Messora/Burn/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Messora  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Burn"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

    A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  The  album  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  which  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  acoustic  ballads,  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  either  s  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Messora  takes  melodic  black,  doom,  death  and  progressive  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  diverse  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Messora  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seed"  "Respite"  adn  "Winter".  8  out  of  10.

  https://found.ee/O8E6oQ

https://www.facebook.com/MessoraBand/

https://www.instagram.com/messoraband/

https://messora.bandcamp.com/        

Norrskold Interview

 

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

The writing of the songs went pretty fast prior to the recordings. I guess a lot could be “blamed” on the massive amounts of boredom during a pandemic. For different reasons the actual recording and production of the album took longer time than expected. So during the recording/production phase we’ve actually written a bunch of new songs, ready for take off in a not so distant release. The creativity knows no boundaries, so to say!

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

I would say the songs on the upcoming album are a bit more straightforward compared to our previous releases, although we’ve kept the characteristic Norrsköld atmosphere in the sound. The listener might also notice more of a linearity in the compositions. The focus is more than ever on melodies, rather than too intricate riffage which might sometimes have been the case on previous releases. To some degree we have also experimented with synthesizers as a fresh element to some of the songs.

3. This is also your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during this time frame?

There have been some major line-up changes since our latest release (2018) which has taken its toll on the possibility for live shows etc. The infamous pandemic further made it hard to plan for live performances. In general I would say the major focus has been on composing new material. 

4. The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?

The main lyrical theme could be described as a critical reflection on mankind´s position in the world, as it looks like today. More specifically, that mankind has relied on the fact that we are a part of a greater power/"God" and that man is an elevated entity above all else on earth. Which has justified humans to behave and evolve as if the earth belonged to us including, wars, environmental destruction etc. So the lyrics are sort of a future scenario of how all this will end. Written as if the last human remains have finally vanished and that a "cosmic power" (perspective) is narrating the closure, when things are in order again. Error corrected so to speak.

5. Your earlier lyrics covered Swedish Folklore, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Being from the northern part of the country, the connection with nature and folklore is a significant part of the culture. There’s a huge treasure of folk traditions, lore and nature spiritual beliefs that still to this day lives on in the collective memory. There´s this nature romantic spirit still being very much present in people, especially when visiting the rural landscapes. Therefore it’s been quite a feasible topic for our previous lyrics. A quite recent example of this phenomenon would be the movie “Midsommar” which is based on a folklore story from the north of Sweden, taking place in the fabled surroundings of Hårgaberget. That specific story has, in turn, resulted in the classical folk song “Hårgalåten” which has been recorded by numerous artists including In Flames (and Norrsköld of course). 

6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name “Norrskold”?

It’s basically a word play based on my origin (Norrland i.e. the upper half of the country) and Sköld (“shield”) which is one of my family names. So the name is originally spelled with the letter “ö”, commonly used in the Swedish language.

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

We decided to once again collaborate with the legendary artwork designer Niklas Sundin (ex. Dark Tranquillity) at Cabin Fever Media. Niklas has helped us out with most of our previous artworks, and for a good reason. He has this very unique ability to understand and capture the atmosphere of the songs in one single image. The actual artwork is representing sort of a last monument of mankind in the desolated future space that our world resulted in. 

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

It´s hard to pick a single one. There´s a very special atmosphere when playing in a small club with close (or none) distance to the audience. If one would ask the other members I guess most would answer the final gig we had in Moscow on the 2017 tour together with Amon Amarth. An epic gig for sure. My neck hurts just by the memory of this. 

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

All focus has been on recording and releasing our upcoming album Prisma Aeternus. With this album released, future live gigs would definitely not be impossible. 

10. The new album is going to be self released but your have been a part of a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

There are pros and cons cooperating with a label of course, but we are most certainly interested in future cooperation with labels if the chemistry is right. 

