Sunday, April 26, 2020

Helioss/Devenir Le Soleil/Satanath Records/Mourning Light Records/2020 CD Review


  Helioss  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays a  very  melodic,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Devenir  Le  Soliel"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Mourning  Light  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while symphonic  elements  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  track  also  introduces  stringed  instruments  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  being  programmed.  A  lot  of  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  touches  of  the  neo-classical  and  shred  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  melodic  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  synths  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  influences  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  dark  and  scientific  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Helioss  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  melodic,  symphonic  and  progressive  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Wall  Of  Certainity"  "Singularity"  "La  Lepre  Des  Hommes"  and  "Now...Shine!".  8  out  of  10.

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Vitam Et Mortem/El Rio De La Muerte/Satanath Records/Exhumed Records/2020 CD Review


  Vitam  Et  Mortem  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "El  Rio  De  La  Muerte"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Exhumed  Records.

  Symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  female  vocals  can  also  be heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  death  metal  growls  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  and  folk  music  elements  also  being  used  briefly.  as  the  problem  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  the  closing  track  is  also  a  Masacre  cover.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  death,  war,  chaos,  history  and  ancient  culture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Vitam  Et  Mortem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Los  cuerpos  en  el  rio"  "El  animero"  "Plegaria  a  los  muertos"  and  "Rito  de  muerte".  8  out  of  10.

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Mazikeen/The Solace Of Death/Satanath Records/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2020 CD Review


  Mazikeen  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "The  Solace  Of  Death"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Iron,  Blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  whispered  vocals  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  elements  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.  Some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  Harsh  noises  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  couple  of  instrumentals  can  also  be  heard  and  the  album  closes  with  some  Mayhem,  Dissection,  Dimmu  Borgir  and  Darkthrone  covers  and  re doing Freezing  Moon  and  Transylvanian  Hunger  in  2020  is  completely  useless  and  there  original  material  is  good  enough  to  the  point  where  they  have  no  need  in covering  these  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  destroying  souls,  death  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mazikeen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Solace  Of  Death"  "Fratricide"  and  "Cerulean  Last  Night".  8  out  of  10.

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Friday, April 24, 2020

Cauldron Black Ram/Slaver/20 Buck Spin/2020 CD Review



  Australia's  Cauldron  Black  Ram  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Slaver"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  A  very  slow,  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  capturing  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  guttural  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  grim  blackened  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  couple  of  instrumentals   are  also  added  onto  the  recording,  semi  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cauldron  Black  Ram  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flame"  "Graves  Awaiting  Corpses"  and  "The  Pit".  8  out  of  10.

https://cauldronblackram.bigcartel.com    

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

God Dethroned 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?
Well we did a European tour right on top of the release of the album and we even managed to finish it, because some bands who started a tour a week later couldn’t finish their tours anymore due to the shutdown of countries to contain the corona virus. Now we are waiting for better times like everyone else.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
On this album we added a lot of additional layers in the music. Especially vocals and keyboards. This created an extra dimension and lifted the atmosphere. We are glad we did this experiment, because at first we discussed if we just keep it basic like we did on the World Ablaze album. The songs themselves were strong enough to do without this, but we had the time to try all these extras, so we did.

3.The band split up for a couple of years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
I just needed some time off for myself. I didn’t know if it would be a definite ending or a break, but if i would have called it a break then people would have kept on asking me about shows and stuff. This was something i wasn’t looking forward to at that time, so i decided to quit for real. Then after a couple of years i noticed i missed it and decided to come back.

4.The album title is 'Illuminati', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the Illuminati,Freemason's and other secret societies?
I just wanted to add something new to write about, so i looked into the Illuminati. Everybody has heard about this secret society and the mysteries surrounding it. I found out that they were basically fighting for freedom. Wanting to be able to read books that were forbidden at that time and to discuss things that weren’t allowed to discuss about. They infiltrated in certain organisations to blend in. I took this point of view and projected it upon religion.

