Empyreal Sorrow/PRÆY/2020 Full Length Review

  Empyreal  Sorrow  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "PRÆY"  which  will  be released  in  November.

  Clean  playing start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  onto  the  recording.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  while the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  era  Swedish  influences.  When  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  songs  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  vocals  and  more  modern  elements  onto  the  album  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  making  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Empyreal  Sorrow  plays  a  musical  style that  takes  the  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  devastation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Empyreal  Sorrow  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thrown  Into  The  Fire"  "Come  Down  With  Me"  "Scars  Of  Old"  and  "A  Night  Without  Armor".  8  out  of  10.

Website - https://www.empyrealsorrow.de/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/empyrealsorrowmetal/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/empyrealsorrow/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCotlWovcAgd-WXMn0es0J2w
Pre-save PRÆY - https://snd.click/praey    

Nomvdic/Euphoria/2020 CD Review

  Nomvdic  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  melodic  death,  progressive  metal,  djent  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Euphoria".

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  some  prog  and  djent  elements.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  bringing  in  touches  of  Swedish  style  melodic  death  metal.

  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  metalcore  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  vocals  also  having  their  melodic  moments.

  Grim  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  influences  of  deathcore  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  touches  of  blackgaze  can  also  be  heard  at  times and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  covering  the  human  psyche.

  In  my  opinion  Nomvdic  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   post  black,  melodic  death,  progressive  metal,  djent  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Euphoria"  "Dysmorphia(Im  So  Sorry)"  "Dead  Oaks"  and  "Blue  Jay".  8out  of  10.

Website: https://nomvdic.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/34XRjMu
Facebook: https://facebook.com/NOMVDIC
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nomvdicofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomvdic     

  

Protokult/Transcending The Ruins/2020 Full Length Review

  Protokult  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  pagan  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  album  "Transcending  The  Ruins"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  synths  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  screams  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  along  with  some  rough  pagan  metal  singing  also  being  utilized  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  folk  instruments  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  and  back  up  shouts  also  showing  an  influence  of  thrash  metal.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  symphonic  and  orchestra  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  power  metal  style  vocals  being  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Folklore  and  Historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Protokult  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mark  of  Thunder"  "Oy  Kanada!"  "Valley  Of  thorns"  and  "Dead  new  World". 8out  of  10.

Protokult.com
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Transcendence/Towards Obscurities Beyond/Blood Harvest/2020 Full Length Review

  Transcendence  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2020  album  "Towards  Obscurities  Beyond"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Blood  Harvest.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of the musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  High  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  screams.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  and  90's  influences  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  s  very  melodic  style.

. The  riffs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  thrash  elements  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  synths,  whispered  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness,  blasphemy  and  obscurity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Transcendence  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infernal  Resurrection"  "Drowned  Screams  of  the  Departed  Souls"  and  "In  Silent  Procession".  8  out  of  10.

http://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/towards-obscurities-beyond 
     

Nemesium Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We have been in and out of lockdown due to the virus, but we have basically finished our first song for the next album and are continuing to write new material. We really wanted to be out there touring and promoting the new album but just like everyone else in the world it's just not happening. So its basically just sit down and lets get another album done!

2.In June you released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?
It's more extreme! We took one of the songs off the EP and re recorded it as we thought we never captured the true sound we wanted from it. But on the Continua album we brought it to life! Musically we got more advanced in technicallity and song structure and kept pushing on our recording abilities.

3.This is also your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Well after our EP we lost our bassist Luke so we had to then find a new bassist for which we found in Dave, He was in the band for about 3 years and right before bass was about to be recorded for Continua we decided to go back to our original bassist Marcus. So he then had to come back into the band and write all new bass parts for the album within a couple of months which he did amazingly! So basically we were just writing/gigging and fine tuning our line up. Which we are 100% happy with now.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover science fiction themes can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
I've been a huge Sci Fi fan for as long as I remember and movie/tv buff. So basically all my lyrics are based off Movies I love or TV episodes I love. Parallel Dimensions/Time Travel are full of endless ideas, Shit if Star Trek can make god knows how many episodes about it I can dable in the idea as well haha. And being death metal the stereo type is to sing about death etc... But its over done and to me not very interesting so I write about what I enjoy.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nemesium'?
Nemesium is Latin plural for Nemesis. The inspiration basically just came from searching for cool words

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork was done by the amazing Kirill Seminov, I found him on Instagram and was hooked! I love the sci fi H.R. Giger that he goes for but he puts his own little spin on it. The idea that we gave Kirill is that each side of the cube is a different Parellel Dimension giving you multiple stories out of each world.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Personally the best shows I have played is when we supported Omnium Gatherum or Krisiun in our home town. Such amazing International acts and we get to support them which was amazing!

