Beyrevra Interview

 

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

Yes, so Beyrevra was founded by M.S. and M.D. in 2018 after they met at the ‘Born to Rock Festival’. M.S. moved to Nuremberg during the songwriting process and became acquainted with me (S.L.) at a local metal club. At that time, four songs were nearly ready, and the rough concept and tone of the album were defined. A little later we had to look out for a drummer to complete Beyrevra for the moment and we met A.B. From now on, one and a half years of songwriting and elaboration were used to complete the instrumentals for the first album. In August 2020 we started recording our results at the ‘Mordor Sounds’ studio from Hannes Großmann (Tryptikon, Dark Fortress, etc.) and during the following year the vocals and keyboards were added. As you can imagine, the covid pandemic threw up our time schedule enormously, but in February 2022 we finally had a completely mastered album with ten tracks. The mastering was done by Magnus Devo Andersson from ‘Endarker Studios’. A release during lockdowns and no chance to play live anywhere was out of the question for us, so we had to be patient and used the time to search for a label that fits to us, and we signed with TrollZorn Records. September 2022 we finally played our first live gig together at the ‘Metal im Woid’ festival, and thenceforth several gigs in Germany and Czech Republic. 

 2. You have your first full length coming out in February, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

 Musically, there is no difference. The EP was released by us before we signed with our label to have something to show when it comes to e.g. festival applications. All three songs from this EP are part of our full album. 

3. Your lyrics cover religious oppression and historical topics, can you tell us a little bit more about the subjects you have explored so far with the music? 

The historical references in our lyrics are shown in different ways. This can be seen in a specific case such as the life and death of Thomas Müntzer, a revolutionary priest during the German Peasants’ War, which is discussed in the song ‘Beheading the Truth’, as well as in very general topics such as the Christianization of Europe or the Inquisition. However, most of the content are fictional stories which are taking place in different historical periods.

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

Beyrevra is the name of a destructive incarnation of Shiva, the great god of Hinduism. We came across the name in the ‘Dictional Infernal’ and took it because it sounds cool, so there is no deeper meaning behind our name.

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

The artwork is a painting from ‘Northem Art’ and commissioned by M.S. in 2018. We wanted a colorful artwork and we were overwhelmed when we saw the result. All the little details and the overall tone of this picture are simply stunning. I think we couldn’t have a better cover for our first full length album. The original painting is now brightening up our rehearsal room. 

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

The best gig so far was certainly at the Schlichtenfest 2023. Everything was organized so well and all the staff there was great. The festival took place in a quite hilly forest after weeks of rain and we got stuck at the forest path with our truck during arrival, but we made it there on time. Despite the bad weather, many people came to see our show and we had so much nice conversations at the merch table afterwords. Truly a memorable day for all of us. On stage we don’t have any special outfits or gimmicks different to many bands nowadays, just pure and honest 60 minutes of music. M.D. has a very powerful stage presence and motivates the crowd as well as the rest of the band. 

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

Not yet. Sadly. We wanted to play our first live gig after the release at the ‘Rise of Trolls’ in Belgium but the event got cancelled. But we are working on a replacement release show, and we can give more information in the next weeks. 

8. The new album is going to be released on 'TrollZorn Records', how did you get in contact with this label? 

As mentioned before, we had a long time between the recording and the release. In this time, we applied to labels across Europe and TrollZorn replied that they were interested in releasing our album and after a few weeks of mail traffic we decided to visit the guys behind TrollZorn in their hometown so we can talk about everything. We got along great, drank a whole lot of beer together and in the following time the contract was signed. 

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

 Nearly entirely positive. It’s always a pleasure when someone who came across your festival gig by chance, tells you afterwards at the merch table that he really liked our show and music and when there will be an album to purchase. Also on social media we got many supporting messages and commentaries over the last two years and we are very happy that our hard work for all this is starting to pay off. 

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

We have already started to work on our second album and at the moment it is quite hard to say where this process will take us. Of course there are always things you can make different or better and although we are happy with our result from the first recording, there is still room for improvement. 

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 think it’s obvious that our music was mainly influenced by the 1990s old school Melodic Death Metal wave from Scandinavia, especially Sweden, and also some Black Metal bands from this time. Bands like In Flames, Darkthrone, Hypocrisy, Insomnium, Dissection, Unanimated, and many more are bands we still enjoy listening. 

