Pantheon Omega/Harmonizing The Death Essence/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Pantheon  Omega  are  a  solo  project  from  Ontario.  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black, death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Harmonizing  The  Death  Essence".

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  keyboards  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  and  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clear  vocals  into  the  music,  some  of  the  tracks  also  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  pantheon  omega  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  enlightenment  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pantheon  Omega  are  a  very  great  sounding melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journey  Alone"  "Harmonizing  The  Death  Essence"  and  "I  Release  Thee".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556967957143

https://pantheonomega.bandcamp.com/album/harmonizing-the-death-essence-2

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5ZZ0ty8PpXC3Ryp7e_OUQ

  

  

  

Martikor/Acedia/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Martikor  are  a  band  from  San  Francisco,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  and  experimental  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released "Acedia"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Distorted  sounds  and  clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  post  metal  direction.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal s creams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  going  into  on  experimental  direction  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Keyboards  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  songs,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mourning  and  brief  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Martikor  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  experimental  black,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Soothing  Rattle"  "A  Tremor  In  Infinity"  and  "Acedia".  8  out  of  10.

  https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/martikor/1704566355

https://martikor.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Martikor/

https://www.instagram.com/martikor_music/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZSJqYpRZHEdHw7P9LQYHg?si=td7eKsfITxePqQ8Yl_HAPA&nd=1&dlsi=5f1dac65c5884eb3

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpt6kcAnWrlfoccf9xnkATQ  

Sea Of Consciousness Interview

 

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

Sea of Consciousness is the brainchild of guitarist Daniel Sirotski and drummer István Timmermans.

They have been playing since 2014 together and were trying to come up with a grand concept that Sea of Consciousness is now. The band Sea of Consciousness has been brought to life since 2019 and were trying to find the missing band-members. After multiple line-up changes we finally found vocalist Bionda Honings in 2022. Her vocals were the final missing link to finally develop our style further. Then we found guitarist Stefan Gerritsen and bassist Jeroen Koorn in 2023 and we completed our line-up and debut-album.

 

2.Recently you have released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

The music is a huge mix of progressive technical metal with influences from death, black, thrash and heavy metal. We don’t believe in genre boxes and instead are trying to create our own genre that doesn’t let itself be defined by a narrow musical style.

 

We write music from the heart and the quality of the song is the most important. We try to think what a song needs instead of a fixed idea and/or ego.

 

The main songwriter, Daniel Sirotski, takes musical inspiration from every direction and tries to mold it all into one style. The reason is also because we, as a band, don’t want to be limited.

 

3.Some of the band members where previously a part of 'Inferus Dei', what was the cause of breaking up the previous band and forming the new group?

Guitarist Daniel Sirotski and drummer István Timmermans decided to break up the band because the musical vision had changed dramatically. Inferus Dei was the first attempt to flesh out the huge concept that Daniel and István had. After some time they decided that the attempt wasn’t what they wanted and looked at it as a learning school.

 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

Mostly about life’s struggles covered in a spiritual/mystical veil. Writing music is for us a way to deal with reality and trauma in general. So it heals us in a way, and therefore, we hope that it will heal other listeners. Or at least enjoy our music, that’s cool too.

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sea of Consciousness"?

It started with the song ‘’Sea of Consciousness’’. When the song was being written, Daniel named it ‘’Sea of Consciousness’’ because it just felt it was the best way to describe the song and feeling it had. Afterwards, István had the genius idea to name our band that. Since then, we took the song as a basis from where we wanted to develop our sound further.

 

After a while, the name got more and more meaning. Sea of Consciousness symbolizes the reality around us. Every living being on this world is a small drop in the endless sea of consciousness that spans our globe. It is everything and nothing at the same time. We all try to traverse this endless stream and holding on to that which we know. But in the end, everything is random (or fate). From this principle we want to make music how it comes to us, instead of defining ourselves with a genre. We want to create our own genre because life is so much more than those few drops of consciousness most bands associate themselves with. The quest for knowledge, self-improvement and constructive thinking is one of the most challenging and rewarding paths that a human can take. We try to tread that path to enlightenment through music.