Our stage performance we try to go as hard as we can each show and make it as aggressive as possible. It's loud and tight!

8.In 2015 you also done a 'Damaged' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
We all grew up with Australian bands being a huge inspiration for us. And Damaged being a regional band like us and been at an international level of greatness we always wanted to pay homage to them.


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
Very positive! We have been overwhelmed with positive comments and reviews. I think we have created something that is fresh and new but also keeping in with the old sound which is exactly what we were after. We all are fans of multi genres and we all bring them into the mix to create something different.

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?
Clint - I'm in a few other bands at the moment, an old school death metal band Munitions with Marcus our bassist. And also a Post Black Metal band titled Visha Kanya.
Chris - Plays in an old school death metal band also in our home town called Destruktor

11.Where do yo you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to basically keep doing what we're doing. We're all happy with the way we write and with the reviews coming back it looks like we're on the right track.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We all love different genres of Metal and music. From old school death metal and black metal to the more modern melodic death and black, to Grind and all things tech. Even Post Rock and classics like Queen. So we have a lot of influence between us which I think is great!

Nowadays personally I can't get enough of the Post Black Metal genre so Harakiri For The Sky and Numenorean to name a couple.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Music is basically my main interest, outside of the bands I have a Huge family to take care of. 6 kids...... And I run my own Carpentry business so I don't have time for anything else haha

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Cheers for the interview guys! And stay tuned to our Facebook page for any new updates coming up soon. We really want to get out there and start playing live again and to show the world what we can bring to it.

But in saying that, support the underground and keep Death Metal alive!


Order Continua:
https://nemesiumblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/continua (CD, Digipak LP, Merch, Digital)
https://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/black-lion-records (CD, Digipak, LP, Merch)


For More Info:

https://www.facebook.com/NemesiumOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/nemesiumofficial_/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IUsvIFmFQ45sSuRwSbMRK

https://www.facebook.com/blacklionrecordsswe
https://twitter.com/Blacklionrecswe
https://www.instagram.com/blacklionrecordsswe
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKzG_KjmK7A-PnunzLvzdQ   

Midgard/Tales Of Kreia/Sliptrick Records/2020 CD Review

  Midgard  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Tales  Of  Kreia"  which  will  be  released  on  August  18th  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  screams  adding  in  touches  of  black  metal.  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  songs  also  add  in  folk  instruments.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  showing  some  influences  of  the  Swedish  style  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style,  clean  male  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Midgard  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  themes  and  philosophical  issues  about  life  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Midgard  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necromancer"  "Dwarf  King"  "Elven  Blade"  and  "Ice  Spirit". 8  out  of  10.

Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | VK | On Sliptrick

Journey Into Darkness Interview

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



I just released this week so not much musically, more about promotions! Although, I was working on this album up until the day it was released. I have already started on the next album, but I have no idea when that will be.





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



If I go way back, I played in a death metal band Sorrow back in the early 90s (we had 2 albums on Roadrunner). That music was of course more standard OSDM with some heavy doom influences. After we broke up I started writing all synth music that was reminiscent of intros and interludes on metal albums. But it wasn’t minimal, there were dark melodies with heavy death style drums. The music now is probably similar when it comes to the melodies and song structures, but the new stuff incorporates guitar and vocals and is way more heavy and intense.



3.This is also your first release 1996, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?



After I released that CD in 1996, I was somewhat jaded. That CD was released on a small label I started myself and honestly cost me a lot of money. It was just hard to reach people and since the music was not death metal and not dark wave or dungeon synth, it just sat in the middle and got very little traction. I continued to write music on and off for the next 20 years (holy shit) but didn’t get serious again until about 2 years ago. So not much went on musically in that time (except I did continue to listen to all the great new music that came out). I won’t bore you with my non music career LOL



4.Your earlier release was more dark ambient while the new album is more symphonic black/death metal, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind going into this musical direction?



