Thursday, December 31, 2015

The Canyon Observer Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We are regrouping and getting our strength back as the release was really intense emotionaly , physically and financially.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
New stuff is much more aggressive. We just didn't care what kind of album we are making, genre speaking. We just played from the heart and FVCK is what happened. We experimented with new rhythms, new sound, vocal range and style. We just did what had to be done and this is what happened.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We explore topics like self discovery, sex, BDSM & general mindfucks through the use of psychedelics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Canyon Observer'?
Go on a psychedelic trip in a canyon listening to our music and than tell us.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We always go all-out during a show. Whether there is 5 people on the show or 500. We like it raw & without a lubricant. Just pure penetration of sound and visuals that give us a braingasm. There were so many great shows that i couldn't even pick just a few. We love it when the folks get into the music and get close to the stage, get close to the sound and participate in the show. It makes us give even more energy and the show is even more fucked up that way.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Nik?
Well, from 19th till 28th of February we are going on a Brutal Winter Fest 2016, which is a tour in Cuba. So that's a big thing for us now and we are really stoked about it.
And we are also playing some summer festivals.
Metal Days being one of them.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with 'KAPA Records'?
Nik?
Jacuzzi and bitches. and also they've helped us a lot with promotion of "FVCK" and many times they've financially backed us up for our tours (also this Cuban one, we couldn't do it without them), CDs, vinyls, you name it! They are really great gals/guys and we are forever grateful to them.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your albums by fans of underground and extreme music?
The feedback was awesome. First VOX offered to co-release the album, the guys from No clean singing premiered our album, we got tons of reviews from abroad and we couldn't be happier with the result. We poured our hearts and souls into this album and the people took it with respect and love. We appreciate all the guys and gals that supported us and hope to see you at a show soon!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Thats a trick question. We believe that if you decide strictly for a genre you can only make something that has already been done. If you think outside of the genre we believe you can still make something special and unique to what the initial idea of the music was. So I don't know. We will see where the music takes us.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We have had so much different influences, from sludge bands up to black metal & noise so we just couldn't go into details what we use and what just flows out. We just go with the flow, the way music should be made.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Cats & drugs.

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

Regards,
Tine

https://www.facebook.com/TheCanyonObserver/

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Nidafjoll/Endir/2015 Full Length Review


  Nidafjoll  are  a  solo  project  from  Iceland  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  pagan/black  metal  with elements  of  folk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2015  album  "Endir".

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk instruments  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  and  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  and  o   the  second  track  the  music  gets  more  heavy,  melodic  and  symphonic  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  some songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  they  also  mix  the  heavy,  symphonic  and  folk  elements  together  quite  a bit  throughout  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  a  couple  of  instrumentals  being  present  on  the recording  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Nidafjoll  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  atmospheric  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  and  pagan  metal  to  create  s  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  tragic  love  story  that  revolves  around  the  Norse  myth  Ragnarok.

  In  my  opinion  Nidafjoll  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  pagan/black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forsja  Frigger"  "Svart  Tar"  and  "Troda  Halir  Helveg".  8  out  of  10.

https://nidafjoll.bandcamp.com/releases

 

Deathcode Society 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?
Arnhwald : Nothing really original or outstanding I fear. We've given our first live performance some weeks ago, we are working on the promotion of our debut, and writing songs for the next album.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
This album is the result of years of hard work. Our music is extreme in every meaning of the terms, fast, powerful, but also richly harmonized, with long and developed melodies, choral sections, counterpoint-written guitar riffs, etc. Many things happen at the same time. Imagine the wedding ceremony of Emperor and Strapping Young Lad in a nuclear powerplant, with a symphonic orchestra playing the march. Here is what we tried to achieve : more brutal, more intense, uncompromising, and smarter. Our music offers a new level of sophistication without being boring or too technical. Too many extreme metal bands just use the same chord progressions, and their music remind me a lot of Dany Elfman scores played with electric guitars and blast-beats. We are not influenced at all by Hoolywood scoring habits


3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
It deals with evil, its promises, its ruses, its seductions.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Deathcode Society'?

