/Bestial Invasion Records/2010 Split 7 Inch Review

2011-10-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

DungeonHammer are a band that has members from both France and Holland that mixes thrash, black metal , doom and punk together and this is a review of their 2011 split 7 inch which was released by Bestial Invasion Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffs that combine black, dooom, thrash and punk together together to create a sound that is very dark and could of easily came o0ut in the 80's, while the lead guitars are very raw and chaotic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are in the vein of Celtic Frost and Hellhammer style grunts and growls, while the lyrics cover dark and evil themes, as for the production it has a very raw, primitive, and dark sounding 80's feeling to it.

In my opinion DungeonHammer are a very good old school sounding black/thrash/doom metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this. RECEMMONDED BUY.

Nordheim/Lost In The North/Maple Metal Records/2011 CD Review

2011-10-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Nordheim are a band from Quebec, Canada that plays a mixture of pagan, folk, Melodic death and black metal and this is a review of their album which was originally self released in 2010 but re-issued by maple Metal Records in 2011.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards bring a very symphonic, atmospheric and epic feel to the music with some pagan sounding flutes being thrown in at times, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffing that combines melodic death metal with black and folk metal with a touch of classic metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic and skilled sounding guitar solos and leads, as for the accoustic guitars which are only used for a few seconds they bring a very dark and medievel feeling to the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched screams that combine melodic death metal and black metal together with some clean singing pagan metal vocals being thrown in at times as well as some deep growls, while the lyrics cover paganism, folklore and drinking, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful and professional feeling to it.

In my opinion Nordheim are a very good meldoic pagan/folk/black/death metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Nightborn' "Praise To The Gods" "Sailing The Drakaar" and "Blessing From The Stars". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Chthonic Interview

2011-09-07T14:12:00.001-07:00

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

After the former album ‘Mirror of Retribution’ released in 2009 and two-month tour in North America and UK, we were heading to writing new songs for next album. During those days we also did some successful performance at festivals like Loud Park (Japan), Hammerfest (UK), Download Festival (UK), Wave Gotik Treffen (DE).

In 2011 spring, we recorded our new album ‘Takasago Army’ at Sweet Spot Studio in Halmstad, Sweden’, produced by Rickard Bengtsson (Arch Enemy, Nemesis) , and it released in the middle of this year.

We had successful headline tour in Japan and Taiwan right after album release, and also were invited to play ‘Busan Festival’ in Korea. Then we’re heading to tour North America and Europe for the rest of this year!

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

The theme of ‘Takasago Army’ has more various emotions: from the confusion of themselves because of the identity to become proud of their own bravery in

battle field, and then the depress feeling when they have to face to the loss of the war but at the same time they find themselves a inner freedom and their

identity to Taiwanese ancestors. So the emotion of rise and fall of ‘Takasago

Army’ is huge than ‘Mirror of Retribution’.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

《Takasago Army》is our 6th full-length album. It’s talking about the struggling emotions and struggles of those over 200,000 Taiwanese soldiers who were fighting for Imperial Japanese Army in South Pacific in WWII.

They find themselves’ dignity and identity though this brutal and bloody process.

But after WWII, Chinese army (KMT party) occupied Taiwan, and those soldiers were forced to fight for Chinese army in their inner war with communist regime, most of them never come back. At the meantime, there’s also an uprising from Taiwanese people to against Chinese government, but it leads to a tragic massacre in Taiwan called ‘228 Massacre’.

It’s a series concept album, and it’s also the last part of the trilogy of our former two albums.

4. I know that the album title is based on the aboriginal tribes in Taiwan joining the military in World War II, what interest do you have in the mythology of these people and I have noticed not that many bands have ever explored that form of mythology with their lyrics?

Because this is a good story, and it’s based on the REAL history but was hidden by the history for over 60 years, so not too many people knows those people of WWII.

We have a very strong interest toward to this kind of topic. Our former albums were also related to mythology/history theme.

We are not interested in bring fans History class, what we want to reveal via the concept is the spirit and the value as a human beings based on those stories. J

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

‘ChthoniC’ means ‘Gods from the underworld’. For the past few albums, we’re re-creating the Oriental mythology based on the real history or culture background, like the second album was talking about Taiwanese Aboriginal Gods wake up and fight against the Gods from Mainland China to protect the island; In third album, we’re writing a revenge story by a female ghost who was been killed and tortured both mentally and physically. For the later 3 albums, we are writing the heroic battles based on our folk stories and hidden history in WWII.

All the elements of the stories, the living and dead people are all connected to the concept of ‘Acheron’.

6. You have done a lot of tours over the years, out of all of the places that you have played so far which one did you enjoy the most and also which band was the funnest to tour with or do live shows with, and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Actually I LOVE all fans from every countries, I ‘enjoy’ them very much! Haha! But the most favorite fans are still in Taiwan! ;)

7. What are the touring plans for the new album?

US Tour: From Sep 8th to Oct 4th, we will tour with Arch Enemy, Devil Driver and Skeletonwitch in the US and Canada! Excited!

UK Tour: From Oct 27th to Nov 17th, we will be main support of Turisas UK tour. Looking forward to play with them (and also the other band from Finland- Kiuas! ;)

Europe Tour: We will Tour from Dec 6th to Dec 22nd with Arch Enemy and Warbringer in Germany, France, Switzerland and Netherlands.

CHTHONIC will have a big outdoor concert in Taiwan on Oct 22nd. And the place is right in front of 'Sing-Ling Temple'. Sing-Ling Temple is a very important concept in our albums (Mirror of Retribution and Takasago Army). So the concert will connect to our album perfectly.

Now not only the place is very special, our guest play will also be very special. Now Randy Blythe from Lamb of God will fly to Taiwan to play with us and BBQ for fans!!! And now we're having a 'competition' for foreign fans, if you pass the competition, you can win the flight tickets to Taiwan to see our concert! :)

8. How has the feedback been from fans that have heard the new album so far?

I think it’s pretty good, and again, better than former album!

Especially this album is the last piece of the trilogy, that interest many people and draw more fans to notice our former albums! This ‘Takasago Army’ completes a trilogy that binds together the band’s Seediq Bale and Mirror Of Retribution albums, released in 2007 and 2009 respectively.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

From the new experience of composing songs for our latest album, we think we will use more Oriental elements and Taiwanese folk music as the base foundation, then mix metal music into it. The logic is different from our former albums, and we love to do our music in this way now. J

10. The last few albums came out on Spinefarm, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you compare Spinefarm to the other record labels that you have been on?

Our label manager in Spinefarm UK has already listened to our music before we signed with them. So when we start to shop labels, it’s naturally for us to get connection with this label.

Before Spinefarm, we’ve been worked SPV, and some individual label in different countries. After signing with Spinefarm, of course the aspect becomes wider and the strategy is more international.

We have good time in working with them. J

11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have influenced the new album and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The main song writers Freddy and Jesse have listened more Taiwanese traditional music (Enka) according to their ages getting older! (haha!) So if talking about the influence to CHTHONIC nowadays, I think that might be bunch of names on the list are Taiwanese singers or artists! :D

12. What role does Occultism play in your music and how would you describe your views on this topic?

Maybe it’s because the word ‘Orient Metal’ that we use more often nowadays has given some imagination of ‘Occultism’? J But we do use many concepts from the mythology of aboriginals, Taiwanese, Japanese and some other Eastern Asia countries.

It’s a natural process for us to use those elements just because we’re so into this kind of topic and theme. J

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

For me, that would be cooking and traveling! I love good food all over the world! J And also I love to read some novels / poem or business magazines under the dim light at night! J

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Join the competition and win the flight ticket from your country to Taiwan for our concert in Oct 22nd! (And also having BBQ with CHTHONIC and Randy from Lam of God!)

Also, our new album ‘Takasago Army’ will release in North America on Sep 6th, and soon CHTHONIC and Arch Enemy will start our NA tour from this Sep 8th! Don’t miss it!!! J

Our new music video! :)

Takao: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_UkowmQs30
Broken Jade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heF_NPJbv8Y

Scythia/Of Exile/2011 CD Review

2011-08-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

Scythia are a band from Canada that has their previous album reviewed in this zine that plays a musical style that I would describe as being folk metal mixed with melodic black/death metal and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "OF Exile".

Drums range from slow to midpaced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the folk instruments and synths give the music a folk music feel added in with touches of psychedelia, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to midpaced folk metal riffing that is very melodic at times and does not have the melodic black.death metal influences like the previous recording, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding heavy metal guitar leads, as for the acoustic guitars they use finger picking and fell chords to bring a very dark medievel folk music feel to the music.

Vocals are all clean singing folk metal vocals with some ocassional female vocals mixed in with some whispers and spoken word passages in addition the screams and growls from the previous recording dont make much of an appearence on this recording except for a couple of songs, while the lyrics touch on fantasy and mythology, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion while I still prefered their first album I still feel this is a good album from Scythia and if you are a fan of this band, you will not be disapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Spirit Of The Quest" "Voice Of The Sword" "For The King" and "Dies Irae II". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Bolero Interview

2011-08-23T11:24:00.000-07:00

Answered by Morgan Rider (vocalist/bass)

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

We have just put out our first album, 'Voyage from Vinland' as well as our first music video for our song 'Pints Held High'. We are writing, rehearsing and playing shows more than we ever have before. We've had the opportunity to play our local area with some larger bands this year. Also, the 2nd album is coming along quite nicely!

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new album?

The sounds you might hear on 'Voyage from Vinland' range from folk, celtic, symphonic, thrash, traditional, ambient, death metal, black metal and everything in between. Most importantly, it is Bolero.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Our lyrical approach on this album varies from song to song depending on the mood and atmosphere of the music. On Send of the War Summons, the lyrics were written about a savage attack on a settlement and being through the perspective of those at the spear point and the assailants simultaneously. On the other hand, A Silence Prolonging (the albums' acoustic song) depicts the psychological and physical falling of a great conqueror as his victories only fuel his willingness to die. We never intended on it in the first place, but the album ended up becoming a story from start to finish.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

We decided on our band name (and I should state right now that everything that we do in this band is deliberate and thought out well in advance) after Maurice Ravel's 'Bolero'. We decided the name personified everything we wanted this band to strive for musically and logistically. These traits include direction, flow, change and diversity.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

It seems that every show we play becomes the new 'best' for the band in general. The songs feel smoother than ever to play live. Some of the best shows of the past year though might include our CD release party for Voyage from Vinland. This was one raucious party. The beer flowed as much as the hair did. Good times all around. Another notable one was the last time we played with TYR and Crimson Shadows. I would describe our stage performance as being a party in fast forward. Lots of energy, movement and alcohol fueled positive atmosphere. We love our fans.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

We are taking what we're getting at this point! Right now we do have some plans to cover Central and North Ontario change as well as a few jaunts into Quebec in September for the hell of it. We have some larger shows planned for the Autumn, but of course that is all I can say about that at this point.

7. Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label and if so, what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the band?

At this point in the band's development, we are passively seeking label representation and are open to any offers that may come along. We have an excellent manager and an excellent publicist right now and are very happy with the growth we are seeing.

8. I have been noticing for the last few months that there has been more bands coming out of Canada playing the folk metal style and that is something I have not seen in the U.S even though when bands of that genre play down here there is a decent crowd, do you feel Canada adopts the European culture alot better than the Americans?

I really think it depends on what regions of Canada and the United States you are looking at when it comes to the influence of European culture. For us, the majority of this resides in Quebec (particularly Montreal).

9. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

At this point, we all have jobs and this band is the only musical project we are all involved in.

10. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by folk metal fans?

Overwhelmingly positive. It is always awesome to hear a supportive fan in person talking about how much they enjoyed your album or your set, but when you begin seeing 10/10 reviews from Italy and Finland, it begins to stir some different vibes of satisfaction. Other than that, we cannot complain with the great feedback we've been getting not only from the folk and epic metal fans, but fans of music in general.

11. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Definitely more intelligently written music from hereon in. We want to keep the same epic and major scale melody feel as that is a huge part of our sound. We might see longer songs, more clean singing, who knows?!

12. What are some, bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Windir, Arcturus, Flogging Molly, Vital Remains, Viraemia, Cannibis Corpse, Korpiklaani, Equilibrium, Planxty, Irish Rovers Adagio. Pretty much a wide helping of everything.

13. What role does Paganism play in your music and how would you describe your views on this topic?

It does not play any part in our music besides in the lyrical themes and only from an outsiders view. None of us are religious nor do we feel we have any need for it. I think Paganism is a term used too loosely and ignorantly nowadays, especially when it comes to being used to describe this sort of music. But from that sort of standpoint, we are relatively neutral and uncaring.

14. outside of music what are some of your interests?

We all obviously have different interests outside of music which include cars, videogames, bonfires, roadtrips, drinking. All the good things this life has to offer!

15. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you very much for the opportunity and best regards!

Bolero/Voyage From Vinland/2011 CD Review

2011-08-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Bolero are a band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada that mixes Celtic folk metal with melodic black metal and death metal and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "Voyage From Vinland".

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keybopards and flutes being a very atmospheric, symphonic and Celtic folk music feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with riffs that dominate throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffing that combines influences from Celtic Music, folk metal, melodic black metal and death metal with a great amount of melodies being thrown in the music, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding heavy metal guitar solos and leads, as for the acpustic guitars when they are utilized they being a very medievel sounding Celtic folk music feel to the music.

Vocals combine high pitched screams that are influenced by bth black metal and meldodic death metal with deep growls and clean singing male and female vocals, while the lyrics cover Celtic Mythology, Paganism and War, as for the production it has a very powerful, heavy and pfofessional sound and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Bolero are a very good Celtic folk/black/melodic death metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Send Of The War Summons" "When Legends Die" "O' Hail To The Northlander" and "Way To Forgotten Lands". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Chtonic/Takosago Army/Spinefarm/2011 CD Review

2011-08-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

Chtonic are a band from Thailand that has one of their previous albums reviewed before in this zine with a music style that I would describe as being symphonic black metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Takosago Army" which was released by Spinefarm.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the synths bring a very dark, atmospheric and symphonic sound to the music with some ocassional folk instruments that bring an oriental flavor to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast black metal riffs that are melodic atr times and utilize influences from death and traditional metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that have a traditional metal feel to them.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams, deep growls and some clean singing male and female, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of English and their native tongue with touch on Oriental mysticum and dark topics, as for the production it has a very powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this is another great album from Chtonic and if you where a fan of their previous albums, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Legend Of The Seediq" "Oceanquake" "Southern Cross" and "Mahakala". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Furor Gallico Interview

2011-08-11T02:36:00.001-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of your before?

Hi everybody!! What can I say..
Furor Gallico was born for joke in 2007 from an idea of Ste, Becky and Mela, our first bass player.
Than we started writing songs playing our folk celtic metal with the insertion of traditional instruments like celtic harp, violin,
tin whistle, bouzouki, etc. we recorded our demo "390 b.C. - The Glorious Dawn" in 2008 and our
full-length "Furor Gallico" in 2010, now republished by Massacre record.

2. How would you describe your muscial sound?

Our musical sound is.. Folk Metal! Everybody us listen to different musical genres, death, black, brutal, prog ecc..
Furor Gallico is a combination of all that kind of music for make our Folk Metal.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the music explores?

Here in Italy we have a lot of legends, a beautiful history. So we speak about it, our history, our ancestors, the ancient religion..
La Caccia Morta, one of te italian songs we play, is an ancient legend from Bergamo, north-italian city;
Medhelan is dedicated to the founder of our city, Milano; Ancient Rites is simply a way to remember the ancestors that lived here before us..

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

We have decided this name one evening in a pub.. we was looking for an italian name that was "aggressive"..
So Furor Gallico came out! This is the description that roman people gave to the celtic people during a battle,
the famous Celtic warriors Fury named by Gulio Cesare in his De Bello Gallico as Furor Gallico.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

We have done a lot of gigs during the years, in Italy and in Europe. I remember the one with Eluveitie in Fribourgh (CH) at the Fri-Son,
or the most recent show in Bavarian Battle (D).. of course that are the best show we have done! Beautifl location, beautiful people..
we hope to have again some beautiful experiences like these!! And about our show what can I say? we play to have fun!
Our music is a mix of Folk, Death, Black metal.. so is an heavy music! But we think to have fun on the stage and we hope to transmit
our sensation to the people!!

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Now we are writing the tour for the release, we have some gigs in Italy and we're gonna come back in Germany and Switzertland between
autumn and winter.

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by folk metal fans?

We have listened a lot of people out of Europe that like our music, we have sended some cd in Canada, Brazil, Japan, ever with a good
response.. and when we have played out of Italy we have had beautiful experiences everytime!! So we hope to play, why not, also in America or in
Asia hehe for now we are having a lot of gigs in Italy with a beautiful public and a beautiful response!

8. Are there any projects besides this band or is this a full time line -up?

Simo, our drummer, join in Bastard Saints, Italian Brutal Death (strange, eh? hehe).
They have a big discography and they had a lot of gigs in Italy and in Europe in the past.
He is the only one with another band.

9. What direction dou see the music heading into on future releases?

we've just composed several songs for our next album and they play really different than the previous. our sound is still the same, but
we're trying to find something new, to create new solutions, hoping that people will appriciate our work.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Of course band as Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Manegarm, Primordial and other famous folk metal band has influenced our music,
but as I said before everybody of us has a different musical background, we listen to every musical genre and this is the real
influences of Furor Gallico's sound: many difference kind of music!

11. How would you describe your views on Celtic -paganism?

we want to let this cultures reborn trough our songs. we love celtic legends, celtic culture and its connection with nature.
anyway we're not that kind of fanatic people that live in the past. we live in 2011 with our beer, our sigarettes, our tv and our
facebook account eheheh, but we think is important to not forget our roots.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

We study or work outside Furor Gallico, so we have other occupation.. Pagan and Fabio are studying Graphic Design
(great for us so we don't need to look forward for a graphic designer hehe).. Becky loves nature, Ste is a fucking awful engineer,
Oldhan an informaticsÉ so we have a lot of different interests...

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you very much for this interview, I hope to see you or someone reading this words at one our show soon hehe thank to everyone
read this interview!
You can find more info about Furor Gallico on our myspace, facebook and website pages:

www.myspace.com/furorgallico
www.furorgallico.it
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Furor-Gallico/201640203204769

Furor Gallico/Self Titled/Massacre Records/2011 CD Review

2011-08-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Furor Gallico are a band from Italy that plays Celtic Folk Metal with a melodic black/death edge and this is a review of their self titled 2011 album which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with not much in the way of blast beats, while the folk instruments bring a medievel celtic folk music feel to the music, as for the bass playing, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine folk/pagan metal with melodic black/death metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding metal guitar leads, as for the accoutci guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to bring a dark sound to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams, deep death metal growls and clean singing pagan vocals, while the lyrics cover Celtic Mythology and Paganism, as for the production it has a very professional sound to it.

In my opinion Furor Gallico are a very good folk metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Ancient Rites" "the Gods Have Returned" "Miracolous Child" and "Banshee". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Cultis Sabbati/Descent Into The Maelstorm/Buh Records/2011 CD Review

2011-08-05T03:40:00.000-07:00

Cultis Sabbati are a band from Norway that plays black metal mixed with experiemental ritualistic noise and this is a review of their 2011 alvum "Descent Into The Maelstorm" which was released by Buh Records.

There is not much in the way of drums on this recording but there are some tribal ritualistic beats being ultized at times throughout the recording, as for the bass playing there is none present on this album>

Rhythm guitars are all slow riffs that utilize alot of heavy distorted ritualistic noises and there are no led guitars or solos present on this recording, as for the noise effects they are very brutal, dark, ritualistic and evil sounding with a great amount of reverb.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and ritualistic chanting, while the lyrics are based on an Edgar Allan Poe story that this recording is named after, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and brutal sound to it.

In my opinion Cultis Sabbati are a very good black/ritualistic/noise band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Mouth Of The Beast" and "Walls Of The Abyss". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Dominanz Interview

2011-08-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

DOMINANZ – is a modern and hellishly powerful band playing atmospheric and somewhat industrialized metal.
The orchestra DOMINANZ is a successor of the project called Cult of Deception that I started to wrote songs for in 2006. After a couple of years with composing I joined forces with Frode Gaustad former drummer in the black metal band Thy Grief, and Jørn Tunsberg guitar player in the epic black metal band Hades Almighty, and formerly in the bands Immortal and Old Funeral.
Basically the band members come from the Black Metal scene, and this is obvious in the way of singing, but also in the style of music. But we have also added some atmospheric and Gothic stuff, along with various industrial elements here and there. The music is aggressive and groovy, and we try to create a very sick atmosphere!

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?
What we have tried to achieve with As I Shine is to create a dark and dismal record, but at the same time be catchy. We hope it will get on the nerves and emotions to the listeners, but also those in the mood for a good party! In my opinion,Dominanz has a unified expression. It is a common thread between the music and lyrics. Everything reflects my dirty thoughts and we’ve tried to express that visually, something you can see in our music video "The End of All There Is"

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?
About 40% of the texts are written by V'Gandr, frontman in the Viking Metal band Helheim and one of my best friends. These are for the most depressing portrayals of life on the border between life and death. There are also erotic tales inspired by the eternal life.

My own lyrics are mostly inspired by true events about the oppression of people throughout history. I am partly inspired by my visits to Auschvitz, the KGB's headquarters where they tortured and killed innocent people. One of the texts are inspired by the Austrian case, where Joseph Fritzl had the lead role. I am also inspired by working as a social therapist in the psyciatrics. The lyric deals with everything from erotic depiction of oppression, slavery and ways to dominate fellow man. The main theme is on the bleak and destructive ... and living on the edge between life and death. While others are simply depictions of a Sado Masochistic Fuck!

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
I think the question above covers it pretty well, don’t you think? Hehe

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
We have not done too many live performances yet, but the best is probably last summer at a festival in Lithuania. And that despite the fact that all of our music equipment and stage clothes never made it to Lithuania, they got stuck at Oslo airport! So after stressfull days trying to get our equipment sent to Lithuania without luck, the organizers of the festival managed to scrape together some equipment a couple of hours before the gig. And we did a very succesfull gig in front of about 2000 people, and got very good reviews afterwards
In my opinion,Dominanz has a unified expression. It is a common thread between the music and lyrics. As I said earlier, everything reflects my dirty thoughts and we’ve tried to express that visually.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Our Promotor Rock’N’Growl is working on a little tour in Denmark. We are also working on getting together a little tour in Holland and Belgium. And hopefully some shows in Norway in connection with the release of the album. We’re hoping to do some festivals in 2012 as well.