 

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

The white robed figures represent the instrumentalists in the band. The black figure in the lake is our vocalist and the nature around us is the Sea of Consciousness. We are summoning ‘’Spirit’’ that ultimately unites every element and transcends us.

 

7.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

We had our first show on the 12th of January 2024. Currently we are trying to find shows that we can play so we can hone our craft. We have some shows planned in March but we want more!

 

 

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

We had a label approach us with a deal 1,5 weeks after releasing our album. Honestly, nobody expected it so soon so we kind of freaked out in a good way. But after some thought we decided that it is too soon to sign ourselves to a label. It is a goal that we ultimately want to achieve, but it has to be on our own terms.

 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal?

The reaction is huge! Seriously, we did not expect this response. I mean, we even had a viral TikTok video about us with over 40K likes and counting..

It has been almost 3 weeks since the launch of the album and we got from 80 monthly listeners to almost 5000 on Spotify. Its crazy.

 

A lot of reviews also with some really good constructive feedback that we will take with us in future songs.

 

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

I don’t think you can really assess your own musical development, but we want to focus on capitalizing on our ‘’unique’’ style of composition. With the amazing feedback we have had, this wont be a problem.

 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

The list is too long to effectively tell you what kind of influences we all have. The main songwriter, Daniel Sirotski, listens to reggae-ska, old-school hip-hop, 1940’s jazz, satanic black metal, aggressive thrash metal, 80’s pop songs etc. The list is too much. Daniel never listens to one band for a long time and instead has periods were he listens to a specific genre before moving on to the next thing. His baseline musical influence is Metallica and Dissection though.

 

Stefan Gerritsen is a huge metal fan in general, but can listen to almost every other genre too. He likes drum & bass, country, Celtic music and also classic pop music. He loves a song as long as it has substance and it can reach his soul. But if he has to name a specific band, it would definitely be Avenged Sevenfold.

 

István Timmermans greatest inspiration is Arch Enemy. That band is the main reason he picked up the drumsticks. But most of his inspirational percussion ideas come from bands like Obscura, Amorphis and Septic Flesh. But because we don’t only write brutal metal music, István takes influences from blues and up tempo rock music to come up with fresh ideas.

 

Bionda Honings remembers when she was 9 years old a friend of her father always played guitar for them. She really was inspired by the fact that you can process your emotions through music instead not knowing how to deal with feelings in general. Music was the best way to deal with reality.

Bionda always steered towards rock music and begun listening to The Rasmus, Evanescence and Linkin Park. Then she found out that more extreme music had more impact and found bands like Orbit Culture and Decapitated. Bionda was inspired by bands that really put their emotion into the music. Because of this Bionda is also very all-round in her musical taste. Its all about the feeling that the listener gets my hearing the auditory journey.

Jeroen Koorn started with rock music on the radio like Queen, ACDC and Green Day. This peeked his interest and later, as a teenager, he met people who introduced him to heavier music like Pantera, Slayer and Iron Maiden. Slowly but surely Jeroen got rolled into the world of metal. His first real favorite bands were System of a Down and Slipknot.

The urge to pick up the bass guitar came when Jeroen listened to Behemoth and Opeth for the first time.

 

Beside metal music, Jeroen also listens to reggae, oldschool gangsterrap and goes to drum and bass parties frequently.

 

All-in all, everyone had a very wide range of musical influences.

 

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

We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to tell our story here! The response is amazing and we are thankful for your attention!

https://seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/album/sea-of-consciousnes

Vesperian Sorrow/Awaken The Greylight/Black Lion Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Vesperian  Sorrow  are  a  band  from  Austin,  Texas  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Awaken  The  Greylight"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Black  lion  Records.

  Symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

 

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  realms  of  the  cosmos,  sorrow,  sadness  and  darkness.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vesperian  Sorrow  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  atmospheric  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "As  The  Pillars  Were  Raised"  "A  Dire  Fight  For  The  Black  Fragment"  "Who  Dwells  Within  The  Blight  Moon"  and  "Awaken  The  Greylight".  8  out  of  10.

  http://vesperiansorrow.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/vesperian
https://www.instagram.com/vesperiansorrowofficial/
Spotify
Apple Music

Illusion of Fate/King Of Serpemts/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Illusion  Of  Fate  are  a  band  from  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  melodic  and  technical  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "King  Of  Serpents".

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  and  the  vocals  ad d in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Synths  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  music  also  has  its  technical  moments  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Illusion  Of  Fate  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  atmospheric,  technical  and  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Illusion  Of  Fate  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic  and  technical  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "King  Of  Serpents  Movement  II:  The  Warlock"  "March  Of   The  Lepers"  and  "Paradigm  of  Madness".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/visions_of_sunless_skies   

Sea Of Consciousness/Self Titled/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Sea  Of  Consciousness  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  an  atmospheric,  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2024  album.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  melodic  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  clear  singing,  death  emtal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a   very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  clean  sections  of  the  album  taking  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  field  recordings.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  life's  struggles.    

  

  In  my  opinion  Sea  of  Consciousness  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic,  progressive  and  technical  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sea  Of  Consciousness"  "Reflections"  and  "Torchbearer".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Sea_of_Consciousness/3540537389

https://www.facebook.com/SeaofConsciousness.official

https://instagram.com/sea.of.consciousness

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJ3NqDCT/

https://seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sea-of-consciousness/1625977396

https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/171124367

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4jMjkPnS3oAFqhngqKCo3o

https://soundcloud.com/sea-of-consciousness  

  

Profane Burial/My Plateau/Crime Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Profane  Burial  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "My  Plateau"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Crime  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in a   very  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a   lot  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

\

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  album  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  and  cinematic  sounding  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  choirs  can  also b e  heard  briefly  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Profane  Burial  takes  their  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  into  more  of  an  atmospheric,  cinematic  and  progressive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  curses,  fantasy,  horror,  magick,  witchery  and  ghosts.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Profane  Burial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INC:LUDE  "Moribund"  and  "Horror  Code".  8  out  of  10.

  https://profaneburial.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/ProfaneBurial

https://www.instagram.com/profane_burial

https://youtu.be/hfQ8BM8IOe4     

Where The Children Play/Poems From The Solemn Black/2023 Full Length Review

 

   Where  The  Children  Play  are  an  international  band  with  embers  from t he  united  States  and  France  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  symphonic  mixture  of  blackened  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "Poems  From  The  Solemn  Black".

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Elements  of  deathcore  can  also  be  heard  in t he  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  fast  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Murder  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Where  The  Children  Play  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Great  Abyss  In  The  Sky"  "Wrath  Of  The  Dead"  A  Demons  Lament"  and  "The  Sorrowful  Hymn".  8 out  of  10.

  https://wherethechildrenplay.bandcamp.com/track/a-church-a-slaughterhouse  .

Apoplexy Interview

 

1. Can you give us an update on what's been going on with the band since then? recording and releasing a new album?

 The recording of the album started before the pandemic, but due to the change of the rehearsal room and actually the studio, we had a one-year forced break. In the end, we managed to get new members from the old group into the recording, leaving only two members, Mário and Palo. Two other members, Brado and Kubo, helped us with the recording of the album and became full members of the group. We also had a friend invited to record the harpsichord, who helped us a lotand with whom I also worked on the arrangement.

2. In November, you released a new album, in which it differs musically from stuff you've released in the past?

Compared to the past, we went stylishly into black/death metal with a symphonic subtext and added clean vocals.

