Stortregn/Impermanence/The Artisan Era/2021 CD Review

 

  Switzerland's  Stortregn  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Impermanence"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  the  Artisan  Era.

  Synths,  classical  guitars,  rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.  The  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  as  well  as  acoustic  guitars  also  being  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  along  with  some  influences  form  the  90's  Swedish  era  but  keeping  it  modern  at  the  same  time.  A  decent  amount of  jazz  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  way  the  music  is  being  structured  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording,  tremolo  picking  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  cosmos  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Stortregn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ghosts  Of  The  Past"  "Grand  Nexion  Abyss"  and  "Timeless  Splendor".  8  out  of  10.

Social Media Links http://www.stortregn.com
Instagram: @stortregn_official
 https://www.facebook.com/Stortregn

https://youtu.be/DURn6it0P6I

Stortregn/Evocation Of Light/Non Serviam Records/2019 Vinyl Re-Issue

  Stortregn  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Evocation  of  Light"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  September  of  2019  by Non  Serviam.

 Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style. Classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  later  tracks  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  whispered  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording,  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  this  recording  Stortregn  played  a  style  of  melodic  black/death  metal  that  was  very  influenced  by  the  Swedish bands  of  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sadness  and  desolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Stortregn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inner  Black  Flame"  "Negative  Theology"  and  "The  Call".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://non-serviam-records.bandcamp.com/album/evocation-of-light

   

  

Stortregn/Emptiness Fills The Void/Non Serviam Records/2018 CD Review

  Stortregn  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018 album  "Emptiness  Fills  The  Void"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  era  Swedish  influences.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 Some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  while  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  songs  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  of t he  faster  riffing  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  can  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  vocal  tracks.

  Stortregn  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Stortregn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Dark  Gates"  "Nonexistence"  "The  Eclipsist"  and  "Children  Of  the  Obsidian  Light".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Stortregn

     

Stortregn Interview

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

Well, the line-up has changed a bit as we quite recently got a new bass player. While working on the new album, we also toured through France and Eastern Europe. To top it all, played at Wacken last summer. Besides that, we are working on a Stortregn beer and composing new songs. We're in a constant composing state of mind.

2. You have a new album coming out in May, 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?
The band is getting more mature. The compositions are more complex and varied than Evocation Of Light, which was more of a traditional melodic black metal style. Singularity is far more personal, more death and technical, with odd time signatures coming up. We payed also more attention to the sound of the album, it is deeper and richer than Evocation of Light.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
A "singularity" in general relativity designates the region at the center of a black hole, where the laws of space and time cannot apply and cannot be measured. A point where the spacetime curvature becomes infinite. This idea of lawlessness is present all time in this album, both musically and lyrically, exploring it's diverse forms and application in life and space.

4. Originally the band was called 'Divine's Smile' and 'Addict Repulsion', what was the cause of the name changes?

In early 2005, when we started to explore darker music, we passed through a lots of line-up changes, and our music evolved very fast. At a certain point, we wanted to have a clean start, that’s why we changed our name and chose something which fits better with the band.

5. I know that the bands name means 'downpour' in Swedish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

The music of Stortregn has this cold and dark feeling that can be associated with this image. It can also be associated to a gloomy and melancholic atmosphere.

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?

Our performances are a mix of blood, ripping riffs and blast insanity. We give our maximum, both mentally and physically. For us, our best experiences where at Wacken 2015, although we had some great shows in France last year and our tour in Eastern Europe. A small club in Romania comes to mind......

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

The 20th May in Grenoble, and the 27th May in Geneva are already confirmed. We are working on a tour for the end of the year and some other dates around that period will follow.

8. On the new album you had a few guests, can you tell us who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

The musicians we invited play a big role in our musical influences. They are amazing musicians and great person to work with. Simon (Beyond Creation) and Steffen Kummerer (Obscura, Thulcandra) each play an amazing solo on « Omega Rising » and « Black Moon Silhouette ». Ville Viljanen (Mors Principium Est) and Vladimir Cochet (Mirrorthrone) are doing some great vocal lines on « Vertigo » and « Acosmic Ascendant ».

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

Feedback has been generally positive. We've been very often related to Dissection, which is an honor as well as a huge problem. The honor, of course is to be compared to them. The problem is that we cannot do anything without being labelled as "cover band". Which we are not. Dissection was a true source of inspiration, a starting point. However, we are going our own way.

10. Are any of the band members also involved with any other bans or musical projects these days?

Johan is classically trained, he works as a classical guitar teacher. Romain is part of different death and hardcore local bands. Sam has some jazz, funk and ska projects and Duran has had various projects in the past, though Stortregn is the only one at the moment.

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

More extreme. More technical. More blast beats. The music of Stortregn is constantly evolving, and we're already working on new material, even more intense.

12. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
In non-metal, each of us listen to different stuff like Classical or Jazz from 60s to nowadays. In metal, besides those who were invited in the album, we can point to Gorod, Inferi, Animals As Leaders, Tribulation, and so on.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?
Beer brewing, eating, drinking, studying...

14. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks to everyone who has supported Stortregn during all these years. Enjoy the new album and see you on the road bitches!

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Stortregn/Singularity/Non Serviam Records/2016 CD Review

  Stortregn  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Singularity"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  drums  and  a  heavier  musical  sound  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  the riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  both  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  Swedish  influences  along  with  the  faster  riffing  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  And  as  the  album  progresses  classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  whispers  while  some  riffs  also  incorporate  elements  of  thrash  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental  acoustic  track  before  closing  the  album  with  a  heavier  song.

  Stortregn plays  a  style  of  melodic  black  metal  that  has  its  roots  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  while  also  mixing  in  a  bit  of  the  modern  blackened  death  metal  sound  to create a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sadness  and  desolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stortregn  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  "Acosmic  Ascendant"  "Omega  Rising"  "Nightside  Of  Eden"  and  "Never  Ending  Singularity".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Stortregn