7. I know that some of the band members have backgrounds in bands that are more black metal in style, what made you decide to go for more of an industrial approach with the new band?
The songs of As I shine, I began writing as far back as 2006. So I spent almost three years in this process. It's very various how the different songs came to life. Most of the songs were finished before Frode and Jørn joined the band. There were no intention of going towards a specific genre, Dominanz is going for a dark and gloomy expression, but still catchy regardless any genre
What we have tried to achieve with As I Shine is to create a dark and dismal record, but at the same time be catchy. We hope it will get on the nerves and emotions to the listeners, but also those in the mood for a good party

8. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?
For Frode and myself this is a full time project, there is neither time or any desire to do anything else. But Jørn still has his band Hades Almighty, and he’s writing and working towards a new album with them.

9. I know that the band is heavily promoted by both Industrial Silence and Rock'N' Growl, how di you get in contact with these labels and promotion teams and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?
We sent around some e-mails to different promotors, and there were some that responded positively. Amongst them we found Rock’N’Growl to be the ones we wanted to work together with. So far we’re very satisfied with the result.

10. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by atmospheric black metal and industrial fans?
That’s a question for them to answer. But the reviews so far from different Industrial magazines as well as more black metal magazines has been good, so I guess good is the answer.

11. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
We try of course to always improve. We have already started working on the next album. It will be more metal, more extreme, but we will still take care of the dark and gloomy, and the catchy phrase of Dominanz!

12. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Unfortunately I am not good at discovering and listening to new music so there is much of the same bands I've listened to for years that, Katatonia, Dimmu Borgir, Samael, Deathstars, Sixteen Horsepower, Emperor, Bathory,Hades Almighty, Woven Hand, JohnnyCash, Rammstein, Depeche Mode among Others.

13. What role does Occultism, Satanism or Paganism play in the music?
There is no inspiration from neither, all of the bandmembers are atheists.

14. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?
I’m so lucky that I live at the base of a mountain, so I try to run up there a couple of times a week. Otherwise I allways appreciate a good party with friends!

15. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
There is an excessive amount of work behind this release, so I hope of course the audience will appreciate it and buy the album!

Dominanz/As I Shine/Industrial Silence/2011 CD Review

2011-07-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

Dominanz are a band from Norway that mixes black metal with industrial angothic music and this is a review of their 2011 album "As I Shine" which was released by Industrial Silence Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the synths bring a very dark and industrial/gothic/atmospheric feel to the music,

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine black metal with industrial metal with some melodies being used at times, while the lead guitars are very distorted sounding industrial metal guitar leads.

Vocals range between high pitched black metal scremas, industrial metal style shouts and growls mixed in with some clean singing male and female gothic vocals, while the lyrics cover dark and agressive themes, as for the production it has a very powerful, heavy and professional sound and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Dominanz are a very good black/gothic/industrial metal hybrid and if you are a fan of bands that mixes these styles together, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Agony And Domination" "Eternal Sin" "Last Day Of Your Life" and "The End Of All There Is". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Einvera Interview

2011-07-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

The Einvera sound could be described as if a wide variety of genres and instrumentation were
crammed into a blender with the end result being an eclectic, colorful taste. Basically, we are fans of
music and that's how it comes across. We want to add all of these colors and tastes from every genre we love and make something enjoyable to listen to. Trips from Jazz to Black metal and Folk to Psychedelic rock.

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new album?
With "In Your Image" being our first album we were obviously very ambitious and energetic out of the gate. We made a very dynamic record and tried to included all of our favorite styles of writing as cohesively as possible. There are about fifteen some odd different instruments on the record ranging from trumpet to vibraphone and banjo to pedal steel. The textures that these array of instruments brings out seems very fitting and special to us and when coupled with an aggressive playing style it took from of something very "out there".

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the music explores?

While were were already headed down a left hand path with this album, we agreed the lyrics had to as well to some extent. We didn't want to approach it with a traditional black metal/death metal mind set.
Not that we don't respect the hell out of it, but I wanted to only write about things I knew or have seen personally. With that direction it became a lot more personal. I tried to take an outsiders look at some common struggles like the desperation to succeed, drug abuse, deterioration of faith and personal loss.
You know, fun stuff.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

If you look it up it literally means "Isolation." I suppose we are just trying to isolate ourself from common trends and try to go a different path if that makes any sense at all.

5.Has the band had any oppurtunities to do any live shows yet, if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Absolutely! We have had a blast playing around the southern california area. Weather we were opening up for some European or American heavyweight bands or playing smaller scale local shows we have always been appreciative of the energy and noise the audience gives back. We like to really lay it all out in a live performance and cut loose. We dont stand around like its some kind of recital...theres definatly some movin' and shakin'.
6. Currently the band is unsinged, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for your music?

At this point we are taking it one step at a time. We just want to share what we have.
We are doing well on our own now so when the right thing comes it will only benefit all parities involved, including listener, label and band alike.

7. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?
We all stay busy with multiple projects ranging from bluegrass to fusion, as well as teaching, session work and working in recording studios. We like to dip into everything!

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by metal fans?

Very positive! Its just as nice to hear a local fan as well as, say, a fan from Hungary tell you that they appreciate what you are doing and your hard work meant something to them. Obviously the route of jamming tons of instruments on a record has been done but the thing we enjoy most is when we hear that the way we approached it was a breath of fresh air. I think we put a nice little spin on things for this round but there is obviously more to learn and more work to do on our end. We will always be "students" on this journey.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

That is defiantly an exciting subject for us. We have a lot of material piling up that goes even deeper down the rabbit hole, to use that cliché. We like to say the new stuff is like an expanding circle of our direction, meaning that all of the elements we use will increase ten fold. Louder, softer, layered, striped, faster, slower, more abrasive, catchier, ramble, ramble. You get it.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

That is a loaded question so ill try to keep it simple. We feel it is our duty as musicians to investigate everything out there. It dosnt matter what it is Psych rock, jazz, metal, pop, old time country, folk etc. If its good its good and that's how Einvera was handled, dragged face down in the broken glass of all those genres.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Well sometimes it seems like every aspect of our lives, work and play, is consumed by music we still keep in check with other hobbies to stay sane! We are some pretty mean wiffle ball players.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanks for your time! Keep supporting the little guys!

Scythia/Of War/2010 CD Review

2011-07-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

Scythia are a band from Vancouver B.C, Canada that plays folk metal mixed with melodic black/death metal and this a review of their self released 2010 album "Of War".

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being used at times, while the folk instruments and keyboards bring a very dark and medievel feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast folk metal riffs that have some melodic black/death metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding folk metal guitar solos, as for the classical and accoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking to bring a dark and medievel feel to the music.

Vocals range from clean singing male and female vocals mixed in with some heavy shouts, growls, screams and spoken word passages, while the lyrics cover Medievel folklore and warfare, as for the production it has a very powerful and professional sound for being a self released album.

In my opinion Scythia are a very good folk metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Fierce Riders Of Scythia" "Elegy" and "Adamantium". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Einvera/In Your Image/2011 CD Review

2011-07-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Einvera are a band from Los Angeles, California that mixes black,death, folk, melodic and progressive metal together and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "In Your Image".

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards bring a symphonic edge to the music with a great amount of folk instruments being utilized that bring a very dark, avant garde and medievel sound to the music, as for the bass playing it sounds very powerful and heavy with riffing that dominates throughout the whole album.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffing that combines black metal with melodic death, folk, traditional and progressive metal with a great amount of melodies being used, while he lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar leads that have a traditional metal feel to them, as for the accoustic guitars when they are utilized they bring a progressive rock folk music feel to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal and modern day melodic death metal screams with a good amount of clean singing being thrown in at times, while the lyrics cover dark and everyday themes, as for the production it sounds very powerful and professional for a self released recording and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Einerve are a very good and original sounding progressive/melodic/black/death/folk metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Static Acension" "Prismatic Distortion" and "The Gift Of A Ghost". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Desideria Interview

2011-06-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Most of you can be sure never to have heard about us. We are from France in a city next to Germany where I was born. I met some years ago the female vocalist of Desideria, Mylène, because we worked together for a gothic fanzine. Then we looked for band members and there were recurring changes in the line-up until last year. Finally we are seven musicians now and the other members are Samuel and Julien on the guitars, Marc on the bass, Jérémie on the keyboards and Tim on the drums.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

It’s more difficult to attribute one’s music to a particular music style if you are involved. There is not the distance that you need for. So I let reviewers and listeners decide about what we play. Most of them say we are a gothic metal band. Others say we are a symphonic black metal band. If I had to choose one label I would say a wild and symphonic dark metal band.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

Most of the lyrics are about what goes in the knights’ minds when they face some circumstances as the loss of their love (“Island Of Death”) or the loss of their trust in human (“Wolf Cruelty Claw”) choosing the company of wolves. There are lyrics about knights who are in a sanctuary to save a girl who is the reincarnation of the goddess of wisdom. They have twelve hours to save her and must go through twelve houses and each house has its guardian who represents one sign of the zodiac. The song “Excalibur” has the most explicit lyrics for this concept. The others are “Another Dimension” and “Lightning Bolt”. And with “HellCorrespondence.com” there is one song about a girl you can contact at midnight if you want to send someone to hell. If you pull the string of a straw doll she has given to you she comes and drags your enemy to hell and your soul the day you die goes to hell too.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

It took a long time before all members agreed with a name and that was Desideria. It was Mylène who had suggested the name. Desiderio is the Italian translation for “Desire”. Desire creates something dynamic in the life of each one of us. It’s something obsessional that dictates our acts and our thoughts. Because Mylène likes names such as Sirenia and Tristania she changed the last letter into an “a”.

5. Has the band had any opportunities to do a live show, if so what are some of the best gigs that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Yes we did some live shows with local bands. Some gigs were better than others but I wouldn’t describe anyone of them to be one of our best gigs. I think the best gigs will come. I hope so. With our new line-up we will see how we will perform together. Now it’s too early to say how we are but in the next months I could answer better this question.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

When all the members meet again we will discuss about next gigs. But if they are it will be not before autumn.

7. Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a record label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the band’s music?

Now it’s the first time we have really thought whether we should or not look for a label. We will discuss about this subject. Nothing is sure. If we do it we know that it will be difficult to find a label that could be ready to invest in a new band. The times are hard with this worldwide economic crisis. I feel there are not many labels that would fit with what we do. Most labels are focused in classic heavy metal and more in extreme metal.

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by metal fans?

On our myspace we have sometimes nice comments about our music that are very important for us and encourage us to continue. From the day we have released our music we know that we have to accept bad comments. Some metal listeners don’t like our music, some others like it. There is no music that everyone can enjoy.

9. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

Most of us have no time to have more than one band. Marc helps out in another band until he has its own bass player. Julien is setting up his own band in a more brutal death metal style.

10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Up to now Samuel was after the departure of our former guitar player Cédric rather alone to compose soundtracks for Desideria. Now we will see what we will have when Marc and Julien contribute too. I think the music will keep the spirit of our first release and we will also have the one or other song in a different style than that we used to have.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

At the beginning I imagined music close to Theatre Of Tragedy and The Sins of Thy Beloved with a fragile female voice opposed to mine. But I imagined it faster. With our main composer Samuel the music is going faster than I imagined and I love it. He and all the other members of Desideria listen to all kind of metal styles from the pioneers to the newest bands. We reproduce the metal sound but we are not conscious about influences when we are in a composition process. We know that we have influences but we don’t know from whom they come.

12. Does Paganism play a role in your music?

Most lyrics are about paganism in the way that I going about polytheistic religions. They talk about knights devoted to their goddess Athena from the Greek mythology in a battle against knights devoted to their god Odin from the Norse mythology. But legends that you find in them are twisted with other components that are imagined. These knights don’t use weapons like swords or axes but draw their fight technics from Cosmo energy. In “Excalibur” that is the mythical sword of King Arthur I talk about this sword like a gift from the goddess Athena to her most loyal knight and the shaping technique of this sword is now in his arms. All this to say that yes, paganism plays a role in the music but unlike other bands who portray Vikings in how they used to live their life as described in history books there are in these lyrics realities that had never been met and components out from fantasy or science-fiction.

13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I don’t have really other interests apart from manga where the stories of the lyrics come from. Mylène loves the literature of the XIXth century. Samuel loves to travel. Jérémie loves to walk in the forests. Tim enjoys to see friends. Marc loves to draw and Julien likes to go to concerts.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

First I want to thank you for your effort in this preparation of this interview. And then to the few metal saints who have read this interview since we are still quite unknown.

Desideria/End The Curse/2011 CD Review

2011-06-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Desideria are a band from France that plays a mixture of black, death, pagan, folk, gothic and traditional metal and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "End The Curse".

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats, while the synths bring a very dark, gothic and atmospheric sound to the music, as for the bass playing it hasa very dark tone withriffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffing that combines death, gothic, black, folk and traditional metal together with a good amount of melody being thrown in the music, while the lead guitars are very melodic heavy metal guitar solos that have a very traditional and classic metal feel to them, as for the accoustic guitars which are only used briefly they being a very dark and medievel folk music sound to the music.

Vocals range from deep death metal growls, high pitched black metal screams, clean singing male and female vocals with some ocassional spoken word passages, while the lyrics touch on mythology, as for the production it has a very dark, heavy and powerful sound to it.

In my opinion Desideria are a very good melodic black/death/gothic/folk metal band and if you are looking for a band that mixes these styles together, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dragon Bravest Blizzard" "Island of Death" and "Excalibur". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Planks/The Darkest Of Grays Solicit To Fail/Southern Lord Records/2011 CD Review

2011-06-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Planks are a band from germany that mixes crust/punk noise rock, black metal and black'n' roll together and this is a review of their 2011 album The Darkest Of Grays Solicit To Fail" which was released by Southern Lord Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beats being thrown in, while the bass playing has a very heavy and strong tone with alot of powerful sounding riffs that are very noisy and distorted, as for the synths which are only utilized briefly they bring a very dark avant garde edge to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine influences from crust/punk, noise rock, black metal and black 'n' rol to create a sound that is very original sounding and on the instrumental there is some soft and slow playing, while the lead guitars when they are utilized they are very dark, distorted and melodic sounding.

Vocals are a mixture of crust/hardcore style yells and screams that are aLso heavily influenced by black metal with some ocassional spoken word passages and samples, while the lyrics cover everyday and hateful themes, as for the production it has a very heavy and raw sound to it while still being professional enough to the point where you can hear all of the musical instruments.

In my opinion Planks are avery good and original band that combines sludge with noise rock, crust/punk, black metal and black'n' roll together and if you are looking for a band that combines these styles together, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Sacred And Secret" "The Dead Return To War" "A Casket City" and "Into The Nothingness Within". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Sinstorm/Self Titled/2011 CD Review

2011-05-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

Sinstorm are a band from California that has been intereviewed as well as had their previous e.p reviewed by this zine with a style that I would describe as melodic black/death with sme symphonid elements and this is a review of their self titled and self released 2011 album.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats being used at times, while the bass playing is kind of mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars, and on some songs there are symphonic elements but not much in the way to over dominate the music with some dark keyboard effects.

Rhythm guitars range from low, midpaced to fast melodic black metal riffs that are also heavily influenced by death metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic and chaotic sounding black/death metal guitar solos that also utilize alot of skill, as fo the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they bring another dark dimension to the music.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep death metal growls and on one song there is a spoken word ritualistic passage, while the lyrics cover Heathenism, Occultism, killing, hatred and death, as for the production it sounds very heavy and professional for a self released album.

In my opinion this is another great release from Sinstorm and if where a fan of their previous recordings, you will not be dissapointed.
RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "CelestialExtinction" "Transcending Dimension" "Storms Of The Heretic Millenium" and "Trooper" which is an Iron Maiden cover. RECEMMONDED BUY.

Suidakra/Book Of Dowth/AFM Records/2011 CD Review

2011-05-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Suidakra are a band rom Germany that mixes melodic black metal with folk music and this is a review of their 2011 album "Book Of Dowth" which was released by AFM Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast with a great amount of brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are very atmospheric and symphonic with some pagan sounding flutes being utilized at times, as for the bass playing it is kind of mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast melodic black/death metal riffs that are also influenced by traditional metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding heavy metal guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to bring a folk music feel to the music.

Vocals are mostly igh pitched black metal screams that are also influenced by melodic death metal in the growls with a good amount of clean singing male and female vocals being thrown in at times and the ocassional spoken word passages, while the lyrics cover Celtic Paganism and Fantasy, as for the production it has a very powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Suidakra are a very good melodic folk/black/death metal band and if you are a fan of bands that mix these styles together, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Battle-Ciarns" "Mag Mell" "Balor" and "stone Of Seven suns". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Hyperborean Interview

2011-04-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

by Magnus Persson/ Vocalist of Hyperborean

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
1 We are from Sweden, we formed 11 years ago so we've been around for a while although the band has not always been active it was on hold for some years before we decided to go and record The Spirit of Warfare. Our music has quite a few influences, I see most people are defining us as melodic black metal and I guess that fits, although I would hesitate to fully use the black metal moniker as we do incorporate elements from other genres such as Thrash metal for example.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how does it differ from previous releases?
2 A mixture of different extreme metal genres, mostly from black metal. The album differs quite allot from our early demos, they were more melodic in nature and had allot of focus on keyboards. The sound of The Spirit of Warfare is harsher, although there still is allot of melodic parts mixed in there. The music is more guitar driven and riff oriented than our previous works. The songs are also generaly longer and have more of an epic atmosphere to them.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?
3 The overlapping lyrical theme is warfare ( obviously ). Mostly focusing on world war 1. Most of the songs deal with that time period in one way or another. Weapon Mankind is about the preface leading up to the war. Killing Grounds is about the trench warfare and the fevers that plauged the soldiers. Viper and The last stand.. deals with the battle of Thermopylae and are the only songs about pre modern warfare. A new Sun rises deals with the aftermath of the war and the intellectual despair that followed it in a combination of a lost faith in mankind after the atrocities she produced during the war, and also sense of spiritual emptiness left behind by philosophers and scientists that challenged and in some ways discarded religion. The sick man of Europe is about the war torn former Yugoslavian nations leading up to world war 1 and ending with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo in 1914, an event that triggered ( although its important to point our that it didnt cause ) the great war.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
4 Hyperborea is an ancient greek word discribing a mythological extreme north. A Hyperborean would then be a inhabitant of said north. We thought it fit well as most of our early material focused on norse mythology, it would probably have been more logical to pick a name derived from old Norse instead of old Greek, but what can you do, sometimes things doesnt make perfect sense.

5. What are soe of the best shows that the band has played so far and wow would you describe your stage performance?
5 We dont have a full lineup so playing live isnt an option right now, so I guess we are a studio band at the moment, that might change in future though. We did play some live gigs early on but those were years ago so thats not really relevant today.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
6 No

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by melodic black metal fans?
7 Well the album has just been released so its hard to tell at this point, but the reactions so far seems good.

8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
8 Hyperborean is our main priority, there are some small projects here and there but nothing of importance.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
9 The lyrical approach wont deal as much with war as Im kind of feed up writing about that subject at the moment. Misery will be the main theme musically so the lyrics will follow on that subject and then there will be some other underlying themes as well( dont worry, there will be no suicidal teenage angst crap ) Also most of the songs on Spirit were written five or six years ago so the next batch of songs we write will probably reflect that.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10 as for musical influences you would have to ask Andreas our guitarist. Personaly I mainly listen to older bands like Emperor, old Satyricon, Dissection, Taake and also some classical stuff mixed in there as well, I like Dvorcak.

11. Does Occultism or Paganism play any role in your music?
11 Not really, our first demos focused on norse mythology but we have moved away from that as I find it kind of boring to always write lyrics on the same theme, I would say our world view is more rational in nature, Darwin before Crowley so to speak.

12. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?
12 I read allot of books about history and thats mainly how I find subjects to write lyrics about for Hyperborean.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
13 Thanks for this interview, keep up the good work with the zine and keep promoting the underground!

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Hyperborean/The Spirit Of Warfare/Abyss Records/2011 CD Review

2011-04-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Hyperborean are a band from Sweden that plays a very melodic style of black metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "The Spirit Of Warfare" which was released by Abyss Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a good amount of blast beatd, while the bass playing has a strong and somewahat powerful tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars, as for the keyboards when tey are utilized briefly they bring a very tragic feel to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast melodic black metal riffs that are also technical at times with some thrash death and traditional metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic, progressive nd technical metal guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars when they are utilized they use finger picking and full chords to bring another element of war to the music.

Vocals are very high pitched black metal screams with some ocassional deep death metal grows, while the lyrics cover Lovecraft style thems and war as for the production it has a very dark and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Hyperborean are very good melodic black metal band, and if you are a fan of t his style you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Chanelling The Spirit Of Warfare" "Viper" and "The Sick Man Of Europe". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Diabolical/Ars Vitae/Abyss Records/2011 CD Review

2011-04-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

Diabolical are a band from Sweden that has been interviewed by this zine before and plays a musical style that mixes melodic black metal with technical death metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Ars Vitae" which was released by Abyss Records.

Drums are mostly technical slow to midpaced playing with some fast parts but that much in the way of blast beats, while the synths are very dark sounding and dont over dominate the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow to midpaced to fast technical death metal riffs that are also influenced by melodic black metal and thrash, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic metal guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly deep death metal growls that have somewhat of a black metal edge to them in the high pitched screams, hile the lyrics cover death and the apocalypse with an occult edge, as for the production it sounds very heavy and professional with some songs being recorded live.

In my opinion this is another great album from Diabolical and if you where a fan of their previous releases, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Sightless" "Sicidal Glory" "Guidence Of Sin" and "The Dreaming Dead". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Amon Amarth/Surtur Rising/Metal Blade Records/2011 CD Review

2011-03-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Amon Amarth are a band from Sweden that has a very long vistory and are one of the best known Viking melodic black/death metal bands and this is a review of their 2011 album "Surtur Rising" which was released by metal Blade Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast playing with a good amount of blast beats, while the bass playing sounds very powerful and heavy at times and serves as a perfect background for the rhythm guitars, as for the synths that are only used on the last song, they bring a very symphonic and tragic feel to the music.

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Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine death, black and traditional metal together with a great amount of melodies being added in, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding traditional metal guitar solos that utilize alot of skill and talent, as for the the accoustic guitars when they are utilized briefly, they bring a very dark medievel feel to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and deep death metal growls, while the lyrics touch on Norse Paganism and Mythology, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound to it with all of the musical instruments coming out sounding great.