First, it's an hexasyllab, it sounds with solemnity, like our music. Then, it's both "straight in your face" and enigmatic. What does it mean precisely ? I don't know, maybe that we are just five guys trying to explore the darkest and deepest mysteries through music.

5.The music is heavily rooted in the symphonic black metal style, a few years ago the elitists attacked the genre and these days are now attacking post black metal instead, do you feel this genre will one day be as big as it was 10 or more years ago?
I don't know if it even got really big one day. Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir have become big, but the remaining rest of the herd came back to nothing, or almost. To be honest, we don't care about "symphonic black metal". A couple of bands we like are labelled this way, or were, for sure, but the "symphonic" element never was the crucial factor. Were called "symphonic" every single band using cheesy synths layers to spice up basic guitar riffs. What makes a genre big or cool is not the genre itself, but the quality of the bands.
Our music is heavily rooted in the scandinavian black metal genre, it's true, but the symphonic element is not the center of our music, it is used as an arrangement. In bands like Septic Flesh or Dimmu Borgir, or even Carach Angren, the music is built around the orchestra. All our songs are built upon the guitars and the drums. The orchestra comes when everything, or almost everything, has been written. There is one exception I think, the song "NooS", in which I wrote a lot of symphonic and choral stuff before the guitars. I really suggest people to visit our webpage and to download the scores of our songs, they're available for free. They will see that the guitars and bass parts are the MAIN elements of our music.

6.How would you describe your stage performance?
Solemn and petrifying. At last this is what we wish.

7.Are you working on getting a tour for the new album?
We are working on getting a couple of good partnerships (bookers for example) to be able to play under the best conditions. Little by little, opportunities happen. We have a couple of gigs to perform this year. We also hope to play at several summer festivals.

8.The album was released on Osmose Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about the contract you have signed the label?
It's a basic licence contracr. Osmose productions is an established label and we like their attitude. We are free to do whatever we want. For now, the relationship is good.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?
The reactions are good, some of them are really amazing. We clearly saw that the best reviews were written by people who took the time to listen with attention. Ignorance is something you can't hide.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I'm letting the music flow. But we will forge ahead. We are already working on the next album. We've found the title, the concept, everything - but the music ahahah.

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?

Our roots are to be found in metal and late romantic/expressionnist orchestral or vocal music. Our influences are easy to guess, we talked about scandinavian black metal, Emperor, Kvist, Dissection immediately come to mind, among others, Abigor, Anorexia Nervosa (which are not scandinavian). We also could mention the good old classic bands from the 80s, we owe them much ! Today, I still listen to metal and I spend long hours trying to discover new bands - I'm a passionate. A couple of names can be dropped : Xanthochroid, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Lychgate, Aenaon, Immanifest, Glaciation, Nordjevel ... I also listen to a lot of "classical" music. The old austrian master Anton Bruckner fascinates me.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Music is the center of my life, and all the things I enjoy tend to be connected with it.


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

Thank you for your review and interview. Hope you'll enjoy "Eschatonizer" for a long, long time.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2015

A Thousand Sufferings/Burden/Satanath Records/2015 CD Review


  A  Thousand  Sufferings  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Burden"  which  was  released  by  Satanath  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  drone  starts  off  the  album   along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  a  touch  of  ambient  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  stoner/sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  making  their  presence  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  in  both  the  riffs  and  guitar  leads  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  modern  black  metal  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction  that  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  a  couple  of  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  spoken  words  and  some  of  the  leads  also  bring  in  post  metal  elements  and  the  last  song  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats.

  A  Thousand  Sufferings  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  vocals  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  to  create  a sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes  along with  all  of  the  songs  adding  in  names  of  colors.

  In  my  opinion  A  Thousand  Sufferings  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band,  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Is  Redemption  (Bloodletting)"  and  "Blue  Is...(Remembering  Treasures)".  8  out  of  10.

