Ghost Hollow/Examinations Of The Heart/2025 Full length Review

 

  Ghost  Hollow  are  a  band  from  Arkansas  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Examinations  Of  The  Heart"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  heavy  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  parts  of  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  as  well  as  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  adding  in  touches  of  hardcore.

  On  this  recording  Ghost  Hallow  takes  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  diverse  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anguish,  introspection  and  catharsis.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Ghost  Hollow  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Formless  Apparitions"  "Lay  Down  The  Sword"  and  "Examinations  Of  The  Heart".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/GhostHollowAR

https://www.instagram.com/ghosthollowar/

https://ghosthollow.bandcamp.com/

https://linktr.ee/ghosthollowar

    

Possessive/Res Ipsa Loquitur/Brucia Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Possessive  are  a  band  from  Boise,  Idaho  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  d  beat  and  power  violence  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Res  Ipsa  Loquitur"  which  was  released  by  Brucia  Records.

  Dark  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  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.

  Elements  of  d  beat  and  power  violence  are  also  added  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  album  while  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  are  also  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up.  Some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  song  is  also  a  drone  orientated  instrumental.

  Possessive  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  death  metal,  d  beat  and  power  violence  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Possessive  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  metal,  d  beat  and  power  violence  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sun  And  Moon"  and  "Sure  Sign  of  The  Nail".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/possessiveband      

Winter Nights 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 ep?

Since the release we are in production for the next single release which will be this winter season. Recording in the Winter makes us feel at one with nature.

2.Recently you have released a new EP, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I believe the evolution of the band can be heard on this EP. Music is what keeps us breathing and as musicians were constantly learning and showing our emotions through sound.

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

I try to keep a storyline as much as possible. I explored the notion of sky burial further. In this EP the vultures become our gods so to speak and we must look within ourselves to transfer to ultimate freedom. 

What also speaks of progress as a songwriter is the emotions I explored, the feeling of solitude within one's own mind. WInter can be a glorious festive season, but it also sees dread and overall depression as it can linger on to what seems like eternity.

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

We love vodka, vodka is best in winter to drink. The idea of the band was made in winter, under the heavy influence of vodka. It is also a song title of one of our most favorite bands, Iced Earth.

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

FendiRofi was amazing to work with as a hand drawn artist. We received many recommendations to go with Ai, but there's nothing like lines on a paper and true artwork.

The idea of the bleak, black and white cover and overall art is what we wanted to portray. A time of the year where things stall frozen and life thrives in unexpected ways.

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?

Opening for many touring bands such as Morbid Angel in 2013, Omnium Gatherum in 2014, Dark Tranquility in 2015, Belphegor in 2016, Deicide in 2021 to name a few.

We try to give our viewers at our shows something to look at visually as well as musically. We run our own fog machines, stage lighting hardware and synchronization. 

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2025?

We plan to do many out of town dates in 2025 from Canada down to Florida. And, for our hometown, so far we are set to support TYR on their NYC stop of their 2025 US tour.

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

Not actively looking. The offers we've had have not pleased us yet.

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

It's been lovely! And we thank everyone for the undying support. We’re seeing more listening from Europe and Scandinavia lately which makes us happy!

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

A full length will be another year. But in the meantime we will release numerous singles and EP’s.

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

We listen to everything from all genres of metal to reggae to salsa to country to house to 90 nostalgia. We love all music! And it helps us grow. As of late, some worthy bands to mention that have given us new vibes and good vibes are “Non Est Deus” “MGLA” & “Grima”

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

Just want to thank everyone that's ever had any interest in the band and we are all family in this world, connecting through the emotion of sounds. We hope people always feel free to chat with us. 

And as we always say, SMOKE IT UP, DRINK IT UP!

https://www.facebook.com/winternightsnyc/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Winter_Nights/3540365924

https://www.instagram.com/winternightsmetal/

https://winternights.bandcamp.com/music

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

https://open.spotify.com/artist/09OiMXVWu7ykkRZrZGH0CT

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/winter-nights/884376517

Winter Nights/Northern Solitude/2024 EP Review

 

  Winter  Nights  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "Northern  Solitude".

   Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  Winter  Nights  plays  a  musical  styles  that  takes  the  atmospheric  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  the  human  experience  of  despair  and  existential  introspection.