In my opinion this is another great album from Amon Amarth and if you where a fan of their previous releases, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "War Of The Gods" "Destroyer Of The Universe" "Wrath Of The Norseman" and "Doom Over Dead Man". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Xereth/II/Candlelight Records/2011 CD Review

2011-03-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Xereth are a band from the United Kingdom that plays a very symphonic and progressive form of melodic black/death metal nd this is a review of their 2011 album "II" which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drums range from slow to midpaced drumming with no fast playing or blast beats and on the last song there is some tribal drumming, while the keyboards are very symphonic and atmospheric sounding and at times they have a classical feel to them, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone which is kind of mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very strong and powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slo to midpaced riffing that takes influences rom black, death, thrash, groove and progressive metal with alot of technical riffing, while the lead guitars are very melodic and technical sounding guitar solos, as for the classical guitars when they are utilized briefly, they bring another dimension of darkness to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams, deep death metal growls and some clean singing, while the lyrics touch on science fiction and theology, as or the production it has a very powerful and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Xereth a a ery good progressive death/black metal band and if you are a fan of this genre, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "God Of The Frontlines" "Sworn To Sacrifice" "Numbered Among The Dead" and "The Glorious Death". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Wolfchant Interview

2011-03-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

> 1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

Nortwin: Actually we are doing fine, as the new album is released now and most of the reviews are are received and very positive.
We are very proud of C.O.T.B.W. as it worked out to be exactly what we imagined when we wrote the album.

> 2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how
> does it differ from previous releaes?

Nortwin: Being quite new in the band gives me an interesting view on the whole thing. If you follow all the releases up to now you'll find a clear path that leads to our actual one. All of these albums really sound like Wolfchant but each one creates a different atmosphere which was right for the time when the albums were written. Anyway, the sound as well as the songwriting developed over the years, and of course the fact of having two different style singers now in the band creates lots of new excitement and new ground to explore for us and for the listeners.

> 3. What are some of the lyric tyopics and subjects that the new releases
> explores?

Nortwin: There is on one hand a strong emphasis on the forces of nature especially in "Naturgewalt" and in the title track "Call Of The Black Winds". On the other hand there are topics related to paganism and for example the relegious persecution that happened in the past ages to heathen tribes: "Black Fire", "Heathen Rise"
The title "Eremit" is about freedom, self choosen solitude and being in accord with nature."The Last Farewell" is about the loss of beloved persons. Among these topics there are of couse also songs which are standing for the typical pagan metal values like honour, victory, unity and fighting spirit.

> 4. You have written songs in both German and English, which langauge do
> you prefr to write in?

Nortwin: It's kind of a natural process within Wolfchant to write in the language which fits best to the emotions and messages that are carried with the different songs . Some things can be simply delivered better in the native tongue, others sound better in english. It also happens that both languages are used in one song when it feels right, for example in "Stormwolves".

> 5. The new album has a strong sound, where you satisfied with the
> production?

Nortwin: Yes. we were sure from the beginning that the sound will not disappoint us. It's simply a question of having the possibility to work with the right studio and the right producer. Well the result is great in our opinion, no doubt.

> 6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Lokhi: We live dirctly in the national park area of bavaria. And the wolves reserve of the park is
very clos to our place. So in the summer time if we made campfires this time, it was possible to hear the screams of the wolves.
So we made the decision to give us the name WOLFCHANT

> 7. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far, and
> how would you describe your stage performance?

Lokhi: We have a very powerful and strong stage performance. Always in dxirect contact with the audience... We
always want to make a big Party if we are on stage. We always give the best we can. Some of the best Shows was the Ragnarök Festival Shows
und the Summer Night Festival Shows in the last years.

> 8. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by
> pagan/viking/black and melodic death metal fans wortldwide?

Lokhi. We got more and more fans over the last years. From album to album the fanbase in the different countries was growing a lot and we
are very happy about this situation. It is an unbelievable good feeling if you can find people arround the world listening to your music.
As we started WOLFCHANt nobody thought that is it possible that we got such a huge feedback from People all over the world.

> 9. What are the touring plans for the new releases?

Lokhi: We play a lot of Festivals in Germany and different other countries. In November we make an Tour over Europe and in the beginning of 2012 we make
some Shows in the US.... So i thing we will not be bored in the next time.

> 10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Nortwin: We will continue our advanced way as started with COTBW. There are so many things to try and to explore that is very inspiring for the future songwriting. Especially from the vocal side up to now we just scratched all the possibilities which we can have now.

> 11. What are some bands or musical styles tha have influenced your
> music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Nortwin: It's difficult to speak for everybody in the band, but we are surly influenced by a broad range of musical styles, or better said metal styles. Some of them are surly black, pagan, power and death metal. It's difficult to name bands here, as there are too many of them. Representative I would say Mithotyn, Dimmu Borgir.

> 12. What role does Viking and Norse Paganism play in your music, and how
> would you describe your views on these topics?

Nortwin: Of couse these topics are providing a big part of the inspiration for our music and our lyrics. For me personally paganism is not standing for the believe in some viking gods, but for the ultimate freedom of faith and thinking. A religeous belief in a known and experienced way is only limiting these highest values.

> 13. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

Nortwin: For me it is mainly fitness training, movies and travelling.

> 14. Any final words or thoughts, before we wrap up this interview?

Nortwin: Thank you for the interview. To all the people out there: "Call Of The Black Winds" is in the stores now. Please give it a try and watch out for our coming live shows. Check out our myspace page for actual information. Cheers & Skol

Withering Soul Interview

2011-03-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

The last year we took a little break from playing live shows to take some personal time. It is only healthy for a band to “recharge”. That also gave me a chance to save up some money and upgrade my home studio. We’re rehearsing again full-time now, and we have about 8-9 songs almost ready for our next album, which I hope doesn’t take another five years to come out. *Haha*

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

We pretty much take in our favorite elements of different genres and melt it all down. On the surface, you would probably hear Symphonic Black Metal. But after listening to No Closure, you can hear other influences, whether it is the harmony and precision of Melodic Death Metal, the otherworldly atmospheres of Dark Wave, and even the upfront catchiness of Traditional Metal. We try to keep it diverse, but let it flow consistently all the same.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

Our lyrical topics are basically a flipside of the norm. They cover subjects that many people are unlikely to discuss or engage in a conversation about. For example, there is much below the surface of the world we live in. We like to address themes and ideas that people tend to ignore and pretend are not there.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?

The name Withering Soul, for us, serves as a metaphor for the relationship between the present and the future. Living everyday can be a difficult struggle, but nobody really knows what comes next. While we are alive, we are constantly striving for something, but most never find it.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Playing direct support for Dark Funeral and Enslaved was definitely one of our proudest moments. It was an amazing bill and we had a very ecstatic crowd. Gothicfest 2005 was also a nice memory. I hope that every new experience becomes our best experience. Our performances have always been very animated and on the theatrical side. It’s a concept that we hope to expand on when we have a bigger budget.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new releases?

We’re looking into some possible tours for later this year, but also with a focus on getting on a few festivals. However, nothing has been confirmed at the moment.

7. Currently you are signed to Mortal Music, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

The founders of Mortal Music took an interest in us years prior, and paid attention to what we were doing. When we recorded No Closure and gave them a demo copy, they liked what they heard and the discussions began. The support has been phenomenal, and they have opened up opportunities that we did not have before. We’re extremely happy to be a part of the Mortal Music family.

8. On a worldwide level, how has your music been received by symphonic black metal and melodic death metal fans?

I gotta say that our fanbase is pretty diverse. Our music is versatile enough that we have been able to share the stage with many different types of bands…anywhere from Gore Grind to Goth. The overall response has been very positive. We’re just going to keep making the type of music that we enjoy and hope that more will appreciate it.

9, Are any of the band members currently involve with any side projects, or is this a full time line-up?

Mykil and I actually had been tinkering with an Industrial side project called “Psyclone”. Kind of a futuristic and gritty electronica mixed with heavy guitar riffs. That project has been put on hold to focus our efforts on WS. Perhaps it will be revived in the near future, when we have some down time.

10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

I think our style of music will stay pretty consistent for now, with the exception of a few unexpected twists. Our fans can expect every album that we write to sound like a Withering Soul album, but we will try to keep it fresh and interesting.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We try to expand our tastes as much as possible, however for me personally, my heart will always belong to Metal. As a kid I grew up on the classics, such as Black Sabbath, Slayer, Maiden & Metallica. In the mid 90’s, I eventually shifted over to the European/Death Metal scene. Bands like My Dying Bride, Morbid Angel, Emperor, and Carcass really opened my mind to the darker and extreme variety. As for Non-Metal, I’ve recently been listening to a lot of Porcupine Tree, The Birthday Massacre, and Wojciech Kilar. I lump most of my music into two categories; good & bad.

12. What role does the paranormal and occult play in your music, and how would you describe your views on these topics?

It is pretty much the foundation of our music. When developing our lyrical content, we wanted to write about darker natured themes, but we didn't want to focus on religion as much per se. We want our music to be entertaining as well as intriguing. We've all grown up on good old-fashioned ghost stories. I’m not going to testify that I have had any direct experiences myself, but I've taken the thrill of visiting allegedly haunted locations before, and must say that they are fun to explore if you’re a History buff like me. We're also a bunch of book worms when it comes to that stuff. It's a morbid fascination that I don't think I'll ever grow out of!

13. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

My girlfriend and I like to travel. So far, it has been mostly modest vacations and road trips to obscure destinations in the US. Door County, WI, is a beautiful place to visit during the summer and it is very affordable. I usually enjoy simple pleasures, such as jogging outdoors (which I can’t really do much in the winter) and cooking. I’ve found out that (almost) everything tastes good when you add garlic.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for conducting this interview and we look forward to hearing from you again. Cheers!

Wolfchant/Call Of The Black Winds/Massacre Records/2011 CD Review

2011-03-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Wolfchant are a band from Germany with a music style that I would describe as being pagan/viking/folk/black metal with a melodic and symphonic edge and this is a review of their 2011 album "call Of The Black Winds" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats, while the keyboards are very symphonic and epic sounding with some ocassional olk music instruments that give the music a medievel pagan feel, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone which is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast melodic black metal style riffs with some influences from traditional and death metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that have a classic and traditional metal feel to themas for the acoustic guitars when theyt are utilized they use full chords to give the music a tragic feel.

In my opinion Wlfchant are a very good viking/pagan/folk/melodic black metal band and if you are a fan of this genre, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Stormwolves" "Black Fire" "Heathen Rise" and "Call Of The Black Winds". RECEMMONDED BUY.

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Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams, clean singing viking vocals that have a power metal feel at times and soom deep death metal growls, while the lyrics cover Nordic Mythology, Paganism, and Anti-Christianity with some of the songs being written in the German langauge, as for the production it has a very powerful and heavy sound to it.

LIK-Lekamen Illusionen Kallet/The Second Wind/Nordvis Records/2011 CD Review

2011-02-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Lekamen Illusionen Kallet called LIK for short are a band from Sweden with some well known members of the Swedish black metal scene that mixes black metal with occult and gothic rock together and this is a review of their 2011 album "The Second Wind" which will be released by Nordvis Records.

Drums range from slow to midpaced drumming with no fast playing or blast beats present on the recording, while the bass playing has a very dark tone which is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful with a 70's rock feel.

Rhythm guitars alternate between slow to midpaced riffs that combine black metal with 70s and Gothic rock with an avant garde and doomy feel and there are little to no guitar solos or leads present on the recording.

Vocals alternate betwwen grim sounding black metal scrams and clean singing that mixes gothic rock and avant garde together, while the lrics are written in a mixture Of English and Swedish and touch on Occultism, Religion, Mysticism an Spiritism, as fo the production it has a very dark and raw feel to it.

In my opinion LIK are a very good and original band that mixes black metal with Avant Garde 70's and Gothic Rock, and if you are looking for something original sounding, you shopuld check out this band. RECEMMONDED TACKS INCLUDE "Death Breeder" "The Delusionist" and "The Second Wind". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Cruachan/Blood On The Black Robe/Candlelight Records/2011 CD Review

2011-02-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Cruachan are a band from Ireland that has had an album reviewed in this zine in the past, with a style that mixes pagan/celtic/folk music wth black and traditional metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Blood On The Black Robe" which will be released by Candllight Records.

Drums alternate between slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats, while the various folk instruments bring a medievel folk music feel to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very dark, powerful and distorted tone with some heavy riffing.

Rhythm guitars alternate betwwen slow, mdpaced and fast riffing that combines black metal and raditional metal together with a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding without alot of guitar solos, since the music concetrates mostly on rhythm, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized briefly they use full chords to enhance the darkness of the music.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some ocassional clean singing female vocals that bring an esoteric New Age feel to the music, while the lyrics cover Irish Paganism, Folklore, Mythology and History with some anti- Christian themes, as for the production, it has a very heavy and professional feel to it.

In my opinion this is another great album from Cruachan and it is their heaviest and most black metal sounding album in years, while still retaining the folk elements and if you are a fan of their previous albums, you will not be disapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "I Am Warrior" "Blood On The Black Robe" "The Voyage Of Bran" and "Pagan Hate". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Withering Soul/No Closure/Mortal Music/2011 CD Review

2011-02-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Withering Soul are a band from Chicago, Illinois that plays a very symphonic form of black metal mixed with melodic black/death and this is a review of their 211 album "No Closure" which was released by Mortal Music.

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with alot of brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are very atmospheric and atmospheric sounding,as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, midpaced to fast black metal riffing that is also very melodic and utilizes influences from both death metal and traditional metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding metal guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep death metal growls and some clean singing mixed in with a short use female vocals, while the lyrics cover Ghosts, the Paranormal, and Horror, as for the production it has a very professional and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Withering Soul are a very good melodic, gothic, symphonic black metal band, and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Phantasmal Chaos" "Sadistic Redress" and "Lifeless They Lie". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Ironwood Interview

2010-12-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

1. Can you introduce the band to my readers, give us a brief history and how you started and what you are doing nowadays?

Henry Lauer: Ironwood was founded circa early 2006. We worked for about a year rehearsing material and released an EP in early 2007. Then followed an intense year of endless performing in the Australian metal scene. After some truly epic struggles we released our debut full length, :Fire:Water:Ash:, in 2009. By that point, however, we already had a second album well on the way to being written, and late last year we recorded Storm Over Sea. Of course the Ironwood recording curse struck again, and we were delayed in our release by almost a year! The consolation being that along the way we ended up with the incredible privilege of getting Dan Swanö as our mixing and mastering engineer, which really served to bring Storm Over Sea to a high polish.

Now, with the new album finally out, we are undergoing a period of evolution within the band. I am excited to see what will come next.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album, and how do you feel that you have progressed from the previous releases, with the new one?

HL: It’s a lot heavier than :Fire:Water:Ash:, and more compact. We wanted to go for the throat this time around, but with a concern not to abandon our use of atmosphere and acoustic instrumentation either! And our progressive influences have come to the fore a lot more too.

This album is the best representation we can create of the ocean in all its mystery, terror, glory, and changeability. Storm Over Sea is a really dynamic, dramatic, trance-inducing, gut-wrenching, soothing album. Not an easy thing to draw together such disparate moods but somehow I think we managed!

Matthew Raymond: The new album also had far more attention given to arrangements and layers within each track. Similar to the previous album it is bound by a focused theme and is richly dense in material, however, we feel this release is far more accessible to listeners while still challenging them.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and concepts the new album covers, and how does it differ from the past releases?

HL: Well this is definitely a concept album about the ocean, so naturally there is a much tighter thematic focus to the lyrics than we’ve had previously. That said, we wanted explore the ocean symbolically. For example, the first words on the release are “I am but a ship on the infinite sea…and the name of the sea is Woden!” This is a reflection about just how puny the human ego is compared to the archetypal forces on which we haphazardly sail! And it’s also incredibly personal for me, though trying to explain it succinctly would be…a little too much to ask, really!

One recurring motif in the lyrics is that of journeying, voyaging, transforming, submitting to the challenges of wyrd or fate and finding a way to work with the ocean’s whim to survive, rather than breaking on it out of hubris. Most of the band went through our Saturn Returns in the process of making this album…it definitely shows in the lyrics!

But underlying all of that is sheer, naked reverence for the ocean. Ironwood has always made nature worship a central theme for our music and for this release we really wanted to draw peoples’ attention to the ocean. If we influence a few folks to become more proactively “green” as a result – well, so much the better, the oceans of this planet need all the help they can get.

MR: Oceans show such power and chaos often juxtaposed paradoxically with reflection and calm. It is in that which we were inspired to develop this album. Lyrics touch on life turmoil, friendship, overcoming trials, inner strength, responsibility and awe and respect of nature to name a few.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band's name Ironwood?

HL: The Ironwood is a forest from Norse mythology. It’s a dark place where wolves and various giants and beasts arose and make their lair. It’s also a route from Midgard to the Underworld (and from there…to Asgard).

We take the Ironwood as a symbol, submitting to the unconscious, to darkness and mystery, so that we may descend deeply – and then rise into a transformed spirit. This is an idea that celebrates all extremes of emotion and experience, and as such it is perfect for the music that we write.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

HL: My favourite show would have to have been our album launch in Sydney for :Fire:Water:Ash: last year. Wow! That was an awesome night. Very precious and special.

Our stage performances are extremely intense. We tend to go – utterly nuts and out of our minds. People think that we’re possessed, my eyes roll back into my head, weird stuff goes down! And yet at the same time we happily pull out acoustic guitars and the like here and there, and somehow we manage to seduce even the really grumpy metal heads to the idea that vocal harmonies and neofolk atmospheres are a good thing.

I suppose you could say that, like everything else about this band, our live shows are a wild mix of extremes. Sadly…for the immediate future a live band we can no longer be due to personnel metamorphoses…but eventually we’ll be ready to call down the gods of inspired lunacy once more!

MR: On the road as outsiders to the town we play in, there is even a more heightened state of energy that always directly transfers to our shows. Performances are often described by listeners as not simply a band that plays music, but a collection of souls that are seen performing a ritual invoking forces of old. The dynamism of the album's music is represented live... tenfold.

6. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of record label do you think that would promote Ironwood's music to the fullest?

HL: We’re certainly open to label interest, particular the more maverick labels such as The End, Profound Lore, Bindrune, etc. But at this point we don’t expect to ever be anything but an independent band, so we aren’t holding our breath. We’ve become a pretty effective little self-sufficient unit, although of course a big promotion budget and proper distribution would be lovely!

MR: In the past there has been smaller label interest, although the terms were not acceptable at the time so we have continued to progress independently until the right circumstances present themselves. As Henry said, additional promotion and distribution support for what we do can only be a good thing.

7. Are there any side projects besides the band, or is this a full time group?

HL: There are various side projects, but nothing with the magnitude and seriousness that Ironwood represents. Most active of the various side projects at the moment would have to be Greed & Rapacity, a very inventive, twisted black metal outfit ( HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/greedrapacity" http://www.myspace.com/greedrapacity for more info).

8. How has your music been received worldwide by folk/progressive metal fans worldwide?

HL: Well to be honest it hasn’t been out long enough to really say! We’ve gotten some fantastic, fantastic reviews early on, though, so I’m hoping that is a good indication of what the verdict will be.

MR: Going off the previous release, really positively. At a local level, we have a very loyal fan contingency, turning up to every gig we play, purchasing all the merchandise. Some have followed us for some time and become close friends highlighting how likeminded some of our fans really are. We also receive comments and orders from many countries over the world and often wonder how word travelled there!!! At the end of the day, the following we have is growing. I'm digging the response from some of the recent reviews of Storm Over Sea!

9. What kind of musical direction can we expect from future releases, what direction would you like to take the band into?

HL: We’re working on a third album, again with a concept, at the moment. I think at this point gathering back in some of our more atmospheric influences, which were played down somehow on Storm Over Sea, is the intention, although now that we’ve set ourselves such a high bar for complex, technical material I’m sure we’ll have to retain at least some of that to keep the tech-heads smiling!

The general themes of spiritual transformation, nature worship, and journeying will continue to be the guiding impulses for our musical output. Album number three will be a kind of non-linear exploration of archaic Heathen cosmology, but naturally using this as a metaphor to reflect on all manner of things.

Beyond that…we’d like to do an all acoustic, atmospheric album…a totally furious, distilled black metal release, and there are ideas beyond these too! Essentially we feel that Ironwood can travel into any kind of musical territory that we feel we need to explore.

MR: For the next release as Henry said, more use of atmospheric ambience...

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?

HL: Early on the influences were black metal, neofolk, even ambient and progressive groups. We’re talking Ulver, Emperor, Agalloch, Enslaved, Storm, but also Tool, Isis, and Pink Floyd. Over time that’s evolved to introduce 1970’s progressive and folk bands like Jethro Tull, Steeleye Span, and Gentle Giant into the mix. So at this point we have this black metal / neofolk basis, with richly layered clean vocals, a variety of instrumentation, heavy use of naturalistic samples, and lots of really progressive touches. Some reviewers have heard a death metal element to the new album too, which we didn’t intend, but we’re big fans of Death and Dissection so it isn’t so surprising from that point of view!

I’ve been listening to the new Stargazer album (genius!), the new Enslaved, the new Agalloch, Sig Ar Tyr, Voluspaa, as well as neofolk releases by Awen and Art Abscons. I have also been dipping back into Bathory and Pavor of late. Oh, and an old favourite, Depeche Mode!

MR: Sculptured (other band by Don Anderson of Agalloch), Dengue Fever (Contemporary 60's influenced Cambodian psychadelic rock) and Magma (70's French Jazz and progressive rock fusion band), Secret Chiefs 3's Xaphan and Ulver's Blood Inside.

11. What role does Paganism play in the music, and which form of paganism does the band follow?

HL: For me personally as a Heathen – someone working from the pre-Christian Germanic traditions – well, my spirituality is integral to my creativity. In the larger sense the band would not call itself “pagan” as such, although our lyrics and musical concepts with their emphasis on nature, trance, and spiritual exploration would all appeal to someone of “pagan” leanings. I guess on the whole we’re less interested in labels and categories than in expressing something meaningful.

Germanic imagery and symbols do tend to slip into our lyrics – hence “Infinite Sea” which touches on the impact of Woden in my life, or “Will to Live” which has plenty of runes coded into its verses!

Wearing another hat I edit Hex Magazine (http://www.hexmagazine.com), which is probably the foremost Heathen periodical in the world today (at least in my humble but biased opinion).

MR: It is about a connection to two things...the land/ nature and an ancestral bloodline. These things inspire and strengthen all that I do in life and music. There is a spiritual connection to these things and they are absolutely central to what we have created.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

HL: Obviously nature is a big one! My work with Hex also stands out, of course, and that in turn leads to my literary pretensions as well! Words and music, especially coined in the wilderness, that’s the meat and drink of my creative expression.

