Showing posts with label blackened crust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blackened crust. Show all posts

Sunday, January 21, 2024

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/

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Cruxis/Self Titled/Fiadh Productions/2024 EP Review

 


  Cruxis  are  a  duo  from  Providence,  Rhode  Island  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  punk,  deathrock  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  2024  ep  which  will  be  released  on  January  26th  by  Fiadh  Productions.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  mix  in  touches  of  deathrock.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  slower  parts  of  the  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  sludge  metal  and  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  recording  are  heavily  rooted  in c rust  punk  and  d  beat.


  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.  Black  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  drum  beats  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  industrial  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  most  of t he  ep  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.


  Cruxis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  punk,  deathrock  and  industrial  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  mysterious  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Cruxis  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  punk,  deathrock  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ruby  Throat"  and  "Unquiet".  8  out  of  10.


  Cruxis    


    


  

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Gorgonchrist/Fish In A Mountain/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Gorgonchrist  are  a  band  from t he  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal, c rust  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "Fish  In  A  Mountain"  which  will b e  released  in  march.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  mid  tempo  sections  of t he  songs  are  heavily  rooted  in  crust  punk.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  the  songs.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  old  school  grindcore  at  times  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  clear  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  On  this  recording  Gorgonchrist  moves  away  from  the  industrial  elements  of  their  previous  release  and  goes  for  more  of  a mixture  of b lack,  sludge  metal,  crust  punk  and  grindcore.  The  productionb  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  and  humor  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gorgonchrist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  punk  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fellowship  Of  The  Christ"  "Dick  Pic  Graveyard"  "Questions  Form  A  Victorian  Mortuary"  and  "Lonely  Wanker".  8 out  of  10.


  www.facebook.com/gorgonchrist



Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Act Of Impalement/Infernal Ordinance/Caligari Records/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Nashville  Tennessee's  Act  of  Impalement  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  crust  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Infernal  Ordinance"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Caligari  Records.


  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  being  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  thrash  metal  and  crust  influences  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a   decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.


   When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  show  a  a  very  heavy  influence  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  grim  screams  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  History  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Act  Of  Impalement  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crust,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Summoning  The  Final  Conflagration"  "Specters  of  Unlight"  "Blasphemous  Rebirth"  and  "Erased".  8  out  of  10.


  http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/infernal-ordinance


www.actofimpalement.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/actofimpalement   


  

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Rise Of The Stateless Wolf/Year Of The Snake/Italian Extreme Underground/2022 EP Review

 


  Rise  Of  The  Stateless  Wolf  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black, death,  sludge  metal  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  202  ep  "Year  Of  The  Snake"  which  was  released  by  Italian  Extreme  Underground.


  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  apocalyptic  sounding  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  also be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.


  Spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  briefly  while t he  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  crust  and  d  beat.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments,  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  clean  playing  can  also b e  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  journey  through  the  desert  of  the  modern  man.


  In  my  opinion  Rise  Of  The  Stateless  Wolf  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge  metal  and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Year  Of  The  Snake"  and  "The  Woodsman  And  The  Corn  God  Ritual".  8  out  of  10.


  

Facebook
Instagram

    


  

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Bones/Voimit/Disorder Recordings/2022 Full length Review

 


  Bones  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Vomit"  which  will b e  released  on  October  27th  by  Disorder  Recordings.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a   great  amount  of  crust  and  thrash  metal  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  sludge  metal  while  the  music  also  takes  an  80's  and  early  90's  style  and  also  makes  it  sound  more  modern.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style.


 The  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Van  Halen's  "She's  The  Woman". The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  zombies,  violence  and  evil  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bones  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  black,  sludge,  death,  thrash  metal  and  crust,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beware  of  Ghouls"  "Tower  of  Skulls"  and  "Bloodlust".  8  out  of  10.


  http://bones-chicago.bandcamp.com


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xGidFQtxhY      


  

Friday, July 8, 2022

Wake/Thought Form Descent/Metal Blade Records/2022 Full Length Review

 


  Wake  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Thought  Form  Descent"  which  will  be  released  on  July  22nd  by  Metal  Blade  Records.


  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  also  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  tracks  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  showing  influences  of  crust  and  grindcore  at  times  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  escapism  and  existentialism  themes.