The older music was sitting in between a bunch of genres, and I guess after listening to it again years later, I realized it just wasn’t heavy enough. So I added guitar to one track and was immediately excited with the result. The melody and emotion was still there, but the music was just way more intense. So I said skrew it, I might as well add some vocals too! I am very happy with the result, it blends what I was trying to accomplish many years ago with my desire to write intense heavy music again. Sought of a merging of Sorrow and my original JID album.



5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer album?



I’ve always tried to write meaningful lyrics. The music comes first, but if you have good lyrics the sum of the whole is more than the sum of its parts. As usual, there is an anti-religious song, I can’t help it, I hate religion LOL. One song is about humanity’s deeply violent past, present and future. It’s unavoidable. Another song is about the finality of life and of the universe itself, that death is literally written into our DNA and the structure of the universe. The last song with lyrics is about how insignificant we are compared to the universe (the title gives that away ha). Not just in size, but in time as well. You can take that to be depressing or a way to alleviate the daily stress of life. Some days I choose one, some days I choose the other.





6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Journey Into Darkness'?



Quick story. The first name I came up with was Near Death Experience and the title of the first album was Journey Into Darkness. But I got a cease and desist letter from a lawyer representing a band that was using that name and had a business in a state using that name. So I switched the name of the project and the album. I am actually happy I did it. I like the name JID way better. It feel it conveys the mood and feeling of my music. When someone listens I want them to have a journey into darkness.



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



I wanted a cover representing the title Multitudes of Emptiness. That emptiness is everywhere, both on an emotional level but also in space. Life is empty, and again, you can be depressed about it or you can use it to say fuck it, nothing matters, just try to enjoy life. But space is empty too. An atom is mostly empty space, to the vast distances between stars and galaxies, the universe is empty. I didn’t want a cover that was just black of course, so having a person who was ethereal, or somewhat hollow whisking away into the vastness of space worked well.



8.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience working with a full band, how would you compare the two?



The obvious advantage to working solo is the creative freedom. But that makes it more difficult too. I get to control every aspect of the music but that means I also have to write every aspect. I obsess over everything, every note, every cymbal, arrangement, etc. so sometimes I second guess myself. At times it can be very nerve-racking. There were times I almost had panic attacks while working on this album. Occasionally I would ask a friend for an opinion. But for me, it is worth it to be able to bring to life my musical ideas exactly the way I want.



9.The new album was self released, are you open to working with a label again in the future?



I would be open to working with a label, I just didn’t want to wait around on this release. Although labels are still important, and I am sure they can do more than an individual, I didn’t want to wait around for months trying to get a deal and then waiting for more months to have the music released.



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



It’s only been one week, so far so good! A posted video got over 1000 streams with no thumbs down so that is good LOL. I’ve picked up a few hundred new followers on Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube, Spotify, etc. Many people have been really receptive and like the hybrid style from both the black metal and death metal side. So I am very happy.



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



The simple answer is the newer music will be similar to this album. I am really happy with the sound and there is still a lot of area to explore within it.



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



I’ve been around since the start of extreme metal in the 80s and I am amazed at how it has progressed over the years. The newer music is amazing and definitely prompted me a few years ago to resurrect JID. So here is a long thought that explains a lot: I love symphonic extreme metal, but sometimes it emphasizes the orchestra parts too much. I love black metal, but sometimes the music is too melancholy. I love death metal but sometimes it lacks melody. I love classical but it can be very boring. So I have tried (and I hope succeeded!) at taking all the genres I love, mixing in what I think is great about them and leaving out what I feel is not as good and creating something unique. I don’t want to name bands, there are dozens (maybe hundreds) of bands I listen to and my favorite band can change daily LOL.



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



Thanks very much for this interview, it feels great to be back making music. For anyone interested, you can visit my website for links to all social media and streaming sites: jidarkness.com





Brett - Journey Into Darkness

https://jidarkness.com/

Abyss Interview

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



A: I started Abyss in 2009 together with another former member. The line-up soon was completed by aspiring musicians from a rural part in Bavaria, where we are located. Our music is a mixture of Melodic Black and Death Metal. If you like classic bands like Dissection, Sacramentum and if you appreciate modern successors that draw at least a little from their heritage, you might enjoy giving us a spin.