MR: Given my connection to the land I spend most of my time re-connecting, through hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and simple meditation in Australian bushland. I recently came back from a mountaineering expedition in Nepal climbing well over 5,000 metres.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

HL: We decided to make Storm Over Sea available for free download from our website at http:// HYPERLINK "http://www.ironwoodsound.com.au" www.ironwoodsound.com.au . Why? Because last time the pirates had :Fire:Water:Ash: on their little boards about two breaths after we released it. Since we can’t beat them, we figure we should at least steal their thunder and let them waste their time. That said, we’re trusting you all to check it out, decide if you like it…and if you do, please buy a copy! It is worth it just for the very lush booklet and packaging that we’ve put together…and to know that you’ve supported a band that is truly dedicated to its art.

Windfaerer/Tribus/2010 CD Review

2010-11-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Winfaerer are a band from New Jersey that has had previoused ep reviewed by this zine as well as had an interview, with a musical style that mixes folk metal with melodic death metal and black metal and this is a review of their self released album "Tribus".

Drums range from slow, midpaced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats, while the bass playing is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very heavy and powerful doomy sound of their own, as for the violins when they are utilized, they bring a folk music element to the music with some violins being used on one song.

Rhythm guitars combine influences from folk metal, melodic death and black metal with the riffing ranging from slow, midpaced to fast with a great amount of melody and some traditional metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding death metal guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars when they are utilized briefly, they bring a much more darker tone to the music as well as a small amount of classical guitar.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing vocals being used on the last song, while the lyrics touch on the paganism and history of the Iberian Penisula and nature elements, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound to it, for being self released.

In my opinion this a good full length from Windfaerer and if you where a fan of their previous demo, you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "A Gentle Touch On Ravaged Ruins" "The Invader" and "The Seafaerer's Legend"> RECEMMONDED BUY.

Ironwood/Storm Over Sea/2010 CD Review

2010-11-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Ironwood are a band from Austrialia that plays a very progessive form of folk/black metal and this is a review of their self released 2010 album "Storm Over Sea".

Drums alternate between slow, midpaced to fast drumming with some blast beats being used at times, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful sound that is very progressive at times with alot of bass leads being thrown in at times.

Rhythm guitars alternate between slow, midpaced to fast riffs that combine viking/black metal with traditional metal with a good amount of melodies being used at times, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that also have a classic rock feel to them, as for the accoustic guitars they hmix elements of folk and progressive music together to give the music a very haunting edge.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and clean singing vocals, while the lyrics touch on Heathen Values, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound with all of the instruments coming out with a great sound to them.

In my opinion Ironwood are a very original folk/progressive/black metal band and if you are a fan of bands that mix these styles together, you should check out this band. RECEMMONDED TRACKS "Infinate Sea" "Weather The Strorm" and "A BOnd To Sever". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Vex Interview

2010-10-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about Vex for those that have never heard of you before?

Vex originally began in San Angelo, West Texas, formed by Bill and Ciaran. The band underwent many many different personnel and stylistic changes over the years. We have been jamming with the current lineup since early 2008 and we feel like we've finally discovered the Vex sound after all these years.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Well interestingly, Thanatopsis comprises material that we've been playing live for a long time; some of the songs we wrote all the way back in 2000 and 2001. But when we began tracking this record, we were also writing new material that reflects a lot of the progressive rock and jazz fusion music we were beginning to listen to and be inspired by; you can really hear those influences on 'Thanatos' and 'The Past is Frozen.' So since those two songs ended up on this album, the album sort of documents a lot of the history of the band as well as reflecting a change that was just beginning to happen in our sound.

3. What are some lyrical topics and concepts the new album explore?

Well I'm maybe not the best person to answer this one but in general the lyrics explore a philosophy of personal nihilism and through that lens it sort of views the world and all the big formative experiences that a person can go through in life. The album name is reflective of that--even though 'Thanatos' is an instrumental, the concept of Thanatos and Thanatopsis pervades many of the lyrics. In my view, that's really what the album cover symbolizes as well--a monument to a human life, though from the perspective of nature. The natural world outside of the human species approaches death much differently than we do. That's what the Bryant poem 'Thanatopsis' is about that inspired many of the lyrical themes on the album, essentially a view of humanity and death from the perspective of the natural world.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band's name?

Well as I mentioned Vex has a lot of history, many different band members and many different musical styles. If I remember the story correctly, the name was chosen at random out of a dictionary. We've discussed changing it, but no matter how much we evolve as a band, that name always just seems to fit with what we are doing.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Actually the CD release show for this album I would say is right near the top of the list for us. We were able to land an opening spot for Katatonia, Swallow the Sun, and Orphaned Land at Emo's here in Austin. We played a good set to a packed house and then topped it off by getting to watch some of the best metal bands out right now. I wouldn't really know how to describe our stage performance; we don't really have the typical metal look. Honestly I think most of the time we are more concerned with how we play and the stage presence just kind of naturally happens as a result of our feeding off of the music. It's not something we really plan in advance.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new albums?

Not as of yet. We have a ton of new songs that we need to get written and recorded first, so that's gonna be the focus of the band at least for the near future. After that, I'm sure we will look at touring.

7/ What is going on with the side projects these days?

We all keep very busy with side-projects. Bill has a very well-received and talented metal band in San Angelo called A Black Anatomy. Ciaran's side project Nosferion is in the midst of recording a new album, really good sort of primitive black metal but with a more modern edge. I play regularly in a band called Batcastle based out of Austin, and actually Mike and I collaborate on many of the same side projects like Ruins of Honor, Alternate 15, and The Stan Laurels.

8. How has your music been recieved so far by extreme metal fans worldwide?

It's hard to say, really. As I mentioned we don't really have a typical metal look, and I wouldn't say our sound is typical metal in any way, so I'm always interested to see how really hardcore metal-heads react to our stuff. Overall it's been fairly positive; we've been very pleased that most of the reviews coming in on Thanatopsis have been generally positive.

9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years?

Well Vex in its original format was more heavy rock, kind of catchy, heavy stuff. As the band continued, the music took on a more extreme sound, incorporating 'dirty' vocals and faster drumming, etc. It was during 2000-2005 that we wrote most of the stuff on Thanatopsis, and we were gigging practically every weekend at the time so that was where we really polished those songs to their current state. But just as we were beginning this album, we began to see that a lot of our non-metal influences, particularly progressive rock bands, were beginning to seep into the sound, and that's something that's continued to this day, as our music just seems to get weirder and weirder.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Honestly I think we've gotten to the point as a band that we really don't even pay much attention to who our influences are anything of that nature. We really just listen to any type of good music; I know that may seem like a half-assed answer but it's really true in our case. I mean I can trace influences of everything from metal bands like Vader, Iron Maiden and Dissection all the way in the other direction to the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Zawinul Syndicate, etc. Really just all over the place. If something's good we listen to it, and the more we listen to something the more it tends to work itself into the music in all kinds of subtle and unsubtle ways.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Well I am in the process of transitioning to playing music full-time, so it seems like there is less and less time to maintain interests outside of music, but I mean I watch a lot of sports, cook a lot, some nerdy science shit, pretty standard stuff I guess.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?

Just a big thanks for the review and the interview!

Vex/Thanatopis/Hore Pain Gore Death Records Records/2010 CD Review

2010-10-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Vex are a band from Texas that plays a mixture of melodic black metal and progressive death metal with a thrash edge and this is a review of their 2010 album "Thanatopis" which was released by Hore Pain Gore Death Records.

Drums alternate between slow, midpaced to fast playing and not much in the way of blast beats, while the bass playing has a very strong tone with some progressive sounding bass riffs.

Rhythm guitars combine many different genres of metal together ranging from black, death and thrash metal that also combine alot of melody and progressive parts together, while the lead guitars are very melodic and progressive sounding black/death metal guitar leads, as for the accoustic guitars when they are used, they utilize alot of open chords to add to the progressive elements.

Vocals are mostly high pitch screams that combine influences from black metal and thrash metal that also have a death metal edge at times, while the lyrics cover somewhat dark times that deal with more real life type situations, as for the production it has a very dark and raw feel while still having a professional sound that capyures all of the musical instruments.

In my opinion Vex are a very good band for their style of music, if you are looking for a band that mixes black, death and thrash metal together with some progressive and melodic edges but a little bit more rawer, check this band out. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Motionless" "Eyes Of Wrath" and "Erosion". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Forlorn/Opus III: Ad Caelestis Res/Napalm Reocords/1999 CD Review

2010-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Forlorn are a band that started out as a mor folk orientated viking/black metal band but evolved into more of a symphonic black metal band with this release and this is a review of their 1999 album "Opus III: Ad Caekestis Res" which was released by Napalm Records.

Drums alternate between slow, midpaced to fast drumming with alot of brutal blast beats, while the synths sound very dark, symphonic and atmospheric, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful and dark tone to it.

Rhythm guitars alternate between slow, midpaced to fast Norwegian style black metal guitar riffs that have a thrash edge to them at times, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar leads.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metall screams with some clean singing vocals being thrown in at times, while the lyrics cover gdarkness, magick and the atmosphere, as for the production on this recording which was recorded between May and June of 1999 at Mansion Studios sounds very heavy and professional and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Forlorn are a very good symphonic and melodic Norwegian black metal band and if you are a fan of this genre you should check this album out. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Distant Worlds And Distant Moons" "Shadow Cult" and "Legends Of Creation". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Chthonic/9TH EmPyrean/Root Of All Evil Records/2000 CD Review

2010-10-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Chthonic are a band from Taiwan that plays a very symphonic from of black metal and this is a review of their 2000 album "9TH Empyrean" which was released by Root Of All Evil Records.

Drums are mostly midpaced to fast playing with alot of brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are very symphonic and atmospheric sounding, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone which follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound of their own.

Rhthm guitars are mostly midpaced to fast black metal riffs that have a very melodic edge to them as well as some thrash influences, while the lead guitars are very skillful and melodic symphonic black metal guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls and female vocals, while the lyrics are written in Tiawnesse and English and cover Taiwanesse myths and legends, as for the production on this recording which was recorded at Sahara Studios in Taiwan during the year of 2000 sounds very heavy and professional.

In my opinion this was a good album from Chthonic and if you are a fan of this band you probably already own this album. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Summon Of China" "Gods Souls Gathered" and "Invasion". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Darkmoon/.308 Antichrist/Tribunal Records/2001 CD Review

2010-10-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Darkmoon are a band from North Carolina that plays a melodic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2001 album ".308 Antichrist" which was released by Tribunal Records.

Drums are mostly midpaced to fast drumming with alot of brutal blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly midpaced to fast black/death metal riffs that contain some melodies, while the lead guitars are very distorted and melodic black/death metal guitar solos without overdoing the melodies, as for the guitar synths they bring an atmospheric edge to the music.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and deep death metal growls, while the lyrics touch on dark thems with some references to Paganism, as for the production it has a very raw and heavy feel to it.

In my opinion Darkmoon are a very good band and if you are a fan of black/death metal you should check this band out. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE ""Impenetrable" and "Pagan Graves". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Troll/The Last Predators/Head Not Found Records/2000 CD Review

2010-10-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

Troll are a band from Norway that consists of many well known members of the Norwegian black metal, which started out as an ambient/industrial style of symphonic black metal but went for a more straightword black/thrash sound with this release while retaining some industrial elements and this is a review of their 2000 album "The Last Predators" which was released by Head Not Found Records.

Drums are mostly midpaced to fast with alot of brutal blast beats, while the bas playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound really powerful, as for the loops and synths when they are utilized they bring an ambient/industrial as well as a symphonic feel to the music.

Rhythm guitars are mostly midpaced to fast Norwegian style black metal riffs that also take alot of influences from thrash, while the lead guitars have a classic metal/rock feel to the guitar solos.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and industrial style vocals and the ocassional death metal growl, while the lyrics cover hateful style themes with a dose of anti christianity with the songs being written in a mixture of Norwegian and English that also have somewhat of a sci-fi feel, as for the production it has a very powerful sound that gives all of the musical instruments a brutal sound.

In my opinion this was a very good album from Troll and if you are a fan of classic Norwegian black metal, you should check this band out if you have not yet already done that. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Fall Of The Marbled Galaxy" "Mending The Instincts" "Eyes As In I" and "The Last Predators". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Dissection/Reinkaos/BlackHorizon Music/The End Records/2006 CD Review

2010-10-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Dissection where a band from Sweden that played a very melodic form of black/death metal and this is a review of their 2006 album "Reinkaos" which was release as a joint effort between Black Horizon Music and The End Records.

Drums alternate between slow, midpaced to fast with alot of blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follows the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of slow, midpaced to fast melodic black/death riffs that are very melodic sounding that also take influences from thrash and traditional metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars they bring alot of darkness and melody to the music as well as some classical influences.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with the last song having clean singing female vocals, while the lyrics cover Anti Cosmic Satanism, Left Hand Path, Qlipoth, Sumerian, Egyptian, Norde and Eastern Occultism as well as alchemy, as for the production it has a very heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion this was a very good album from Dissection and while some of their more hardcore fans did not enjoy this album, I still liked it alot because it went deeper into the occult than their previous albums. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Black Dragon" "Dark Mother Divine "God Of Forbidden Light" and "Maha Kali". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Conspiracy Interview

2010-10-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the project these days?

We are thinking about making an original video clip. So if anybody can help us with that or can suggest someone, please get in touch with us at www.myspace.com/metalconspiracy

2. How would you describe the musical style of the new album?

CONSPIRACY is a lifelong quest to create original blend of dark and extreme, yet harmoniously enjoyable material with the main ingredient – Black Metal.

This time I can add the word “progressive” to the description, because of the unorthodox arrangements spiced up by orchestration, proper heavy metal solo guitars and different style of vocals, which are not always the traditional BM raspy scream.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and concepts the new album explores?

Generally speaking the album title is about fate. Humans take life for granted, but in fact nobody is guiding and everything is chaos – consequences of occasional coincidences.

Many songs on this album contain classical poetry by authors like Aleister Crowley and Charles Baudelaire. Most of the songs feature some satanic horror episodes for the purpose of the dark mystic entertainment.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band's name?

I think I came up with that name in 1994. I meant the obvious grip on power by the religious authorities that subdue and slow down progress and enlightenment all over the world.

The name is a protest against the monotheistic dogma.

5. You where a member of Meleschech for a long time what made you decide to quit that band and concentrate on this project?

Melechesh was going to leave Osmose Productions and sign the record deal with Nuclear Blast in 2008. It became obvious to all of us that I couldn’t participate any longer because I wasn’t ready to commit to the schedule from 90 to 150 tour dates per year!!! Besides that issue I had to move away from the main Melechesh concept – Middle Eastern music flavor. Just got tired of it. Final and the main reason was the creative autocracy within Melechesh. In that band only one person decides which riffs and concepts are good and which aren’t usable. I am a composer, not just a musician who is happy to be in a famous band. Despite all that I am happy that Ashmedi and Moloch are still my friends and I even got to help them a little bit with their new album which was released on the 1st of October.

6. Do you have any plans in the future to use other musicians and do live shows?

My music is not made for the stage. Best place to listen to my music is in the car, during a long drive when you can reflect on things, when nothing disturbs your imagination, when the subject of that dark episode is not interfering with a reality of some ridiculous nerd sipping his beer in apathy and picking his nose while I transmit the demonic harmonies from the stage...
Some alcoholic beverages, like beer, enjoyed better in a crowded, cozy pub – others, like Remy Martin XO are for the dark evenings by the fireplace.

As for using other musicians – yes, this album is collaboration between me and Aryan Blaze, a brilliant guitarist and composer. Who knows, maybe we’ll use more talented musicians next time.

7. How has the new album been received so far by metal fans worldwide?

To be honest, I didn’t expect so many nice comments on myspace and e-mails from people who call it awesome and tell me that they listen to it every day. This is the best reward for me.

8. how would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

Over the years I went deeper into more intricate arrangements and moved away from just exhibiting cool nasty riffs. Good technical skills and correct sound without songwriting talent mean nothing to me. I create different song structures and strive to make the album interesting as a whole. Not just one success formula repeated, not a salad of riffs, empty brutality, monotonic harmonies and squashed overproduced mixes. CONSPIRACY will not be to your taste, if you like to hear the same concept one track after another.

Future albums will deffinitely have more epic depth, catchy melodies and more dark mysticism.

9. What are some band or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Main influences in the 80’s and 90’s where Judas Priest, King Diamond, Black Sabbath with Dio and Tony Martin, Venom, Celtic Frost and to some extent Death, Deicide and Marduk.

Today I listened to Tyrantz Empire, ABSU, Assassin and Onslaught

I listen to many heavy metal bands when I work out: Helloween, Grave Digger, Accept, Running Wild, Saxon, etc. I also like old thrash like Overkill, Exodus, Testament, Destruction and Kreator.

The albums of the 80’s bands are still as much enjoyable as they were then. For me at least. So if the music is good and honest – it is timeless!

10. What role does Occultism and Paganism play in the music?

I hate monotheism in all forms. I embrace Satanism as a form of protest and the true Occult as a form of research of what exists beyond the material reality surrounding us.

Paganism means “polytheism” – worshiping of many deities. It is an ancient custom from the times when humans were not aware about the universe we know today.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I travel a lot. I am interested in other cultures and history in general. Every day I spend about one hour in the gym, pumping iron. I shoot big guns at the shooting range 1-3 times a week. I’d like to dedicate more time to kick box.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?
I’d like to thank all the people who support CONSPIRACY, buy albums and find time to send those nice comments about CONSPIRACY music on myspace.

Neron Kaiser Interview

2010-10-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
1. Now, we’ve started to work on a new material, and also occupied by preparation of the concert program for tour in support of an album across Russia, but if any organizers outside Russia have wish to see us on their stages, we will accept their offers with pleasure.

2. How would you describe the musical style that you are going for with the new album?
2. We will make more hard and more black, we’re planning to work with ethnic instruments of ancient times and with colour of that epoch, but the album won’t be positioned as “ethno”. Our genre will stay the same.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics that you explore with the new release?
3. For sure it’s Nero’s dark side and everything that connected with his history.

4. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
4. We think our last performance which was in our native city – Ufa. We have organized this black metal festival ourselves, having invited bands from other big cities of Russia and it should be said that concert has passed with the great success. When we appearing on stage we always prepare surprises for fans in making covers on their favorite bands, making show, trying to present a quality sound and execution with external attributes of our performance, such as costumes and live behavior on a scene.

5. Do you have any other side projects besides this band, or is this a full time project?
5. Now we give all free time and forces to this project, for the time being we don't have any thoughts to create parallel projects. We are supporters of concrete work in one group.

6. How has your music been recieved so far by symphonic black metal fans worldwide?
6.Thanks to our label GP in particular, and also to our diligence and performances. If the band plays a worthy material, eventually, it will notice.

7. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
7. We worked a lot on the project and it was not easy sometimes, but, we consider we’ve made everything right and in a short space of time. At present we are happy with the done work, but we will not stop. Time will show, but definitely we want to please with excellent works fans of "black art».

8. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
8. For sure it’s black metal. We really like Finnish school of black metal and even we’ve recorded a cover on band Thyrane which we truly respect. And we certainly we like, to listen guru’s of heavy music.

9. What role does Occultism or Satanism play in the music?
9. Well, probably atmosphere is carry by these two concepts. Atmosphere which is inherent only for such special musical direction as black metal. In other directions these two concepts can face, but reveal only superficially. It’s same like an iceberg top which is above water when the iceberg’s most part is under.

10. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
10. Self-development, sports, travel, the nature and mankind’s nayward is interesting to us. And also chick’s and booze :-D

11. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?
11. It was interesting to answer your questions. We thank readers of magazine and connoisseur’s of our creativity all over the world supporting us.

Conspiracy/Irremediable/Pulverized Records/2010 CD Review

2010-10-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy are a band from the Netherlands that plays a very symphonic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Irremediable" which was released by Pulverized Records.

Drums alternate from slow playing to some fast drumming with alot of blast beats, while the keyboards are very dark and symphonic sounding with the feel of a horror movie soundtrack, as for the bass playing it is mixed down low in the music and seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and at times they have a powerful sound.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of slow, midpaced to fast black metal riffs that have a good amount of melody and influences from death metal as well as traditional metal,
while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that have a classic metal feel to them.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls thrown in mixed with the ocassional clean singing, while the lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism, Witchcraft, Anti Religion, darkness, evil, and war, as for the production it has a very professional sound to it while retaining a little bit of rawness.

In my opinion Conspiracy are a very talented and original band that mixes symphonic metal with traditional metal and should appeal to fans of symphonic black metal. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Black Mass" "Pentagram" "The Invocation Of Hecate" and "The Hag". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Svarrogh Interview

2010-09-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the project these days?
1. Hi, I am still waiting for the final mix and mastering of the new full length album "Aether" which was recorded in 2009 and it might be the best Svarrogh album up to now with a very coherent concept and compositions. Currently I am working on very new material which is going to be released as a mini-album afther "Aether".
Svarrogh didn´t enter live stages since 2 years because of lack of time, as well as the session musicians have their own bands themselves, like Helfahrt and Secrets of the Moon.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer material?
2. Svarrogh was never easy to categorize. It has always an individual sound. Thats the matter of making music these days. I could not imagine doing something common which has already been done. Svarrogh is always changing, like experiences and life situations are changing themselves. Every album is an instant expression of my thoughts in different stages through time. When art defines itself with stagnation - there is no art at all. But maybe the newer material is the most atmospheric up to now with a lot of post rock and black metal and somber folk or ambient atmosphere. I try to make my music as oppressive as I can by using many stylistic devices. Actually after 5 years of smooth atmosphere of neofolk and ambient, I am thirsty for the harsh sounds of black metal again, as this is the only music that I listen to right now.

3. What are some of the lyrical concepts that you are working on these days?
3. It is hard to describe. Everything is very individual-mythological. It is not a personified mythology. It is something ancient, unspoken, unseen, archaic.
I use fragments of slavic mythology and embed them in a very poetic text concept.
"Aether" is about a floating, sub-conscient archaic art of existence and it is influenced a lot by the american writer Ezra Pound. A human beeing is totally lost in
an environment of beautiful, violent and powerful nature, struggling his way and path to the very self knowledge of his existence. Aether is the shape of his status -
a dismal and sallow material atmosphere. The last album "Yer Su" was similar, but with more association to heathen slavic and old-bulgarian mythology.

