Incursed/Amalur/2017 Full Length Review

  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Incursed  which  is  also  in  the  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Amalur".

  Nature  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  grim  vocals  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos   are  utilized  they  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  screams  clean  pagan  singing  as  well  as  some  back  up  shouts ,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  keyboards  when  they  are  brought  into  the  music  also  add  in  a  touch  of  prog  rock  along  with  acoustic  guitars  also  being added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Incursed  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  style  of  viking,  pagan  and  fol  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  battles,  war,  Paganism  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Incursed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  viking,  pagan  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cry  Havok"  "The  Awakening"  "A  Crownless  King"  and  "Brothers  In  Arms".  8  out  of  10.

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Incursed/The Slavic Covenant/2017

  Spain's  Incursed  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "The  Slavic  Covenant".

  Spoken  word  parts  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  bring  in  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  back  up  shouts  and  clean  pagan  vocals  are also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  prog  rock  elements  also  being  used  briefly  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  keyboards  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  they  close  the  ep  with  a  cover  of  A-ha's  "Take  On   Me".

  Incursed  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  pagan,  and  viking  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  battle,  war,  Paganism  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Incursed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal, you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Slavic  Covenant"  and  "Wild".  8  out  of  10.

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Perdition's Light/Endzeit/2017 Full Length Review

Perdition's  Light  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Endzeit"

  A  very  heavy  sound  along  with  some  avant  garde  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  aggression.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  and  melodic  vocals  which  takes  the  music  into  even  more  of  an  avant  garde  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times,  elements  of  post  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Perdition's  Light  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  in  an  avant  garde  black  metal  style  that  is  very  close  to  the  mid  90's  Norwegian  era  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  poetic,  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Perdition's  Light  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Passenger"  "Mighty  Observer"  "Mournings  Breeze"  and  "Blackened  Wine  Of  Remembrance".  8  out  of  10.

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Odraedir 2017 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 and the time in between 2013 to 2017?
Yes, definitely. We didn´t want to underestimate the preparation. At first we needed to compose the new material and after that we started recording the stuff on February 2015. In 2016 we did some improvements and started mixing and mastering on March 2017. And now the album is finally done. So we spent all the time to record everything correctly and in the last point we needed to make some rearrangements in background music made by flutes, bagpipes and so on to fit the songs perfectly. It was a long way where we learnt how to operate with details and I must tell you the time worth it, it brought us a lot of valuable experiences which we’ll use the next time.

 2.How does the new album different from the stuff you have done in the past?
I don´t think it´s so different, we just continued in our ingrained style: heavy rhythms, melodies supplemented by background music and harsh vocals. Maybe there´s a difference in the amount of orchestras, it´s increased compared to the previous albums. Also the production is much better and we spent waaaaay more time to record and complete this stuff :D.

3.How would you describe your songwriting progress over the years?
It´s hard to describe but we focused more on structured and complex composing. The songs are compact as we put a stress on deeper details. In fact it’s probably only us who takes care about them as those details are pretty hidden but we simply like it :).

4.Since 2013 have you done any live shows that have stood out in your memory?
First it was in 2013, when we went on the small tour with two bands full of great guys, Knaat and Heathen Foray. That was an amazing experience which we‘ll never forget. Than in 2014, we played on Made of Metal open air festival here in the Czech Republic, which was our first big festival experience.

5.Are there any touring or show plans for the new album?
Sure, it’s very important to promote our new album in the Czech Republic and abroad as well. Concerning the domestic shows, some are already behind us and several are planned in the near future. We would like to make some small tour including Germany and Austria, as in 2013, in the first half of the next year but there are no certain dates yet. We´d also love to play at some open air festivals, we’ll definitely apply for some in Germany.

6.Last time we talked you where unsigned and the new album is self released, has any labels showed any interest in your newer music?
No but we haven’t been so visible in past years which is not the case of nowadays. Now we have a new album which represents our music on a good level. We plan to ask around whether some label would be interested in cooperation as music distribution… we’ll see.

7.How have you fans reacted to your musical progress over the years?
Our fans were positively surprised by the progress we made. We also noticed a high interest in having our CD :-). It can be told we spread CD’s all over the world as it reached even USA and Japan. On the other hand this is also caused by better connection between bands and their fans via Bandcamp, Facebook, Youtube and other mediating parties which went more and more into our daily lives over past years.

8.Are there any current musical influences or inspirations over the years that have played a role in your newer music?
There is a number of bands we all like and there is definitely an influence on our creations but it’s impossible to name any certain. Simply, what we compose is formed by our taste which doesn’t have any strict borders.

9.What are some of the things you would like to try out musically during the future that you where not able to do with the new album?
We can’t say we were not able to do but we want to experiment a little bit. For example we plan to drop our tuning. Plus we wish to try bringing our music into a concept album but that’s a challenge for sure... a tempting one :D.