  In  my  opinion  Winter  Nights  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Catharsis".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/winternightsnyc/

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Winter_Nights/3540365924

https://www.instagram.com/winternightsmetal/

https://winternights.bandcamp.com/music

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

https://open.spotify.com/artist/09OiMXVWu7ykkRZrZGH0CT

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/winter-nights/884376517

  

  

Old Moon Interview

 

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

Old Moon is a band that explores and tells the stories of depression, self loss and death and expresses those subjects through a sound that meets a middle ground of sadness and anger. 

2.In November you released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

While writing the music, I never found myself deliberately trying to accomplish a sound or style. Everything came very naturally.  I simply wanted to turn emotion into sound. 

That was accomplished fairly well with the EP but more so on the full length I think.

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

Depression is a heavy topic in the music. And that ranges in a lot of different ways from grief to simple sadness, to self sabotage and suicide.

There are a lot of metaphors in the lyrics that represent emotional abuse and that paints a pretty good picture of how the story flows into the depression.

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

Old Moon is kind of a metaphor for living in the past. If a new moon represents change and new beginnings, this is the opposite.

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

The art work stuck out to me greatly when I came across it. It was created by an artist on Instagram that goes by the name "Perervina_art"

For me it was a perfect representation that reflects the music. Isolation essentially.

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

The band has yet to preform live. We were planning for a tour for this winter but that unfortunately fell through.

As far as stage performance, its aggressive but has its calm moments. Just like the music.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2025?

I'm currently working on a tour for late spring. Likely mostly just a west coast run unfortunately.

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

We are currently looking for a respectable label. We have had a few interest but only one that I would consider.

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

Its been interesting. Mostly positive. I honestly didn't expect getting so many random messages from people that "praise" the music, especially with the band being so new and only having 3 tracks out.

That's been very heart warming for me. But on the other side of that, the first review we received said the music is "unexciting and predictable for something that comes out of the pacific northwest" which made me laugh.

But yeah, its been interesting but mostly very positive. 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

For me, Gone in April is currently working on an album. I have another project that I've been working on as well but that's still in the early stages.

Tim, our drummer, is always busy with something or another. He has shows almost weekly with Back From Death. And I believe recently joined another band as well.

Grady I'm sure is working on something as well. He almost always is. At the moment he's been working on the mastering for the full length for us.

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

Yes. We have a full length finished. Its been shopped to labels but I will shop it again after mastering is complete.

As far as when that album will be available, I hope for February/March but hopes and reality are two different things. It really depends on if there is a label involved and what their release plan would be.

Aside from that, as I mentioned earlier I'm working to get a tour booked. We'll have some music videos coming to help promote the album. For now, I've started the writing for the next album.

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?

Gaerea and Wormwood have been my go to listening bands lately. Both recently have released new music. As well as Swallow the Sun.

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

Just a simple thank you to everyone that has given any kind of support to the music and that band and we hope to see you at a show in the future.

https://www.facebook.com/oldmoon.om

https://www.instagram.com/oldmoon.om

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4omelxYGETlKIijsJ1JeZI

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/old-moon/1759269442

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

Qaalm/Grave Impressions Of An Unbroken Arc/Hypaethral Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Qaalm  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  an  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Grave  Impressions  Of  An  Unbroken  Arc"  which  was  released  by  Hyperthral  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  funeral  doom  metal  which  also  captures  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams.

  Some  of  the  deeper  vocals  also  add  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  while  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  they  also  take  the  album  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  melodic  rock  style ,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  and  spoken  words  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Qaalm  takes  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  form  of  post  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  sludge,  funeral  doom  metal  and  progressive  rock  to  create  a  very  diverse  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  introspection  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Qaalm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  post  black,  sludge  and  funeral  doom,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shadows  Behind  The  Sun"  and  "Hangman's  Lament".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/qaalm    

Old Moon/Self Titled/2024 EP Review

 

  Old  Moon  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  post  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  self  titled  2024  ep.

  Post  rock  style  clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  melodic  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  orchestration  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  words  also  being  utilized  at  times,  choirs  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Old  Moon  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  post  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  melodic  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  grief,  loss  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Old  Moon  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  post  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Regret".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/oldmoon.om

https://www.instagram.com/oldmoon.om

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4omelxYGETlKIijsJ1JeZI

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/old-moon/1759269442

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

Oryx/Primordial Sky/Translation Loss Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Oryx  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Primordial  Sky"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Translation  Loss  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  mixed  in  with  a  few  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  Clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along with  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly,  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Oryx  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death  and  the  cosmos.