3. The band broke up more than 20 years ago, which was the cause breakup and also the decision to reform the band? 

The breakup for the band was due to the family matters of all the members, and the impetus for the return of the group was the initiative of the main founder Mario Duga, who came up with a couple of musical ideas and in the end 10 songs came out of it :)

4. What are some of the lyrical themes and topics the band deals with? new edition and also how would you describe your progress as composers over the years?

 The themes revolve around an existential approach to life, religious influences, biblical scenes or mystical themes.

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

The group's name was invented by the late bassist Andrej Kohout, to whom this album was also dedicated as a memory. It expresses the medical concept of brain stroke, which for some pop-minded people this style of extremely tuned metal also expresses :)

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

On the cover, the dark Lachesis is one of the three ancient antic judges who spun the thread of life and determined its length. The name of the album, destiny, is also connected with this

7. What are some of the best concerts the band has played so far and also? how would you describe your stage performance? 

we haven't performed concerts in this line-up yet, but some concerts will be offered in the future.

8. Do you have any tour or concert plans for the new album?

Yes, we are working on a couple of concerts, we will see in the future, we would also like to play a couple of concerts with current Slovak groups that are on the scene.

9. The new album was released on HladoHlase, can you tell us something? more about this brand?

 it is a book publishing house that also publishes music production. The main figure of this label is Pavol Baričak, who also has his own band and is also involved in Slovak death metal.

10. On a global level, how have fans reacted to your music? black, doom and death metal?

 I think that the reactions are mostly positive, the group's name is well known in Slovakia, so we just followed up on our beginnings, even if we changed the style a little.

11. Are any of the band members currently involved in other groups or? music projects? 

Yes, Brado and Kubo are members of the death metal band Mysterious Eclipse, which has also been on the music scene for a long time.

12. Where do you see the band going musically in the future?

 everything is a question of the future, I certainly have new ideas that could lead to another new album :) which will again be in a slightly different spirit...let yourself be surprised

13. What are some bands or musical styles that have been influential? on your music and also what are you listening to at the moment?

 nowadays I listen more to rock and heavy metal from black death, I like our friends bands Depresy, Dehydrated, Hypnos, Ramchat ...

14. Before we end this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

I'm glad that after years we managed to enter the metal scene again in today's connected music world of the Internet, we also posted the album on Spotify and Deezer and other servers... We are pleased with your response and support. Stay happy, healthy and satisfied...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Apoplexy.sk
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ apoplexy-band

Apoplexy/Destiny/HladoHlas/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Apoplexy  are  a  band  from  Slovakia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Destiny"  which  was  released  by  HladoHlas.

  Atmospheric  and  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the music  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  90's  influences.  Clear  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  mythological  and  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apoplexy  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  The  Carpathian's  Woods"  "Morpheus"  and  "Mephistofeles".  8 out  of  10.  

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Apoplexy.sk

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ apoplexy-band

Gotland Interview

 

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album? 

First of all, greetings to all the followers of A Different Shade Of Black Metal Zine and thanks to you in the editorial team for this space that you dedicate to us. The composition process behind the new album was really long, because it was our first time creating a concept album. It started in 2016 and ended in 2019, when we recorded all the tracks. After the recordings, unfortunately we had to postpone the works on the mixing and mastering process due to the Covid pandemic. In 2021 we started again to work on the album and in 2022 it was delivered to our label Earth and Sky Productions. Unfortunately, they had some post-pandemic problems, which caused the album's release to be postponed. But now, on September 15th, it was finally released and we are looking forward to letting everyone listen to it.

 

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

We think that “Rise” it’s quite different from its predecessor “Gloria et Morte”, but it is also a natural evolution from that starting point. Since “Gloria et Morte” we started reducing the folk influences, but there were still present. With “Rise” me maintained and evolved the extreme metal music base (adding also some death metal parts to the already present black metal ones) and completely removed the folk metal instruments, like flutes and bagpipes. But we gave more importance to the epic and symphonic part, hiring the talented Gabriele Gilodi as a session member that composed all the orchestral and piano parts of the album.