4. What is going on with the other projects these days?
4. I stopped the most projects as I saw, that this is just bringing you away from the things that are more important. Next to Svarrogh, I have now only Fahl, a dark ambient project with members of the german neoclassic band Sagittarius.
We are also working on the new release of my other project Miel Noir, which is more electronic/surreal dark wave. When there is time, we will work also on new songs for my drony black metal project Schwarzwasserbrunnen.

5. How has your newer material been recieved by both newer and older fans worldwide?
5. I don´t know - we will see. But I have heard a lot of positive opinions.

6.Out off all the releases that you have put out so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?
6. It would be "Aether", when it will be released in 2011. I like all Svarrogh albums, they are all different and have there own words. "Balkan Renaissance" is a very powerful and simple album, very mature.

7. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
7. Svarrogh started as pagan black metal, developed to neofolk with industrial and ambient elements and now the black metal element is the most important part of the music. But Svarrogh was always more avantgarde and not really a simple style with common arrangements and compositions. Actually the lyrical concept never changed, it just grew and developed itself. Like the painter Edgard Degas said once:
"I am glad that I did not found my style - I would be bored to death!"

8. You are origianlly from Bulgaria but now live in Germany, what was the decision behind the move?
8. It is a long story, which began in 1992.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
9. Of course it is impossible to stay away from influences. Generation after generation is influenced. However, I try to stay for my own.
I like the art of Hate Forest, Urfaust, Wolves in the throne room, Mono, Red Sparowes, Drudkh and some industrial, neofolk and ambient projects.
The greek dark folk band Defile des Ames is definetely awesome.

10. Where do you get must of your inspiration on Slavic and Bulgarian Paganism/Shammanism and are you into any other esoteric paths or philosophies as well?
10. There are so many interesting things and materials out there.
Actually I am interested in everything that has to do with european and asiatic
culture, mythology and esoteric. My inspiration comes from nature with all her
daughters like dew, fog and beatiful landscapes and mountains, especially in Bulgaria. Esoteric is maybe one of the most growing parts in society with a lot
of bullshit and orthodox believers. I think this has to be your own esoteric life philosophy. The transcendent way, how you are on this earth and how you feel your life. I am a very ambivalent person - atheist and somehow very nihilistic, but I feel the ancient roots of Hyperborea and also the yearning to the old knowledge. Actually everything is in a context, it is logical. But I don´t believe in a hollow earth.
However, you can reach a transcendent level of your life also with the nihilistic philosophy of Nietzsche or Sartre. It is just your point of view then.
Of course the bulgarian shamanism (Tangra) and slavic mythology is more next to me, I can feel the connection to the ancient in my heart. It is just sad, that we live in a such soulless world.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
11. Black & white photography, philosophy, drinking, mountains.
Unfortunately life is too short to reach all of your dreams.
I am also the editor of the printed mythological and cultural magazine Svarga which is released annually. The last issue #2 had also a lot of interviews with bands like Allerseelen and Dordeduh and dealed with european arts, cults and rituals. I have also an photography portfolio at www.dimo-dimov-photography.de.tl

12. Any final words or thoughts before we close this interview?
12. Thank you very much! Be ready for the 6th Svarrogh album "Aether" in 2011.

Svarrogh/Yer Su/Ahnstern/2008 CD Review

2010-09-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Svarrogh are a band originally from Bulgaria now residing in Germany that started out as a folk/black metal band but has evolved into more of a neo folk band over the years and this is a review of their 2008 album "Yer Su" which was released on Ahnstern but distributed by Stienklang Records.

There are a lot of folk instruments on this recording such asa bagpipe, balkan viola, big mandoline, balkan shepard flute, ocaria, and clarinet that gives the music a very medeivel feel that harkens big to the Pagan days mixed in with alot of keyboards that sound very atmospheric.

Accoustic guitars use alot of open chords played fast at times to give the music a folk music feel,while the electric guitars are fast black metal riffs that are melodic at times with some slow doom riffing, as for the drums when they are utilized they are fast beats.

Vocals are mostly clean singing and spoken word male vocals with some black metal screams being thrown in at times with some clean singing and spoken word female vocals, while the lyrics touch on Slavic and Bulgarian Paganism and Folklore with songs being written in both the English and Bulgarian languages with a concept being used in between songs, as for the production sounds very dark and raw.

In my opinion Svarggh are a very talented and original band that will appeal to both fans of folk/black metal and neo-fol. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Old Mill" "Stone" "Samodiva" and "Eternal Flame". RECEMMONDED BUY

Hrossharsgrani/Dead Man's Hill/Dead Meat/Steinklang/2010 CD Split Review

2010-09-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is a review of a split album between Hrosshargrani from Austria who has had a full length reviewed before in this zine and Dead Man's hill fom Belguim, the album is called "Dead Meat" and was released by Steinklang during the year of 2010, we are going to start of the review with Hrosshargrani.

Hrosshargrani are a band from Sweden that mixes martal industrial with dark ambient, noise and black metal.

Drum programming is mostly slow beats that get a little bit fast at times with some blast beats, while the noise effects sound dark and evil, as for the guitars they are very distorted sounding leads with some accoustic guitars being used on ocassion.

Keyboards are very dark and epic sounding giving the music a ritulistic feel, while the vocals alternate between deep growls, clean singing male and female vocals and spoken word passages, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of German and English pagan orientated with some references to Romanian history, as for the production it sounds very dark and epic sounding.

In my opinion the songs that put out on this split are alot better and darker then the previous full length that was reviewed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Countess Bathory" and "Down There".

Dead Man's Hill are a band from belguim that plays a very dark form of death industrial mixed in with alot of riitual elements, neo classical and folk and now we are going to review their music.

Drum programming is all slow and militant, while the sytnths are very dark and evil sounding, as for the noise effects they are very loud and avant garde sounding.

Vocals use some deep growls along with a mixture of clean singing male and female vocals, with a small amount of heavy industrial guitars that make the music sound very evil.

Lyrics touch on the destruction of the world, Occultism, nature and Voodoo, while the production sounds very dark, powerful, epical and evil sounding.

In my opinion while Dead man's Hill are not black metal influenced they have the best and darkest music on this split. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Dangrous Emptiness" and "All Saints Day Rituals: To Baron Samedi". RECEMMONDED BUY.

Hrossharsgrani/Pro liberate dimincandum est/Steinkling/2009 CD Review

2010-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hrossharsgrani are a band from Austria that mixes noise, dark ambient, industrial and black metal together and this is a review of their 2009 album "Pro liberate dimicandum est" which was released by Steinkland Records".

Drum programming is mostly slow militant beats, while the noise effects sound very dark and evil, as for the samples being used they bring a depressive feel to the music.

Vocals are very dark and demonic sounding growls with alot of spoken word passages while the synths sound very dark and utilize influuences from indudtrial and neo classical,

Lyrics range from anti religion, Norse mythology and some political themes mixed in with some other dark subjects while the production sounds very dark and gives the music an esoteric feel.

Eletric guitars when they are utilized are slow and heavy riffs while the accoustic guitars are only used briefly to give the music a neo-folk feel

In my opinion Hrossharsgrani are a very good project and while this is not as metal influenced as some of their early work I still feel this album will still appeal to fans or black industrial, dark ambient, noise and martial industrial. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "All Systems Go" "The Glory Of The Dead" "The Victory" and "Mercyful". RECEMMONDED

Limbonic Art/Phantasmagoria/Candlelight Records/2010 CD Review

2010-09-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

Limbonic Art are a band from Norway that has been around since the 1990's that play a vey atmospheric and symphonic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Phantasmogoria" which will be released by Candlelight Records.

Drum progamming is modtly fast and brutal with alot of devastating blast beats being thrown in and they slow down at times to give the music a darker edge, while the keyboards are very symphonic, ambient, epic and atmospheric, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone that follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly fast black metal riffs that contain some melody and the riffs get slower at times with some thrash and traditional metal influences, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that contain alot of skill when they are utillized.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing being thrown in at times as well as some deep death metal growls, while the lyrics cover death, darkness, necromancy, astral projection and other occult themes, as for the production of this album it sounds very powerful and professional with all of the musical instruments having a heavy sound.

IN my opinion this is another good album from Limbonic art and this is their heaviest album to date and if you where a fan of their past albums you will not be dissapointed. RECEMMONDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Curse Of The Necromancer" "POrtal To The Unknown" "Prophetic Dreams" and "Astral Projection". RECEMMONDED BUY

Troll Bends Fir Interview

2010-08-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

The band was created in 1999 by its permanent members Troll and Jetra (at the moment they are the only from the first line-up). Having left St.Petersburg Viking metal band “Nomans land”, I, wishing to play more folk music, came across Jetra, who sang and played Irish whistle. I offered her to make a funny folk band based on metal rock. Later we named the style “Beer folk” that defined our material exactly.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
The rhythmic base of our music was taken from metal but we often play using little guitar distortion or sometimes without it at all. Combining such way with tunes different from typical European folk metal, we get quite fresh, emotional and catchy sound.
3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
Troll Bends Fir’s Russian name “Troll Gnyot Yel” sounds very close to Scandinavian languages, it’s original and dynamic. It just came to mind somehow and we realized that it would be the band’s name.
4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
The heroes of our lyrics live in pagan Scandinavia and in Europe of the Middle Ages. Some songs tell funny stories happened to characters in taverns and woods due to drinking too much amber nectar. Other ones are praise for hop and beer philosophy. Actually, it’s not easy to find more beer band than we are!
5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
I can’t think of one particular show because we like to perform live and do it often. When we’re on tour we can play both in a small club without even support bands, where you see faces of happy fans just in meter from yours, and at main Russian festivals or cities’ beer festivals, where there’re tens of thousands of people and a huge crowd jumps to our music. What do I prefer? I enjoy all of them… We use several concert costumes of different kinds: Scottish themed costumes, beer monks and ones with leather armors of brewers.
6. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?
Well, it’s hard to say if we have plans. We’d love to come there and according to many feedbacks on our Myspace profile there’s an interest to music like ours in the USA. However, we started promoting ourselves outside Russia a short time ago, so we’ll live and see how things work out.
7. The band has a lot of beer drinking songs, what are some of your favorite beers that you drink.
Our favorite sort of beer “with a perfect taste, much, not expensive and better paid by organizers”! Haha
8. How has your music been received so far by folk metal fans worldwide?
As I mentioned before, we get lots of positive feedbacks via Myspace from many countries, even such distant from Russia as Brasilia and Japan.
9. Out off all the albums that the band has recorded so far, which one are you the most satisfied with?
We’re the most satisfied with our upcoming album, we’re recording at the moment… We like a lot what we have already nailed!
10. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
As for me, our music hasn’t changed, I enjoy making it as I used to in the beginning, let the others judge it. I think we’ll keep on moving in the same direction.
11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
Can’t say right away… but there’re some Russian bands influenced by our music!
12. What role does Slavic and Norse paganism play in the music?
An active role. To be honest, though we’re patriots, pagan Scandinavia as an art symbol is more attractive.
13. What are some of your interests outside of music?
My hobby is tourism, drinking, my wife and collecting beer mugs, festival T-shirts (certainly, with our participation), gifts from our fans. I have no idea about other members but, probably, almost the same. At least, our bass player is really fond of drinking :)
14. Any final words or thoughts?
“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy” (B. Franklin) I totally agree with that! Cheers!

Abigail Williams/In The Absence Of Light/Candelight Records/2010 CD Review

2010-08-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Abigail Williams are band originally from Arizona but now relocated to new York that started out playing melodic black/deathcore but have evolved into a symphonic black metal band over the years and this is a review of their 2010 album "In The Absence Of Light" which is being released by Candlelight Records.

Drums range from being slow, midpaced to fast with some brutal blast beats being thrown in at times, while the keyboards sound very symphonic and atmospheric, as for the bass playing it is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and on some songs they have a very powerful sound of their own.

Rhythm guitars fange from being midpaced to fast symphonic black metal riffs that has some thrash and death metal influences that also contain a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic sounding guitar solos.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics cover horror stories, battles and cosmos, as for the production it sounds very professional and heavy with all of the instruments having a good sound to them.

In my opinion this is a graet improvement for Abigail Williams and while I have never listened to a full album from them until now I have seen them live once opening for Enslaved and Dark Funeral and they did not sound this powerful and while some people probably wont check out this album beacause of their old sound i still feel symphonic black metal fans will enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Final Destiny Of The Gods" "Infernal Divide" and "An Echo Of Our Legends". RECOMMENDED BUY.

The Breathing Process Interview

2010-08-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?

We're getting ready to go out for a 2 month run with Antagonist, Wretched, and Diskreet that starts august 26th. We're also demoing some new material as we're constantly writing.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Symphonic,Atmospheric Death Metal
3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

To breathe is to live, to fill yourself with the most vital element of survival.
4. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Florida and Texas always have awesome crowds, they are probably our favorite places to play. Our stage performance is bloody,intense, ethereal.
5. Do you have any plans to tour Europe in the future?

We always have plans to tour Europe, little things just prevent us from going. Hopefully we'll be over there early this winter
6. How has the support been from Candlelight Records so far?

It's been pretty cool, the know a lot about the business and utilize their resources well.

7. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

We've always strived to stay away from the cliche metal topics (some big war, armegeddon, god hating) and try to talk about things on a more poetic and meaningful level. Our current album is about the human psyche in all of it's wonder and dispair.
8. How has the reception been to the newer material from symphonic black metal and brutal death metal fans worldwide?

When we wrote the "poppier" songs on this album we were kinda nervous as to how people would take it given that our last album was much heavier. But everyone seems to love Odyssey, which made us very happy that people approached it with an open mind and didn't ridicule us for not being all breakdowns anymore.
9. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

I think that we constantly try to reinvent ourselves so that people don't really know what to expect. We just kinda write what comes out and it always seems to be different than the last. The newer stuff we're gonna experiment with some more electronics and some more clean singing which is something we've always wanted to do but have been limited in it until now. We all listen to a lot of different music to draw influence from and for me that kind of changes with each release. So i guess we'll see what comes out next time.
10.Does Occultism, Satanism or Paganism play any role in the music?

We all come from very different religious backgrounds, none of which play a direct role in our music, we do however use religious themes metaphorically to describe different things. Odyssey while being about emotion is also about the environment and nature, which some might label "paganism" but you don't have to be a pagan to love,respect and fear the earth.
11. What are some of yourinterests outside of music?

We are all pretty avid gamers. Most of us play lots and lots of video games haha.

12. Any final words or thoughts?
Buy our album, come checkout our upcoming tour (dates are @ www.myspace.com/tbp) Bathe in Blood........TBP

The Breathing Process/Odyssey(Un)Dead/Siege Of Amida/Candlelight Records/2010 CD Review

2010-07-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Breathing Process are a band from the U.S with members from Connitecut and Massachuessets that mix symphonic black metal with blackened death metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "Odyssey(Un)Dead which was released as a joint effort between Siege Of Amida and Candlelight Records.

Drums range from being slow, midpaced and technical with alot of fast playing and brutal blast beats being used, while the keyboards are very atmospheric and symphonic with some industrial elements, as for the bass playing it has a dark tone that follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of black metal and death metal riffing with a good mix of slow and fast riffs that contain alot of melody, while the lead guitars are very technical and melodic guitar solos that utilize alot of skill.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and deep death metal growls with some clean singing male and female vocals being thrown in at times, while the lyrics cover exile with a darkened touch, as for the production it is very professional sounding with all of the instruments having a good sound.

In my opinion The Breathing Process are a very good band and while some elements of their music might be to commercial sounding for my ears at times, this is still a talented band, fans of symphonic black metal and blackened death metal should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Grimoire" "Vultures" and "Decaying(Form)". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Sarah Jezebel Deva/A Sign Of Sublime/Candellight Records/2010 CD Review

2010-07-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sarah Jezebel Deva is a well known singer in the Symponic Metal genres and this is a review of her solo album "A Sign Of Sublime" which was released by Candlelight Records during the year of 2010.

Drums are mostly midpaced beats with little to no fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards are very symphonic and atmospheric sounding, as for the bass playing it has a dark tone with riffs that follow the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly midpaced riffs that sound very basic but having influences from mainstream black metal and symphonic/gothic metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos that have a tragic feel to them.

Vocals are mostly clean singing female vocals that are very operatic with some black metal screams being used on ocassion mixed in with some cleansinging male opera choirs, while the lyrics cover depression with a very dark edge, as for the production it sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion this is a good album from Sarah Jezebel Deva, at first I thought I probably would not like this album due to the singer's involvement in the corporate metal scene but this is a quality dark sounding album in it's own way and it is well done for what it is. RECOMMENDED TRACKS "A Sign Of Sublime" "The Devil's Opera" and "Daddys Not Coming Home".

Chaossworn Interview

2010-07-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

ANTON: Chaossworn is a melodic death/black metal band from Haparanda, northern Sweden. We've been active since the fall of 2004, under the moniker Cryptic Death. The name was changed to Chaossworn in late 2009. We have just released our first MCD called 'Chalice of Black Flames' through Abyss Records.

ANDREAS: Me and Janne played together in various bands/projects back in the 90s, so in a sense Chaossworn dips its rotten roots further back in the dark past!

JANNE: Yup; we’ve been brooding and slithering in the local underground for the last 15 years, but not until now has our message and force become strong enough to be unleashed upon the larger masses. Years and years of honing our skills in the dark are starting to pay off. Now if only we could get David Hasselhoff interested...

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

ANDREAS: Death metal foundation, black metal ambience, heavy metal catchiness. Black/death metal; people should know what it means these days. Heavy emphasis on lead guitar work and harmonies to act counterpoint to non-melodic vocals. Absolutely no happy riffs.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

JANNE: It should be quite clear. We are sworn to Chaos, as opposed to Law. Chaos represents boundless creativity and infinite possibilities, which the strong-willed may utilize to his or her needs or wants. Law stands for conformity and slavery of the mind; it is for the weak who can not, or will not, stray away from the safe path of herd mentality that slowly but surely grinds and forces everyone into the same mold. And as one of the main principles of the band, if not the only one, is to do what the fuck we want - well, I just think that we've found ourselves the perfect name.

4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

ANDREAS: Depends on the song really, since they deal with various subjects, or aspects of those subjects.. It ain't about no urban themes. No matter what the lyrics are about, they're an integral part of the music, and given as much attention in the writing process as the riffs themselves. Phrasings, meter, all that shit, given utmost attention. We're not dishing out tripe.

5. Have you had the opportunity to do any live shows yet, if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far?

ANTON: We have been playing live since the start as Cryptic Death. I would say our best show was at Nordic Rage festival in Boden 2008, w/ The Haunted, Carnal Forge, etc..

ANDREAS: The gig we did back in January this year, in Lulea, was pretty intense. Parts of which can be seen on Youtube. Still, Nordic Rage Fest was definitely the biggest in terms of crowd and exposure.

NIKLAS: The black/death metal scene in northern Sweden is not the greatest, but we played a show in Boden on a metal festival called Nordic Rage, which was for me the greatest show!

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

ANDREAS: South America; The water gives you the runs, crowd is batshit insane, nobody speaks English. Pandemonium. I heard Poland is pretty kickass too.

JANNE: I think it’d be cool to tour in Kyrgyzstan, or Mongolia. Man, those guys would be astonished to have us banging and snarling at their local yard/palace/mountaintop/whatever. And probably kill us too. Or die trying.

7. What do you want to accomplish with your music?

ANDREAS: I want the music to become as kult as the shit I listen to myself.

JANNE: To me, creating music is first and foremost a tool for self-expression, without which I could not live. Sowing the seeds of the mind, nourishing them with skill and craftsmanship, watching and hearing them grow and blossom in the dark orchards of the spirit of arts, tasting the bittersweet juices from their ripe flesh...thus inspiring the circle to start anew. It is a beautiful thing, creation, and we hold it in our hands. Hopefully our music can also inspire others, as many have inspired us before, and still do. The cycle is most exquisite, and should be kept spinning.

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

ANDREAS: We got our sound down just right. What we will do in the future is to produce even fiercer riffs, better hooks, better lyrics and wrap it up time and time again. The material evolved from the last two demos to the MCD growing increasingly darker and unfriendly, and that'll likely continue. Without ambition there's no point in doing anything, and I got plenty ambition. We're destined to outdo ourselves time and time again. Don't expect any genre leaps a la Dodheimsgard.

9. How has the feedback been to your music so far by melodic black.death metal fans worldwide?

ANDREAS: We wouldn't release it if it wasn't up to snuff. Reviewers agree!

NIKLAS: Mixed. People in Sweden have been more critical than the rest of the world. Dunno why is that.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?

ANTON: Bloodbath, Desultory and Necrophobic, and of course bands from other genres.

ANDREAS: Been listening to Tiamat “Clouds” a lot lately. I got a few tapes in the car getting regular windings: Bathory "Blood Fire Death", Darkthrone "Under a Funeral Moon", ZZ Top "Eliminator" etc.

NIKLAS: Old school death metal bands like Desultory and Morbid Angel.

JANNE: All music influences me all the time. The atmosphere of Limbonic Art and Emperor; the creativity of Faith No More and Meshuggah; the vibe of Kingston Wall and Änglagård; the harmonizing craft of Bach and Rachmaninoff; the earnestness of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Grand Magus etc etc...I could go on for ages.

11. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in the music?

ANDREAS: Yes.

JANNE: Yes.

12. What are some of your interests outside of music?

ANDREAS: I'm a history scholar.

NIKLAS: Drinking beer and go to festivals!

JANNE: NHL, literature and whiskey.

ANTON: Sound engineering and sailing.

13. Any final words or thoughts?

ANDREAS: You can't stop rock n roll.

JANNE: Fuck the Law.

Troll Bends Fir/1556-Order Of The Holy Hop/2010 CD Review

2010-07-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

Troll Bends Fir are a band from St. Petersburg, Russia that plays a style that is known as folk metal and this is a review of their 2010 album "1556-Order Of The Holy Hop".

Drums are mostly slow to midpaced beats with no fast playing or drumming, while the flute has an Irish flavor to it and it brings the folk element to the music, as for the bass playing it is all rhythm bass that follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow to midpaced riffs that are in a folk metal vien with a basic sound and there are no lead guitars or solos present on this album but there are some accoustic guitars being used at times.

Vocals are mostly clean singing that has a folk/pagan feel to it with some aggressive vocals and growls being used at times mixed in with some female vocals, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Russian and English and are mostly about Slavic and Norse Paganism mixed in with alot of beer drinking anthems, as for the production it sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are on this album.

