Showing posts with label [BOLT]. Show all posts
Showing posts with label [BOLT]. Show all posts

Sunday, July 16, 2023

[ BOLT ]/( 05 )/dunk! Records/2023 Double Album Review

 


  Germany's  [  BOLT  ]  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for a   mixture  of  drone,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2023  double  album  [  05  ]"  which  was  released  by  dunk!Records.


  Drums  and  percussion  start  of  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental,  avant  garde  and  improvised  at  times.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  most  of  the  music  is  instrumental.


  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  drones.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  adding  in  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  synths  also  bringing  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized,  sounds  of  silence,  whispers  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  for  a  few  seconds  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark. 


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  [  BOLT  ]  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  double  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "White  Concrete"  and  "Petite  Fieur  Des  Champs".  8  out  of  10.


  https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/0-5

Saturday, December 11, 2021

[BOLT]/Aidan Baker/dunk!records/A Thousand Arms/Church Road Records/Bird's Robe Records/New Noise China/2021 Collaboration Album Review

 


  Germany's  [BOLT]  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  where  they  team  up  with  Canada's  Aidan  Baker  to  create  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2021  collaboration  album  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  A  Thousand  Arms,  dunk!  Church  Road,  Bird's  Robe  Records  and  New  Noise  China.


  Drone  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  the  bell's  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  bass  guitars  when t hey  are utilized  show  some  influences  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal.  


  Guitar  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumental.  Elements  of  noise  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  also being  improvised  along  with  the  synth  also  adding  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  percussion  can  also b e  heard  briefly.


  On  this  recording  [BOLT]  team  up  with  Aidan  baker  to  create  a  recording  that  is  less  metal  influenced  than  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  noise,  experimental,  ambient  and  drone  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  [BOLT]  and  Aidan  Baker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  (35)/Clover".  8 out  of  10.


Bandcamp: https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/34dcI9jNYaCGKuvrEaYu4U?si=VoONTkCcRZm7zlu5N2Tbwg
Order: https://dunkrecords.com/collections/all-releases/products/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker

Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaLuWtndD1o       

Saturday, June 13, 2020

N + [BOLT]/Play 15 Amps/Midira Records/2020 Full Length Review


  Germany's  N+  and  [BOLT]  team  up  once  again to  create  a  recording  that  mixes  experimental,  ambient,  improv,  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  collaboration  album  "Play  15  Amps"  which  was  released  by  Midira  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  bring  elements  of  ambient  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  the  background  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  also  starts  getting  more  diverse  sounding  while  guitar  orientated  drones  are  also  utilized  at  times.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals  along  with  the  guitar  sounds  also  mixing  in  elements  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  into  the  heavier  sections  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  repetitive  moments,  stringed  instruments  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  and  the  re-mix  track  also  shows  more  of  an  avant  garde  side. 

  On  this  recording  N+  and  [BOLT]  team  up  and  create  a  recording  that  mostly  focuses  on  the  experimental,  ambient  and  drone  side  of  the  spectrum  as  well  as  having  some  touches  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  N+  and  [BOLT]  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  ambient,  improv,  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  drone.  you  should  check  out  this  collaboration.   

https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/play-15-amps

Sunday, December 1, 2019

[ BOLT ]/Morasth/dunk! Records/2019 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Germany's  [ BOLT ]  and  Morasth  which  was  reelased  by  dunk!  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  [ BOLT ]   who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black,  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  distorted  amp  noises  and  drones  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  sludge  and doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  their  song  which  is  also  over  20  minutes  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  an  improv  atmosphere  along  with  the  track  also  mixing  in  a  good  amount  of  black  metal  influences,  All  of  the  music  is  instrumental  as  well  as  the  song  also  using  the  same  riff  for  a  few  minutes  and  as  their  side  of  the  split  progresses  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  [ BOLT ]   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Morasth  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  post  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  with  some  distorted  amp  noises  before  going  into  more  of  a  slower  and  heavier  doom  metal  direction.  Their  track  is  also  over  18  minutes  in  length  while  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  song  more  of  an  atmospheric  post  metal  feeling.

  Their  track  also  uses  the  same  riff  for  most  of  the  track  also  giving  the  music  more  of  an  improv  atmosphere  and  also  keeping  everything  in  a  slow  yet  instrumental  musical  direction,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Morasth  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

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



Saturday, July 27, 2019

[ BOLT]/Lavas Magmas/dunk! records/2019 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Germany's  [ BOLT ]  and  Lavas  Magmas  which  was  released  by  dunk!  records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  [ BOLT ]   who  move  from  a  blackened  drone  doom  metal  style  to  more  of  an  instrumental  ambient  drone  style  with  their  track

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  while  their  track  is  also  over  10  minutes  in  length.  All  of  the  music  is  instrumental  along  with  some  elements  of  ambient  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  song  and  the  track  also  avoids  the  black  and  doom  metal  influences  of  previous  releases.

  Next  up  is  Lavas  Magmas  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  mixture  of  noise  and  industrial.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  while  field  recordings  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background.  his  track  is  all  instrumental  along  with  the  track  being  over  10  minutes  in  length  and  the  song  also  adds  in  elements  of  noise  and  industrial  and  the  music  also  gets  more  diverse  as  the  song  progresses.