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

At first, we would like to thank you for the interview and TrollZorn for making all this possible. We can no longer wait for February 29th! See you then

https://www.facebook.com/BeyrevraOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/beyrevraofficial

https://beyrevra.bandcamp.com

Satarial/Dance Of Steel: Invocation Of Dragon/Sleaszy Rider Records/2024 EP Review

 

  Russia's  Satarial has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  folk  and  pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Dance  Of  Steel:  Invocation  Of  Dragon"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  Throat  singing  and  clear  vocals  start  off  the  ep  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Folk  instruments  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks   along  with  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Satarial  brings  in  a  very  ritualistic  style  of  folk  and  pagan  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Slavic  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Satarial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk  and  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  the  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dance  Of  Steel:  Invocation  Of  Dragon". 8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/satarialofficial/  

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

  http://vesperiansorrow.bandcamp.com/

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

Eye Of Fenris/The House Of Hades/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Eye  Of  Fenris  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Denmark,  Portugal  and  the  United  States  that  plays  viking  metal  with  elements  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "The  House  Of  Hades"  

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  and  groove  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  adds  in   touch  of  industrial  and  most  of  the  album  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments.

  Eye  Of  Fenris  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eye  of  Fenris  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spartans  Rise"  "The  Labyrinth  Of  Minos"  {"Medusa's  Lair"  and  "All  Hail  Hades".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/@EyeofFenris

https://www.tiktok.com/@eye.of.fenris

https://www.facebook.com/eyeoffenris

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4mMRnBBJgh1qfHh0Qm1YqO

https://eyeoffenris.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/eye-of-fenris

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eye-of-fenris/1697536262

https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/221726425

https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0CBW5R18S/eye-of-fenris  

  

Hand Of Kalliach/Corryvreckan/Prosthetic Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Scotland's  duo  Hand  Of  Kalliach  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  Celtic  form  of  folk  metal  with  elements  of  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Corryvreckan"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Prosthetic  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clear  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  synths  are  introduced  onto  the  recording   a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  harsh  vocals  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  touches  of  Scottish  folk  music,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Hand  Of   Kalliach  takes  their  Celtic  folk  metal  style  into  more  of  a  modern,  melodic  and  progressive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  inspired  by  an  ancient  Irish  text  "Cormac's  Glossary".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Hand  Of  Kalliach  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Celtic  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Three  Seas"  "Cirein-croin"  "Unbroken  You  Remain"  and  "Of  Twilight  And  The  Pyre".  8  out  of  10/.

  https://www.facebook.com/HandOfKalliach

       

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

  https://linktr.ee/visions_of_sunless_skies   

Nothing Is Real/Acts of Despair And Faith/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Los  Angeles,  California's  solo  project   Nothing  Is  Real  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  progressive,  psychedelic  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  experimental  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2024  album  "Acts  of  Despair  And  Faith"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  distorted  and  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  psychedelic  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical,  progressive  and  experimental  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  noise  rock  touches.  All  of  the  songs  also  sticks  to  an  instrumental  direction   and  a  lot  of  the  music  also  adds  in  more  of  an  improvised  atmosphere  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nothing  Is  Real  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  psychedelic, technical  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  experimental  noise  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Block  The  light"  and  "Split".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Gates Open Interview

 

  1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Greeting!

We are constantly working on new songs.

We already have a handful of new songs with lyrics waiting for final recordings and arrangements, which means more material is being created all the time.

We train and work on/record our songs at home, at the moment both working alone.

So we are working remotely in our band for at the moment.

So far, it has worked well that way.

We live 170 km from each other, so we don't see each other often.

We work on our material by exchanging messages and changing tracks via Google Drive.

We update social media almost daily, as news about our upcoming album keeps coming from all over the world.

Our songs are played on smaller and medium-sized internet radio stations around the world.

And this is the fourth interview this month, so there is action.

2.You have your first full length coming out in February, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Our musical style is full metal, with a very dark tone.  In our opinion, our style is mostly blackened death/thrash metal, but there are nuances from other genres, also outside of metal music, for example from punk.

3.Both of the band members where previously in 'Down In Silence', what was the decision behind splitting up the group and forming a new project?

Tommi:

I was in the ranks of Down into Silence from 2007 to 2020.

I have great memories from those years.

I got gigging experience and became familiar with studio recording.

In 2020, I moved to another town, 170 km away from the other band members.