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

The general impression is that fans really appreciate that we have taken the really good elements of black metal and melodic metal and mixed this up to our own unique soundscape. One of the more common references we get is that we often sound like a “modern Dissection”, which is very close to where we want to be. There are a lot of people out there that really mourn that raw, yet melodic metal music seems to have had its glory days in the 90´s/early 00´s. We want to be a leading example that this kind of music still is relevant. 

12. 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?

As was mentioned previously, the band has been through some line up changes during recent years. As for the current members/session members of the band, most have other projects parallel to Norrsköld. Our bassist (Eric) is heavily involved in a Stockholm based band called Needle Grey. Second guitarist Gustaf is in a really up and coming band called Seventh Crystal. Adam, our singer, is mainly working with music at the record label Rexius Records and also sings/scream in a band called A dead tree doesn’t talk. Myself, I have several parallel projects going on. One of them is being one of the songwriters for a band called Symphony of Sweden. 

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

The major goal is to constantly improve ourselves in songwriting. Since we have a ton of already written material available, another release during 2023 is definitely within our scope. If the stars align we might also be open for live shows. 

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

Alcest is a great inspiration. Also Soilwork. Ghost is another band that really inspires one to focus on the melodic aspect of metal. Personally I mostly listen to quite mellow singer/songwriter songs and instrumental soundtracks as major inspiration.

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

If you guys are looking for the ultimate mix of heavy, fast and melodic, look no further. Rest your ears on Prisma Aeternus and feel the force of multi-metal at its best. If you do like our music, it would mean the world if you would spread the word (or our social media links) ;)

Thanks for a good interview!

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Vittra/Blasphemy Blues/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Vittra  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Blasphemy  Blues"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and   blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  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.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album,  clear  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Vittra  plays  a  musical  style  that  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  covers  dark  and  philosophical  themes.. 

  In  my  opinion  Vittra  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Halls  Of  Ancients"  "Feeding  Frenzy"  "Temptation"  and  "Undead".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/vittraofficial

http://www.vittraofficial.com
http://www.instagram.com/vittraofficial
http://www.facebook.com/vittraofficial
http://www.tiktok.com/@vittraofficial
http://open.spotify.com/artist/0QMOCJvoiW69cbPgFyrMg1

http://www.youtube.com/c/vittraofficial     

Ravenoir 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?

Very briefly. Since the music publisher Gothoom Productions failed to provide the necessary promotion for the second album "In the Womb of Sin" and it was also obvious that they would have nothing more to offer RAVENOIR band in the future, I decided to end my cooperation with this label. It didn't take long and mutual sympathies crossed with Black Barn Music. Under the auspices of this label, both of the current albums will be released on gatefold vinyl in early 2023. Both the debut "The Darkest Flame of Eternal Blasphemy" and the second full-length opus "In the Womb of Sin" will be available on individual LPs separately, as well as a limited edition of both albums in a classy, obscure box, limited to 100 copies. At the moment, each of us is individually absorbing the setlist for live shows. And since I personally can't stand to be idle as a composer for long, I'm already slowly working on new material for the next RAVENOIR album. However, I would like to realize this during 2024. The release of both albums in vinyl form will in a way perfectly fill the time parallel for the upcoming third album. Now the band wants to focus mainly on concert activity.

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

The connection between the two albums is the darkness and rawness that is woven through the various soundscapes, enhancing the dark mood of the entire album. The fusion of darkness, rawness, predation with melodic elements will always be a hallmark of RAVENOIR's work.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored on both of the albums and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Of course, the lyrics are just as important to me as the music and always accompany the atmosphere of the song. The content of the lyrics focuses on the themes of life, death, dark mysticism, Satanism and a good dose of Blasphemy. I have been primarily a music composer and producer for years. I have always had a dark feeling deeply rooted in me and I always try to use it when writing music. I have the advantage and ability to hear the final form of songs before they are finished. When I close my eyes the arrangements of all the instruments flow in my head.  I write lyrics very sporadically. Most of the time I share the writing of lyrics with my colleague, bassist Igor Hubik. 