 3. Other than a few singles this is your first full length since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait? 

Yes, as we said before it was a mix of causes. First of all, we wanted to create a concept album and we took all the needed time to do researches about history, to compose tracks that could also fit the story atmospheres, to find the right guests and their characters and so on. Then, we also spent the right time to record and mix this album, which was not easy: we had a lot of orchestral tracks and instrument, many guests and we wanted to reach a professional sound quality, in which all this sounds wouldn’t have been confused. The last years, unfortunately, were not in our hands: we were forced to stop for the Covid pandemic and our label had some problems related to it. 

4. A lot of your lyrics cover the history of the Roman Empire and the Viking era, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

 It’s true, we are fond of history and, in particular, of the one of Italy and all our lyrics since the beginning of the band are related to these topics. With this album, we decided to focus on one character, Arminius, the chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who defeated the Roman Empire at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. The album is all about his life, telling some personal and introspective events, but that also are intertwined with very important historical events, of which he is the protagonist. 

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

 It is quite strange, because we are from Italy and we tell about Italian history in our lyrics. So, why choosing the name of a Swedish island? This is because historians say that it was the island from which the first Barbarians moved and met the Romans. The meet and clash between these Barbarian population and the Empire is what put the basis for what Italy would be in the next centuries and even nowadays. 

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

The artwork cover represent a mask that was discovered by archeologists on the site where the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest was fought. This face mask originally belonged to a helmet of a Roman cavalry man. The fact that it is broken with a skull behind symbolizes the loss of the Roman Empire in that battle against the Germans. The background is divided: on the left side we have Roman ruins and on the right side you can see a Germanic forest. This represents the two parts that fought, but also the two souls of the protagonist Arminius, who was a German that was raised in the Roman Empire.

 7. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

 We are proud of many live shows we had, but surely one of the bests was our opening for Abbath here in Italy in 2016. There a lot of people came and it was really fun to play in front of so many fans. But we also like festivals like Fosch Fest, Italic Pagan Fest, Malpafa Folk & Metal Fest or Eresia Fest, because we can have a better contact with the audience there and there is a friendlier atmosphere. During our live shows we firstly want to play our songs on the best way possible and with best sound. But we don’t want merely to reproduce the songs, but we try also to give a show to the audience, with face-painting, stage props and acted parts. 

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

We have two release parties here in Italy, one near our hometown Turin and one near Milan. During these shows we will play all the songs of the new album “Rise” with some guests and surprises. For more information about future live shows, keep an eye on our social channels. 

 9. You also have done some 'Windir' and 'Bathory' covers, what was the decision behind doing your own versions of their songs? 

We don’t do many covers, but sometimes we decides to do some first of all in order to pay homage to great artists, who are a great influence for us and without whom we probably would never have started making music. This is surely the case of our Windir and Bathory covers. However, we must say we also have real fun playing this tracks and the audience seems really to appreciate them during our live shows too! 

10. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal?

 Our fanbase is mainly in Italy, because we aren’t able to have many live shows outside of Italy due to our jobs. However, thanks to Internet, social medias and webzines like yours, our music is starting to be listened also abroad and we always had positive feedback for now. Our fear was to be too epic and symphonic for the death/black metal fans and too extreme for the melodic metal ones, but many people seem to appreciate the compromise we have tried to create between these two aspects. 

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

In this moment, all our member are mainly focused on Gotland. However, I (the singer Irmin) recently released an album with my ex-band Desecrate. Even if I won’t sing with them for the live shows, the vocals on “Lights of Contradiction” album are still mine! Our singer Insanus also released an album with his side studio project Le Horla, called “Remords”. Our bassist Var and guitarist EG Orkan released some tracks with their electronic/avant-garde project Acronym during the pandemic, but they don’t have any plans for more releases in the near future. 

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

 We are already working on the new material and we are really satisfied with the results! From one release to another, we always evolved our music and this time won’t be different. It’s really to soon to reveal something, but you can expect an evolution from what you heard on Rise. 