10.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are thankful for the great support which we got over those years as well as the one we got during the last months as Legends of the Dark Times album was released. We also let some T-shirts made to this occasion and it’s a wonderful feeling to see fans with our T-shirts on below the stage, that’s really a great support for us, thank you. And few very final words... we are looking forward to see each other at concerts, visit us and you´ll be kindly rewarded... :-)

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Coliseum/Mirmillion/Envenomed Music/2015 CD Review

  Coliseum  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Mirmillion"  which  was  released  by  Envenomed  Music.

  Sword  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  epic  synths  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  vocals  being  black  metal  screams.

  A  touch  of  pagan  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  leads  up  to  the  music  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Coliseum  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  together  to  create  an  epic  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in Belgian  and  cover  Gladiators  and  Roman  Empire  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Coliseum  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  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  "Le  Dernier  Hurlement"  "Coliseum"  and  "La  Legende".  8  out  of  10.

https://envenomedmusic. bandcamp.com/album/mirmillon

Perihelion/Orveny/Apathia Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Hungary's  Perihelion  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  avant  garde  style  of  post  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Orveny"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Apathia  Records.


  Heavy  riffs  along  with  some  clean  avant  garde  style  vocals  start  off  the  album  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  being  very  experimental  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  elements  of  post punk  and  clean  guitars are also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  blast  beats  are  also  used  briefly.

  Perihelion  creates  a  recording  that  goes  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  post  metal  style  while  the  influence  of  black  metal  is  still  there,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Hungarian  ans  cover  dreamlike  passages  towards  the  subconscious.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Perihelion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kihalt  Egi  Folyosok"  "Fenyt!"  and  "Bardo".  8  out  of  10.

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Bloodmoon/Trapped Within Burning Machinery/Midnight Collective/2017 SPlit Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  California's  Bloodmoon  and  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Midnight  Collective  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Bloodmoon  a  band  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  yet  heavy  riffing  along  with  some  screams  that  are  in  between  sludge  and  black  metal  and  there  track  is  over  11  minutes  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them along  with  some  elements  of  post  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  mixing  in  clean  singing  into the  background  and  they  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  song  a  more  progressive  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space,  time,  death  and  mind  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodmoon  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

  Next  up  is  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  atmospheric  synths  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  while  the  track  is  over  17  minutes  in  length  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  it  goes  into  more  of  a  funeral  doom  metal  direction.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  elements  of  sludge  are  also  added into  the  heavier  riffing  along  with  some  melodic  guitar leads  as  well  as  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  existence,  misanthropy,  industrialism,  and  drug  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

  In  conclusion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.

https://trappedwithinburningmachinery.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-bloodmoon

Primitive Man/Caustic/Relapse Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Denver,  Colorado's  Primitive  Man  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Caustic"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Relapse  Records.

   Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  while  also  mixing  in  black  metal  screams  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

    Elements  of  harsh  noise  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  d  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  post  metal  style.

  Primitive  Man  remains  true  to  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  form  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  more  elements  of  harsh  noise  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hatred  an  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Primitive  Man  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Will"  "Commerce"  "Sugar  Hole"  and  "Inevitable".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.primitivemandoom.com
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Mazikeen/Self Titled/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2017 CD Review

  Mazikeen  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2017  album  which  was  released  by  Iron,  Blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  heavy  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  styles  of  black  and  death  metal.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's  but  done  with  a  more  modern  twist  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  the  outro  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  before  going  into  the  bonus  tracks  while    a  couple  of  the  songs  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of being instrumentals  as  well  as  having  a  more  raw  production  to  it.

  Mazikeen  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  Swedish  style  blackened  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mazikeen  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "No  Name"  and  "Ceulian  v3".  8  out  of  10.

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Ensiferum/Two Paths/Metal Blade Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Finland's  Ensiferum  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  folk  metal  style  of  previous  releases  while  still  also  mixing in  the  heaviness  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Two  Paths"  which  will  be  released on  September  15th  by  Metal Blade  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  intro starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  as  well  as  introducing  female  vocals  and  pagan  choirs  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  heavier.

  Vocals  bring  in a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some   melodic  singing  that  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  digital  accordion's  also  being  utilized  at  times  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  back  up  shouts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Ensiferum  creates  another  recording t hat  remains  true  to  the  melodic  black  and  death  metal  inspired  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  legends,  fantasy.  battles,  sorrow,  and  heathenism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ensiferum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "For  Those  About  To  Fight  For  Metal"  "Two  Paths' "Feast  With  Valkyries"  and  "God  Is  Dead".  8/5  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/Ensiferum
http://www.ensiferum.com
http://www.metalblade.com/ensiferum