The band was formed during the COVID19 pandemic, did that give you a lot of time to work on the musical style more since there was nothing really on back in that year?

The idea to start a new band had been growing in me for a long time, but the truth is that the coronavirus situation at the beginning of 2020 was very helpful for the creation of RAVENOIR. All the concerts we had planned with the band Root, where we worked together with bassist Igor, were cancelled or postponed. Suddenly I had a lot of free time. So I devoted it to composing material for Raven's debut. So the formation of the band, the writing of the material and the recording of the first album took place during the first wave of the Covid epidemic. Everything came about very slowly and naturally.

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

I am the author of the motif for the cover. Let's say that it is purely my personal depiction of the image of that paradise, where the main character of the cover is a kind of ethereal being, representing the goddess of pleasure, lust, sex, desire, excitement and lechery. As is known according to Christian theology, these very natural sexual urges bring man into this world through original-inherited "sin". Personally, instead of renouncing anything, I am very happy to indulge in all the pleasures that life has to offer, so "original sin" is a completely absurd thesis to me. Several artworks by an Indonesian artist, whose artistic name is Jenglot Hitam, have come to my attention. I outlined my visions to him in a few sentences and he aptly portrayed them. The author of the back cover was the very well-known Mexican artist Néstor Avalos. The collaboration with both artists went smoothly, through an exchange of a few emails. However, I would very much like to work with Néstor Avalos in the future. I absolutely admire his artwork.

So far the band has not been able to do any live shows, what can we expect musically when you are finally able to hit the live stage?

As I mentioned above, RAVENOIR now has to prepare a programme for live performances in the next few months, which will most likely take place in 2023. I am very much looking forward to it. I miss standing on stage and performing a lot right now. We will offer RAVENOIR fans a good portion of dark death metal through a cross section of both albums.

Most of the band members are veterans that have also played in other bands, do you feel extreme metal has made plenty of changes over the last couple of decades?

Personally, I hardly follow the music scene at all with a few exceptions, so it's hard to answer this question.

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

Both the first and the second RAVENOIR albums have reached a large number of metal followers all over the world and all the criticism on this work has been and so far is more than favorable and I am duly proud of both albums. The interest in RAVENOIR is gradually growing and this is my motivation as well as my greatest satisfaction.

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

My favourite bands for many years are Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Bathory and Slayer. From other genres I really like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails or David Bowie.

Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?

In the lyrical themes, definitely yes. Satanic philosophy is very close to me personally.

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

Thank you for your kindness and also your time. Have a great time everyone and keep an eye out for more Ravenoir´s exploits.

www.gothoomproductions.com/ravenoir
www.facebook.com/RavenoirOfficial

Heron/Empires Of Ash/Sludgelord Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Heron  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Empires  of  Ash"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Sludgelord  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  mix  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  blackened  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  on  a  couple  of  tracks  they  also  show  an  influence  of  post  rock  while   the  synths  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  atmospheric  direction  when  they  are  utilized.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  along  with  the  riffing  also  having  its  repetitive  moments  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  added  on  the  closing  song.

  On  this  recording  Heron  focuses  more  on  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  atmospheric  and  post  metal  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  larger  scope  of  turbulent  emotions.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rust  And  Rot"  and  "With  Dead  Eyes".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Mind Erasure/Connive/Soman Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Mind  Erasure  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Connive"  which  was  released  by  Soman  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes,  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  while  percussion's  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  having  their  atmospheric  moments.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  singing  and  choirs  as  well  as  some  female  vocals  and  whispers  also  being  utilized  briefly,  one  song  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  battles,  violence  and  schizophrenia  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mind  Eraser  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  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  "Azrael"  "Sour  Eyes"  and  "As  First  Light  never  Comes  Part  III:  Life's  Epilogue".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/OaIZpH1GLU8

https://www.facebook.com/MindErasure/

https://www.instagram.com/mind_erasure/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindErasure

https://minderasure.bandcamp.com/album/connive

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pEpN1fdyWU1lOs1okfi8A

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mind-erasure/976409168    

Ravenoir/In The Womb Of Sin/Gothoom Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Ravenoir  are  a  band  from  Czechia  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "In  The  Womb  Of  Sin"  which  was  released  by  Gothoom  Productions.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  blast b eats. 