  In  my  opinion  Oryx  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Primordial  Sky"  and "Look  Upon  The  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

  https://orcd.co/primordialsky

https://www.facebook.com/theeoryx/

https://www.instagram.com/thebandoryx/  

Demande à la Poussière 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?

Vince : Well, we’ve been on tour over a week in France just after the release of the album. It was great to meet the public and play new songs from Kintsugi. After a year of work on the recording without gigs we were really looking forward to playing live again. 

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

Vince : In my opinion, Kintsugi is less dark compared to the previous album. Maybe more doomy and sludgy I would say, that reminds me a bit of the first Demande A La Poussière, but we are still in the crossroads of different music genres. The main difference is the vocals done by Simon, our new singer, who brings something new for Demande A La Poussière. 

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrics that are present on the new album and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Simon: the lyrics are mainly about negative feelings from start to finish. The overall theme is about rebuilding yourself after having been destroyed by life itself, which can be viewed as optimistic, but every song is about all the excruciating mental pain you have to go through. Pain of loss, frustration, despair, … Neil wrote half of the songs, and I wrote the other half. My writing is more like, angry, coarse, straightforward. His style is more into metaphors, contemplation. There’s a duality, where one side tends to have some hope, and the other side denies every form of hope.

Over the years, my songwriting has improved quite a bit. Since I’m part of multiple bands, this is hard work all the way, but I’m having so much fun I often have trouble considering this as “work”.

4.I know the band's name means 'Ask (to) The Dust', in French, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

Vince : This name was a kind of inspiration for the recording of the first album “Demande A La Poussière”, some lyrics directly come from the book of John Fante. It made sense back in the time to relate to this book. For the next ones the lyrics has been written by ourselves, talking about life and human sorrows. 

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

Vince : The artwork of Kintsugi is done by Vade Retro, two french, very talented guys. We really like their work for bands but also different festivals. They agreed to work with us for this new record and we are truly grateful. 

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?

Vince : We played a couple years ago with two great french bands, Svart Crown that sadly doesn’t exist anymore and Regarde les Hommes Tomber who recently opened for Behemoth. It was such a great moment for us. Our first gig was also with Decline Of The I, this one is a very special one too. 

We try to give the best experience for the public in our live shows, even in small venues, in terms of sound but also with a special light synchronized show and background video. I am personally a big fan of live music, especially in metal, we all  come to the show to see a special moment. That’s what we try to do each time. 

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

Vince : Yes we are currently working on it. It’s not finalized yet, but we want to promote this album as much as possible. We are proud of what we achieved with the work we did on the show, so let’s hope we will manage to be booked in France and elsewhere.

8.The last 2 albums where released on 'My Kingdom Music', how would you compare working with this label 'Argonauta Records'?

Vince : The work of My Kingdom Music is beyond our expectation, we are truly grateful to be supported by Francesco. Without him, it would not be the same. We have a great confidence on his judgment.  And he does a huge work on the promotion coupled with the work of Agence Singularité our press agency. 

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

Simon: lots of people loved it. We had loads of positive feedback during our promotional tour.

On a worldwide view, I bet we fell in quite a number of foreign ears!

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Simon: My black metal project, Anthropovore, released two albums in February, and my other black metal band, Supplices, will release its second album this year. My thrash/death metal band, Muertissima, is currently working on its second album after a line-up change. My post-stoner band, Smoke, is working on its second album. My rock band, Circle of trust, is looking forward to record its first album. My punk/rock band, Dready, is aiming to do their first gigs very soon. I am also part of a deathcore project with a friend of mine, called CHAGS. I also have a solo post-black metal project called Arachnotrone, the first EP will be released this spring.

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

Simon: more doom, more despair, more violence, more sludge, more grunge, and above all… More nasty riffs!

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

Simon: I’ve always been a huge fan of bands like Midnight Oil, and I still listen to them from time to time. I also listen to a lot of hardtek, rap, stuff like that. In terms of metal, I’m more of an early 2000’s guy. But I always enjoy listening to something new!

Vince :  I listen to a lot of different music styles myself. I go from metal to jazz, I won’t list all the bands but it could be famous bands or upcoming ones. 