13. What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

 What we listen nowadays is what mainly influences our music. Our musical tastes are very varied: we are five members who listen to a lot of music. We go from world-class bands like Bathory, Septicflesh, Emperor, Nile, Windir and Summoning, to masters like Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri, just to name a few. But we also appreciate many local bands, which in our opinion are proving to have nothing to envy of the international giants: Furor Gallico, Atavicus, Selvans, Veratrum, Ponte del Diavolo, Lou Quinse, Hopeless, Scream3Days, Voltunma and many others that are making the Italian scene is increasingly interesting and above all increasingly high-level in its musical offering 

14. How would you describe your views on paganism?

 With our band we want to tell the history of the clash between the Barbarian population within the Roman Empire. Surely, the theme of the pagan gods and religion are sometimes present in our lyrics, but only on an historical level. 

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

 Thank you so much for the space that you dedicated to us, both for this interview and for the nice review you wrote about our album. Greetings to all your readers and all the friends who follow us. We are waiting for you under the stage

  Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gotlandmetal/
  Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/gotlandmetal/
 Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Gotlandmetal
  Bandcamp page: https://gotlandmetal.bandcamp.com

Cunabula Interview

 

Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Goda: In some non-artistic and rather technical terms, we’re having small tasks for the album PR and also for the upcoming album release show that needs to be organized. Mentally, we’re trying to look forward and not take the album release fact as some result after which we can finally rest. And it’s not an easy task.

Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

Jurgis: I would say that the recent release has a more consistent and defined sound than the previous EP. Also, musically the new album has some recurring rhythmic composition techniques that in my opinion plays a strong role in overall musicality of this album.  Whereas the first EP was more experimental and dedicated for bands musical research. 

Tadas: The album production is less polished and more raw/live. Musically every song on the album is like a journey, everything is more coherent. And the vocals are much more important now.

This is also your first release since 2017, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Goda: After the EP release we were into live performances more, rehearsing, bringing our audience together, and when we started developing our recent album, we actually faced lots and lots of waiting in every single phase of it. Not mentioning the pandemics that wasn‘t very grateful for the band.

Tadas: On the other hand, we had an opportunity to try the songs live before the recordings. Only two tracks in this album were never performed live.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Tadas: Our lyrics are very abstract, it’s the atmosphere that matters, not the story. As the sole songwriter (so far), I wish other band members would get themselves involved in the songwriting more, it would be nice to explore collaborative songwriting. 

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cunabula'?

Goda: The name came from Kurt Vonnegut's „Cat‘s Cradle“ and the word cradle had a special meaning for us at the time the band formed. Cunabula is Latin for cradle.

Tadas: I don’t know why, but this book is very highly regarded in Lithuania. Maybe it’s the same in other countries too.

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

Goda: Nojus Petrauskas, the author of the painting in the artwork, is a Lithuanian painter, an amazing surrealist, which was noticed by us accidentally after we spent hours searching for what could be an organic fit for our album visually. We just saw the painting named ‘Heart’ and we knew.

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

Goda: We vividly remember the gig when we were given a chance to support Conan band – the evening was insane. Also, it is Something Else to play at an open-air festival. And what’s regarding the listeners – we always receive some unexpected feedback about how gigs make people feel. For me, those words are exactly how I’d wish to feel as a listener in some heavy gig myself: partly hypnotized, partly scared, and energetically crushed to the ground. That kind of feedback is definitely inspiring.

Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Goda: Not sure about the touring, but we definitely want to have an album release show in Lithuania.

On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, sludge and post metal?

Goda: We are happy to have some worldwide fans reaching out to us personally to express their gratitude for what we do. In general, the feedback is greatly motivating to keep doing what we do.

Tadas: Yes, the feedback was mainly positive so far. Our style is a tough cookie to crack, so it’s hard to fit it into one simple description. The music like this probably will never be popular, but if someone likes it, we are happy.  