5.Over the years you have also covered some satanic and demonology topics and made some references to grimoires and the writings of Aliester Crowley, can you tell us a little bit more about how you got interested in occultism and also how has your interest evolved over the years?
It’s just something that i like to read about and especially Aleister Crowley was a big influence. I don’t use this so much in my lyrics though. Mostly i use stories from the bible and turn them into my own earthly view of it and i use some sarcasm to do so.

6.You have also covered some war topics over the years, which past war has the most interest to you?
I’m interested in history generally. I used to visit Ypres a lot in the past, because one of our guitarists used to live there. I got fascinated by seeing all these people from the UK going there every weekend to visit the graves of their relatives who died there during WWI. Then i visited the war memorial sites, museum and so on and decided to write a concept album about it. It was received so well that we ended up doing two more.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork is done by Michal Xaay Loranc who also did artwork for Nile. He created some really beautiful artwork for us. The cover shows a vortex of souls and fits very well to our music and lyrics on this album.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?
We did, but not anymore. Now we have to wait patiently for 2021 to be able to back out on the road again. We have more European tours in the works and also South America and Canada at the moment.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black and death metal?
The response on the new album is overwhelmingly positive. Many people regard this as one of the best albums in a long time. We also played 4 songs of the new album on tour and although the album was just out since a week, the songs were appreciated a lot by the audience.

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?
Most of those bands are just things on the side and i don’t know that much about it to be honest.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
That’s too early to tell right now.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Can’t say which bands as we try to not get influenced by other bands so much when we are writing new songs, but having loads of melodies in our songs is very important to us. So for me my love for Iron Maiden songs will probably show a little in our music.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
Hope we can go back to normal sooner than later, so we can go back on the road and play!

Cheers, Henri
God Dethroned

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Saturday, April 18, 2020

(0)/SkamHam/Napalm Records/2020 Full Length Review


  (0)  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "SkamHam"  which  will  be  released  on  April  24th  by  Napalm  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  growls  and  deep  growls  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive  and  post  metal  elements.  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  clean  playing  also  making  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  A  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  as  the  album   progresses  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  the  closing  track  is  also  an  instrumental. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  dark  and  gloomy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  (0"  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tyndere  end  Hud"  "Rod  Glorie"  and  "SkamHam".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/42qW87QjajI

    

Koneic Pola/trop/Devoted Art Propaganda/2020 CD Review


  Koneic  Pola  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  avant  garde  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "trop"  which  will  be  released  on  April  27th  by  Devoted  Art  Propaganda.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  tribal  style  percussion  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  spoken  word  parts  give  the  recording  more  of a  ritualistic  feeling.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  some  tracks  adding  in  violins  and  clarinets.

  Heavy  riffing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  elements  of  folk  and  post  rock  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard,  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  dream  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Koneic  Pola  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  folk,  avant  garde  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Trzeci"  and  "Szosty".  8  out  of  10.

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Thursday, April 16, 2020

3xperimental Interview

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

Hi everyone, 3xperimental is an expression of the musical ideas that come to my mind. I have been composing music for more than 15 years, mostly for myself, but eventually felt a desire to share the songs with a larger audience. The feedback has been great so far and it motivates me to keep exploring new ideas.


2.So far you have released 2 albums, musically how do they both differ from each other?

Each album follows a thematic concept, and this is partly reflected in the composition. The first album "Virtual World" tells a near future story, and is perhaps darker and a bit more industrial. The new release "Symphony of Elements" is more orchestral and progressive, with many organic sounds that represent Nature. But the major difference is the production. I learned a lot from the recording of the first album, and was also able to invest more into the second recording (hardware, studio time, sound engineer, ...). This led to a full professional production from start to finish, and overall a much higher quality of sound.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

I think the overall subject of both albums is "Ending Worlds", whether it is on a global or more personal scale. The first album dealt with people who feel (rightly or not) that the world is ending and find refuge in virtual worlds. The new album discusses our place in Nature, and how little we are compared to forces that can end us all. I can already tell that the next album will continue to explore such themes !