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Monday, December 21, 2015

Deathcode Society/Eschatonizer/Osmore Productions/2015 CD Review


  Deathcode  Society  are  a  band from  France  that  plays a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album "Eschatonizer"  which  was  released  by Osmose  Productions.

  Symphonic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  start  mixing  in  with  a  heavier  sound  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  the  guitars  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  both  the  riffs  and  solos  and  the  vocals  are  in  a  more  high  pitched  black  metal  direction.

 Clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  they also  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  felling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  a  few  seconds  of  growls  and  they  close  the  album  with  covers  of  Judas  Priest's  "Metal  Meltdown"  and  "Emperor's  "With  Strength  I  Burn".

  Deathcode  Society  plays  a  style  of black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  while  still  sounding  very  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathcode  Society  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Mark  Of  Cain"  "Seraphic  Requiem"  and  "With  Strength  I  Burn".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXlNgHyVgks0Sy8ekTwBAw

Monday, December 14, 2015

Deathronic/Duality Chaos/Mighty Music/2013 EP Review


  Deathronic  are  a  solo  project  from France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2013  ep  "Duality  Chaos"  which  was  released  by  Mighty  Music.

  Symphonic  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  male  and  female  operatic  choirs and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  heavy  sound  along  with  some  melodic guitar  leads  and  riffs  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  as  well  as  well  as  adding  in  blackened  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  traditional  metal  elements  in  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  music also  brings  in  a  touch  of  industrial  at  times  and  they  also  mix  in  oriental  folk  music  influences  at  times  while  some  of  the  slow  yet  heavy  riffs  are  very  heavily influenced  by  early  90's  doom/death  metal  and  there  are  also  a  few  instrumental  tracks.

  Deathronic  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  symphonic  side  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  melodic  death,  goth,  doom  metal,  and  a  touch  of  electronic  and  oriental  music  to  create  a  musical  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathronic  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloody  Lust"  and  "Anno  1423".  8  out  of  10.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0alyn4TgWw
 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Dead To A Dying World/Litany/Tofu Carnage/Gilead Media/Alerta Antifascista/2015 CD Review


  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom,  crust  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Litany"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Tofu  Carnage,  Gilead  Media,  and  Alerta  Antifascista.

  Atmospheric  sounding  violins  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  black  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  slows  down  a  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  and  they  also  bring  in  clean  singing  vocals  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  clean  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  a  very  progressive  feeling.

  Female  vocals  are  brought  into  the  music  at  times  and  the  growls  also  add  a  touch  of  crust  and  death  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  a  variety  of  many  different  string  instruments  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses more elements  of  sludge  and  post  rock  are  added  into  the  music  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  sludge,  doom,  crust  and  post  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  stringed  instruments  to  create  an  original  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  epic  scenes  of  pain  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom, crust,  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hunt  Eternal"  and  "Narcissus".  8  out  of  10.    

Wolfhorde Interview


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



Wolfhorde is a Folk Metal band from Finland with a couple of self-released EP’s and a new upcoming debut album Towards The Gates of North. Mostly our music is combination of acoustic and electric instruments with intention to create atmospheric, but heavy soundscapes based on mythological and symbolic themes.



2.In 2016 you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



As a new element on the debut album we have introduced quite massive orchestras, which are not dominative in the sound, but rather in the background. Also the music does not solely rely on any particular instrument. It is more a combination of a lot of different sounds forming a huge stage of sound. As always, we wanted to have quite an organic sound to the album and I think we succeeded in this very well. Maybe it doesn’t sound as heavy and processed as modern metal nowadays, but atleast it sounds real. Also we are proud of the production on this one. None of the instruments were recorded in a real recording studio. Everything is still self-produced, but only better in every possible way.



3.This is going to be the first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?



We have been making this debut album during many years. Personally I (Werihukka) started doing the demos of these songs already in 2012. A lot of time went into making orchestral arrangements for these songs. Then we wanted to rehearse every song at the rehearsals together. The evolution of these songs at the rehearsing stage was the most important part of the process. In every occasion, we tried different things, drum arrangements, improved the groove and feel of the songs. This is important because the music only comes alive after it is actually played by a band and not intented to be played by drum machines and so on.