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

Vince :  We would like to thank all the people following us on shows, the people we buy our record, all of this wouldn’t be possible without their support.

Simon: always remember, in dire times, there is always a light, whatever you name it.

https://www.facebook.com/DALPdoom

Demande à la Poussière/Kintsugi/My Kingdom Music/2024 Full Length Review

 

     Demande  à  la  Poussière  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  apocalyptic  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Kintsugi"  which  was  released  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Angry  shouts  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  clean  sections  also  returning  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.  Apocalyptic  orientated  soundscapes  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album  and  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.,  spoken  words  are  also  utilized  at  times,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  resilience  and  the  violent  energy  that  one  can  find  beyond  the  depths  of  his  own  despair.

  In  my  opinion  Demande  à  la  Poussière  are  a  very  great  sounding  apocalyptic  mixture of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUD E "Inapte"  "Ichinawa"  "Atrition"  and  "Brise".  8  out  of  10.

  facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dalpdoom

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_a_l_p  

Pantheon Omega/Harmonizing The Death Essence/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Pantheon  Omega  are  a  solo  project  from  Ontario.  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black, death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Harmonizing  The  Death  Essence".

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  keyboards  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  and  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clear  vocals  into  the  music,  some  of  the  tracks  also  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  pantheon  omega  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  enlightenment  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pantheon  Omega  are  a  very  great  sounding melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journey  Alone"  "Harmonizing  The  Death  Essence"  and  "I  Release  Thee".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556967957143

https://pantheonomega.bandcamp.com/album/harmonizing-the-death-essence-2

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5ZZ0ty8PpXC3Ryp7e_OUQ

  

  

  

Martikor/Acedia/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Martikor  are  a  band  from  San  Francisco,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  and  experimental  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released "Acedia"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Distorted  sounds  and  clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  post  metal  direction.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal s creams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  going  into  on  experimental  direction  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Keyboards  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  songs,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mourning  and  brief  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Martikor  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  experimental  black,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Soothing  Rattle"  "A  Tremor  In  Infinity"  and  "Acedia".  8  out  of  10.

  https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/martikor/1704566355

https://martikor.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Martikor/

https://www.instagram.com/martikor_music/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZSJqYpRZHEdHw7P9LQYHg?si=td7eKsfITxePqQ8Yl_HAPA&nd=1&dlsi=5f1dac65c5884eb3

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpt6kcAnWrlfoccf9xnkATQ  

Sea Of Consciousness Interview

 

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

Sea of Consciousness is the brainchild of guitarist Daniel Sirotski and drummer István Timmermans.

They have been playing since 2014 together and were trying to come up with a grand concept that Sea of Consciousness is now. The band Sea of Consciousness has been brought to life since 2019 and were trying to find the missing band-members. After multiple line-up changes we finally found vocalist Bionda Honings in 2022. Her vocals were the final missing link to finally develop our style further. Then we found guitarist Stefan Gerritsen and bassist Jeroen Koorn in 2023 and we completed our line-up and debut-album.

 

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

The music is a huge mix of progressive technical metal with influences from death, black, thrash and heavy metal. We don’t believe in genre boxes and instead are trying to create our own genre that doesn’t let itself be defined by a narrow musical style.

 

We write music from the heart and the quality of the song is the most important. We try to think what a song needs instead of a fixed idea and/or ego.

 

The main songwriter, Daniel Sirotski, takes musical inspiration from every direction and tries to mold it all into one style. The reason is also because we, as a band, don’t want to be limited.

 

3.Some of the band members where previously a part of 'Inferus Dei', what was the cause of breaking up the previous band and forming the new group?

Guitarist Daniel Sirotski and drummer István Timmermans decided to break up the band because the musical vision had changed dramatically. Inferus Dei was the first attempt to flesh out the huge concept that Daniel and István had. After some time they decided that the attempt wasn’t what they wanted and looked at it as a learning school.

 

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

Mostly about life’s struggles covered in a spiritual/mystical veil. Writing music is for us a way to deal with reality and trauma in general. So it heals us in a way, and therefore, we hope that it will heal other listeners. Or at least enjoy our music, that’s cool too.

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sea of Consciousness"?