I tried for a while to continue and go to training, but that year there were a lot of unpleasant things in my personal life, so my motivation dropped a bit in regards to everything.

And the distance to that as an equation, I could no longer continue in that life situation and decided to leave the band.

The band finally stopped its activities in 2022.

Jere:

Down into silence was stopped due to lack of motivation and time of the members.

A few years later, we decided to start a new band with Tommi in a new style.

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

Some of the album's lyrics are written by external authors.

For example, the author of the song "The Awakening" was inspired for the lyrics when he had read Jordan Peterson's writings and watched his Biblical series lectures on YouTube.

The inspiration for the lyrics of the song writer A Place Called Home came from her own real personal experiences at a young age.

The lyrics, which are our band's own handwriting on the album, were inspired by e.g.  The Gates Open title song is about people's selfishness, the evil of the world, the current way the world is going.

The song about death was inspired by the loss of a loved one.

But we also live in the Nordic countries, this northern dark season inspired us to make a song about that topic on the album.

But all the unpleasant things, bad events, etc. read daily inspire us.

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

Gates Open tells stories about the world's darkness, evil, life and death.

Part as fiction, part based on reality.

The gates are open, but where, you decide.

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

We have created the cover art of the album using artificial intelligence.

The picture was made based on the phrase "voice after silence", I probably wrote something else to it.  The picture chosen for the cover of the "Voice After Silence" album was just perfect for the cover of our debut album, there were a few other options.

The person in the picture, presumably a woman, looks into the distance and presumably hears a voice from somewhere far away.

That's how we see the picture ourselves.

And if we open up the idea of ​​the name of the album, we came up with it as a continuation with our new band Gates Open from our old band Down into Silence.

It was a few quiet years after the Down into Silence band broke up and as old members of that band we founded a completely new band Gates Open, so the name of the debut album was perfectly suited "Voice After Silence".

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Yes, that has been the idea, as long as we get a good line-up together.

Live gigs could certainly be offered soon, it would be great to also perform our songs live in the future.

We both have some live performance experience from our old band days.

8.The new album is going to be released on 'Inverse Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

Inverse Records approached us with a message last spring thanks to our own active promotion.

We don't know exactly where they did spotted us, but I assume it was from the conversations/broadcasts of the Swedish Veckans Band Metal Radio.

In this case, it was ideal that we didn't approach them, but they approached us, so somehow we immediately aroused interest.

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

All the feedback we have received has been nothing but positive.

It feels really great.

We hope that the general public, especially in metal community, will discover our band and find something for themselves in our songs, whatever that may be.

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

It very much depends on what Jere's note pencil turns out to be in terms of style.

Jere composes, Tommi sings.

Lyrics are created from both sides, partly together.

And if we get hold of great lyrics, we'll of course turn it into a song.

Together we fit the pieces to its final form.

Lets see what the future holds.

In any case, we would think that we will stay largely on the lines given by our first album, musically and stylistically.

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?

Tommi:

My own singing style at the Gates Open was largely influenced by the singing styles of Children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho, Cradle of Filth's Dani Filth, Dimmu Borgir's Shagrath, and Turmion Kätilöt's Spellgoth and Mc Raaka Pee.  Norther's Petri Lindroos should also be mentioned.

I listen to music everywhere, different genres, depending on my mood.

But mostly I listen to metal and nowadays I listen to a lot of all new bands and songs from various lists.

But Pantera, of course, is the world's best metal band of all time.

Currently, among Finnish bands, I recommend Warmen and Bloodred Hourglass.

But I also recommend checking out Inverse Records' wide range of music, there are really good bands there.

Recently, I've been listening to Inverse Record's Spotify list, a really hard set can be found in our own stable. 

I recommend getting to know, without mentioning more than one band.

Jere:

The first bands that made me pick up the guitar were Metallica, Sepultura, Pantera, Testament and so on.

Then came Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Dissection, Children of Bodom, Cannibal Corpse to name a few, with whom I started listening to more Brutal metal.

From Finland, I recommend the Stam1na band if you are interested in Finnish-language metal and the Swedish Orbit Culture is currently being listened to.

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

Thanks for the interview!

It was great answering your questions.