Also a lot of time went with completely other things during the making of this album. Unfortunately not all the time can be spend to making music.



4.Your lyrics cover a lot of Pagan topics, can you tell us a little bitmore about your interest in Paganism?



Norse mythology has been interesting subject for a long time for many of us in the band and also common travels to go hiking in the mountains of Norway brings closer to these landscapes. Pagan subjects are mostly sources of inspiration, not so much to do with religion. Imagination is a powerful tool of making art, but no one should base their believes in imaginery things.



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



Wolfhorde as a name comes from a long forgotten song of ours. After deciding the name, the style of music has become something more suited to this name. Wolves have always been one of many powerful sources of inspiration. They are strong and independent animals, yet able to form even stronger one as a united pack. That is what the band is all about as well.



6.Has the band done any live shows yet or is this strictly a studio project?



So far no live shows. We have only done this as a studio project, but most certainly it would be nice to perform these songs live in the future.



7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with Inverse Records?



We were already making this album and Inverse contacted us to make deal with them about the release, distribution and promotion of this album. We were very pleased about their offer and we still are.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk metal?



The feedback has been surprisingly positive all the time. Even the earliest releases received very good impressions a long time ago. I think our music has changed a little bit since those times, but the band is definitely still the same.



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



Nothing is certain, but personally I would like to experiment with more simplistic approach next time and concentrate more on band and sit less at the computer doing orchestras and sorts of things. Something heavier and darker will definitely be on the way at sometime in the future.



10.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?



There are too many bands to mention, but some of the bands that we would consider influential are Moonsorrow, Finntroll, Eluveitie, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Amorphis, Kiuas, Korpiklaani and so on. Not all the influence comes from folk metal or metal bands at all. And of course we just try to sound like Wolfhorde.



We listen to all good music without restrictions.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



Mythology and nature.



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



Hopefully you will like our new album coming in 22nd of January 2016.  Prepare yourselves for journey Towards The Gates of North.


Best regards,

- Werihukka

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Monday, December 7, 2015

Abaton/We Are Certainly Not Made Of Flesh/DrownWithin Records/Unquiet Records/Martire/2015 CD Review


 Abaton  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  post  metal,  doom  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "We  Are  Certainly Not  Made  Of  Flesh"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Drown  Within  Records,  Unquiet Records,  and  Martire.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  sludge/post  metal  direction  along  with  some high  pitched  screams  that  are  influenced  by  black  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  solos  and  leads.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  and  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  influences  of  hardcore  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also  mix  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  spoken  word parts  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  there  are  also  a  few  tracks  that are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  alos one  song  that  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals.

  Abaton  takers  the  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  mixture  of  previous  recordings  and  also  mixes  in  more  melody,  post metal  and  hardcore  influences  to  expand their  musical  style  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abaton  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ananta"  "Nadi"  and  "Echo".  8  out  of  10.

https://drownwithinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-certainly-not-made-of-flesh  

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Wolfhorde/Towards The Gate Of North/Inverse Records/2016 Full Length Review





  Wolfhorde  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  folk  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Towards  The  Gate  Of  North"  which  will  be  released  in  2016 by  Inverse  Records.

  Classical  guitars  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  when  keyboards  are  added onto  the  recording  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  on  the  second  track  tribal  beats  find  their  way  onto  the  album  and  they  bring  in  a  shamanistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  folk  metal  feeling  to  the  songs   and  the  vocals  bring  in  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  guitar  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  the  tracks.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  the  clean  vocals  bring  in  elements  of  pagan  metal  and  the  music  at  times  also  brings  in  a  medieval  atmosphere  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Wolfhorde  plays  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  symphonic  sounding  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Finnish  and  cover  Viking  heritage and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolfhorde are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuimbulvter"  "The  Retribution"  and  "The  Gates  Of  North".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Against The Plagues/Purified Through Devastation/Non Serviam Records/2015 CD Review


  Against  The  Plagues  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Purified  through  Devastation"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  A  very  fast,  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  atmospheric  sounds  in  the  background  at  times  and  after  awhile  melodies  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  are  utilized  quite  often  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  elements  of  melodic  death  metal  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  symphonic  elements  at  times  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken word  samples and  there  is  also  a  short  acoustic  instrumental  before  closing  the  album  with  2  heavy  tracks.