  In my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album,.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infinite  inward"  "Venerate  (The  Undoing  Of  All)"  and  "Bleeding  Eyes  of  The  Watcher".  8  out  of  10.


https://youtu.be/e6fhvOfEO2M    

Sunday, January 2, 2022

VVVLV/100 Years Of Defeat/Kontingent Records/2021 Full Length Review

 


  VVVLV  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "!00  Years  of  Defeat"  which  was  released  by  Kontingent  Records.


  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  of  the  album  while  the  slower  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  When  the  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  crust  punk  elements  can  also  be  heard  while  melodies  are  also added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.


  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  shouting  and  spoken  style  vocals  as  well  as one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  spoken  word  samples  are  also  added  briefly  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.


  In  my  opinion  VVVLV  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  d  beat  and  crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Crisis"  and  "Magnolia".  8  out  of  10.


https://vvvlv.bandcamp.com/album/100-years-of-defeat

Monday, September 6, 2021

Abstracter/Abomination/Sentient Ruin Industries/2021 Full Length Review

 


  Oakland,  California's  Abstracter  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  some  elements  of  crust,  dark  ambient  and  industrial  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Abomination"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.


   A  very  slow,  dark,  heavy  and  apocalyptic  sounding  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  crust  elements  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in a  decent  balance  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a  t ouch  of  dark  ambient  when  they  are  utilized.


  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  industrial  style  noises  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  the  album  progresses.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  pessimism,  misanthropy,  the  apocalypse  and  antichrist  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abstracter  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  crust,  dark  ambient  and  industrial  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eclipse  Born"  and  "Lighteater".  8  out  of  10.


BANDCAMP RELEASE        

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Ischemic Interview

 

Anthony Abbatangelo – Bassist & Recording Engineer


 


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


 


We’ve been on a long and COVID-mandated break. We were lucky that we had a window over the summer where restrictions eased up in Toronto, and during this time we were able to get together to rehearse and record the album over the course of a few months. I think we moved on to mixing and mastering right as we were getting hit with the second wave in the fall.


 


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


 


The biggest difference sonically is that we handled all the recording & mixing ourselves. Our drummer Kamble and I are both audio engineers and the stars aligned that we had access to a good recording space and enough free time to handle this one ourselves. Musically the tracks are on a very raw, death-doom wavelength compared to our last album “Stagnation & Woe”, which had a more polished, melodic black metal kind of thing going on. The textures are a lot rougher and heavier, but we’ve kept the same twisty and unpredictable song structures that we’ve always had fun with.


 


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?


 


Isabelle writes all the lyrics but keeps them pretty close, we’ve never published lyrics sheets. What I love about Isabelle’s songwriting is that she explores that classic metal theme of mortality in a way that avoids the usual horror-movie clichés. The general impression I get from these songs is the concept of death as a freeing and truthful thing, while life can often feel like a march of compromises and contradictions.


 


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



This is from Isabelle’s experience as a registered nurse. A Transient Ischemic Attack is a kind of stroke, and Ischemia, in general, is the condition of blood and oxygen not getting to bodily tissue properly. We wanted a classic, one-word death-metal band name in the vein of “Autopsy” or “Entombed” and this fit the bill haha.


 


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


 


The album art is something I’m especially proud of, it’s a photograph I took of a demon mask which was hand-crafted by an amazing artist and long-time friend of the band, Marcela Calderon Donefer (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/MarcelasBrainJuice). My partner Danika Zandboer designed the lighting and helped me composite the final image. She’s an incredible photographer and recently shot the amazing cover for Vile Creature’s latest release (https://www.danikaz.com/). Our past album covers were all illustration-based, and I thought changing it up to a minimalist, photo-based design would suit the new material.


 


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


 


I personally love playing DIY spaces and house shows, and usually feel most at home in front of those kinds of crowds. I think we sound best when playing in small rooms with big amps and minimal monitoring. Grumpy FOH engineers have ruined the vibe of more doom metal shows than I can count!


 


In December 2020 we organized and played a house show in Kitchener/Waterloo, opening up for Greber who is easily one of my favorite live bands. The place was packed with metalheads, punks, artists and university kids, and Isabelle did some guest vocals with Greber. Good times!