Keep on rocking, stay metal!

https://www.facebook.com/gatesopenband 
https://www.instagram.com/gatesopenband 
https://gatesopen.bandcamp.com 

Sea Of Consciousness/Self Titled/2024 Full Length Review

 

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

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

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

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

  

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

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

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

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

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

https://seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/

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

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

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

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

  

Cruxis Interview

 

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

Since we’re new, I don’t think many people have heard of us. We are two, the Dok-tor and myself. He makes the music and I sing the words. 

2.You have your first album coming out towards the end of January, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

The Dok-tor is responsible for all the music here, but I think it’s safe to say he wasn’t trying to emulate someone else’s sound when recording these songs. I’m sure some of the genres and bands we’re both fond of had some influence on the sound. There’s some crust punk, some industrial, a bit of black metal, even some post-punk and deathrock. In the end, though, I think it sounds like itself more than a patchwork of bands and genres either of us enjoy.  

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

Some are more abstract impressions and representations of a place, a time, ideas. Lyric writing, all of music making, is a bit like Debord’s dérive in that it requires some disorientation or, like Breton said, psychic automatism. Fāl-gūsh came out of overheard, misheard conversations. Fāl-gūsh is a type of divination usually associated with young girls. You would stand in a dark corner or concealed spot behind a fence, maybe a garden wall, and listen to the conversations of passers-by. The words you hear, the subjects being discussed, would provide answers to your questions. 

Unquiet, the last song on our album, was also the last song I wrote words for and sang. I had been talking with a couple friends who have family in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine about the ongoing destruction happening there. About how their family’s homes were destroyed or had been seized decades ago, about what the long history of colonialism and efforts to demoralize and oppress the people there have done to them, their family and friends in Palestine. About what living with colonialism and racist oppression does to you, both personally and how it reveals power to be the inherently abusive, extractive, violent force it is. Though lyrically as abstract as anything else I write, Unquiet is fiercely anticolonial, antifascist, and an oppositional force to all forms of oppression.

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

There’s a constellation called Crux, or Crucis, the Southern Cross. The brightest star in Crux is Acrux, the 13th brightest star in the night sky. You could think of Cruxis as drawn from those stellar names.

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

That’s the Dok-tor again. I’ll say that, as in our sound, there’s a confluence of influences. Let’s call it a lo-fi, diy, analog, photocopied zine aesthetic combined with an enigmatic mysticism. 

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

I can’t really imagine we’d need to add more people. It worked well like this and if we do it again, we already have everything covered between us.

7.Are there any plans for live shows in the future or is this strictly a studio project?

There’s an ocean in the way of live shows.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme and underground musical styles?

Since we’re quite new, and I’m answering these questions before our album is out, we haven’t really gotten a lot of reaction yet. The messages I’ve received from people who have heard it so far have been positive, which is nice. I know we’re both really happy with what we did here and hope that when it’s more widely available that other people will enjoy it, too.

9.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?

The Dok-tor is always making new music, which you’ll hear in time whether you realize it or not.  

I have a new project, Deep Fade, which is a sort of noisy, blackened pastoral industrial experiment. The first album will be out in late February, and, like Cruxis, will be on Fiadh Production. Then I have several other things coming, more Deep Fade, a few new collaborations with old friends, a final album from my old project, The Floating World. I’m sure there will be more as the year wears on.

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

I think it’ll go where it goes, there isn’t a definitive plan for it. It’s easier to make music when it happens because there’s something you want to hear that you aren’t hearing, maybe don’t even realize that’s what you’re creating when you start, but as you get into it what you create coheres around some idea that becomes central through the act of making songs. The map draws itself as you go.

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

I can, again, only speak for myself here, but some of it I’m sure overlaps with the Dok-tor. Over the years, I’ve listened to a lot of Killing Joke, Godflesh and Godflesh-y industrial-esque stuff, Amebix and Rudimentary Peni (I’m finally reading Nick Blinko’s Primal Screamer right now), some black metal, some post-punk, deathrock. Of course, then there are artists like Anita Lane, who has always been a huge influence of mine. Her uneven and wavering, haunted singing hovers around the edges of anything I do. Rowland Howard had a gorgeous shimmer, too.

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of JK Flesh, another Justin Broadrick project. He had an album out this past fall, NO EXIT, which is incredible and disorienting and I’m still hearing new things in it. Same for Darkthrone’s Eternal Hails, which passed me by when it came out a coupe years ago, but got drawn in by Fenriz’s description of it as “heavy like a dinosaur.”