  Against  The  Plagues  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  brutal  death  metal  with  symphonic  and  melodic  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Inner  Strength  and  War  Themes.

  In  my  opinion  Against  the  Plagues  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  melodic  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  "All  Flesh  Had  Corrupted"  "TerrorForm"  and  "Enemy  Herein".  8  out  of  10.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Satarial/Lunar Cross/Satanath Records/Metallic Media/Black Plague Records/2014 CD Review


  Satarial  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  gothic  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Lunar  Cross"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records,  Metallic  Media,  and  Black  Plague  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  bring  in  a  touch  of  traditional  metal  and  a  few  seconds  later  operatic  female  vocals  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

   Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  and  elements  of  industrial  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  whispers  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  energy  of  gothic  rock  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  symphonic  elements.

  As  the  elements  progresses  elements  of  folk  music  are  added  into  some  of  the  tracks  while  the  influence  of  industrial  can  be  heard  at  times  and  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  album gets  more  diverse  with each  track  mixing  in  a  variety  of  many  different  influences.

  Satarial  plays  a  musical  style  which  mixes  symphonic  black  metal,  goth  rock,  industrial  and  folk  music  to  create  a  very  original  sounding  style,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Satarial  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  goth  rock,  industrial  and  folk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Horned  One"  "Witches  Night"  "Flower  Of  Datura"  and  "Spell  Of  Formation".  8  out  of  10.  

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Monday, November 23, 2015

Fortress Black/I.N.R.I/Demons Run Amok Entertainment/2015 EP Review


  Fortress  Black  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "I.N.R.I"  which  was  released  by  Demons  Run  Amok  Entertainment.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavy  yet  dark  musical  direction  along  with  some  screams  that  mix  black  metal  and  sludge  together  and  the  music  also  brings  in  the  anger  of  hardcore  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  also  brings  in  elements  of  modern  post  metal.

  Some  of  the  riffs  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some  of t he  tracks  also  bring  in  growls  and  angry  shouts  along  with  a  touch  of  post  hardcore  and  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  the  music  does  speed  up  briefly  along  with  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  the  more  modern  side  of  black  metal  being  mixed  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Fortress  Black  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  post  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  dark  and  heavy  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  heavy and  modern  while  the  lyrics  cover  social,  emotional  issues  and  anti  fascist  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Fortress  Black  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leave  me  Alone"  and  "I.N.R.I".  8  out  of  10.

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Images At Twilight/Kings/Indie Recordings/2015 CD Review


  Images  At  Twilight  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  orchestral  form of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Kings"  which  was  released  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  haunting  keyboard  sound  starts  off  the  album  using  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  as  well  as  having  whispers  and  growls  in t he  backgrounds  and w hen  they  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  a  fast  black  metal  style  along  with  some  grim  screams  and  blast  beats  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  growls  which  also  gives  the  music  a  death  metal  vibe.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  bring  in  the  more  melodic  side  of  mid  90's  symphonic  black  metal and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks.

  Images  At  Twilight  takes  a  very  aggressive  and  melodic style  of  black  metal  which  they  mix  in  with  a  lot  of  orchestra  and  symphonic  elements  to  create  a  very  epic  sounding  album,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a   concept  album  based  upon  epic  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Images  At  Twilight  are  a  very  great  sounding  orchestral  black  metal  band  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ninhagaz"  "Awazor"  and  "Zatholoch".  8  out  of  10.