4.I have read that you also had 3 concept albums that where never published, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Some of these concepts were not mature enough to end up in an album, some will need a massive investment and involvement of many other musicians, both are not feasible at the moment. Let's say I have ideas and material for many other albums, and can't wait to get back to writing music, but for now I focus on my energy on the release of "Symphony of Elements" !


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 3xperimental?

Each song/album is an experiment. I don't want to restrict the music to a specific genre, and I try to introduce structural or melodic elements that may surprise the listener. For instance the whale song in "Water".


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

The artwork was done by Vini Hummel, a very talented artist. I explained to him the concept of the album (natural elements: earth, water, wind, fire) and let him come up with his own interpretation. I think his design is an awesome representation of the forces of Nature.


7.With the exception of a few guests you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?

I like to work alone on the songwriting, I usually have a very clear vision of what each song should be. I would love, however, to turn the project into a full band and would welcome contributions.


8.You also have a few guests on the album, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions?

My wife recorded the female backing vocals on a few tracks, and I hired another singer to perform the female vocals and opera lines in the song "At the End of the World". They add a lot to the album !


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

I am looking for a label, and some discussion is happening. I hope to receive more interest once "Symphony of Elements" is out.


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of atmospheric and symphonic black metal?

Excellent so far ! Despite almost no promotion for the first album, it got quite a few sales (even physical copies!) in Europe and the USA. The feedback has been very positive and motivating !


11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I would like the next album to incorporate much more synthesizers so this is definitely a direction I want to explore. I am also looking for session musicians who could support live shows.


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?

I listen to so many bands, so it's difficult for me to know what really influenced the album. The symphonic elements are certainly reminiscent of when I discovered symphonic metal in the early nineties with bands like After Forever, Rhapsody, or Nightwish. Nowadays I listen mostly darker metal bands like Behemoth, Mgla, The Project Hate. And Evergrey, my all time favourite for sad tunes. My hope is that fans will find many familiar elements in our new album, but also something completely new and exciting.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

In my non-musical life I am a planetary scientist, so I am very much into space stuff ! I also love scuba diving, and the song "Water" reflects some of that. We should take better care of our oceans !


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

I hope you all will enjoy the album. Don't hesitate to get in touch via Bandcamp or Facebook !

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WOWS/Ver Sacrum/Dio Drone/Shove Records/Coypu Records/Hellbones Records/2020 CD Review


  WOWS  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  atmospheric  doom  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Ver  Sacrum"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Dio  Drone,  Shove,  Coypu  and  Hellbones  Records.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  while  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  blast  beats  and  black  metal  elements  can  be  heard  as  well  as  some  dissonant  melodies.

  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  an  angry  hardcore  shouting  style  while  also  mixing  in  some  blackened  touches.  Influences  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Most  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style,  clean  playing  is  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  post  metal  style  vocals  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  destruction  emptiness  and  rebirth  themes.

  In  my  opinion  WOWS  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black,  atmospheric  doom  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mythras"  and  "Resurrecturis".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/thewows/  - https://thewows.bandcamp.com/

          

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

3xperimental/Symphony Of Element/2020 CD Review

3xperimental  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "Symphony  Of  Element"  which  will  be  released  in  June.



  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Melodic  choirs  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.



  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  Progressive  influences  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.



  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  Nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  touches  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs,  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  adds  in  some  operatic  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  album  while  the  lyrics  cover  end  of  the  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  3xperimental  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Earth"  "Fire"  and  "Visions".  8  out  of  10.

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Saturday, April 11, 2020

Xaemora/At Dusk Of Existence/2020 EP Review


  St.  Louis,  Missouri's  Xaemora  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the    symphonic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  ep  "At  Dusk  Of  Existence".

 A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  while  also  mixing  the  symphonic  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  On  this  recording  Xaemora  remain  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  they  have established  on  their  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  chaos  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Xaemora  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal, you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Descent  To  Oblivion"  and  "At  Dusk  Of  Existence".  8 out  of  10.