 


We’ve been doing this for almost 10 years now in some form or another, and on our best days, the live show feels like a big engine pumping away in perfect sync. Isabelle definitely draws the most attention, getting into crowds and up in people’s faces or crumpling inwards in despair depending on the ups and downs of the riffs we’re pumping out up on stage. We like minimal, high-key red or white lighting and have been known to smoke out the audience with a fog machine when the mood strikes us!


 


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


 


We would definitely consider any offers that came our way haha, but I’m not sure it’s something we’re actively pursuing at the moment. Some of us are dealing with pretty demanding and unpredictable jobs/personal lives/health issues. That plus the COVID situation makes us a bit hesitant about tying the future of the band to a label or outside entity. We’re working on getting some copies of the new album out to one or two distros however. 


 


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


 


The reaction to the new single has been great so far! I think our style is slightly hard to pin down, but find that we end up being embraced by all sorts of audiences we aren’t really expecting. As an adventurous music listener and metalhead, the bands I love seeing the most are the ones that I know are going to surprise me during their set, and I feel like we try and bring some of that unpredictability.


 


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


 


Our drummer Kamble produces and plays guitar in a death-band called Mors Verum, I think you can expect something from them later this year. He’s also in the process of opening a studio in Kitchener/Waterloo and is taking on production and mixing work. Isabelle currently sings in Experiment Specimen who is working on some new material as well I believe. Myself, I work as a sound designer for film/TV and score the occasional horror movie. I also play in Qarafa, a droney psych-rock band that’s currently on hiatus due to COVID.


 


https://experimentspecimenmetal.bandcamp.com/


https://morsverum.bandcamp.com/album/deranged


https://qarafa.bandcamp.com/releases


 


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


 


We’re planning to do another round of recording over the upcoming summer, there’s been a low-and-slow sludge song in the vein of Disrotted kicking around that we’re getting to next. There are a couple of bands we’ve been dying to do a split EP with, so we’ll probably use the material for something along those lines.


 


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?


 


As I mentioned we love metal bands that use unusual songwriting to keep people on their toes with stylistic shifts. Great Sabatini, Greber and Fuck the Facts are great examples of this and personal favorites of mine. Some other amazing bands from Toronto that have dropped albums recently are Volur, Sarin and IRN. Personally, I’ve been way into Big Brave recently, a drone-doom band from Montreal with very beautiful, haunting vocals.


 


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


 


Nope! Thanks for having me and appreciate the interest.


Facebook.com/Ischemic
Instagram.com/ischemiccanada

https://ischemic.bandcamp.com 

Monday, March 8, 2021

Ischemic/Scabs/20221 Full Length Review

 


  Ischemic  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "Scabs"  which  will b e  released  in  April.


  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  morbid  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.


  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


 When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  old  school  style  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  touches  of  crust  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkn4ess  themes.


  In  my  opinion  ISchemic  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "Scabs"  and  "Illusions  Of  Humanity".  8  out  of  10.


https://ischemic.bandcamp.com


Facebook.com/Ischemic
Instagram.com/ischemiccanada

  

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Vainoa/Pelon Varjo/2021 EP Review

 


  Vainoa  are  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  post  metal,  grindcore  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  ep  "Pelon  Varjo".


  A  very  fast  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats,  tremolo  picking  and  grindcore  elements.  The  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also   mix  in  some  influences  of  post  metal  and  crust  punk.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  along  with  some  hardcore  style  shouts  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  short  in  length.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style, the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  sludge  metal  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the ep  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Musta  Paraati's  "Metalliset  Kasvot".  


  Vainoa  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  post  metal,  grindcore  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  angry  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Vainoa  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  post,  sludge  metal, g rind  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pelon  Varjo"  andf  "Aani  Sen  Menettaneille".  8  out  of  10.


IG: https://www.instagram.com/vainoaband/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/vainoaband

BC: https://vainoayhtye.bandcamp.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Al3rewkwk8zHnPFQGsHLM?si=zfLgb0SrROKKVHLuLUIq5A


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIZqaPIifOo


    

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Non Serviam/Le Coeur Bat/Code666/CD Review

 


  Non  Serviam  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  industrial  metal,  grindcore,  crust  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Le  Coeur  Bat"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Code666.