  On  the  closing  track  [ BOLT ]   and  Lavas  Magmas  team  up  together  and  mix  both  of  their  very  different  style  together.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  while  the  track  is  over  20  minutes  in  length  and  an  instrumental.  Field  recordings  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  elements  of  ambient  and  as  the  tracks  progresses  the  music  also  starts  adding  in  elements  of  black  and  doom  metal.

  In  conclusion  i  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  experimental  and  ambient.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/wearebolt/
https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com
www.lavasmagmas.bandcamp.com
                 

Thursday, November 29, 2018

N (46)/[BOLT]/(Nameless Release)/Midira Records/2018 Full Length Review


  [BOLT]  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  teams  up  with  Germany's  N (46)    plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  a  nameless  release  that was  released  by  Midira  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  slow  and  heavy  doom  metal  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  being  instrumental  and  the  guitar  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  elements  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  an  improvised  atmosphere  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction.

  [BOLT]  and  team  up  together  and  mixes  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  together  while  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  mixing  their  different  styles  together  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  N (46)  and  [BOLT]  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

https://n-bolt.bandcamp.com/

Thursday, May 31, 2018

[BOLT] Interview

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

We played a tour in late March with our good friend N and some nice festivals, plus further planning for future releases and some shows.

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

I guess the biggest change or difference would have been the addition of drums respectively an additional band member. Hence, the whole writing process including its approach and sound changed in some ways. Specifically the addition of drums comes naturally with rhythmic changes or, as in our case, the general addition of rhythm. We understand ( 0 4 ) as a journey with recurring musical ideas which are featured throughout the album and tiled together by fuzzed out bass guitars, drums and degraded effects.

3.So far all of your music has been instrumental, would you be open to working with vocals or lyrics in the future?

We already have plans to work with someone on vocals, but rather in the sense of an additional instrument than central element as you would find in a classic band set-up.

4.Most of your song titles are named after numbers, can you tell us a little bit more about this concept?

Actually there isn’t too much of a concept apart from the songs being connected to a consecutive number. Since we don’t have any lyrics, it leaves enough room to the audience to interpret or relate to a song or an album whatever they want. Also, we don’t have too much say, haha.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name [BOLT]?

The name derives from a black beam, which in our early days represented our ‘band name’, but actually wasn’t pronounceable. We then came across an industrial bolt, which came closest to the previously used black beam.  [ ███████]

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

This year’s Dunk!Festival was remarkably good. It doesn’t happen too often that there is a strong connection between the audience, us as a band AND the place/venue we actually play which in that case was the forest stage and happened to be a special and unique experience.
When it comes to the performance itself, it depends on quite a few things. In an ideal world, we offer an intimate and equally intense performance. But that depends on things like sound, stage, audience, lighting or the like.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the next few months?

16.6. in Leverkusen and 25.8. in Mülheim (Ruhr). Both are festivals which combine art and music. Maybe a long weekend in late October.

8.You have also been a part of a few splits and collaborations, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands or artists you have shared these recordings with?

We met all of our split and collaboration partners before we actually worked on a record. Or it was suggested by one of our labels. Anyway, an important criterion to all of our works with other artists is the creative work and the goal to enhance our, as well as our partners musical horizon. Keep in mind we started as a bass duo which naturally comes with limitations to sound and song writing. Therefore, having the opportunity to work with other artists was (and still is) an endless source of inspiration and enabled us to foster our own creativity.

9.Can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you have worked with on the new album?

Both labels, Dunk! Records and Narshardaa Records, are run by very kind and enthusiastic people and put a lot of effort in our latest album. Dunk is based in Gent/Belgium and Narshardaa in Kiel/Germany.
It was nice to see that both labels were open to work with us and leave their more common path of post rock and hardcore.


10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal, doom and drone?

That’s quite hard to say. We don’t focus too much on genres themselves, since it would limit or restrict not only our own music, but also views on our music by third parties.
Generally speaking feedback so far has been very good, which we are very grateful for, but again, that’s not really connected to genres. Most people who get back to us or write something about our songs and albums share a general interest in music which tends to move away or beyond genre limitations.

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

Currently we are working on a collaboration with an US film composer, the next album and a theatre project. The recordings to two split albums are almost done, same with two N+BOLT albums.
We like to keep all of that as well as all of our future works quite open. As mentioned before, too many labels on your own musical style might restrict you in one way or the other.

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

All three of us share an interest in what one might describe as heavy and/or atmospheric music. This ranges from black metal, post metal or rap music to pop music. I guess a key element to all genres we are interested in, is some sort of a well created atmosphere and a creative approach to song writing.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I guess Andi’s interest in recording and mastering is worth to be mentioned.

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

Thanks heaps for the interview. Equally to the reader for dealing with our messy answers. Hearts.

https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/music

Thursday, April 26, 2018

[BOLT]/(04)/Narshardaa Records/dunk! Records/2018 Full length Review

 


  [BOLT]  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "(04)'  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Narshardaa  and  dunk!  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  gets  very  repetitive  at  times  along  with  the  synths  bringing  in  elements  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  drones  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  No  vocals  or  songwriting  are  ever  utilized  while  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  at  times  and  when  the  music  gets  heavy  it  brings  in  elements  of  black  and  doom  metal  along  with  all  of the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  the  last  rack  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  and  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  [BOLT]  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  [BOLT]  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "[22]".  8  out  of  10.

http://04.wearebolt.com
Bandcamp: https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/0-4
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1bVbUDqLOIORxPqwNAYCrS