2.So far you have released a demo, ep and a split, musically how do they both differ from each other?



A: Our early work resulted in a number of songs that had a bigger Death Metal influence. This influence is still noticeable on our last EP from 2018. Throughout the years the Death Metal ration diminished. And together with some other new elements, we solidified a specific trademark sound we were aiming for. This is what you will hear on our part of the coming split with Besna.



3.The band has been around since 2009 but waited until 2018, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?



A: That´s a common question. Mainly for two reasons that deserve a little elaboration:

First one would be because of line-up changes. The number of people that had an instrument in their hands in order to play for or with Abyss comes to more than a dozen already. The changes had nothing to do with personal differences, but more with people going abroad, moving away, getting a job, etc. Those things caused a lot of delay and pauses in the past and for those very reasons you will hear two session musicians on the coming release. There is a permanent line-up though, that works on the songs and concepts and you will most likely see on stage.

Second: It took a while to build the musical skill and capacity to transfer our ideas to reality in a proper way. I can only speak for myself, but I basically learned to play the guitar with the Band.



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



A: We dedicated our themes to chaos. In short: Our songs should reflect mankinds unrest
about being at the mercy of this power and its search for sense, order and the higher, when there is
none of that. A rather nihilistic view on the world and humanity.




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



A: As the literal meaning depicts a bottomless pit, it reflects the symbolism and themes of our songs. No clear line, no end, no order. The name is used quite often by bands. And during the 10 years of minor public activity, it would have been easy to simply choose something more distinct. However, the name Abyss resembles a special meaning for the members. The missing puzzle piece, so to say, that binds all the other aspects of the band and brings it back to conclusion. Contrary to its meaning.



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



A: The artwork awas made by Théo Braisaz, a french artist working under the name „Mr Kiwi“. I work closely together with him for another project. He´s an excelent graphical designer. Our cooperation reached a level where I can lay down my visual ideas and from then on almost blindly trust him with the realization. For the split, the artwork gives several hints on its main themes, which revolve around unfulfilled religious -or even ideological- salvation, absence of the higher and natures indifference towards these themes.



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



A: We had many great shows. One that really stood out was our first live performance. We played in front of 100-200 people in a Band Contest of which probably only 5 % were into Metal. The feedback was overwhelming though. Everyone freaked out when the last note subsides. It was the beginning of many things and the moment when Abyss truly came to life.

As a matter of fact we often hear that our live performances are far more convincing than our releases. Our music profits from the chaotic frenzy both Band and audience find themselves in during live situations. In the past recent years we worked hard to make our show aesthetically fitting to the concept. So it´s all about increasing the intensity to make the music, the dread almost physical.



8.You have a split coming out with Besna in September, what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?



A: Already during the planning of the „Further Into Perdition tour“ working together went off smoothly. When we played together in Bratislava, they convinced us musically and therefore were our prime candidate for our intended split project. While our music has a certain drive and a pounding blast every now and then, theirs is equally wild, but more on the melancholic side and adds important aspects. Quite naturally and despite the very slight differences in the styles we play, the split reached a coherent whole.



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



A: That will mostly turn out with the responses towards the coming release with Besna. Besides playing a east-euro-tour together with Groza, Abyss stayed hidden a long time. In my eyes, the project still has to get „out there“.



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



A: One upside of the current crisis is, that naturally artists are most likely sitting at home and have time to live out their creativity. I look forward to all the „quarantine creations“ released in the future. And perhaps we will be among them. Soundwise, sometimes I wish to make our music a little harsher and messier. It is leaning towards that already and I still want to keep our melodic trademark. After all, who needs another Deathspell Omega clone.



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?



A: One main part of my songwriting work is indeed listening to new stuff. I am one of the persons that really listens to everything. I know people say this quite often and to me personally that´s actually often negatively connotated. Black Metal wise, I´m more and more intrigued by french, canadian and icelandic Black Metal. To name a few general bands I listen to quite often: Svartidauði, The Great Old Ones, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Sombres Forêts, Gris, Selbst, Be'Lakor. Sure from our style, I guess one can draw conclusions on what we mainly listen to.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



A: As I have hinted already, Abyss is a busy band. Some members will experience some career developments in the future. The plan is to lay down enough ground work for Abyss now to still be operational when that time comes.