  Experimental  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  adding  in  some  industrial  style  beats  at  times.


  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Clear  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  album  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats,  crust  and  grindcore  elements.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  album  also  having  its  avant  garde  elements. 


.  Keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  some  psychedelic  touches,  the  also  bring  in  a  brief  ritualistic  version  of  Moody  Blue's  "Knights  In  White  Satan"  before  returning  back  to  their  original  material,  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  Occultism  and  Anarchy  themes.    


  In  my  opinion  Non  Serviam  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  industrial  metal,  crust,  grindcore  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infanticide"  "Salem"  and  "Je  Contre".  8  out  of  10.


Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/NonServ11606883

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Non-Serviam-103846074427132/

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQCKxPoJDkE9ScK8woFhsbA/videos

bandcamp: https://non-serviam.bandcamp.com/

Monday, November 9, 2020

Oldblood/Arms To The Sky/2020 EP Review

 


  Oldblood  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Arms  To  The  Sky"  which  will  be  released  in  December.


  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  crust  punk  elements,  clean  playing  also  returns  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.


  Oldblood  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  post  metal  and  crust  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dropping of  an  atomic  bomb  on  Hiroshima.


  In  my  opinion  Oldblood  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  metal  and crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nuclear  Blues"  and  "Alone".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.weareoldblood.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/weareoldblood
https://www.instagram.com/weareoldblood

https://www.twitter.com/weareoldblood    

Friday, October 16, 2020

Poison Wind/Virus!/Eleventh Key/2020 CD Review

 


  Poison  Wind  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash  metal,  avant  garde,  crust  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Virus!"  which  will  be  released  on  October  30th  by  Eleventh  Key.


  Hardcore  style  shouts  and  crust  influenced  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing.  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  80's  era  grindcore  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.


  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  singing  onto  the  recording,  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also be  heard  and  one  track  also adds  in  touches  of  harsh noise.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  COVID19  pandemic.


  In  my  opinion  Poison  Wind  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash  metal,  avant  garde,  crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Branch  CoVidians"  "Viral  Tales"  and  "Weight".  8 out  of  10.


https://www.facebook.com/poisonwind     

Friday, October 2, 2020

Vulgarian/Human Scum/2020 Full Length Review



  Vulgarian  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Human  Scum"  which  will  be  released  on  October  30th.


  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  elements  of  sludge  metal  onto  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  screams  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing.


  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore  punk.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  music  also  always  sticks  mostly  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  and  musical  direction  as  well  as  always  remaining  very  heavy  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.


  Vulgarian  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  racism,  corruption,  police,  state  violence  and    the  overall  erosion  of  human  rights.


  In  my  opinion  Vulgarian  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Human  Scum" "Shithole" and  "Drown  In  A  Swamp".  8 out  of  10.


https://www.facebook.com/vvlgarian 

https://twitter.com/Vvlgarian

https://instagram.com/vvlgarian?igshid=15md9w0aynyyc 

https://vulgarian.bandcamp.com/            

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Marthe/Sisters Of Darkness/Caligari Records/2020 EP Review


  Marthe  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  with  some  elements  of  crust,  d  beat  and  gothic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2020  ep  "Sisters  Of  Darkness"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  ep  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  some  elements  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  riffs.  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  clean  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  all  of  the  drumming  being  done  on  an  electronic  drum  kit  and  most  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  70's,  80's  and  90's  era.

  The  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  traditional  metal  elements  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  dark  atmosphere  of  old  school  occult  black  metal.  Some  of  the  clean  vocals  also  add  in  a  touch  of  gothic  rock  as  well  as some  of  the  music  also  showing  some  influences  of  crust  and  d  beat.

  As  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  grim  screams  and  the  closing  song  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  auto determination,  acceptance  of  life  cycle,  empathy  and  nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Marthe  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  with  some  elements  of  gothic  rock,  crust  and  d  beat  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sisters  Of  Darkness"  and  "Awake  Arise  Silence".  8  out  of  10.

http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/sisters-of-darkness

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Lucynine Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
 Hi! Sure. I've always been a hungry listener of any genre and also as a musician and composer I've never been able to follow a single line, even if I've always been attracted by what's obscure and violent. So, after playing in many bands, I decided to put on a solo project as a multi-instrumentalist and composer that would have allowed me to work in total self-sufficiency (I'm always on the move, so it's hard for me to keep on a proper band). There comes Lucynine.