 Xaemora.bandcamp.com    

SWMM/Trail Of The Fallen/2020 Full Length Review


  SWMM(Sometimes  We  Make  Music)  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020 album  "Trail  Of  The  Fallen".

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blackened  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  along  with  some  folk  instruments  also  being  utilized  at  times.  one  track  also  introduces  clean  vocals  onto  the  album  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  touch  of  ska  can  also  be  heard  and  female  vocals  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norwegian  folklore  and  ancient  times.

  In  my  opinion  SWMM  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "By  The  Might  Of  The  Crow"  "Demon"  and  "Two  Kings".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp https://swmm.bandcamp.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sometimes.we.make.music/

  

Lycantrophilia/Blood Moon Chronicles/2020 Full Length Review


  Lycantrophilia  are  a  duo  with  members  from  Germany  and  France  that  plays  a  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Blood  Moon  Chronicles"  which  will  be  released  on  April  17th.

  Symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  slam  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  One  track  also  introduces  back  up  shouts  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses     clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks   and  at  times  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  90's  era  symphonic  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lycantrophilia  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  yo  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Queen  Of  Night"  "Sinister  Gospel"  "Hymn  Of  Lies"  and  "Footsteps  In  Our  Path". 8  out  of  10.

 Homepage: https://lycantrophilia.bandcamp.com/
Contact: info@lycantrophilia.de

Friday, April 10, 2020

Rise Of The Stateless Wolf Interview

A - Strings Nomad, Spiritual Throat
F. - Strings and Fury Throat

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

A. - The R.O.T.S.W. project start in 2019. At that time all of us are involved in our strictly esoteric black metal project called Nurmur. We decided to put our force and dedication into a new entity, where our musical attitude and styles will not be caged into a specific genre/scene. The mission: explore meditative sound and turn them into furious vehemence.

2.So far you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

A. - A dark mixture of our influences/style put together to match the lyrical concept. Crust/d-beat drum pattern and Black-Death metal riffs to give a violent ripetitive-obsessive texture and furious, low and not so clean vocals.

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

A. - The main lyrical topic is simple yet ambitious: the eternal climb to the one's self Holy Mountain, and the risk of failure that a quest like this can involve.
In fact, this EP is dedicated to Emilio Salgari, a famous Italian writer of the past century who has write hundreds of book describing in details places and territory he never visited. A man with a powerful and limitless mind. In the same powerful way he ended his life with Seppuku. The ritual suicide.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Rise Of The Stateless Wolf'?

A. - After thousands of years of migration under persecution, the wolf is indeed a stateless animal. Driven by his instinct of survival, that made him the antithesis of the modern man...let's celebrate him, he didn't surrender!

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

A. - The Elephant's head with a broken tusk...will forever be our animal guide. In the induistic tradition he represent the instinct of survival, destruction of obstacles, equilibrium, an archetipe full of simbolic meanings. To put him on our first cover art was more mandatory than natural.

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

F. - We had to do our first concert in May, but due of Covid-19 virus that is scourging our country, everything is postponed.
We will be ready when the time comes.

7.The ep was released on 'Italian Extreme Underground', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

F. - Italian Extreme Underground is my DIY label/distro. Born in 2014 as a Facebook page (still active), it turned into a label/distro a few years later and has a dozen releases.
For info: https://www.facebook.com/italiaextreme / http://ieudistro.altervista.org / https://italianextremeunderground.bandcamp.com

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

F. - We are trying to get our music out of Italy, at the moment we don't have much feedback from abroad. But those few we have, they have been positive.

9.When  can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

F. - After this EP is it worth considering the idea of doing a full-length? We do not know this.
When we meet after this quarantine period we will think about the path that our project will take.
Musically we set no limits. We take every source of inspiration and even this dark moment of our life will help us, especially for the lyrics.

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?