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  when  they  are  utilized,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  movie  samples.  and  the  album  also  closes  with  an  instrumental  before  adding  in  a  bonus  track  which  is  a  cove r of  Mercyful  Fate's  "Black  Funeral"..

  Ravenoir  plays  a  musical  styles  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  blasphemy  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  Ravenoir  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "In  The  Womb  Of  Sin"  "Stigma  Infernoir"  and "Lunar  Choir".  8  out  of  10.

  www.gothoomproductions.com/ravenoir

www.facebook.com/RavenoirOfficial   

The Blessing Way/Erik's Lament/2022 Full Length Review

 

  The  Blessing  Way  are  a  solo  project  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "Erik's  Lament"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween.

  Symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can b e  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Operatic  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on a  couple  of  songs.

  Touches  of  classical  and  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  session  work  from  Snowy  Shaw.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  and  gothic  tales.

  In  my  opinion  The  Blessing  Way  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hanging  Of  Joseph  Buquet"  "Terror  In  The  Graveyard"  "Delusions  Of  An  Opium  Eater"  and  "Erik's  Lament".  8  out  of  10.

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Bavaustrian Metalbrothers United/Fall Into Oblivion/Rebirth The Metal Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Bavaustrian  Metalbrothers  United  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "Fall  Into  Oblivion"  which  will b e  released  on  October  28th  by  Rebirth  The  Metal  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  some  songs  also  add in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.  The  album  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffing  also  mixing  in  some  elements  of  thrash  metal  at  times  and  a  few  tracks  also  add  in  some  keyboards  and  orchestral  arrangements  which  also  takes  the  recording  into  more  of  a  symphonic  direction.

  A  couple  of  songs  also  introduces  clear  vocals  into  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound to  them  as  well  as  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  enhances  the  black  metal  side  of  the  recording,  whispered  vocals  can  also  be heard  briefly.  One  track  is  also  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  esoteric  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bavaustrian  Metalbrothers  United  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Still  Alive"  "Fall  Into  Oblivion"  "Undead  Salvation"  and  "Riding  In  The  Dark".  8  out  of  10.

  Website: https://rtmproductions.bigcartel.com/

Bandcamp: https://bavaustrianmetalbrothersunited.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bavaustrianmetalbrothersunited
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpbEUx4AqYYAWkyi0EgLg6w

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bavaustrian_metalbrothers_uni/        

The Wolves Of Avalon/Y Gododdin/Godreah Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

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  The  Wolves  Of  Avalon  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Y  Gododdin"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Godreah  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  briefly  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  blackened  metal  style  while  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Clear  pagan  vocals are  also  utilized on  a  lot  of  tracks  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  having its  progressive  moments.  Session  work can  also  be  heard  from  members  of  Venom  Inc,  Drudkh,  Taake,  Forefather  and  Aklash  and  most  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  style.

  On  this  recording  The  Wolves  of  Avalon  takes  their  pagan  style  of  folk  metal  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  ancient  battles  described  in  the  ancient  Welsh  poems  written  by  the  bard  Aneirin.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Wolves  Of  Avalon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  pagan  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Men  Of  Gododdin"  and  "Dead  mans  Cloak's"
.  8  out  of  10.

  www.thewolvesofavalon.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thewolvesofavalon

https://youtu.be/McD2wn1QkxI  

Arctora Interview

 

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

Arctora started with me creating a solo-album as a side-project. I just wanted to write and record songs and practice mixing on them for fun basically.

For a long time I had no plans on forming a band around it, because getting a band together is usually such a pain with not only having to find good musicians, but good people you want to hang out and create music with.