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



A: Thanks for the interview, check out our split. One song has been published so far (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jkcV8_IDI&fbclid). Look out for the next one that will drop soon!

Cheers,

Kosmogonia/Enthrone The Gods/Cronus Productions/2020 CD Review

  Kosmogonia  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2020  album  "Enthrone  the  Gods"  which  was  released  by  Cronus  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  epic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with    brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into a   heavier  musical  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  folk  music  and  flutes  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Operatic  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  mixed  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  the  more  melodic  side  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  of  keyboards,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  some  songs  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  symphonic  moments.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kosmogonia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Elysian  Fields" "Dionysian  Song"  "Legacy  Of  Myrmidons"  and  "Pandora's  Fall".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.facebook.com/Kosmogoniafolk
https://www.instagram.com/kosmogonia_official
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpULz0evz6Ve2QLI0QJy6Vw     

Black Crown Initiate/Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape/Century Media Records/2020 Full Length Review

  Black  Crown  Initiate  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Violent  Portraits  Of  Doomed  Escape"  which  will  be  released in  August  by  Century  Media  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  clean  vocals  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   heavier  musical  direction.  Aggressive  vocals  are  in  between  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also add  in  some  melodies  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  chants  and  throat  singing  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  symphonic  sounds,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  show  an  influence  of  djent  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Crown  Initiate  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invitation"  "Years  In  Frigid  Light"  and  "Holy  Silence".  8 out  of  10.

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Trident/North/Non Serviam Records/2020 CD Review

  Trident  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "North"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Gregorian  chants  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  music  sounds  and    ritualistic  percussion.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  most  of  the tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements  death  metal  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  classical  guitars  also  making  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks,  a  couple  of  songs  also  introduces  ritualistic spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  story  about  an  Internal  journey,  of  ominous  visions  through  dreams,  touching  the  subjects  of  ancient  wisdom's  long  forgotten,  cursed  bloodlines.

  In  my  opinion  Trident  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enter"  "Summoning"  "Possession"  and  "Schaman".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Trident666official/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvrG4qEybGmeLhK9QIkKc4w  

Journey Into Darkness/Multitudes Of Emptiness/2020 Full Length Review

  Journey  Into  Darkness  are  a  solo  project  from  Florida  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self released  2020 album  "Mulitudes  Of  Emptiness".

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  programmed  beats  while  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  a  few  ambient  style  instrumentals  also  being  added  onto  the  recording  as  the  album  progresses.

  Journey  Into  Darkness  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  doom  and  death  metal  elements  as  well  as  a  few  ambient  interludes  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Journey  Into  Darkness  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  be  Human  is  To  Be  Inhuman"  and  "Sending  Death".  8  out  of  10.

https://jidarkness.com/

https://journeyintodarkness.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Journey-Into-Darkness-133854346636888

https://youtu.be/qoAINEwHfdo  

Yevabog/King Of The Worms/2020 EP Review

  Yevabog  are  a  solo  project  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  demo  "King  Of  The  Worms".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts, one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording   and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Yevabog  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  death  metal to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Yevabog  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Creatordestroy"  and  "Crumbling  Ossuary".  8  out  of  10.

https://yevabogmerch.bigcartel.com

https://instagram.com/yevabog

https://facebook.com/yevabog

https://Yevabog.bandcamp.com

open.spotify.com/album/6CDvhC536HXPdGsJmJQft5?si=kRIHBZfVRzG4sAJ_GiuIHA

yevabogmusic@gmail.com 

Nemesium/Continua/Black Lion Records/2020 CD Review

  Nemesium  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Continua"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Records.