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Thulnar Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.Well, I'm a one-man band based in northern Italy. I put my first mp3 online back in 2004, very raw material. That year was a discovery... meaning I had to learn everything by myself: notation, orchestration and the use of a sequencer. My long-time friend Elrick Blackcrow helped me a lot with everything and he's the other pillar of Thulnar. Oh, about the name: Thulnar is the main character's name of the lore behind all my music, crafted by Elric and I. Because, you know, if you want to label yourself "Extreme Fantasy Metal", a concept is capital.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
2.The musical sound is pompous and symphonic. I repeat: symphonic. Orchestra in my mind has the importance of the classic rock/metal quartet in the final mix balance, not a mere keyboard put in the rear. This often complicates things with producers and engineers, but once they understand my vision, everything flows smoothly.  So, think about Thulnar like Rhapsody (of Fire) plus Summoning and you get the idea.

3.This is the first release to come out in 8 years, can you tell us a little bit more bout what has been going on during that time frame?
3.Meanwhile, I released two demos, called "Thulnar Demo" (you cand find it online) and "The End of the Blissful Days" (try it on my Soundcloud page!).

4.Your lyrics cover Fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
4.This answer could last pages! Apart from classic philosophy books, my other readings are related to fantasy fiction. I buy stuff and stuff on Amazon Kindle just for the sake of discovering new and interesting fantasy authors; I read them in English, 'cause the vast majority is unpublished here in Italy... even if the knowledge of the language itself is far from perfect.

5.Originally the band was called 'Darken', what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Thulnar'?
5.Well, "Darken" in a very common name in the metal... culture, underground? Call it the way you prefer. So back in the days I decided to change the moniker to avoid possible copyright trouble, just in the case the band will grow.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?
6.I read, everyday, of splitted bands... Of founder members and main composer kicked out from the project they had created. Metal and rock, and metal and rock community as well, are not so deeply respectful towards composers and thus they lament downfall quality when these persons leave bands. Think about it: we remember Mozart and Beethoven, not the guys playing their stuff.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7.I'm not actively looking, because I lost hope. And some patience as well. Very few labels now-a-days want to take risks, they want bands that already sell. So... how can you call yourself an entrepreneur without taking risks? I just don't get it.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
8.In eleven years now, only a moderately bad review. I can't rely on music for a living, at all, but since my songs are genre mixed I can get a bit of attention. In the beginning, I didn't have so much expectations, but now the overall project is evolving slowly, yet in a positive way.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
9.Elric, my singer, is involved in another Italian band called "Mors Tua", where he writes lyrics and plays trumpet. Yes, he's a classical trumpet Maestro, playing in various European symphonic orchestras all year around. By the way, check this out, if you are curious about "Mors Tua"! http://ilmaleproduction.bandcamp.com/

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10.Musically, the band will follow the same genre directions. I will try to improve the quality more and more, 'cause I'm never satisfied, of course. I'm planning to release a single in 2016,  "Bellum".

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?
11.Rhapsody are my main inspirations. Hollywood movies' soundtracks as well. Early Immortal too. Mix these three elements and you obtain Thulnar!

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12.Gaming and sport, road cycling and bodybuilding above all!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13.Final thoughts are about the music industry. Always remember it's the fans who make the industry. We artists are creative and we are entertainers, but our art is inside of us. Without the listeners' minds, our art is a dead end. So, listen to music without genre boundaries and support the artists!

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The Canyon Observer/FVCK/Kapa Records/2015 CD Review


  The  Canyon  Observer  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "FVCK"  which  was  released  by  Kapa  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavy  sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  post  metal  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  being utilized  at  times.

   Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  being  brought  into  some  of  the  tracks  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  experimental,  noise  and  drone  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  the  music  starts  to  speed  up  briefly  and  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  The  Canyon  Observer  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  experimental,  noise  and  drone  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  disturbing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Canyon  Observer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bounds  Tied Tight"  and  "All  Of  her,  Mine".  8  out  of  10.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Solomonic Demons Interview


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


Solomonic Demons is not just and Ordinary Metal Band even if I'm no the best skilled Musician or Lyricist outside I try to put all My effort in the composition of the Solomonic Demons music trying to give the band an Unique sound with lyrics  of Occultism, Death and Ordinary man issues this is the result of 6 years trying to find the adequate sound because Solomonic Demons is not just music is a cult.