In ym opinion Troll Bends Fir are a very good band and if you are a fan of folk metal you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Beer Cellar" "Pornopolka" and "Nothing To Blame For". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Windfaerer Interview

2010-07-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
First of all, warm greetings and hails to everyone interested in Windfaerer. Second of all, I don't think most people have heard of us (if they say so, they may be lying). Windfaerer began as a project of ideas I've had for years. Its concept started as I was trying to write songs for a band I was in with friends from high school, called Skies Devoured, we played a mix of melodic death metal and power metal. While writing I was yearning to inject a sort of folkloric edge, but not everyone was on the same page. It was frustrating experiencing the gridlock and writer's block in that band, being that we wanted to do everything, yet we always accomplished nothing! So, I said, "to hell with it!" and began keeping ideas for myself. I composed a few songs and fellow band-mate, JP, was willing to record the drums for me, which led to the demo. Eventually I got in touch with Valèek to perform violin. The stars aligned and Windfaerer finally saw light.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
The concept of Windfaerer is to create metal music with folkloric edge--the keyword is "metal". Windfaerer, is first and foremost, a metal band. The music is written on guitar, down to the violin's melodies--maybe in the future we will begin to write using the violin, but for now, it's all guitar-determined. I would describe the music as epic, heavy, melodic, heartfelt and angry.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
Windfaerer is a compound word simply meaning to voyage with the wind. I chose this combination of words to beckon a feeling of freedom and capture the vibe of someone lost at sea, guided by the earth's energy, the wind. In a way, I feel like I am lost at sea, I am not clairvoyant, nor am I omniscient, thus I am unaware of what is to come of the future. I can only sail with a goal and purpose in mind, hoping to reach that in the end, but discovering along the way. This is the essence of Windfaerer.

4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
The way I like to describe most of the lyrics is that they deal with common emotions in an ancient setting, likely Hispania (present day Portugal and Spain). A lot of the lyrics are a result of the feelings evoked from the music itself. In terms of Hispania, Windfaerer puts its head around the aura of the Iberian peninsula and its history. Rather than follow the route treaded upon by tons of folk-inspired bands and write about Vikings and drinking (which are cool in their own respect), I wanted to bring forth something dealing with my own ancestry; something I can connect with. I want to write about the history of my ancestors (who don't get a very audible voice in metal), like the Lusitanians, Celtiberians, Visigoths, and of course, conquistadors. One of my favorite figures from the Roman era is Viriathus. He is, to me, a symbol of rebellion. Without rebellion our lives are complacent and stagnant. We must rebel to live--constantly challenging ourselves, our thoughts, in order to advance. I am looking to make that a constant theme.

5. What is it like being a Folk Metal band in America with most of the bands playing this style are usually from Europe and do you hope to create a folk metal movement in this country?
My essential goal is to create music that I, personally, would like to hear. It's great that others enjoy it and I love that, but it's truly a personal experience. If this takes me somewhere, great, if not, I will still be doing it, because I'm impassioned. Being part of a movement would be interesting, but it is not imperative. Unfortunately, movements (or "scenes") tend to cause trends and dull whatever edge the original music had. Scenes also take authenticity away from the music, making you question, are people playing this music because it's in their hearts or just because all the cool kids are doing it? You cannot control such things. Everything happens for a reason, and even scenes push music forward, making way for the next one. All in all, it would be cool to leave a mark.

6. Have you had any opportunities to do live shows yet, if so what are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
We haven't had a chance to play live yet. The idea to play live came to me recently, so I'm still working on mobilizing that aspect of the band.

7. How has your music been received so far by folk metal and melodic black.death fans worldwide?
Regarding the reception of the two-song 'Glorybound' demo (which can be downloaded for free at www.purevolume.com/windfaerer), it has been overwhelmingly positive. The only complaint I have been hearing is that the demo was "too short". Hopefully, they'd still be wanting more after the full-length, 'Tribus' gets released.

8. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
Throughout the years, I have been learning to keep focused and have a mental agenda of what I want to do. Considering that I have a lot of musical influences I have to filter through a lot of ideas before I create something for Windfaerer--fortunately, sometimes it's on the spot! There are points where I want to create a band for every genre (black metal, grindcore, brutal death, goregrind, power metal, hardcore, doom, etc); there's just so much metal! As far as I can see, I plan to continue Windfaerer with a straight-to-the-throat attack with the music. I am trying to keep this as cheese-free as possible. Some future songs (that have not been recorded professionally yet) will have a darker, more brutal sound, while others will keep the melodic melee. The challenge is retaining a flow. I plan on doing a short concept album, or a few songs, dedicated to the age of discovery and Iberian conquest of the Americas--hopefully sooner than later.

9. Do any of the band members have any side projects besides this band if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?
JP and I both play in Grimus (from New Jersey, not Romania), which play death metal. JP also just started playing with The Breathing Process, which have a groovy melodic death/black style. Violinist, Valèek is pursuing violin studies at his university and also utilizes his talents in raw heathen black metal band Mjollnir (New Jersey).

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
Windfaerer's sound is influenced by a lot of melodic death metal, black metal, power metal, and various folk music. In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Mithotyn, Catamenia, Vintersorg, Dalriada, Moonsorrow, Windir, Forefather, Agalloch, Wintersun, are amongst the direct influences. Finally, one of my favorite bands in the folk metal subgenre and a great subconscious influence, Mägo de Oz. I also really enjoy Morbid Angel. But, I like a wide spectrum of music, from rumba to dream pop. Nowadays, my ears have been digging Alcest, Amesoeurs, Year of No Light, Cypher Seer, Katatonia, Beyond the Flesh, Sotajumala, Burzum, and a bunch of other stuff.

11. Does Paganism play any role in the music?
Paganism interests me, but not to the extent where it would greatly influence the music. When writing lyrics I try to avoid anything that implies the absoluteness of monotheism or polytheism. In the philosophy of the music there is an enigmatic force or spirit that oversees the happenings on earth. You may call this spirit Providence, Gaia, God, or whatever. I just try to keep in mind that a lot of these peoples' lives were governed by religion, be it a god or serpents, and it was a major factor. Paganism plays a role, as long as it is appropriate to the story being told.

12. What are some of your interests outside of music?
I love traveling, be it Maine, Mexico, Paris or Portugal. I think every place in the world has its own vibe and a story to tell. The thought that you can be miles away from you home on another point of the earth is exhilarating to me. I suppose it's my inner-conquistador trying to explore/conquer! I also enjoy the histories of these places. I'm young and I plan to travel much more--there is so much to see. Besides that, I have a weak spot for animals and I studied graphic design in New York.

13. Any final words or thoughts?
I would like to send my regards to everyone who supports me and Windfaerer. I would also like to thank you for the great questions, it has been a pleasure answering them.

Chaossworn/Chalice Of Black Flames/Abyss Records/2010 CD Review

2010-07-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

Chaossworn are a band from Sweden that mixes melodic mixtire of black and death metal and this is a review of their 2010 E.P "Chalice Of Black Flames" which was released by Abyss Records.

Drums are mostly midpaced to fast with some slow drumming, while the bass playing follows the guitars with alot of melodic riffing.

Rhythm guitars have a good mixture of slow, midpaced to fast riffs that blend black and death metal together with alot of melody, while the lead guitars are very heavy and melodic guitar solos.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and death metal growls, while the lyrics cover death, darkness and destruction, as for the production which was recorded at Unisound Studios in Sweden and produced by Dan Swano sounds very professional and all of the instruments have a good sound.

In my opinion Chaossworn are a very good melodic melodic black/death metal band that should appeal to all fans of that genre with this 3 song e.p. RECOMMENDED TRACK ON THIS E.P is "Bringer Of Storms". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Windfaerer/Glorybound/2009 EP Review

2010-06-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

Windfaerer are a band from New Jersey that plays a style I would describe as folk metal with melodic black/touch and this is a review of their 2 song demo "Glorybound" which was released in 2009.

Drums are a mixture of midpaced to fast drumming with alot of blast beats thrown in, while the flute has a celtic folk music feel to it, as for the bass playing it uses a mixture of midpaced to fast riffs that follow the playing of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly fast black/death riffing that has a thrash feel with a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black/death screams with some deep growls thrown in on ocassion, while the lyrics cover the Iberian rebellion against the Romans, as for the production it sounds very powerful and captures all of the sounds coming out of the instruments.

In my opinion Windfaerer are a very good band and I would like to hear a full length album from this band. If you are a fan of folk influenced melodic black/death metal you need to check this band out.

Cryptic Howling Interview

2010-06-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us alittle bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
We're from a town called Rouyn-Noranda in northern Quebec which is Canada's Metal Capital. We've been together for 8 years now and got 2 albums; Vitium Intus, 2006 and Them, 2009. Avalaible through Century Media Distro. We've been active on Canada's metal scene since 2006 and are about to invade the U.S.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
We are a Blackened Death Metal band. We have a melodic black metal side as well as a technical death metal side. We've always been fan of both styles as long as it is extreme! We've been working with the Man behind Despised Icon and Beneath the Massacre's sound: Yannick St-Amand. He as always been a death metal soundman but he bought that sound to us which gave a life to our music and we think people deserve to have a good productions in their ears.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
The Cryptik Howling is that voice inside all of us, telling you everything is wrong. It is that demon whispering at your ear. It is that part of you which is trying to take over control of yourself. It is our voice...

4. What are some of the best live shows that the band has done so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
There was the Black Metal Mayhem in Montreal in the beginning of 2009. The FME festival in Rouyn-Noranda and we also played at the Trois-Rivières MetalFest IX which is Quebec's biggest metal event.
Here are 2 links to memorable shows:
Vitium Intus album launch in Rouyn-Noranda, june 10th 2006; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHBkXOqr_4I
Trois-Rivières MetalFest IX in Trois-Rivières, november 14th 2009; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY8dmtaHe9k

5. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Yes, we didn't played a lot of shows for the first part of 2010 due to drummers issues but we will be able to tour Quebec and Ontario this fall. We are constantly looking for shows. We are looking foward to tour Canada and the U.S. in 2011.

6. I noticed that the new album came out from Cyrogenic Records, how has the support been from that label so far and what are some other bands that are on this label?
Cryogenic Records is a friend of us. He is the promoter in Rouyn-Noranda as well as the label owner of the place. His support was of a good help to us. He helped us out to release our 2 first album through his distributors. But now we are on our own and we are looking for a label which could give us a greater support.

7. Do you have any current side projects, if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?
Emmanuel Audet on bass got a band called Black Empire, it is raw extreme black metal, I love it. But it is so damn true that they don't even have a myspace.

8. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
We've been using themes of horrors, philosophy, superstitions, occultism, etc.. We are talking about humanity's madness, the very true nature of evil which is inside of each and everyone of us. Humanity have always been claiming the presence of Evil but never understood that IT is this Evil presence.

9. How has the feedback been to your music so far by extreme metal fans worldwide?
The feedback is greater than expected in the beginning. For V.I. we had a good feedback but for Them it is amazing. Unfortunately I don't have all the time I'd like to spend on the promotion of the band. That's why we would need a label to give us some back up.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your sound and what are you listening to nowadays?
We have ofently been compared to Dimmu Borgir which was our first common influence in the beginning but we use to listen to everything extreme from Death to Black Metal. nowadays we are listening to Behemoth, Belphegor, Marduk, Satyricon, Dark Funeral, etc...

11. Does the band have any interest in Occultism, Satanism or any forms of philosophy?
We have a lot of philosophic discussions together but we are not into a specific spiritual journey together

12. How would you describe the extreme metal scene in the part of Canada that you live in?
Rouyn-Noranda is Canada's Metal Capital. It is located far in the Northern Quebec and has 50 000 people but there is between 300 to 500 peolple sowing up at EVERY metal show !!

13. What are some of your interests outside of music?
We don't have a lot of interest outside music, we live for metal !

14. Any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for this interview. I'd like to invite to our new myspace at
www.myspace.com/cryptikhowling
We hope to see you all in tour soon !
Stay Metal !

Cryptik Howling/Them/Cyrongenic Records/2009 CD Review

2010-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Cryptik Howling are a melodic symphonic black metal band from Canada and this is a review of their 2009 album "Them" which was released by Cyrogenic Records.

Drums alternate between slow to midpaced drumming with some fast playing and blast beats being utilized at times, while the keyboards are very symphonic sounding and have a movie sounstrack feel, as for the bass playing it has a dark tone that follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are mostly midpaced to fast black metal riffing that is very melodic and has a small amount of a death metal edge to them, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding solos that are heavily influenced by some of the better known symphonic black metal bands.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls being used on ocassion, while the lyrics touch on philosophy and hatred with a small amount of ritualistic subjects, as for the production it sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Cryptik Howling are a good band and even though this is not the most original album this band seems to understand the best elements of symphonic black metal and this sounds more like those bands before they sold out, if you are a fan of early symphonic/melodic black metal you should check this band out. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Grievous" "Ritual" "The Dark Figure" and "Ruins". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Shangren Interview

2010-06-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Well, we are a Asian folk metal band based in Sydney, Australia. It may sound unusual for a Asian folk metal band
to reside in Australia but it doesn't matter, our main goal is to introduce Asian culture,mythology,literature and music with metal
and spread it amongst the metal scene.
The band's music/theme is currently focusing on a chinese concept but we have shown a bit of japanese but there plan to be others as well.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
At the moment it is a mix of black/death/folk metal with Chinese/Japanese melodies and instruments,there is also a mix of brutal,melodic and cheesy riffs/tunes here and there.
I would like to also add that our sound is still very young and is developing.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
The name was taken from a Daoist deity named Hongjun Laozu, however "Pangu" the creator of all in Chinese mythology refer
Hongjun Laozu as Xuan Xuan Shangren. So basically it was just a name taken from a deity, however
the reason i choose this name was because it sounded asian yet metal.

4. How would you describe the lyrical content for the music?
So far its based on popular chinese myths and fables, such as the Monkey King and The Grand Unity.
Some of the lyrics are just a retelling of a tale or myth while I have written lyrics about the culture itself.

5. Have you had the oppurtunity to do shows yet, if so what are some of the best shows that you have played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
No, but we have been offered quite a few, one of them was a folk metal festival in Germany.
The reason we have not done any shows is because Shangren hasn't hit the live scene yet, we have not completed our line up.
Once our line up is complete, we will prepare to go live!

6. How have extreme metal fans reacted to your sound so far?
There have been alot of great responses, especially on our myspace page.
Some are glad that there is finally a band doing Asian folk metal seriously, Alot of the times fans think our music is original,
some fans like to label us as chinese restuarant/pokies metal band which is quite amusing and others just enjoy it.

7. Can you give us some details on the upcoming album?
It plans to be alot more unique,interesting and folkish then the demo. I don't want to say too much but i believe it will define the chinese folk metal sound.

8. Are there any other side projects besides this band, if so who are they and what kind of music do they play?
Well, besides been the main songwriter for Shangren, i am also trying to compose music for a Symphonic blackened death metal project which i have yet to name or release anything.
Andy (Our guitarist) founded Starforge, a melodic death metal band and thats about it.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
Behemoth, Eluveitie, Finntroll, Ensiferum, Amon Amarth, Chthonic (Who gave me the major idea of doing Asian folk metal), Kalmah,
and many other metal bands. I have also been listening to alot of tradiontal chinese music and also some classical as well.

10. According to your page that band is into Daoist philosophy and Sun Tzu's Art Of War how would you describe your approach to Eastern Mysticsm?
To be honest, i have not read any of it yet, however they are ideas on what to write about for later releases. i just know very little about it.
So i can't really answer that question at the moment. We are just focused on Chinese/Japanese myths and fables for now.

11. What are some of your interests outside of music?
Well music makes up most of my interest but other then that it would be
Food,Reading,Asian culture,going to live gigs,Surfing the net,exercising,Fishing,Watching Movies,TV Shows & Anime.

12. Any final words or thoughts?
We are about to have our first release which is the demo, it is entitled 'Warriors of Devastation',i hope fans actually buy it haha, other then that
Fear us vikings and trolls! For we dynasty warriors shall rise!
Thanks for the interview!

Ebony Lake Interview

2010-06-15T17:53:00.001-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
Currently we are putting the final touches to the first body of work in over ten years, we have enough material for an album and so are looking for suitable labels, we are working as a duo at the moment with a couple of female vocalists who help out in that department. All the music is currently produced in my own studio which gives us full control over the sound we wish to achieve, though my limited talents as a producer means that the sound is quite raw, something I wanted for the band from day one.

2. How would you describe your musical style?
Thats quite a hard one to answer! Without wanting to sound too pretentious I would use a few words like Claustrophobic, Horrific, Abstract, Surreal, Experimental, Bleak, etc, and also there's an element of what i would call Dark Romance. Orchestral music obviously runs through every aspect of what we do but not in the usual way you would find in other metal bands, all these orchestral elements have a contemporary and experimental view point.
You could say that we are best described as avantgarde and i would agree with that. Most people on first listen simply cannot cope with the amount of activity within the music, i've heard it described as chaos and it may sound like it at first but on repeated listens the different shades and dynamics shine through so repeated listening is a must, like all good music should be.

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
I came up with the name probably as far back as 1994, i was looking for something beautiful to descibe something that sounded ugly and absurd and to be honest ive always been a huge fan of Tchaikosky and Swan Lake was a huge influence on the band name.

4. In the 90's you where signed to Cacaphonous Records which had alot of big name bands for the time that became huge rock stars, what ever happened to that label, and I also noticed you still remain somewhat of an underground band despite having more creative music than most of the bands on that label?
Has far as i know the label went bankrupt and we, along with everyone else with them at the time were released from contract. I think the fact that the band split up in '99 helped us to remain underground but this style of music that we play was never going to get as much commercial attention as some of the other bands as it is just too extreme in its compositional manner for the majority of metal fans.

5. You took a hiatus for a long time, what where you doing during those years and what made you decide to reform the band after all these years?
Well I for one disapeared into obscurity, flirting briefly with film music but generally slowly building my studio to a standard where i no longer needed to rely on other people to make music. I will always refer to those years as being musically lost, just wandering around in limbo, constantly longing to return to the only thing i knew. In my personal life things were perfect but there was always this sad wieght on my shoulders. Then one day through the power of the internet I began to comunicate with Mass again who had formed the death metal band Nailed, he persuded me that i should bring Ebonylake back to life and that he was prepared to join me again. And here we are.

6. Currently you are unsigned, what kind of label do you feel that would do the most to support your style of music?
mmm, not sure about that. I have always admired Prophecy Productions so who knows? I know there are plenty labels out there i would consider working with, maybe those that are sympathetic to Avantgarde music would know how best to get us heard by the people we want to hear us.

7. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
I find it much easier to describe the music than the lyrics actually. Ive said in the past that it often feels like the music and lyrics are being chanelled through me rather than coming from me. I have written down lyrics in the past that just flow off the end of my pen and i have no idea where they come from, probably the darkest parts of my brain.
Many people comment on the lyrics and the guys at cacophonous records were really into them. I think its just images and thoughts ive been building up since childhood. The best advice i could give is to read them, you will find lots of gothic horror but in an abstract style a bit like Edgar Allan Poe im told. Going off on another path here but im convinced i have memories that i brought to this life from another existance, i have always had these memories of existing in a place of Euphoria, i remember landscapes and architecture and a feeling of being a part of everything. But thats another story.

8. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and gow would you
describe your stage performance?
The stage performance was always very intense and the thing with playing live is it was either ecstacy or despair. If everything fell into place it was explosive and i have a few shows that i will always remember.

9. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
No not at the moment, im not ruling it out for the future but to be honest we would probably need 4 keyboard players or an orchestra not to mention a chant section because i wouldnt want to water the sound down in anyway.

10. How has your music been recieved so far by extreme metal fans worldwide?
Well back when our debut album 'On The eve......' was released there was no avantgarde extreme metal scene to speak of really just the odd release here and there. People generally fell into two camps when listening to Ebonylake, those who were left totally confused by what they were hearing and those who had been waiting a long time for something so unusual. I was suprised to find that such a cult following had built in the years after our split. Nowadays the response is overwhelmingly positive as the avantgarde scene has established itself and people seem ready now.

Sigh/Ghastly Funeral Theatre/Cacophonous Records/1997 CD Review

2010-06-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sigh are an avant garde symphonic black metal band from Japan and this is a review of their classic 1997 album "Ghastly Funeral Theatre" which was released by Cacophonous Records.

Drums are mostly midpaced beats throughout the album with no fast playing or brutal blast beats, there is a small amount of saxophone on this album and the orchestra on this recording sounds very symphonic and avant garde with influences from 70's progressive rock, as for the bass playing it follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture between fast riffing mixed in with a small amount of black metal riffing that contains alot of melody, while the lead guitars are very melodic and bring in alot of 70's rock into the guitar solo's.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep growls mixed in with some clean singing male and female vocals, while the lyrics touch on the darker side of Shintoism which is an ancient Japenese religion,

In my opinion Sigh are a very talented band and this was one of their best albums, if you are a fan of symphonic/avant garde black metal chances are that you have already heard this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Doman Seman" and "Shikigami". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Arcturus/Aspera Hiems Symfonia/Century Black/1995 CD Review

2010-06-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Arcturus are a band from Norway that consists of many Norwegian black metal legends that plays a very symphonic and avant garde form of black metal and this is a review of their 1995 album "Aspera Hiems Symfonia" which was released by Century Black Records.

Drums cover alot of ground with a mixture of slow to midpaced drumming with some fast playing and brutal blast beats, while the synths have a very symphonic and avant garde feel to them that have some progressive rock influences with a small amount of violin, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful sound that follows the riffs coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars contain a good amount of variety with some slow riffs that are very melodic with some midpaced black metal riffing and some ocassional fast parts, while the lead guitars some very professional and melodic sound to them.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams and clean singing opera style of vocals, while the lyrics cover poetic, philosophy and cosmic style themes, as for the production on this recording, which was recorded during the 7th and 8th months of 1995 at Panser Studios sounds very professional and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Arcturus are a great band that recorded great album after one another and if you are a fan of avant garde chances are you already heard this band.RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Wintery Grey" "The Bodkin And The Quietus (..To Reach The Stars)" and "Fall Of Man". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Agathodaimon/Blacken The Angel/Nuclear Blast Records/1998 CD Review

2010-06-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

Agathodaimon are a symphonic/gothic black metal band from Germany and this is a review of their classic 1998 album "Blacken The Angel" which was release by Nuclear Blast Records.

Drums cover alot of ground with some slow to midpaced drumming with alot of fast playing and brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are very atmospheric, symphonic and melodic sounding, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful sound that follows the riffs coming out of the guitars and there are some bass leads at times.