A. - Musically speaking, our main influences are the Crust/D-beat fury of acts like Discharge and Wolfpack; the lyrical and atmospheric exploration of Inquisition and few other Black Metal band, the old-school thrash and death metal scene, particulary the album Schizophrenia from Sepultura and the complete discography of Bolt Thrower. Godflesh and Mysticum for the use of drum machine. And some neo folk act like Death in June and Current 93.
Speaking of new band, Mitochondrion, Portal, Youth Code.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

A. - Read, study, meditate and training for the end.

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

A./F.- We want to thank again your 'zine for giving us this space to promote our project and for the review...OSU

https://www.facebook.com/rotsw/

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Rise Of The Stateless Wolf/Born Dead/Year Of The Rats/Italian Extreme Underground/2020 EP Review


  Rise  Of  The  Stateless  Wolf  are  a  band  from  Italy that  plays  a  mixture  of  black, sludge  metal and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Born  Dead/Year  Of  The  Rats" which  was  released  by  Italian  Extreme  Underground.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  while  the  slower  riffing  brings  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  showing  an  influence  of  hardcore.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  along  with  some  touches  of  crust  punk  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style and  spoken  word parts,  demonic  voices  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Rise  Of  The  Stateless  Wolf  plays  a  musical  style that takes black  sludge  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  mixes them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  spiritual  and  death  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Rise  Of  The  Stateless  Wolf  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black, sludge  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Born  Dead/Year  Of  TT.O.Dhe  Rats"  and  "T.O.D".  8  out  of  10.

https://italianextremeunderground.bandcamp.com/album/i-e-u-009-rise-of-the-stateless-wolf-born-dead-year-of-the-rats

    

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Hallowed Hands/Bleeding Pixels/Blue Bedroom Records/2020 EP Review

Hallowed  Hands  are  a  duo  from  Madison,  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Bleeding  Pixels"  which  was  released  by  Blue  Bedroom  Records.



  Growling  death  metal  vocals  and  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some black  emtal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  some  of  the  mid  tempo  riffing  and  shouts  shows  an  influence  of  hardcore.



  Elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  a  touch  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music.  Video  game  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  whole  recording  mostly  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly  on  the  closing  track  and  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Hallowed  Hands  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  sludge,  progressive  metal,  hardcore  and  video  game  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own. The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cove r video  games,  wasted  youth,  health  problems  and  growing  up.

  In  my  opinion  Hallowed  Hands  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  post  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  death,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bullet  Hell"  and  "Final  Form".  8  out  of  10.

  

Friday, April 3, 2020

Wells Valley 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?

WV: Since the recording and release of Reconcile the Antinomy, we’ve been given interviews to the press and also presenting the album on live acts.
On December we were at Under The Doom Fest at RCA Club in Lisbon where we played with several bands such as Alcest, Daylight Dyes, Consecration and Petrichor.
We’ve played with our good friends Soul of Anubis in our vinyl release party with our labels Chaosphere and Raging Planet, at Sabotage Club in Lisbon.

In November you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

WV: For us this is another step that we’ve taken, we know each other better than before and we’re exploring our creativity in new approaches without losing our darker ambience, adding new textures in our process.

The lyrics on the new album go into Hermeticism, Occultism, Cosmology and Theology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?


WV:  RTA is the reconciliation of man with spirituality, the new dawn of a long forgotten inner light and a dusk for a painful era. In this record we focused on numerous aspects and themes and all converged into one;  we have to move forward from the mundane and systematic routines that enclures our hearts and souls. RTA lyrics focus on a ancient remembrance that have to be summon from her slumber.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wells Valley'?

WV: Wells Valley come from the history of mankind, for centuries Man occupied the valleys where they felt safe and where it as possible to survive, than one of the major factor was the well, for some it was life because of the water, for others was a weapon where you could poison your enemies and also where some people choose to put en to their life.