  Sci-fi  sound  effects  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  black  emtal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  progressive  and  technical  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Tribal  drumming  can  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  can  also  be  heard  which  also  introduces  synths  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nemesium  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Archetype"  "The  Fire  And  The  Flesh"  "The  Dawn  Of  Retribution"  and  "Relive  this  Nightmare".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/NemesiumOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/nemesiumofficial_/ 
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IUsvIFmFQ45sSuRwSbMRK 

https://youtu.be/fSt-TLiwqLY   

Degollado Interview

 NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW WAS ANSWERED BY THE BASS PLAYER
                                   AND FOUNDER OF OUR BAND: ANJAEL.
1.-Can you give us an update on what's going on with the band these days?
Well, right now we are working, from home, due to he global pandemic you know, but we still keep sounding around the World, but yeah, we keep working even if we’re tired,  and  we’re keeping our fans and followers updated about everything that’s coming, of course we have achieved all of this thanks to the valuable and dedicated work of our manager, Erik Norambuena.

2.-So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording
Yes, we have released an unofficial promotional demo, but as everyone knows, things are difficult here in Venezuela, so, for that reason we wanted to release a demo so everyone can hear us even if we do not have the media to record  an LP…yet.
Everything we do we make it with love and dedication for all of  your fans.
Also, we chose the BLACK and DEATH genres because we wanted something powerful  and aggressive, and these genres gave us that perfect mixture of feelings.

3.-What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
The lyrics of the band DEGOLLADO are mostly protest,  we feel it as our way of protesting against the negative vision that some religions have in modern times. We do not criticize religion as such, but the negative aspect that they entail.

 4.-What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Degollado'?
Technically, the word “Degollado” means “Beheaded”…
Well, the name of DEGOLLADO is a node to a little aneadote of us, our guitarist, Rolo, unfortunately witnessed a person while someone else brutally cut their  throat, that obviously remained in his brain.
Later, while he was composing, he saved every recording data in a folder on his computer that he named “DEGOLLADO”, after that memory.

5.-Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?
As I mentioned before, both the name and the art were the product of that bloody memory of that episode that the Guitarist of the band witnessed, I took him to look for ideas to reflect that memory both in image, music and name of the band ...  and with this the idea for the art of the cover of this demo was born, which was edited by Victor Norambuena, son of our manager Erik Norambuena

6.-What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? 
Every time we’re on the stage, it feels incredible for us, we all have had incredible moments,  unique moments, but especially the debut of the band in Valencia in May 2019, the receptivity of the public was impressive, which made us see what we started  On the right foot, especially knowing that what we were looking for when merging these two genres such as BLACK and DEATH was better than we expected, we achieved what we wanted to achieve.

7.-The demo was released on 'Entocomphobic Records', how did you get in contact with this label?
The owner of the label, contacted our manager through our Facebook page after seeing all of  our work and offered us to work as a team and join his label, we are very thankful.

8.- 0n a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
The reception has been very positive, both for the Venezuelan and Worldwide fans, but especially outside our country is when we have felt more supported, I feel that they like it so much that we played on a radio in Norway thanks to a great friend, Yoleima Gascon from  the cradle of BLACK metal I feel that the receptivity has been positive.




9.-When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
As we said, the situation in Venezuela is not the best, it has been difficult for us to record our first album, the one we had planned release this year, then, the pandemic slowed us down a bit, but we’re already recording our first official single which will be done and ready by the end of August, and with the help of the universe we hope next year to already have the album that will contain 9 or 10 songs. 
How do we see ourselves in future?  Ending our first album, starting a second one and taking our music to every part of the world.

10.-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?
Some the bands that have had little influence in DEGOLLADO , are  Dark tranquility, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir and Cryptosy , which are also the bands we listen daily.

11.-What are some of your non musical interests? 
I have many personal interest and activities besides music, I have children to fight for every day, I have an incredible love for reading, learning more new things every day and being a better person  , best human being, best mother, best friend, best musician.

12.-Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, thank you for the interest in our project, thank you also for the interview ... we thank the public that supports us and all those who in some way have helped us take our music to the places where  It has been taken, Internet pages, magazines, YouTube channels and every possible digital medium.
As a goodbye ... we send a huge metal hug and long live rock and roll !!!

                                     
            Facebook:
www.facebook.com/degolladobandvnzla/

Instagram:
www.instagram.com/degolladoblackdeatehmetal/

Youtube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UC2bPKZHbKGPaWy9mSomiDkA

Email: degolladobandavzla@gmail.com