Rhythm guitars mix in some slow doomy melodic riffs mixed in with some fast black metal riffing, while the lead guitars are melodic sounding guitar solos that contain quite a bit of sorrow with some soft acoustic playing being used at times that gives the music a poetic and depressive feel.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with a small amount of deep grows and some clean singing female vocals, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of English, German and Romanian that cover themes such as depression in a poetic way, as for the production on this recording which was recorded at Communication Studio through the months of OCt 97 to Feb 98 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Agathodaimon are a very good band and this was their best album, and while the other albums they recorded after this where good, they never topped this one, if you are a fan of symphonic/gothic/atmospheric black metal you should check this band out.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Banner OF Blasphemy" "Ill Of An Imaginary Guilt" "Near Dark" and "After Dark". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Catamenia Interview

2010-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?
Ari: After the release of ‘Cavalcade’ we have done successful tour in Finland with Agathodaimon and now we are taking small break just to reload batteries for the active Fall. Then we’ll hit on the road for few tours in Europe, Russia and hopefully the States and Mexico if everything goes as planned. Also something happened inside the band’s line-up during the Finland tour. Together we decided that Kari plays all the rhythm guitars from now on and I’m focusing only on screaming vocals. This worked really well and we thought that why not to carry on like this way from now on.
Riku: Yeah I agree. Now Ari can completely focus on his screaming vocals during live shows. I do not know why, but for some reason this way everything worked much better than earlier. Also there is a plan to enter the studio this summer to record a compilation album, but we’ll have to wait and see if Massacre Records will give us the permission for that.

2. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

Riku: Shit, I knew this was coming again here. Well, it was after our recording of our debut album ‘Halls of Frozen North’ when one of our first fans ever contacted me and asked that do I know that the name Catamenia has a meaning. I was like no it’s just a name which sounds great. He said that you’re wrong, because it has a meaning - menstruations. We were completely in shock and asked the label about possibility to change the name, but it was already way too late because the album was already in the pressing. Anyways, then we thought that what the hell, it does not stand or mean anything to us, but just a cool sounding name.
Ari: Heheh, it was when Catamenia’s ex-vocalist and the other former of the band, Mika Tönning, discovered this name, he forgot to check the translation for the word and shit was running down the leg before guys had the chance to react. But anyways it’s a damn great sounding name.

3. How would you describe the sound of the newer material?

Ari: It’s way much more mature than on previous albums. Also we succeeded to catch something much powerful and raw elements into our sound. There are many layers in our music which open bit by bit to you and still give the listener something new after several spins of the album. Also lyrical side supports music the way that it hits you like a wrecking ball and keeps smashing until the very last note of this album.
Riku: I think we have truly found ourselves on this new album. We have never enjoyed playing so much as much as with this new material of ours. I think one of the best biggest reasons for this is that I almost quit the whole band during the recordings of ‘VIII - The Time Unchained’. I just lost my passion for the music and everything. I just felt so numb regarding everything, but gladly guys said that I should give it another push and compose couple of new songs before I make any decisions, and they truly relied on me. Well, I composed ‘Blood Trails’ and damn that I was thrilled about that. I knew the flame of passion was back in the band and the guys were so damn thrilled as well and we knew were back on the right track.

4. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

Ari: We put much effort on lyrics this time that it truly supports music itself. The landscape of the lyrics on this album is dark and hopeless, like calm hell after all hope is gone and there is just a fear and pain feeding emotions and our senses. It’s so easy to sing ruling and winning. We look things from aspect of lost and conquered ones. That pushes the audience closer and closer to the edge and then kicks them through the emotional turbulence. Also like on musical layers on this album, lyrics are quite complex, not so easy than they might first appear. You might see the same line in very different light and meaning than on the first time. The beauty of this album is that it opens in many ways and with time. It makes listeners think and letting themselves to go with the music while having a serious thought.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and
how would you describe your stage performance?

Ari: Hmm, there are so many great shows behind our path that it’s hard to mention just a few, but last gig in Moscow was just awesome. The venue was totally crowded and the atmosphere was amazing. Also gig in Metal Camp was great. Our stage performance is very energetic and full attack with force. What more can you say (
Riku: As Ari said, it’s really impossible to mention just a few, but if I’d have to pick up couple of them, they’d be Moscow, Bucharest, Sofia, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, etc. and also our last gig which took place in Helsinki. Hehe, as you can see, impossible to pick just a few!

6. Are there any plans to tour the United States?

Ari: There are some plans, but I’m not that well on a map how these plans have developed. I just hope that we finally can come and show what we are made of!
Riku: Hopefully all these plans will finally come true, because we’ve wanted to come to play in the States for quite a long time now and we know we’ve got bunch of fans there. So, fingers crossed all’s going well and as planned, and we can finally hit the States! But we’ll see more about that after the summer.

7. Out off all the bands that you have toured or done shows with, which
one did you enjoy the most and what are some other bands that you would
like to tour with?

Riku: Absolutely Finntroll. Talking about bands that I’d like to tour with are bands like example Children of Bodom, Rotting Christ, Hypocrisy, Poisonblack, etc. Also it would be damn awesome to tour with Finntroll again someday. But we get along with all bands out there, so that’s no problem what so ever.
Ari: FINNTROLL! And FINNTROLL (

8. I have heard some of your older material and it was more black metal
sounding, how has the reception been to your newer music from the older
fans and how are new fans reacting to the material?

Ari: Most of our old fans have taken all our musical changes very well during and past these years. They have lived with us through band’s history and they understand that this has been just normal evolution of the band. Also I think they would be bored to our material if we would go around the same circle over and over again.
Riku: Of course there are fans that do not understand any all of this at all, but what can we do about it. We needed to evolve and this is how our music turned out to be and this how we’re going to continue. On the next album, there’ll be some changes and evolution as there’s been on every album of ours since the very first album.

9. How has the support been from Massacre Records so far and how would
you compare to other labels that you have been on?

Ari: Massacre Records has always supported us greatly and they have believed in us through harder and better times. We have a total trust on them and we feel that this feeling is mutual. We’re like a big happy family there. They have always let us made our own music without interfering it and this is something we feel very important. Actually we cannot compare them to any other label, because we have been on Massacre Records since the debut album. Our A&R once said that Massacre Records without Catamenia would be like a pizza without topping, heheh.

10. Out off all the albums that you have recorded so far which one are
you the most satisfied with?

Ari: Definitely ‘Cavalcade’! This album is the most mature and the whole concept is the best package so far. ‘Location: COLD’ comes right after this on my list.
Riku: I will also definitely pick up ‘Cavalcade’ as my favourite one. It’s the most versatile and powerful album from us. After that it’s really close battle with ChaosBorn and Location:COLD.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your
music and what are you listening to nowadays?

Riku: I listen to so wide variety of different music. I like to absorb ideas from different music styles and genres if I just like it. But to mention few main influences in our music, I would say Megadeth, Metallica, Sentenced, Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Jimi Hendrix, Sepultura, Samael and many classical composers and songs. I might forget to mention here some of the important bands that have affected me and the band, but as said I absorb ideas from everything I like, so the list would go on and on.
Ari: There are so many bands and artists those have their influence on us. I’m the oldest fart in band and my influences comes from the first metal and hard rock bands to present day bands, like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Dio, Megadeth, Metallica, Skid Row, Dimmu Borgir…You could carry on forever. Also there are artists from different music genres that have their effect. For example many classical music masterpieces and some lighter artists from the past like Mama’s & Papa’s, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvis, Chris Rea, Eric Clapton…again I could continue for days this list.

12. Does Paganism or Occultism play any role in the music?

Ari: Not so much. Of course there are some elements included from paganism, occultism and other myths from history. At some point in our discography, there were more lyrics and songs handling these issues, but nowadays we use them way less than before and do more realistic lyrics. I realize that you can do really hard, impacting and effective lyrics just by learning some history, which is my weak spot. See, I’m a history and documentary freak. I can easily watch good documentaries for many days in a row, heheh.

13. What are some of your interests outside of music?

Riku: I love to do graphics and website designs, and hopefully someday I could do that as a daily job besides my music. I just love to work with computers and all. I also love to play ice-hockey and snooker and in summers I love to rollerblade. Of course you can’t forget to have a pint or two once in a while to get you relaxed, heheh.
Ari: I have this small business for video production and I love to do music videos and short movies. Also fishing is close to my heart, but as there’s only 24 hours in day I can barely go once in summer for fishing (three kids, three jobs and music). Oh, and I almost forgot … I bought a tattoo machine from our last tour in Germany and now I’m making tattoos on my spare time. So you could say I’m pretty busy with everything (

14. Any final words or thoughts?

Ari: I hope to see you guys in the States this year! Remember to check our latest album ‘Cavalcade’. CHEERS PERKELE!
Riku: Yeah, and if you are unfamiliar with our band, you can check four new full-length songs on our official myspace site @ HYPERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/catameniaband" www.myspace.com/catameniaband and please feel free to check out also our new video ‘Cavalcade’ as well. Cheers and beers from Finland!

Unanimated/In The Forest Of The Dreaming Dead/Pavement Records/Necropolis Records/1994 CD Review

2010-06-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Unanimated are a melodic black/death metal band from Sweden and this is a review of their 1994 album "In The Forest OF The Dreaming Dead" which was released by both Pavement and Necropolis Records.

Drums are mostly fast with alot of blast beats and they slow down when the music calls for it, while the keyboards when they are rarely utilized are only there to enhance atmosphere, as for the bass playing it follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars and they have a powerful sound of their own at times.

Rhythm guitars cover alot of ground with some slow and heavy riffs with some faster riffing that mixes black and death metal together with alot of melody as well as some thrash influences, while the lead guitars
are very melodic sounding guitar solos that have alot of thrash as well as classic metal influences influences, and there is a small amount of accoustic guitars on this album.

Vocals are black/death style growls with some screams being used at times with some spoken word passages, while the lyrics cover some dpressing themes with an anti christian edge, as for the production on this recording which was recorded at Unicorn/Moose Studios, and Noble House Studios during the months of may and June of 1992 sounds very professional for it's time and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Unanimated are a very good band that have influenced alot of bands and if you are a fan of melodic black/death metal, you should have this album in your collection. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Whispering Shadows" "Silence Ends" and "Buried Alive" which is a Venom cover tune. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Candle Serenade/Nosferatu's Passion/Guardians Of Metal/1995 CD Review

2010-06-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Candle Serenade where a band from Portugal that played a melodic style of gothic black metal and this is a review of their 1995 album "Nosferatu's Passion" which was released by Guardians OF Metal Records.

Drums are a mixture between slow and fast playing with some brutal blast beats being utilized at times, while the keyboards have an atmospheric pagan/gothic feel mixed in with a small amount of flute, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful that dominatres throughout the album with a mixture of slow and fast riffs mixed in with some bass leads.

Rhythm guitars have some slow riffs that are heavily influenced by doom metal while the midpaced and fast riffs are black metal with a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars are distorted sounding guitar solos that have a very dark metal sound to them.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing female vocals being used at times, while the lyrics cover Celtic Paganism and vampirism from a left hand path point of view, as for the production on this recording it has a very raw yet professional feel that captures all the instruments.

In my opinion Candle Serenade where a very underrated band for their time and if you like atmospheric black metal with a doomy edge you should check this band out. RECCEMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Celtic Lir's SONS (Sab Erin's Legrnd" "Balakian Rider" and "Transylvanian Mistress". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Heidenreich/Trance Of An Unholy Union/Napalm Records/1997 CD Review

2010-06-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Heidenreich where a band from Austria that had members of Abigor and they played a style that I would describe as being avant garde metal and this is a review of their 1997 album "Trance Of An Unholy Union" which was released by Napalm Records.

Drum programming is a mixture of slow, midpaced, and fast beats, while the Synthesizers are very symphonic and avant garde sounding with a small amount of piano that gives the music a horror movie soundtrack feel, as for the bass playing it follows the riffs that are coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of slow and fast black metal riffing that is more primal than most avant garde black metal and they also contain a good amount of melody, while the lead guitars have a very weird and distorted sound with some melodic guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing being used at times with some spoken word passages, while the lyics touch on the occult,satanic, and cosmic themes, as for the production on thid album which was recorded and mixed at Tonstudio Hoernix during 1997 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Heidenreich where a very underrated avant garde black metal band for their time and if you are a fan of this style you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cosmic Reflections" "Grim and Bitter Heart" and "Trance Of An Unholy Union". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Mundanus Imrerium/The Spectral Spheres Coronation/Nuclear Blast Records/1998 CD Review

2010-06-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Mundanus Imperium where an avant garde melodic black metal band from Norway and this is a review of their album "The Spectral Sphere Coronation" which was released by Nuclear Blast Records.

Drums are mostly slow to midpaced parts with no fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards are very symphonic and atmospheric sounding with some classical influences with some hard rock influences, as for the bass playing it is all rhythm bass that follows the riffs coming out of the guitars and they have a very powerful sound at times.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow to midpaced riffs that I would describe as avant garde metal with a symphonic black metal feel and there are also alot of influences from 80's metal/hard rock, lead guitars when they are utilized are mostly melodic sounding guitar solos.

Vocals are all clean singing hard rock/metal vocals with no growls, while the lyrics are mostly about space and cosmic stuff, as for the production on this album which was recorded and mixed at Studio Studio in August of 97 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Mundanus Imperium where a very underrated band that did not get that well known because of the vocals, if you are an open minded fan of avant garde metal you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Distant Conglomeration" "Starwars" and :If The Universe Transformed". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Abruptum/In Umbra Maliitae Ambularo In Aeternum In Triumpho Tenebraum/Deathlike Silence Productions/1994 CD Review

2010-05-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

Abruptum where a 2 piece band from Sweden that played a slow form of black metal that mixed in drone and noise elements to this music and this is a review of their 1994 album "In Umbra Malitiaj Ambularo" which was released by Deathlike Silence Productions.

Drums are mostly slow beats with no fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards have a very dark sound that gives the music an evil edge, as for the violin when it is used it has a very noisy and avant garde sound.

Guitars are all slow riffing while the vocals are tortured screams about Satanism, pain, and torture, as for the prodction on this recording it has a very dark sound that captures all of the instruments and vocals.

In my opinion Abruptum where av ery good band that was very original for their time and if you are a true black metaller you already know who they are. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Abyssos/Together We Summon The Dark/Cacophonous Records/1997 CD Review

2010-05-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Abyssos where a band from Sweden that played melodic black metal and this is a review of their classic debut album "Together We Summon The Dark" which was released by Cacophonous Records during the year of 1997.

Drums are very fast with alot of brutal blast beats and they slow down at times when the music goes into a more slower/heavier and melodic dirction, while the bass playing has a very powerful sound with alot of fast riffing that sounds very professional, as for the keyboards when they are used they enhance the atmosphere of the music..

Rhythm guitars are a mixture of slow, midpaced to fast black metal riffs that are very heavy and melodic, while the lead guitars are mostly melodic guitar solos that mix black and melodic death metal together.

Vocals are high pitched black metal screams mixed in with a little bit of clean singing female vocals, while the lyrics cover topics such as witch burning, vampirism, and dark witchcraft from a left hand path as well as satanic point of view as well as a small amount of anti christianity, as for the production on this recording which was recorded at Academy Studios during the month of May in the year of 1997 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Abyssos where a very talented band that was very underratd for their time and if you are a fan of melodic black metal you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "We Hail Thy Entrance" "Lord Of The Sombre Reborn" "In Fear They Left The World Unseen" and "I've Watched The Moon Grow Old". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Catamenia/Cavalcade/Massacre Records/2010 CD Review

2010-05-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Catamenia are a band from Finland that started out as a melodic/symphonic black metal band that has evolved into a gothic melodic black/doom/rock/metal band over the years and this is a review of their new 2010 album "Calvacade" which was released by Massacre Records.

Drums cover alot of variety with a mixture of slow to midpaced parts with alot of fast playing and some brutal blast beats, while the bass playing has a very technical and rhythmic sound of it's own.

Rhythm guitars mix alot of slow, midpaced and melodic black metal riffs with some gothic doom metal and some thrash as well as melodic death metal influences and some open chords, while the lead guitars are very melodic guitar solos that have a depressing edge with a very professional sound.

Vocals mix high pitched black metal screams, deep death metal growls, screamo type of vocals, clean singing and spoken word parts, while the lyrics touch on depressing themes, as for the production on this album it has a very professional sound and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Catamenia are a very good band for this style and I am looking forward to hearing more of their older stuff which from what I heard so far seems to be more black metal influence, if you are a fan of their older stuff you might be disapointed with the new album, but if you are a fan of good quality gothic/rock/melodic/black/doom metal you should like this album.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Cavalcade" "Quantity Of Sadness" "Post Mortem" "A Callous Mind" and "Angry Again" which is a Megadeth cover. RECOMMENDED BUY.

Vintersorg/Till Fjalls/Naplam Records/1999 CD Review

2010-05-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Vintersorg are a pagan/folk/black metal band from Sweden and this is a review of their 1999 album "Till Fjalls" which was released by Napalm Records.

Drums mix slow, midpaced, and fast beats together while the keyboards and synths give the music an atmospheric feel, as for the bass playing it has alot of melody in the riffs mixed with a dark distorted tone.

Rhythm guitars mix alot of midpaced melodic riffs that are very pagan sounding that also has some classic metal influences with a little bit of fast black metal riffing, while the lead guitars are melodic guitar solos that are influenced by classic metal with some ocassional use of a wah wah pedal, as for the acoustic guitars theu use alot of fingerpicking and open chords which gives the music an atmospheric folk music feel.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams mixed with alot of clean singing viking vocals with some female vocals being used on ocassion, while the lyrics which are written in Swedish seem to be about Norse Mythology, as for the production on this album which was recorded during August of 1998 at Ballerina Audio with the drums and syntheszers being recorded during July of the same year at Wolf's Liar has a very professional sound and you can hear all of the musical instruments.

In my opinion Vintersorg are a very talented folk/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style you probably have already heard this band.
RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "For Kung Och Fosterland" "Till Fjalls" "Jokeln"
and "Isjungfrum". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Asmegin/Hin vordende Sod og So/Napalm Records/2003 CD Review

2010-05-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Asmegin are a folk/black/death metal band from Norway and this is a review of their 2003 album "Hin vordende Sod og So" which was released by Napalm Records.

Drums mix some slow to midpaced parts with some fast playing and blast beats being utilized with some percussion being added at times, while there is a variety of different types of instruments being utilized thrpughout the album such as accordian,flutes, fiddle, mellotrons, Norwegian zither, Jew's Harp, country flutes, and Bajas that give the music a very heavy folk music edge.

Keyboards and pianos when there are added give the music a very atmospheric feel, while the bass playing has a very dark tone and it is all rhythm bass that follows the riffs coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars mix some heavy death metal that also has a doomy sound at times with some fast playing that is very black metal sounding and melodic, while the lead guitars are very melodic and have alot of influences from classic metal in the guitar solos, as for the accoustic guitars when they are brought into the music it brings out the feel of living in the dark ages.

Vocals are a mixture of deep death metal growls with as some high pitched black metal screams as well as some clean singing male and females vocals throughout the album, while the lyrics are all written in Norwegian and seem to cover Norse mythology and Germanic folklore, as for the production on this a;bum which was recorded at Top Room Studoa through the months of Feb-Nov 2002 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the musical instruments.

In my opinion Asmegin are a very good folk metal band that is very original in the way that they bring a death metal edge to this genre, if you are a fan of the more heavy orientated folk metal you should check this band out. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bruderov paa Haegtadtum" Over Aegird vidstragte Sletter" "Efterbyrden" and "Vargr i Veum". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Cruachan/Pagan/Candlelight U.S.A/2004 CD Review

2010-05-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Cruachan are a pagan/folk metal band from Ireland and this is a review of their 2004 album "Pagan" which was released by Candlelight U.S.A.

Drums are mostly midpaced beats with some percussion being used at times while the flute gives the music an Irish folk music feel, and there alot of different instuments being used on this album such as bouzouki, Mandolin, Banjo, Cello, uillean pipes, fiddle and the Bodhran which brings out of the feel of being at an Irish festival drinking a Guiness.

Keyboards when they are utilized give the music an atmospheric feel while the bass playing is all rhythm bass that follows the riffs coming out of the guitars with a very poerful and dark sound.

Rhythm guitars use alot of heavy riffs that are influenced by both death metal and black metal with alot of melody being utilized and some thrash riffing, there is not alot of lead guitars being used on this recording, as for the accoustic guitars when they are used utilize alot of open chords and is used more as a background.

Male vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls as well as some cleaning, while the female vocals are clean sung with alot of melody and a folk music feel, as for the lyrics they cover Irish paganism, with some other topics being discuused such as folklore, Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The war between the British army and fighting vikins, as for the production on this recording which was recorded and mixed in Sonic Studios in Dublin, Ireland during 1993 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments.

In my opinion Cruachan are a very talented band and if you are a fan of folk metal you probably have already heard this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Pagan" "Some Say The Devil Is Dead" and "Erinsong". RECOMMENDED BUY>

Nagelfar/Hunengrab im Herbst/Ketenhund Records/1997 CD Review

2010-05-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Nagelfar wher an atmospheric/melodic/viking/black metal band from Germany and this is a review of their 1997 album "Hunengrab im Herbst" which was released by Kettenhund Records.

Drums are a mixture of slow to midpaced drumming with alot of fast playing and blast beats, while the keyboards bring alot of atmosphere and psychedelic/folk edges to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very powerful sound that is very noisy and distorted with some lead bass lines.

Rhythm guitars are mostly fast black metal riffs with some midpaced parts that are very melodic, while the lead guitars bring alot of melodic pagan/black metal solos to the music, as for the accoustic guitars gave the music a very dark edge.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some deep death metal growls and alot of clean vocals, while the lyrics are in German and seem to cover Asataru themes, as for the production it has a very raw feel which gives the music an underground edge with capturing the sounds of the instruments perfectly.

In my opinion Nagelfar where a very underrated band and if you are a fan of underground melodic black metal you should check this band out. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Schwanengesang" Hunengrab in Herbst" and "Srontgorrth (Das dritte Kapitel". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Mithotyn/Knight Of The Distant Forest/Death Records/Invasion/1999 CD Review

2010-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Mithotyn where a melodic pagan/viking/black/death metall band from Sweden and this is a review of their 1997 album "King Of The Distant Forest" which was released by Death Records in collabaration with Invasion Records.

Drums have a mixture of slow and midpaced playing with some fast drumming and blast beats, while the keyboards have a very atmospheric and medeivel feel with a pan flute as well as some other folk instruments being utilized on ocassions, while the bass playing has a very powerful and dark feel to it and you can actually hear that instrument on this album.