But I ended up trying my luck anyway after the album was mostly finished, and I found all the members in a span of a week. I would have never believed that to happen!

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

When I started the project, I had the intention of writing a “real” black metal album, but I quickly realized that’s not what I actually wanted to do.

After that I stopped worrying about musical style and just started writing whatever felt right.

There’s a ton of blast-beats, tremolo picking and nordic melodies, but also some progressive elements and technical riffing.

I’d say the albums genre is blackened melodic death metal, but everyone can decide for themselves.

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

The lyrics are mostly introspection about stuff I’ve been dealing with wrapped in a theme or a story.

For example, in the song “Arbiter of Fate” I tell about personal feelings, how sometimes the pressure of wanting to achieve and succeed is the only thing driving you forward, even though you might feel exhausted and close to burning out. 

And I combined those feelings with inspiration and themes from Berserk to tell the story.

Every song on the album has its own topic, some are more fantasized and some more grounded in reality.

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

I came up with the name around a decade ago, when I was 15 or 16.

It was supposed to be the name of my first band, but we decided on a different one back then.

Simply put, it’s just a combination of “Arctic” and finnish word “Tora” or “Torahammas” which mean “altercation” or “fang” respectively.

No deeper meaning than that, just something that sounded cool for my teenage-self back then and for some reason stuck in the back of my mind for all these years.

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

I wanted the album art to portray what I see in my head when I think of the songs and albums feel overall.

In my mind the album feels lonely, cold and barren, but also beautiful and vast in a way.

The art was made by Heino Brand, you can find more of his work here: https://www.heinobrand.com/

He was great to work with and he nailed what I was going for!

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

We have only played three shows so far, and all of them were an absolute blast to play, even the first show which was a bit of a nightmare scenario. Our gear had some weird technical issues all night, like in-ear monitors acting strange and even my guitar jack lost input connection as soon as I stepped on stage. 

But we made it through and had an awesome time!

I’d say we are quite energetic live, with two guys doing the vocals and everyone constantly moving and moshing around!  Not a lot of standing still and looking at your feet.

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

We plan on gigging as much as we can in Finland at first and hopefully extending out abroad next year!

8.The new album was released on 'WormholeDeath' Records, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?

We’ve been very happy!

Communication between us and them is always quick and professional. If we have any questions or suggestions, they always answer real fast.

And they’ve been doing an awesome job getting us seen and heard globally.

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

I have been surprised by the amount and how positive the feedback has been.

I’ve mostly just seen people praising the album.

I originally thought the feedback would be more lukewarm, since it is a home-produced album, but no. It has been great!

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

This is a question for which I do not know the answer, since we now have five people involved in making the music instead of just me.

I know we will have real drums on the next record at least!

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?

I have to mention Jari Mäenpää and Alexi Laiho as the biggest influences for sure!

They are the reason I ever picked the guitar.

Amon Amarth and Insomnium are the two bands I really fell in love with also, and inspired me to start practicing vocals and writing songs of my own!

These days I listen to pretty much all metal genres and a ton of different bands, but a finnish band called Stam1na and the giant Mastodon have really grown on me the most these last few years.

Also, nowadays I listen to a lot of orchestral music and soundtracks.

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

We just released a music video for the track “I Am Human”, you can find it here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ETrMDZreds

Thank you for the interview and the review!

And thank you reader for reading and listening to the music.

Hope to see you all live someday!

Hedon/Year Of The Witch/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Hedon  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  bene  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Year  Of  The  Witch"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  Victory  chants  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.  The  riffs  also  ad d in  a  lot  of  melody  while t he  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  tremolo  picking  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Witchcraft,  Blasphemy  and  Black  Magick  themes..  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hedon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Tale"  "Witchfinder"  and  "Digerdol  Den".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Throwing Bricks/The Burden/Tartarus Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Throwing  Bricks  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal,  hardcore  and  screamo  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2022  album  "The  Burden"  which  was  released  by  Tartarus  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  angry  sounding  hardcore  style  screams  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  mixes  in t ouches  of  black  metal  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  post  hardcore  or  screamo  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