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

WV: The cover art of RTA is based on the alchemical tree of metals, this image has a lot of symbolic meaning and that fits perfectly on the Wells Valley imaginary and it’s based in a very old illustration. The original picture belongs to a compendium of alchemical manuscripts that got something like three centuries. So after we discussed and tried different concepts this was the one that fitted entirely in the graphic prototype that we have looked for. We just applied a new vision and graphic style to the concept.
 
What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

WV: This is a common place, but every show has its value to us.
We’ve been performing since 2015: Burning Light festival, SWR festival in Barroselas, playing with bands such as Bolzer, Mantar, Weedeater, Jucifer , Bizarra Locomotiva, Process of Guilt, Earth Drive; Soul of Anubis, they mean a lot for us.
In stage we like to perform accurately and give as much as possible the air impact of our musical approach.

Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?

WV: Honestly we don’t have nothing closed yet but our goal is to play in some European venues. Keep and eye on our Facebook page, or at www.wellsvalley.net.
We’ll share all the news!

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

WV: We’ve been praised by some fans from all wide world, United States, Germany New Zealand... The common feeling is that our fans like our new album and they want us to play near them, so maybe the future will bring us surprises.


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

WV: Musically the future will be denser and heavier, we got some ideas and now we are planning the moment to start making some preproduction of new material

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

WV : We listen and got tons of influences from classical music to the most extreme metal. We pay attention to all.

What are some of your non musical interests?

 WV: Families, movies, pets, plastic arts, books… There’s a lot of stuff.


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

WV: Keep on supporting Wells Valley, buy our material and go see us live. Nothing gives us more pleasure than being at a show absorbing new experiences with a crowd.

http://www.wellsvalley.net 
https://www.facebook.com/pg/WellsValley
https://www.instagram.com/wellsvalley 

Vortex Unit Interview Questions

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

We are a metal band from Bratislava, Slovakia. Our music consists of various metal genres, mostly Black and Death Metal. Vortex Unit was founded in 2011, by ex-members of The Crypt and Siren, our female singer, who is the last founding member in the band. The band members are Siren (vocals), Anguis (guitar, vocals), Michal (guitar), Vaco (bass) and Tuky (drums).

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous single and ep?

We used a different approach and created a storyline for the album. It is a bit more complicated music, both to play and listen to. Every song is a part of a tale, like a chapter. Comparing EP, Single and this Album would be a comparison of capabilities of different people, since the members have been replaced few times over. EP was a more of a straightforward beating, new album is a bit more technical, songs are more complicated. I would say the album might be considered a more compositional than the EP was.

3.This is also your first release since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Well, there was a single called Enlightenment in 2016, which should have served as a prologue to the story of The Bringer of Sun. There was trouble finding other members, who would like to play this music and be actually capable of playing it. Wigo started to play in Doomas, Anguis played in Ravenarium and everything went a bit slower. We worked on the album, both music and lyrical side of it had to be done well. Then, Wigo decided to take a break from music, so aside from searching for bass player and drummer, we also lacked a second guitar. After some time, drummer Tuky has decided to join us on drums, Pekka took the guitar, Lucas Thin started playing bass and we became a band.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the new album and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

It is a story of a being, exiled by his own people. Fear of the future events lurked into the hearts of his kin, and they have decided to get rid of him. Revenge has brought him onto a path, which is not exactly the path he was seeking for. The main focus is in the change of personality of an individual, when he gains power. The power makes his ego bloom and rise above the common men, rendering him more important and worthy in his eyes. His decisions are slowly turning into a madman's orders, his perception of reality is distorted and he turns his life into a cult of his godly presence, craving to be praised by all. It is basically about how admiration and power can destroy one's former persona and change him into a vainglorious asshole.
We worked on the album for more than four years. We learned a lot of the new stuff during this period, and we are gladful for this experience. We recorded the album by ourselves, mixed and mastered it on our own as well. Our views have changed in some ways, new things might be a bit different, but we don't aim for a dramatic change in genre.

5.The band has been around since 1996 and has gone under different names in the earlier line ups, what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vortex Unit'?