Rhythm guitars are very melodic with some fast black metal riffing and some slow parts that have a doom metal feel, while the lead guitars are very pagan/epic sounding with alot of melody that is heavily influenced by classic metal.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some death metal growls being utilized at times and there are also alot of clean singing viking choir vocals being used at times, while the lyrics cover mostly Asataru style themes with some anti christain lyrics, as for the production on this recording which was recorded atLos Angered Recording during November of 1997 sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments that are present on this album.

In my opinion Mithotyn where a very talented and underrated viking metal band and this is a classic album, if you are a fan of melodic viking/black/death metal you should check this band out. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Hail Me" "On Misty Pathways" "Under The Banner" and "The Vengeance". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Interview with Robert of Third World Abortion, Amadeus St. Vitus, Wicked Stench and Exterminate The Brutes Records.

2010-04-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

1. Can you tell us alittle bit about yourself, your projects and record label?

1. Hi this is Robert Johnson, founder of Exterminate the Brutes Records, singer/bassist in Third World Abortion, Octagon, and Amadeus st. Vitus. I began playing in punk bands when I was really young and eventually delved into heavier and more underground stuff after discovering Morbid Angel. Back when the record industry thought death metal was going to be the next big thing and you had major labels like Warner Bros. putting out satanic music. I started Amadeus st. Vitus back in 2003 and we have had several independent records that we have put out ourselves. Third World Abortion came along later when I wanted to go in a different direction and couldn't see dragging the other project across the coals. I needed someone to release my stuff so I started my own label, which has grown much and includes many more projects other than my own as many artists are sending in their demos for review and release. The name comes from the novella "Heart of Darkness." Get it and read it. Its worth it.

2. How would you describe the differences between the 3 bands you are in?
2. Really, its just a question chronology. I write based on my mood and the projects tend to reflect that. Amadeus st. Vitus was inspired by many different artists that are not immediately apparent in the music. They hide behind the lines. With Third World Abortion I have been in a black metal mood and also love the sound of tape. Wicked Stench is a project fronted by one of my old friends. It is very doomy death metal.

3. How have the liive shows been for the bands so far?
3. Live shows fluctuate everywhere you go. You can pack one night then play to two people the next. Shows have gone well though.

4. What was it that inspired you to create your own record label?
4. There are not enough labels out there that truly cater to the underground. It is my goal to do just that.

5. How has the feedback been to your releases so far from extreme music fans worldwide?
5. Our responses have been excellent and encouraging. It's almost as if everyone was waiting for someone to step up to the plate. With the dying, corporate music world, music is being put back in the hands of the artists. It's a very exciting time.

6. Out off all the bands that you havw which one would you consider your main project?
6. Third World Abortion is my main focus right now. The others are no less important to me however.

7. What is the inspiration between your lyrics?
7. My lyrics are inspired by everyday life. Whatever you put into your brain will grow and yield something else. That's something they don't teach you in school. If you learn something for a history test in third grade it sticks with you and you think about that and it can even come out later in the creative process. Look at Iron Maiden if you need an example. Not that they are underground but they are a prime example.

8. What are some bans or music styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?
8. I grew up listening to classic rock with parents that had a bad prejudice to country music. I stole my first metallica tape, And Justice For All, when I was 9. I got into punk rock as young kid and started playing guitar in a band. I got into Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Exodus, Morbid Angel, etc. when I was 15 or 16. I discovered Black Metal shortly after that and have had a love for the underground for many years. I am currently spinning Burzum-"Belus" Darkthrone-"Under a Funeral Moon" Eyehategod-"Confederacy of Ruined Lives" and Gorgoroth-"Destroyer"

9. Out off all the releases that you have put out so far which one are you the most satisfied with?
9. I really love the Wicked Stench-"Spreading the Word. The riffs really get stuck in my head and I catch myself humming them all day. I think that makes it great. It sticks out in your mind.

10. What are some upcoming releases on your record label?
10. I have a split with Octagon and Fjelstad coming out on cassette next month. Great black metal. I have a split with Churner and Last Rape. The Vomit Arsonist is putting out a 20 minute cassette, really brutal stuff. Also, Morbid Anal Fog will be putting out their debut full-length, "Gartgoroth."

11. What are some goals that you have set out so far for your bands and record label?
11. We are going to push things as far as they can go. I tend to never give up. Watch it go!

12. How would you describe the underground scene in your home state of Mississippi?
12. It is actually more passionate than most of the scenes I have experienced. There are so many cover bands here covering "Brown Eyed Girl" that when a band plays originals, people tend to stick together. The metal scene is building at an unbelievable rate here.

13. What are some of your interests outside of metal?
13. I enjoy reading, cooking, and drinking beer. I also enjoy art, as long as it is strange. I'm a big fan of surrealism.

14. Any final words or thoughts?
14. Contact Exterminate the Brutes Records via email at ETBRecordings@Gmail.com
Stay on the lookout. This will not be the last time you hear this name. We are accepting demos at the time to boost our distribution and discography so if you have a project and need a label, we might be able to help you. This won't last so don't wait around. Join the Brute Squad today.
--Rob aka Brute A1a

Amadeus St. Vitus/Codex Diabolus/Exterminate The Brutes Records/2009/CD Review

2010-04-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Amadeus St. Vitus are a bsnd from Mississippi that plays a mixture of black metal, sludge metal and crust punk and this is a review of their 2009 album "Codex Diabolus" which was released by Exterminate The Brute Records.

Drums are mostly slow to midpaced beats with some fast playing as well as some ocassional blast beats that sound very heavy and crushing while the bass playing sounds very powerful and is easy to hear despite having a raw production and it has a very powerful rhythm with some lead bass parts.

Guitars mixed elements of black metal, sludgy doom metal and crust punk together with a mixture of slow to fast riffs that are very heavy with some guitar leads that sound very distorted.

Vocals are a mixture of black metal screams and some screams that remind me of the legendary Acid Bath and some thrash style vocals, while the lyrics touch on humorous topics, as for the production it has a very raw feel but you can still hear all of the instruments.

In my opinion Amadeus St. Vitus are a very good band that sounds very underground and original, and if you are a fan of punk orientated sludgy metal with a black metal edge. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Emptiness" "Severriously" "Sick and Destroyed" and "The Shorter Sex". RECOMMENDED BUY

Speaker Ritual Interview

2010-03-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

1. Can You tell us a little bit about your project for those that are not familiar with your music?
Speaker Ritual itself came to be by default. I am the soul creator for the Black Metal band Ssenkrad. During the summer of 2009, Ssenkrad was on a sort of hiatus. I had created many intros and outros for the past and present Ssenkrad albums. While reviewing said Intros/outros, I began to listen to them differently, and fortunately became a starting point to creating more of the like, hence Speaker Ritual was born.

2. Where did you come up with the band name?
I have always been a fan of Drone, Sunn))), Boris, Earth, just to name a few. There was a Boris record called Amplifier Worship, I thought that was a stellar name for a band. I was afraid that if I used that title people would think I was riding the coat tails of Boris. So basically I used the same meaning, just different words. But Speaker Ritual is just that really, using the speakers as a forum to produce music for a form of invocation/conjuration of the song titles. Feelings, and places, realms so to speak. Not words and music, like eddie and the cruisers movie stated.

3. What is it that you are trying to accomplish with this project that you cannot do with your other band?
Alot of it has to do with the fact that when I was young and my mother let me watch Suspiria(Dario Argento)The music to that film scared the shit out of me. Of course others came along, John Carpenters own produced audio for Halloween and Precinct 13, to name a few. Those audio soundscapes took me somewhere, not like regular music, it gave me feeling, not just happiness or anger, but like a story was written in music form, and I could take it or it could take me anywhere it wanted to. They had so much presence. So I look to do those same things as well. If you read every title of a Speaker Ritual song, they mean something. Google them in your spare time, and you will learn the meaning behind every song that has ever be created.

4. How have your live shows been so far?
My home town has no scene at all for this style of music. Fortunately I've been excepted at alot of the College towns, because of there favor of ambient and noise/drone. So far I've played alot in Athens Ohio(Ohio University) the people except me, the clubs and bars except me as well so its been righteously received Their is more of a draw because of the diversity.

5. What are some goals that you have set out for this project?
Personally, I've never enjoyed producing/creating music more then I do for Speaker Ritual. I think I would fit in quite nicely opening up for Sunno))). But in lower more realistic expectations, I would like to be comfortable creating music for a certain fanbase that I could continue and make my sole aspiration in life. It would be nice to have Speaker Ritual be a full time job, it's that fun....

6. o you have any touring plans?
Right now I dont promote, so I take what ever is offered. Basically I get emails, and I show up.

7. According to your Myspace page you direct some movies and have a company dedicated to movies, what are some films that you have directed and how would someone be able to get ahold of some of them?
Film was my original muse, during early 2000 I made a few movies. They were mainly made for the sole purpose of friends and people in my home town, I've never tried to market them. I've made in the past a cartoon, dark evil stick style to live audio entitled "Born into Submission", a black and white silent live action film entitled "EVOL" and a series of compilation films entitled "Snuff Fuck" I currently have two Vols. Unfortunately I cant really advertise those, they are very graphic in nature. The series really took off for a while. For example, I would talk to someone on the internet about it and send them a copy, and with in a few days I'd get 50 emails stating that so and so showed them this sick ass film with reality death and porn mixed together, and wanted to know how to buy a copy. What can I say, faces of death had a huge barring on me as a child. You can see the trailers for the first two on the 60060 sixscore myspace page, but the Snuff Fuck, would be by mail order only. I guess if anyone was interested they could just message me.

8. What are some of the influences for Speaker Ritual music wise or non music wise?
First and foremost Goblin, the main staple of all Dario Argento films. They are a great ambient band from Italy. Sunno))), alot of people seem to see a connection there, recently I was told it reminded them of Abruptum? Maybe Danzig's Black Aria, and Burzum's Daudi Balders and Hildga...what ever? Early Boris, and Earth to name a few. But the biggest influence is my home town and county I live in. It is so rich in history and infamous characters(Mansfield Ohio/RichLand County) every song written so far has been a concept of said people or places with a story inter twined.
9. How has the feedback been to your music so far from extreme music fans worldwide?

I get the most praise from the Black Metal community, but some are Drone fans as well. People into the same things as me mostly.

10. Out off all the releases that you have done so far which one are you the most satisfied with?
So far the only Speaker Ritual album available is "Misteri Di contea di Richland" it is a concept record regarding any and all famous and infamous histories surrounding Richland county. Like I said before, google the names from the titles, to get a better understanding of what it is to be invoked. I'm close to finishing part 2 of Misteri...it should be ready by April.

11. Have you received any backlash from fans of your other band that expect to hear the same thing over and over with?
Not at all, most of them send praise. There has not been any limitations or expectation set.

12. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?
Hopefully a more international audience were I can concept worldly happenings instead of soley representing my home town.

13. Any final words or thoughts?
Speaker Ritual creates a feeling that represents reality, not fiction. There are no fairy tales, everything is 100% real. Search what is given, then feel what was written......

Derelict Sermon Interview

2010-02-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your project for those that have never heard you before

i started derelict sermon in early 2006.i was pissed off just being a drummer in bands for the last 20 years apart from my lone power electronics project survivalist,(the long deleted for the cold blooded cdr was released in a very limited pressing by sadisque records in 1999.the cdr was recorded in 1996/1997)and ethersuite(a downbeat project with leoncia flynn,2 archangels in the winds of nihilism cd was released in 2004)which both was pretty much me solo and wanted to have complete control over my music/art direction etc.at first it was a blend of doom and a bit of black metal and now has grown into a very different beast.

2. What is going on with the project these days?

derelict sermon has so far released 3 albums on my label bleakscape.selftitled debut album(2006)wardycurse(2008) and the murderous altitude(2010)im currently working on a 4th album.maybe released this year by more than likely in 2011.

3. What is the meaning behind the bands name?

the name derelict sermon was coined in 2004 by myself and a close friend.we was talking about an old derelict church around where we live.sermon just kind of fit.the name should not be taken out of context i.e.a crumbling church falling down around a sermon spoke out etc!the name has a secret deeper meaning than that. its has an invisible meaning to me when i choose for it to have.

4. Do you have any other projectsd or bands besides this one, if so who are they and what style of music do they play?

i have been in many bands over the past 20 years,longcoldstare/harmony as one/scalplock etc.at the moment im just doing derelict sermon.

5. Have you considered getting a full line up or is this going to remain a solo project?

i have never been into doing ds live.it would lose all of its magic for me i think.i have toyed with the idea but im so into it being just studio based.the new stuff im working on would be impossible to pull off live.im into recording a track then moving on never to go back.progression would be zero if i went back and played say the 1st 2 albums.it would be so fuckin dull.i love to listen to them but not repeat them.

6. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the band heading into on future releases?

my music as derelict sermon has no doubt progressed since the 1st album.form recording with my friend indian singer lopa kothari on the last 2 albums to the jagged time structures and general atmosphere on the new album.i think the 4th album will be the most outthere and challenging i have ever done with derelict sermon.the music is much more orchestrated than ever,even improv and spectral musics seeping in. im working with lopa kothari again on this new one and another very talented lady and dear friend vera brozzoni.

7. Out of all the albums you have recorded so far which one are you the most satisfied with?

i love all 3!but would pick the murderous alttude as my current fav.its all the stuff i built up for it over the 2 years i took to record.its has an early mastodon/orthrealm influence in parts.the last track on the album leoncia is maybe a clue to were im heading next.maybe,but im thinking broader than that even.

8. How has the reception been so far to your music by extreme music fans worldwide?

so far its been really good.even getting a great review in kerrang!!!fuckin mad!even they seemed to like my sickminded music.nice!aot of people the world over have and continue to give me great fuckin reactions.im very grateful for that.its nice when people get into what your doing.

9. What are some bands or music styles that have influenced your music and what are you listening to nowadays?

at the start of derelict sermon its was hellhammer/early celtic frost/trouble/black sabbath.those are still there for me as are ortrealm/the locust/mastdon/high on fire/mercyful fate/iron maiden etc.i listen to very little black metal the only stuff i would touch from black metal these days would be early venom/bathory/early burzum/mercyful fate/xasthur/leviathan/twilight and craft.at the moment in listening to scott walker-the drift/kate bush/oum kalthum/gnaw/sunn0)))/genesis/miles davis/yoko ono/whitehouse/comus etc.i love lots of music,hc punk/classical/folk/jazz/pop and of course metal! have always had avast taste in music.

10. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

thats the hardest question.my lyrics have and will always be very private to me.all you need to know is they are very very extreme.whitehouse/sutcliffe jugend would be near places i would mine but i have a complete seperate violence/sadism etc.alot of females in my titles/lyrics are ladies i have known or still know.they all have a history of being very dangerous people indeed.people you would not wanna fuck with.

11. What made you decide on the cover art that you used for the new album?

in one of my fav films called the baader meinhoff complex their is an assassination/kidnap scene and kind of very loosely based it on that.an american cartoonist called bodie chewning did it for me.i wanted to cover to be real but you know i dont want to go away for murder just for a fuckin cover!!!no i was gonna get models to do ot but thought it may be a too cheesy witchfinder general type of cover.i am really pleased the way it turned out.it looks fuckin great.

12. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in yopur music or youtr life?

not really.not in my music anyway.i have been into austin osman spare for many years.in my life maybe there is some influence/insperation form great people like him.anton la vey i used to really like.his take on things was very important to back in the mid to late 1990s.

13. What are some of your interests outside of music?

i work,see close friends.got to a few gigs.draw when i get time.read as well.i love films as well.and doctor who has been a big mover with me for ages now.you cant beat it!!!some of my fav fims are the mackintosh man/blue rita/thunderball/who dares wins/the honeymoon killers/the elephant man/saturday night and sunday morning/carrie/halloween and the wicker man.

14. Any final words or thoughts?

just thanks for the support and look out for the new album and the 4th album.i hope this project goes on for a while.and thanks for the interview.its a scoop dude as its derelict sermons first interview!!!you heard it here first people!

Derelict Sermon/The Murderous Altitude/Bleakscape/2010 CD REVIEW

2010-02-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Derelict Sermon are a one man band from Great Britain that plays a style of extreme music that combines sludge, doom, black metal and noise and this is a review of the 2010 album "The Merderous Altide" which was released by Bleakscape.

Drums are mostly slow with some beats that get kind of fast at times with that that much when it comes to blasting, while the bass playing is very primal and sludgy with a dark distorted tone, and on the last song there were some strings being used to gave the muc a funeral doom/black metal feel mixed in with some ambient sounding noises that contained alot of feedback.

Guitars are tuned down very low and have a dark and doomy sound with some occasional fast riffs that have a crust punk feel while the vocals seem to be a mixture of black metal screams mixed with Buzzoven, Grief and Eyehategod type of vocals and on one song there was some clean vocals that had a very sinister edge to them with the last song on the album having some female vocals that sounded New Age.

Production on this recording which was recorded at Bonafide during August of 2009 and Engineered as well as mixed by Brian Boganovic sounds really dark, raw and primal and all of the instruments and vocals sound very heavy, while the Front Cover Illustration which was dome by Bodie Chewing has a couple of women and an old man shooting guns through a car window and killing everybody in it, as for the song titles they cover murder topics and seem to have a good sense of humor.

In my opinion this is a good album and it brings back memories of alot of the doom/sludge/grind/crust warehouse shows that I use to go to all the time in the mid 90's and early 2000's before everything got trendy. If you are a fan of sludgy doom metal with a black metal edge I would advise you to buy this album, you can contact the bandwww.myspace.com/derelictsermon ande www.derelictsermon777@gmail.com

Standout tracks include "Ambush Technigues" "Authoritarian Assassination" and "the Murderous Altitude". RECOMMENDED

Dagor Dagorath Interview

2010-02-04T16:53:00.000-08:00

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band forthose that are not familiar with you?
Well we are Dagor Dagorath from Israel we formed in 2003,band founded by Vorog(guitar/vocals),Getman Azach(Keyboards/back vovals) and me Mizgir( Bass guitar) and started as a pagan black metal band .., in 2007 we released our demo Times of DIstress and after that we changed our musical style to Black /Death
and now we releasing first album Yetzer Hara

2. How would you describe your sound?
Our sound is rich and complex i think that to hear all the ellements in the album you need to hear it couple of times...
alot of Keayboards parts and different musical styiles

3. I nkow the band name comes from Tolkien, what is it about this author that you find interesting?
first when we choose the name of the band we all read lord of the rings and what we found interesting in tolkien is the way that he created huge fantasy wolrd and when you read his books you feel that this world that he created is real ...

4. The album title Yetzer Ha Ra has kind of a cabalistic kind of sound to it, is it influenced by this form of Hebrew Mysticum?
Not exactly the title refers to the concept of"An inclination towards evil"as detailed in jewish lore.
the concept is metaphoric-through descriptions of outward warriors battles you may feel the union of each personalitys own inward contradictive natures suffocation and fight between each ones defined evil/goodness sources.

5. How would you describe the musical progress over the years and what direction do you see the band heading into on future releases?
Our musical progress was huge firt we played pagan black metal and then we moved to play black /death
olso our musical skills are better we dont stand in one plase we try to depelope our band and try new things
about the darection that we heading on future releases it hard to tell something specific right now we in the midlle of wrigting new material for second album but it will be definetly big step forward in every aspect...

6. What are some of the best shows that you have played so far and how would you describe your live performance?
the best show that we had was the release show of our debut album ,it was our show and people come to see us so it was deffinetly wery special event for us ....
olo our first show in haifa city was very good show the crowd was amaizing and gave us good feedback...

7. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?
We thought about it but for now it uncertain and we didnt get eny good proposals so maybe in the nex year we could come ,we would love to play in the us...

8. How has the music been recieved so far from the extreme metal community so far?
actually the album released only in russia and a worldwide release is right now 22 january
so in russia album recieved pretty good alot positive rewues and good words, in our country our album olso gained good press..
and about the rest of the world we will see time will tell..

9. What are some bands or music styles that have influenced the band's music?
in the beginning when we started the band most of the bands thast we listhened were black metal like cradle ,dimmu borgir,anorexia nervosa satyricon and pagan black metal bands but with the time we started to listen to all kinds of metal styles so now we are infuenced from alot of different bands and styles,

10. What are you listening to nowadays?
i dont really know about other band members but I listen to hate,behemoth,Devil Driver,lamb of god,evergrey,arch enemy,ensiferum,opeth,septic flesh there is alot of the bands that i like ....

11. What role does Paganism, Occultism or Satanism play in the music?
i dont think that any of this is related to us.., paganism played a big role in our music when we started but now we moved to different directions...

12. Outside of music what are your interests?
Outside music my main interest is graphic design i am at my 3 year of study visual media and graphic design,so beside's that i dont really have time for other interests becouse to be a student and play in the band it really hard thing and you dont have alot of free time

13. How would you describe the extreme metal scene in Isreal?
The metal scene here in israel is very small we dont have alot of opportunities to play live concerts here and also you cant tour,
and Black Metal in Israel is not so wide-spread
but people support us from concert to concert and we have a good feedback here...

14. Any final words or thoughts?
Thanxs alot for the Interview
also thanxs to all people that suppored us and Continue to do this
Best
Mizgir

KenoN/From the Viod Came Chaos/qualm Records/2009

2010-01-04T15:40:00.001-08:00

KenoN are a 3 piece band from El Monte,California whose music I would describe as symphonic black metal and this is a review of their 2009 release From The Void Came...Chaos.

Drums are very fast and brutal with alot of blast beats and the drums slow down at times when the keyboards come in which are in the vein of 90's symphonic black metal and if you were around in the 90's I dont have to tell you who they remind me but it is some band that was popular in the 90's that is still even more popular now but dont use that style of keyboard playing anymore.

Bass playing on this recording is kind of mixed down low in the mix but the parts I did hear where fast and melodic, while the Rythym guitars cover a variety of different riffs with some fast black metal playing that have somewhat of a death metal influence and you can hear alot of melody. Guitar leads sound very technical as well as professional with alot of solos that contain alot of power and melody.
There are also some ocassional acoustic parts that have a really haunting sound with some melody.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal screams mixed in with a good measure of death metal growls that have a polish blackened death metal feel to them and there is some ocassional clean melodic singing mixed in as well.

Production on this recording which was recorded in a bedroom in El Monte and mixed and mastered by Stygian sounds very professional for a bedroom quitality and has a level of professionalism that you would hear on a Century Media or Nuclear Blast Recording.

I did not get a copy of the lyrics while I downloaded this but I can name of some of the songs so you can get the ideo "From The Void Came....Chaos" "Throne Of Thorns" and "Hordes OF Empire".

In my opinion this is a geally good album from a band that shows alot of potentainal and if they get signed to the right label or get on a decent tour, they get become a much bigger name.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.