It started with the song ‘’Sea of Consciousness’’. When the song was being written, Daniel named it ‘’Sea of Consciousness’’ because it just felt it was the best way to describe the song and feeling it had. Afterwards, István had the genius idea to name our band that. Since then, we took the song as a basis from where we wanted to develop our sound further.

 

After a while, the name got more and more meaning. Sea of Consciousness symbolizes the reality around us. Every living being on this world is a small drop in the endless sea of consciousness that spans our globe. It is everything and nothing at the same time. We all try to traverse this endless stream and holding on to that which we know. But in the end, everything is random (or fate). From this principle we want to make music how it comes to us, instead of defining ourselves with a genre. We want to create our own genre because life is so much more than those few drops of consciousness most bands associate themselves with. The quest for knowledge, self-improvement and constructive thinking is one of the most challenging and rewarding paths that a human can take. We try to tread that path to enlightenment through music.

 

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

The white robed figures represent the instrumentalists in the band. The black figure in the lake is our vocalist and the nature around us is the Sea of Consciousness. We are summoning ‘’Spirit’’ that ultimately unites every element and transcends us.

 

7.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

We had our first show on the 12th of January 2024. Currently we are trying to find shows that we can play so we can hone our craft. We have some shows planned in March but we want more!

 

 

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

We had a label approach us with a deal 1,5 weeks after releasing our album. Honestly, nobody expected it so soon so we kind of freaked out in a good way. But after some thought we decided that it is too soon to sign ourselves to a label. It is a goal that we ultimately want to achieve, but it has to be on our own terms.

 

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

The reaction is huge! Seriously, we did not expect this response. I mean, we even had a viral TikTok video about us with over 40K likes and counting..

It has been almost 3 weeks since the launch of the album and we got from 80 monthly listeners to almost 5000 on Spotify. Its crazy.

 

A lot of reviews also with some really good constructive feedback that we will take with us in future songs.

 

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

I don’t think you can really assess your own musical development, but we want to focus on capitalizing on our ‘’unique’’ style of composition. With the amazing feedback we have had, this wont be a problem.

 

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?

The list is too long to effectively tell you what kind of influences we all have. The main songwriter, Daniel Sirotski, listens to reggae-ska, old-school hip-hop, 1940’s jazz, satanic black metal, aggressive thrash metal, 80’s pop songs etc. The list is too much. Daniel never listens to one band for a long time and instead has periods were he listens to a specific genre before moving on to the next thing. His baseline musical influence is Metallica and Dissection though.

 

Stefan Gerritsen is a huge metal fan in general, but can listen to almost every other genre too. He likes drum & bass, country, Celtic music and also classic pop music. He loves a song as long as it has substance and it can reach his soul. But if he has to name a specific band, it would definitely be Avenged Sevenfold.

 

István Timmermans greatest inspiration is Arch Enemy. That band is the main reason he picked up the drumsticks. But most of his inspirational percussion ideas come from bands like Obscura, Amorphis and Septic Flesh. But because we don’t only write brutal metal music, István takes influences from blues and up tempo rock music to come up with fresh ideas.

 

Bionda Honings remembers when she was 9 years old a friend of her father always played guitar for them. She really was inspired by the fact that you can process your emotions through music instead not knowing how to deal with feelings in general. Music was the best way to deal with reality.

Bionda always steered towards rock music and begun listening to The Rasmus, Evanescence and Linkin Park. Then she found out that more extreme music had more impact and found bands like Orbit Culture and Decapitated. Bionda was inspired by bands that really put their emotion into the music. Because of this Bionda is also very all-round in her musical taste. Its all about the feeling that the listener gets my hearing the auditory journey.

Jeroen Koorn started with rock music on the radio like Queen, ACDC and Green Day. This peeked his interest and later, as a teenager, he met people who introduced him to heavier music like Pantera, Slayer and Iron Maiden. Slowly but surely Jeroen got rolled into the world of metal. His first real favorite bands were System of a Down and Slipknot.

The urge to pick up the bass guitar came when Jeroen listened to Behemoth and Opeth for the first time.

 

Beside metal music, Jeroen also listens to reggae, oldschool gangsterrap and goes to drum and bass parties frequently.

 

All-in all, everyone had a very wide range of musical influences.

 

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

We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to tell our story here! The response is amazing and we are thankful for your attention!

https://seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/album/sea-of-consciousnes

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

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   

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  

  

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