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

Jurgis: I think Cunabula has potential for the unexpected, I would not be surprised that we would take more experimental turns in the band's musical future. However, at this moment it is fair to say that some essential elements of our music would still be transferred to our future works, especially harmonic, and textural qualities of our sound. Which in my opinion has a big role in defining Cunabula as a band and are hugely responsible for the emotional weight of our music.  

What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Jurgis: I think the overall musical spectrum of what we listen to is very wide, but regarding Cunabula style I strangely find much resemblance from 20th century’s academic minimalists or even some of the composers from New Simplicity wave. For example, works of Steve Reich, David Lang or Arvo Part. Though the similarity with such music is more of primal musical ideas level.  As for stylistically similar artists I think bands like: Cult of Luna, Russian Circles, Meshuggah plays a big role in our development. Also, i’d like to mention Polish post metal band Entropia, especially their album “Vacuum” which was a very fortunate discovery for me personally a few years ago.

Tadas: Old Norwegian black metal, new French black metal, classic sludge metal bands, some old prog rock, some random classical music.

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

Goda: We enjoyed reading such personal and deep questions, thank you for that.

https://youtu.be/vw77kywj4dk

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Old Ruins Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

(Kraje)

A lot of things happened in that time because the recording was finished one year ago also in September.

We had no label at this time and decided to send our complete album to some labels to find out if anyone is interested in a deal with us.

And when we finally got the deal we knew that we have to be patient because of the long time period for a vinyl pressing.

So we had enough time to practice, play some shows and of course we already wrote some new songs in that time.

2.You have a new album coming out later in September, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

(Kraje)

First of all this time we were in a professional studio.

The EP was recorded, mixed and mastered by myself.

So the sound is much fatter than on the EP.

Musically it is not so different. Four songs from the EP are also on our album, to complete the whole concept.

We always try out to give our songs something special, like a smooth guitar solo, or a part and style of riffing, you wouldn’t expect. And especially not in a black metal band.

So you can see the whole album as a story, lyrically and musically.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover the video game 'Diablo' can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this game'?

(Kraje)

That’s right, we are all great fans of the diablo videogames.

In my youth the was it Diablo 2 – Lord of Destruction what captivated me and nowadays we are all play Diablo 4.

Maybe that sounds a little bit crazy, but this game influenced me for all of our lyrics.

The dark atmosphere of the game, the great story without an happy ending, the tragic…

Can it more perfect for a black metal band?

The lyrics on “Always Heading East” are about the Dark Wanderer and his tragic story in Diablo 2.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Old Ruins'?

(Kraje)

That’s a funny story

Our drummer Alex and our guitarist Ersin hang around to think about a band name and Alex was talking about Tyrael’s Sword Aldruin. (For those who knot know, Tyrael is a character from the videogame.)

And Aldruin sounds very similar to old ruins. So ersin asked him why he is talking about old ruins and our band name was born.

I think the name fits very good because a lot of scenes we describe in our songs, happening in old ruins our graves.

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

(Kraje)

The Artwork is from the great German artist Timon Kokott.

He did our Artwork for the EP as well.

The Artwork shows the dark wanderer on his way through the desert and of course he is heading east as you can see.

Every time I look at this artwork I am travelling back in time when I first entered the second act of diablo 2.

That’s exactly the scene and there where so many scenes we had in mind for the album artwork, but this one is perfect.

If you don’t know him, check out Timon Kokott Artwork.

He is awesome

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

(Kraje)

So imagine yourself you made a band with no plans to play live.

Only creating cool songs, record them and that’s it.

But our EP was very successful and so we got the chance to play as substitute on an open air event in July 2021. It was in the middle of the pandemic and so it was one of the first concerts after a long time. 

Then this moment when we started the show

There were about 400 people on the place , and some of them wore our shirts.

And all that on our first live performance ever.

That was crazy

Our stage performance includes normally headbanging and some posing.

But not as wild as in a thrash band for example.