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

https://cruxis-13.bandcamp.com/

Iterum Nata/From The Infinite Light/Nordvis Produktion/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Iterum  Nata  is  a  solo  project  from  Finalnd  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  neo-folk  and  progressive  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "From  The  Infinite  Light"  which  will  be  released  in  2024  by  Nordvis  Produktion.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  before  going  into  more  of  a  neo-folk  direction.  Synths,  folk  instruments  and  percussion  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  slower  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  acoustic  guitar  sections  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are utilized.

  Most  of  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  melodic  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording  also  adding  in  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  each  song  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other..  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  Darkness  and  Death  with  some  inspiration  from  the  Qabbalah  to  explain  cosmic  genesis.    

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Iterum  Nata  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  doom  metal,  neo-folk  and  progressive  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Gleaming  Eternity"  "The  Drifter"  and  "The  Crown  of  All".  8  out  of  10.

  https://music.apple.com/se/artist/iterum-nata/1316451649

https://iterumnata.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/IterumNata93/

https://www.instagram.com/iterumnata/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2haCAnM4Yi8B2lhUTT0rbY?si=sWEfeLy5TJ2KpoUr8R29qQ&nd=1&dlsi=6b2bc79102d841cc

    

  

Gates Open/Voice After Silence/Inverse Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Gates  Open  are  a  duo  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Voice  After  Silence"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffs.  

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era  while  a  few songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  recording  also  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  Gates  open  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover the  darker  side  of  the  world  and  mankind,  life  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Gates  Open  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  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Awakening"  "A  Place  Called  Home"  "We  Are  No  More"  and  "Northern  Dark".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/gatesopenband 

https://www.instagram.com/gatesopenband 
https://gatesopen.bandcamp.com 

 

https://youtu.be/aJiwCXSQaW0

https://youtu.be/pUxw7F8ZdOQ

https://youtu.be/KcgtVqrLHsQ         

     

Sun Of Nothing/Maze/Venerate industries/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Sun  Of  Nothing  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Maze"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Venerate  Industries.

  Melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.   Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  sludge  metal  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  

  Sun  Of  Nothing  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nihilistic  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Sun  Of  Nothing  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "After  the  Fall"  and  "Buried  Endeavors".  8  out  of  10.

  https://instagram.com/sun_of_nothing_band

https://open.spotify.com/user/1tptREOJ7wVtievKgqaYhv
https://sunofnothing.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/Sun0fNothing  

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

 

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

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

\

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

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

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

  https://profaneburial.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/ProfaneBurial

https://www.instagram.com/profane_burial

https://youtu.be/hfQ8BM8IOe4     

72 Legions/What A God Could Be/2023 EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Ohio's  72  Legions  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  brutal  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2023  and  called  "What  A  God  Could  Be".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilzied  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  brutal  sounding  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era,  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly.  

  On  this  recording  72  Legions  goes  for  more  of  a  modern,  brutal  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Anti  Religion  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  72  Legions  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Darker  And  Darker"  and  "What  A  God  Could  Be".  8 out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/72legionsband 

  

Aneon/The Chaos Of Your Wake/2023 Full length Review

 

  Aneon  are  a  solo  project  form  Texas  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2023  album  "The  Chaos  of  Your  Mind".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  death  metal.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  the  Swedish  style.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

   Keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  modern  and  old  school  influences.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aneon  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  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Awaken"  "Fragments  Of  Immortality"  and  "To  Depravity  i  Succumb".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://twitter.com/aneonmusic

https://open.spotify.com/artist/26rEJBE5vxF9mrYWV5OzxM

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aneon/654962520

https://aneon.bandcamp.com/album/the-chaos-of-your-wake    

Blood Of The Wolf/IV: The Declaration Of War Eternal/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Blood  Of  The  Wolf  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic,  brutal  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "IV:  The  Declaration  of  War  Eternal"  which  was  released  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction.

  On  this  recording  Blood  Of  The  Wolf  takes  their  blackened  style  of  death  metal  into  a  more  brutal  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  War  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Blood  of  The  Wolf  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "With  Lightning  For  Vengeance"  "The  Sword  Everlasting"  "Ritual  overkill"  and  "The  Declaration  Of  War  Eternal".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bloodofthewolf.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0i8q3A1HKGWnwaGUxJrXqN

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSwwgEP5LNxnebthhCBIQTw

https://www.facebook.com/bloodofthewolfmusic/

https://www.instagram.com/bloodofthewolf.band/