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings/


I focus in Keeping the sound  Raw and Clean; this may sound a contradiction but Metal genre has so many subgeners so is Possible even if Im not an Engineer. I know how I wanna sound it has to be Heavy Thrash and Death.


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


The Main Idea of Solomonic Demons was Demonology I was so obsessed with the grimoire of  the Lesser key of Solomon in 2009 that I decided to create a Project only to focus on the Invocation and description of the Demons founded on the spell books. The album Firestorm is divided in 2 parts  the first part is the Invocation  that focus Lyrics on the topic mentioned already Demonology theres no Satanic themes so far on the lyrics do not get confused , The Second part is the Evil part  were Lyrical themes are more about Death, War and Real world issues also the music is more faster and

less melodic in this part of the album.


4.Your name is Beelzebul and the band name and some of the songs are based upon the Goetia, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the occult?


Beelzebul cause destruction through tyrants,  cause demons to be worshipped among men, to excite priests to lust, to cause jealousies in cities and murders, and to bring on war when you hear Solomonic  Demons thats what you expect and only the prince of Hell can sign that thats why I call myself Beelzebul, Like I Mentioned Before I was obsessed with Demonology on some point of my life and maybe Im still

thats the Flame that Solomonic Demons always going to need.


5.From 2008 to 2013 there was no music being released can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?


The Project had to many Music changes over the years I never was satisfied until 2013 maybe 10 demos were recorded before I cud present a solid Idea thats why so many years.


6.With this musical project you record everything by yourself but also have a full band on the side, how would you compare the two?


Solomonic Demons and Notas Fantasmas are to different.  Notas Fantasmas is a Black Metal band and focus in Satanic themes is faster even blast

beats  is more nasty like a wild child running with no focus more than destruction.


7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?


I had seen a lot of reviews and this makes me very happy by the way Im trying to make this thing even better and I can promise next music is going to be better and more technical


8.What is going on with your other band these days?


unfortunately Notas Fantasmas broke up on 2012 I couldn't Make Black Metal anymore I don't feel myself as a Satanic  person without that you cant make black metal even if you just sing just about blasphemy


9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?


I hope I can tour worldwide with the project I want people to see Solomonic Demons live more albums are coming like i said this is just the beginning


10.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?


I love Metal and I have to many influences and I cant list them all but I can list Solomonic  Demons influences: Atomizer ( Aus ) Coven ( 60s Rock band ), Amorphis, Angel Witch, Destroyer 666, Crematory, Deathhammer, Decapitated, Megadeth, Dissection, Devil Lee Rot, Mercyful fate, Metalucifer and a few more that I don't remember right now. I collect Vinyls Records I love to buy music from New bands that I like and Oldies reiused


11.What are some of your non musical interests?


I have family wife and kids so when Im not either Working or making Music Im spending my time with them


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


Im really pleased that I finally was able to exposed Solomonic Demons to the World I was working for years in this project but I promise that this just the beginning of Solomonic Demons journey

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Eshtadur/Oblivion/RebelSign/2015 EP Review


  Eshtadur  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Oblivion"  which will  be  released in  December by  RebelSign.

  Symphonic  style  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  thrash  and  a  few  seconds  later  aggressive  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  more  modern  metal  elements  that  where  not  on the  previous  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  adds  in  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  style  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  they  also  mix  the  symphonic  and  heavier  parts  together  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  spoken  word parts.

  On  this  recording  Eshtadur takes  a  modern  style  of  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  touch  of  symphonic  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of their  own  on  this  ep.  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  rebellion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eshtadur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  more  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Last  Day  Of  the  Condor"  and  "The  Currency  Of  My  Empire".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Eshtadur-177549565617566
Bandcamp: https://eshtadur.bandcamp.com/
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/Flechas666JorgeLopez
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/eshtadur
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/eshtadur
'In a Trance With Darkness' (Official Video): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C_WI--hyp8