First of all we want to create a dark atmosphere and transmit it to the crowd

And of course we prefer to play tight and without great mistakes before acting like maniacs on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

(Kraje)

Right now we have no plans for big tours but we still have a few shows left this year.

8.Cyrrently the band is signed to 'Doc Gator Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

(Kraje)

Doc Gator Records is a Label from Switzerland.

When someone says Doc Gator Records is an underground label, then you should know that there is always the motto : quality before quantity.

They signed Bands from Brazil, Bulgaria, Wales, England, Canada, India, USA, Switzerland and at least Germany.

And that is what makes them very special.

They give bands like us a chance to spread the music all over the globe.

For me this is more than underground work.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal? 

(Kraje)

Very different.

You know the old school black metal fans would say our music isn’t rough and fast enough.

Then you have these guys expecting nothing when they first heard our EP on Youtube, and later that day ,they bought it digital on bandcamp to support us.

Others are the same videogame freaks as we are, so they are totally hyped

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

(Kraje)

Right now there is only me playing in another Band

It’s called Smorrah and in this band I play bass and do some backing vocals.

We recorded our first album in the same studio we were with old ruins.

I told the guys about the awesome time in the studio and the awesome sound Michael creates.

At the Moment we are planning our release.

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

(Kraje)

I can’t say where we are going in the future.

When we start a song, we never now what journey we will go on.

Some new parts are very 90’s black metal and then there are some breaks that you would never expect.

The only thing that will stay is our lyrical inspiration about the videogame and everything else only the time will tell.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

(Kraje)

Immortal and the Sideprojects from Abbath and Demonaz were big influence to me over the years. But there are a lot of other bands I prefer.

So on the one week I listen to iron maiden all the time, and the next week I listen to dissection.

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

(Kraje)

When I look back to the last 10 years ,

Never give up your dreams, there is always a way to reach what you are dreaming about.

And when you check out our Music…. Stay awhile…. and listen

https://www.instagram.com/oldruins.official/

https://www.facebook.com/OldRuinsGE

https://twitter.com/therealOldRuins

https://open.spotify.com/artist/16B7r7ccFBc2CGIdwzxSWA?si=40mlzhJsSlKidNDuGm5iEQ&nd=1

Martikor/Soliloquy/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Martikor  are  a  solo  project  form  San  Francisco,  California  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  with  elements  of  ambient  and  this  is  a  revie w of  his  self  released  2023  album  "Soliloquy".

  ambient  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  post  rock  style  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  synths  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.  as  well  as  some  of  the  guitar  leads  also  adding  in  touches  of  blackgaze,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Martikor  is  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Aimless  Dance  In  The  Hallow"  an d "Somber  pace".  8  out  of  10.

  https://open.spotify.com/album/7CEsOb1Gy7MmJ3JWf6GQFl

https://music.apple.com/us/album/soliloquy/1704619144

https://martikor.bandcamp.com/album/soliloquy

https://www.youtube.com/@Martikor_Music/featured

https://www.instagram.com/martikor_music/

https://soundcloud.com/martikor

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550720735395     

Old Ruins/Always Heading East/Doc Gator/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Old  Ruins  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Always  Heading  East"  which  will b e  released  on  September  15th  by  Doc  Gator.

  Clean  playing,  nature  sounds  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  aster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  the  slower  sections  of t he  tracks  also  bring  in  element s of  doom  metal.

  Some  of  the  guitar  leads  also  show  an  influence  of  traditional  metal  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  at  times  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  percussion,  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  and  keyboards  are  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  video  game 'Diablo'.

  In  my  opinion  Old  Ruins  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dark  Wanderer"  "Risen  From  The  Grave"  and  "Lord  of  Hell".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/OldRuinsGE

https://www.instagram.com/oldruins.official/

https://twitter.com/therealOldRuins

https://open.spotify.com/artist/16B7r7ccFBc2CGIdwzxSWA?si=40mlzhJsSlKidNDuGm5iEQ&nd=1