It might seem to be a continuation of the band The Crypt, but it is not. The idea was to start doing something slightly different, than The Crypt was doing. It has become an act on its own after some time, with no member of the previous band among us. Name meant to bear a powerful impact, as well as the music.

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

It is the Bright One, enclosed by the darkness, which is yet to be dissolved in his light. But it could be both the prologue, and the epilogue, when blinded by power, he creates his own darkness around him, thick and impenetrable, preventing him from seeing the outer world. Ondrej Forus is the artist responsible for the artwork, he has done a great job and is a true professional. Check him out on Facebook or www.ondrejforus.com if you are interested.

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?

The most interesting one was in 2014, Gothoom festival. There was a lot of fuss around this festival, because the nearest city was trying to ban it. Christians and authorities were pointing at gruesome, somewhat satanistic nature of bands, which were included in the line up. They were afraid of rituals, violence, burning of the Bible and who knows what else. Oh, yes, someone said that we will steal their hens if I remember correctly. Thanks to this, our band ended up being in several news, both broadcasted by TV stations and web news. On the other side, it were troublesome times for the organizer Peter Beťko (Doomas). There were a lot of downsides to this unwanted promotion, he had to deal with problems, ridiculous conditions and anonymous threats sent by insane people. Also there was some crazy auntie dressed in white, who was just standing in front of the gate, holding a huge cross like one would hold an infant, and spoke to everyone how evil it is what we are doing. We had a lot of fun back then, it's a really great festival, you should check it out! And how would we describe our stage presence? We are enjoying every second of it, and we are trying to deliver our best every time. We cherish the opportunity to play in front of people who are interested in hearing our music live.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?

We had something in mind, to promote our new album, but the Coronavirus outbreak has doomed the live shows. When things go to normal, hopefully sooner than it's expected, because the recent news aren't as appealing, we would like to play a little tour. We'd like to play shows in Slovakia, Czechia, maybe Poland... But that still is the future for now.

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

We noticed some positive feedback, we are happy to hear that people like this new album.

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?

Well, recently we changed our line up, Pekka and Lucas decided to move on and leave the band, but we fortunately found a replacement in no time. Michal and Vaco from the band LATE are the newest addition to our crew. LATE actually released a new full length album recently, called The One and I. Tuky is in a lot of bands, a new album of Modern Age Dying is almost done and Head2Down are heading to recording studio right after the virus crisis is over. Anguis is trying to finish the album with Ravenarium, but the virus has become a kind of an obstacle for everyone.

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

We started something already, not going to rush it though. New stuff is going to be maybe a tiny bit different, but it's not going to be an extreme change from what we do already. Boundaries remain similar. We will try to do our best to improve the sonic quality and performance, we are all looking forward to do this. It will surely still have Black and Death Metal in it, everything else remains a question for now.

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?

If we talked about it here, we would have an extremely long list, that would be really exhausting to go through. We all love different things and they often come in different shapes and colours, but that's good, because this way we can create something unique and interesting. If you're interested in our influences and music bands we like, you should check out our Spotify channel, we are currently adding our members' playlists there.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Siren: Reading books, relaxing with a good cup of tea, going to nature, watching movies and series with a huge bowl of popcorn, going to concerts, meeting with friends.

Anguis: I like to cook, build things, I am a bit obsessed with new ideas to create something and it doesn't come out well very often. I like to drink, but not too often, because almost everytime I drink, I tend to drink a lot. I love animals, fun, coffee and discovering new stuff.

Michal: I work as a programmer and also love to develop apps in my personal life. I never despise good beer and I love trips in the nature.

Vaco: Filling up the void of existence by any means, most of the time it's playing games, trying to overcome my lethargic body and do something healthy and soulful like hiking.

Tuky: Traveling, cinema, hiking, camping, culinary exploration and heavy consumptions of alcoholic beverages.

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

Thank you very much for having us! To everyone reading this - keep yourself healthy and happy, be responsible while this virus creeps around the globe and be nice to the people around you! Stay strong and be yourselves.

Vortex Unit