 When t he  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also introduced  onto  the  album  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  when  they  finally  are  utilized  and  some  of t he  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  loss,  mental  health  issues  and  negative  feelings.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Throwing  Bricks  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  metal,  hardcore  and  screamo,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bricks  Of  Grace"  "Doubt"  "Safta"  and  "Find  My  Way  Out".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/throwingbricksband 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/throwingbricksband
Bandcamp: https://throwingbricksband.bandcamp.com

    

Antipope/Rex Mundi/Moribund Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Antipope  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Rex  Mundi"  which  will  be  released  on  October  28th  by  Moribund  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  introducing  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  onto  the  recording.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  utilized.

  Melodies  are  also added  into  a  lot  of t he  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  and  power  metal  style  singing.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  Albigensian  Crusade  and  Cathar  Wars  in  the  1200's.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Antipope  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  death,  doom,  power  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rex  Mundi  Aeternum"  "Glory  Of  Slaughter"  "Twilight  of  The  Grey  Gods"  and  "Hell  On  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

    

        

In The Woods... Interview

 

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

Nils: Covid happened. And James split. Which led us to Bernt taking over the microphone. We had already recorded lots of the songs, and Bernt got "thrown into it". We received vocals pretty quickly, and we were amazed. It was like In The Woods… became more ITW than ever before. And thats where we are at.

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

Nils: Good question. ITW have always progressed, not "stopped" in one type of style etc… But you know, making music it should be about making what you like, not about what you think others will like. And thats what we do, and have in the past.

3.The band was broken up for 14 years, what was the cause of the split and the decision to reform?

Nils: I was not in the band when they split, but Anders had an injury where he thought he never could perform again. And then he found out he could. He then had an "awakening", where he got a clear vision that he had to start up ITW again in honour of Oddvar AM. I also knew Oddvar, and i know he would have wanted ITW to continue.

Kåre: Well, I joined the band in 2015, but these stories have come up a few times over the years in conversations with both Anders Kobro and former members. I think the easiest way to explain the split back in the early 2000s was that each character of the band was floating their own way, wanting to explore other things in life, while the opportunity still was there.

4.After the release of the first full length in the 90's you stopped using the black metal screams and harsh vocals but they have returned on your current releases, what was the decision behind bringing back this vocal approach?

Nils: What suits the songs should be used vocally i think. Bernt can do all sorts of things, and so he use it where it fits in. He probably have the best answer to it.

I scream and growl myself, and being in a metalband, it is a cool thing to add. Personally i listen to bands that use both clean/growl and shrieks. I love stuff that is more than "one style", both musically and vocally.

Kåre: As Nils stated above, its about what suits the songs and not what we need or should use. With the former vocalist James Fogarty and current vocalist Bernt Fjellestad, the screams and harsh vocals comes more naturally than the original singer. Also they can do it without hurting their throat.

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

Bernt Fjellestad: Most of the topics are totally random. They cover everything from the political wiev to more....carnal desires. I was given full freedom over the lyrics and what to sing so I experimented a lot with different styles. Personally I (Bernt Fjellestad) were not that involved in the songwriting due to most of the songs were completed when I joined. We are already writing together new material as we speak by the way.

6.A lot of your lyrics over the years have also covered Paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about what this path means to you?

Anders: Back in the days we where hugely influenced by nature, philosophy and norse culture/mythology. So obviously we where in a realm of paganism. We called our music in early days Pagan Metal. 

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork tha tis presented on the new album cover? Kåre: Max Winter did the artwork, he also did Pure and Cease the Day. Max likes to read the lyrics for the album and sit down and start with a sketch. This one turned out very different from previous ones, and is done in a different type of style compared to the two earlier ones. It is up to each one of us to say what it means and gives, but you can see that all hope is out, but if you try to focus on the smaller things and leave the big picture out of things for a while, somewhere in the vast, there is hope. 