2.You have your first full length coming out towards the end of July, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
 I'd say it's more sincere. It's not angry and dark because the genre wants to, but because this record tells true stories, with the right mood.

3.From 2013 to 2020 there was no music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
 Well, no music has been released under the monicker Lucynine, but I worked on various projects with my own name. Most of all I worked on two short movies: “Block E, 4th Floor” (script, direction, music, everything apart the acting voice) and “Engine of Time” (only audio and soundtrack).

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?
 “Amor Venenat” means “Love Envenoms” in Latin. I started working on this record after I lost my husband for a cancer in 2018. We've been together for 11 years and I fell into depression and felt the need of throwing a lot of shit out of me. This album was very therapeutic in that sense... I never had an easy relationship with love sphere: born homosexual in a strict Catholic family, affairs with men much older than me, not always easy to manage, then the loss of the one I had chosen to share my life with... So I really needed to shout out a lof of regret and pain. And the concept the album is built around is a sort of portrait of me. Well, a kind of portrait of me in that very moment.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lucynine'?
 The first half of the monicker Lucynine comes both from Lucifer both from the famous song by The Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” since a psychedelic component has always been relevant in my music. Number nine is both a magical number by itself, both a “six” upside down, to remind to the Number of the Beast. It's rock'n'roll, isn't it?

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
 It's meant to include more concepts in the same picture: pain (the rope), sex/love (the man naked), but also the caducity of old age, religion (the red light reminds of vestments of a catholic cardinal). All these concepts are related to each other in the album.

7.You work mostly as a solo artist, would you be open to expanding into a full line up on future releases?
 I don't think so. I could think of a band for a live situation or many featured artists on next releases, but not a band.

8.You also have a few quests on the new album, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?
 Sure! They all are famous actors and dubbers here in Italy (Dario Penne, for example is the Italian voice of Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Tommy Lee Jones, Christopher Lloyd and many others). You see, I'm very bound to theatre, I work as a stage photographer, I collaborate with actors in many ways and most of my friends are actors too, so, since I wrote things that were meant to be spoken and not sung, I thought the best actors I knew would have been the best choice for those verses to be played.
I know that contributions could be a limitation for not Italian speaking people, but I hope their curiosity will win on this and push them to search for the meaning or... just listening to the whole album enjoying it.

9.Earlier this year you also released an ep tribute to 'Titor', what was the decision behind the tribute?
 It all started as a quarantine joke and ended in a serious double single. Titor have been both dear friends of mine, both one of my favourite hardcore punk bands ever. So it came out quite naturally.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of experimental, avant garde and extreme metal?
 I still have to understand it, because my 2013 EP didn't have much promotion, so “Amor Venenat” is the first time I have a serious promoting agency, a serious label, etc. Let's see what happens. I really can say I did all the best I could do.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future/
 I'm really insecure so I never expect too much and try to enjoy everything good happens to me. So I can't make predictions. What I really really dream is to be called for a movie soundtrack.

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/
 I listen to many different genres, from classical music to jazz, from trip hop to crust punk, so it could turn into a very long reply ahahah! What I can say is that The Beatles changed my life when I was a child, Iron Maiden changed it again when I was 11, Devin Townsend when I was 16, Meshuggah when I was 18, Portishead when I was 20, and so on. In my shelves you can find from Rachmaninoff to Dark Funeral, from David Bowie to Gorillaz. These days I'm really into Bandcamp and looking for unknown good bands that do amazing things with nearly no budget. Maybe today you can discover better things from little labels or DIY scenery than among big majors. Well, maybe not only today!

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
 Literature, art, cinema, all that involves expression. I myself am a photographer and videomaker, so my different jobs in music and creativity really overlap with my interests. And it's a huge privilege today.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the time you spent with me and for your interest in what I do. I wish people will enjoy my music and find out what's behind it and maybe... pieces of real life that deserve thoughts and meditation.

www.lucynine.com
www.facebook.com/lucynine
www.instagram.com/lucynine.official
https://lucynine.bandcamp.com