8.In the 90's when you first came out you where very different from the rest of the Norwegian scene and there seemed to be mixed reviews back then, do you feel you where ahead of your time and also influenced the newer bands that started stretching the black and pagan metal genres into different musical territories?

Kåre: Well as a music fan I must say that HEart of The Ages was ahead of time, the structure in the songs and the brilliant mystique that lies all over the record. They way vocals where switched between very harsh screaming and then to the soft beautiful voice. You can see this in In The Woods… today and many other bands. I think In The Woods… have influenced other bands to go a little more out of those typical border lines you find in metal genres, which can get to a point where it gets boring. Some bands do it very very well, and all honor to them. For us its again, to make a song we want to make. 

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

Nils: Our two recent ones actually (Cosmic Void London and Summer dying loud in Poland). We have fun. We like what we do. And we function in our dysfunction haha.

Kåre: Well thats a hard question for me to answer, because all the shows I’ve played with this band has had their own little things that I want to remember. Some crowds are wild, some are quiet, but never boring. The two last one we had where phenomenal and ranks up there with the absolute best ones. I always say that I really want to go back to Greece to play. On stage we try to have fun, and try to mend our energy and adrenalin with the crowds energy and adrenalin. 

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

Nils: European tour in March/April i think/hope. We hope to play as much as we can. We are back on Redback promotion, and are eager to play…

11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by your long time fans?

Nils: Only positive reaction i guess. There will always be the ones that wants the old stuff, but you cant bring back the past like that, and we as a band want to progress, not copy what has been…

12.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?

Nils: Kåre is writing new music for his solo moniker KAS, and me and Anders have an album with My solo moniker Drivdal.

We all have the love for music, we breathe it, and cant simply stop making it.

Kåre: Yes I’m working on the follow up to my first album under the alias KAS. Other than that, its about time to sit down and write some new In The Woods… songs for the next album. 

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

Nils: We evolve together, so its hard to say really. But we progress, and we play ball musically, and so we try to mold the songs together to make it better.

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

Nils: I listen a lot to Wormwood, Tribulation and Witchery. Also i listen to Edge of Sanity, as always. Fucking brilliant. I think Bernt actually worked with Dan on some musical project of his.

Kåre: On repeat the last weeks has been Guy Clark and I just discovered a brilliant band when we played in London.. Make A Change… Kill Yourself. Brilliant band! 

Bernt: Nowadays I listen to a lot of synthwave and folk music, but I always come back to good ol’ Edge Of Sanity, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Amorphis and, of course, Judas Priest.

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

Nils: Just want to Thank you so much for showing interest in us, it means a great deal to us…

Kåre: Cheers for your time! Album pre-orders are available at the links below:

World (physical): https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com 

Americas (physical): http://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com

Digital: https://orcd.co/diversum 

One Leg One Eye/And Take The Black Worm With Me/Nyaah Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

    One  Leg  One  Eye  are  a  solo  project  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  lo-fi  mixture  of  black  metal, e experimental,  drone,  ambient,  folk  and  musique  concrete  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "And  Take  The  Black  Worm  With  Me"  which  will  be  released  on  October  27th  by  Nyaah  Records.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  and  guitar  orientated  drones  a  few  seconds  later.  High  pitched  black  emtal s creams  can  be  heard  briefly  while  most of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  a  couple  of  tracks also  adds  in  Irish  folk  music  style  clear  vocals.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental,  avant  garde  and  lo-fi  sounding  while  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  harsh  noises.  All  of  the  songs  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  different  sound  to  them  along  with a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction.as  well  as  some  folk  instruments  also  being  utilized  at  times   and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental 

  One  Leg  One  Eye  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  folk  and  musique  concrete  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover   light  and  dark  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  One  Leg  one  Eye  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal, e experimental,  ambient,  folk  and  misuque  concrete  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  these  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Glistering  She  Emerges"  and  "Only  The  Diceys".  8  out  of  10.

  https://nyahhrecords.bandcamp.com/