The Canyon Observer/Figura/Vox Project/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Slovenia's  The  Canyon  Observer  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  drone,  harsh  noise,  free  jazz,  mathcore  and  contemporary  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Figura" which  was  released  by  Vox  Project.  

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  shows  an  influence  of  free  jazz.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts,   saxophones  and  cellos  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs.

  Element s of  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  can  be  heard  in  5the  slower  and  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  At  time s the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  the  riffs  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  one  song  also  introduces  black  metal  screams  and  growls  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Harsh noises  and  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Canyon  Observer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  f  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  drone,  harsh  noise,  free  jazz,  mathcore  and  contemporary  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Koza"  and  "Kriz".  8  out  of  10.

  https://music.voxproject.fr/album/figura       

Born A Ghost/Stairway To An Empty Room/2023 EP Review

 

  Born  A  Ghost  are  a  band  from  Tacoma,  Washington  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge,  doom,  stoner  metal  and  electronica  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "Stairway  To  An  Empty  Room"  which  will b e  self  released  in  2023.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  electronic  sounds  can  also be  heard  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  touches  of  stoner  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  drones  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  elements  from  that  genre  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.

  Born  A  Ghost  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  doom,  sludge,  stoner  metal  and  electronica  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  drug  addiction,  suicide  and  faith  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Born  A  Ghost  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge,  doom,  stoner  metal  and  electronica  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Halls  Of  Disrepair"  and  "When  The  Last  Light  Fades".  8  out  of  10.

  https://born-a-ghost.bandcamp.com/album/stairway-to-an-empty-room

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gC4ZGHswB6RoyytmbFa9y

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/born-a-ghost/659880804

https://www.facebook.com/bornghost

https://www.instagram.com/bornaghostofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFOsF67RMhfogNSfnXnrG-w

https://bornaghost.com/   

One Leg One Eye/And Take The Black Worm With Me/Nyaah Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

    One  Leg  One  Eye  are  a  solo  project  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  lo-fi  mixture  of  black  metal, e experimental,  drone,  ambient,  folk  and  musique  concrete  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "And  Take  The  Black  Worm  With  Me"  which  will  be  released  on  October  27th  by  Nyaah  Records.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  and  guitar  orientated  drones  a  few  seconds  later.  High  pitched  black  emtal s creams  can  be  heard  briefly  while  most of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  a  couple  of  tracks also  adds  in  Irish  folk  music  style  clear  vocals.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental,  avant  garde  and  lo-fi  sounding  while  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  harsh  noises.  All  of  the  songs  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  different  sound  to  them  along  with a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing,  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction.as  well  as  some  folk  instruments  also  being  utilized  at  times   and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental 

  One  Leg  One  Eye  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  folk  and  musique  concrete  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover   light  and  dark  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  One  Leg  one  Eye  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal, e experimental,  ambient,  folk  and  misuque  concrete  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  these  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Glistering  She  Emerges"  and  "Only  The  Diceys".  8  out  of  10.

  https://nyahhrecords.bandcamp.com/     

Ggu:ll/Ex Est/Counsouling Sounds/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Ggu:ll  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  doom  metal,  noise  and  atmospheric  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Ex  Est"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Consouling  Sounds.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones,  psychedelic  sounds  and  noises  also being  used  at  times  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  most  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Ggu:ll  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  drone  and  noise  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  meaning  of  existence.     

  In  my  opinion  Ggu:ll  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  noise  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Falter"  and  "Hoisting  Ruined  Sails".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ggullband 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ggulldoom        

Chestcrush/Apechtheia/2022 EP Review

 

  Chestcrush  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  ep  "Apechtheia"  which  will b e  released  in  November.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  elements  of  sludge  are  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  influences.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  at  times.

  choirs,  soundscapes  and  noises  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Touches  of  post  metal  can  also be  heard  at  times and  the  closing  song  is  a  drone  orientated  instrumental.The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording from  Chestcrush  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Despiser".  8 out  of  10.

  

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Nothing Is Real/The End Is Near/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Nothing  Is  Real  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  ":The  End  Is  Near"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  more  of  a  stoner  vibe.

  Psychedelic  touches  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  drones  also  returning  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  showing  the  music  also  adding  in  more  mid  tempo  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  covers  the  end  of  the  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nothing  Is  Real  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "THE  (Pt.  1)"  "END"  and  "NEAR  (pt.  2)".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Abhorrent Expanse/Gateways To Resplendence/Amalgram Music/Lurker Bias/2022 Full length Review

 

  Abhorrent  Expanse  are  a  band  with  members  from  Minnesota  and  Illinois  that  plays  an  avant  garde  mixture  of  blackened  death,  funeral  doom  metal,  noise,  drone  and  free  jazz  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Gateways  To  Resplendence"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Amalgram  Music  and  Lurker  Bias.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  distorted  sounding  drones  can  also be  heard  at  times.  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  giving t he  album  more  of  a  primitive  edge  when  they  are  utilized.

  Harsh  noises  are  also  added  into  the  background  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  the  home  made  percussion  also  giving  the  album  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  A  lot  of t he  clean  sections  also  show  an  influence  of  free  jazz  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  few  songs  also  introducing  organs,  synths  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Abhorrent  Expanse  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  mixture  of  blackened  death,  funeral  doom  metal,  noise,  drone  and  free  jazz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cloak  Of  Ancients"  "Gateways  To  Resplendence"  "Baleful  Reminders"  and  "Arcturian  Nano  Diamonds  From  The  Tranquil  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.instagram.com/abhorrent_expanse

          

Breaths/Isolera/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Richmond,  Virginia's  solo  project  Breaths  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  instrumental  mixture  of  blackgaze,  doom  metal,  post  rock,  chillhop,  ambient  and  drone  and  the  album  was  self  released  in  2022  and  called  "Isolera".

  Ambient  style  synths  and  drones  start  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  an  instrumental  direction  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  repetitive  moments  and  when  slow  guitar  riffs  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  Blackgaze  style  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  sounds  while  a  lot  of  the  music  also  sounds  very  improvised.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  post  rock  style  clean  playing  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  programmed  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  breaths  takes  ambient,  drone,  cillhop,  post  rock,  doom  metal  and  blackgaze  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  different  from  previous  releases  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Breaths  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackgaze,  doom  metal,  post  rock  chillhop,  ambient  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Movement  II"  and  "Movement  IV".  8  out  of  10.

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Tele.S.Therion/Nejromantische Hexentvm [Ta Megala Mysteria]/Radical Matters/2022 Triple Album Review

 

  Tele.S.Therion  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  musical  style  they  described  as  being  'acousmatic  black  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  triple  album  "Nejromantische  Hexentvm  [Ta  Megala  Mysteria]"  which  was  released  by  Radical  Matters. 

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient    along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  percussion  and  homemade  instruments  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  30  or  more  minutes.

  Stringed  instruments  can  also be   heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  electric  bass  is  also  utilized  as  a  lead  instrument.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  along  with  some  tracks  also  touches  of  noise  along  with  a  lot  of  the  songs  also  being  done  in  more  of  an  instrumental  direction.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also  brings  in  more  of  a  Abruptum  style  of  black  metal  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  the  use  of  a  real  drum  kit.  Screams  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  also  being  improvised.  some  of  the  slower  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  doom  metal  and  some  songs  also  add  in  touches  of  free  jazz  and  drones.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  disturbing  nightmare  soundtrack  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  from  Tele.S.Therion  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  black,  doom  metal,   experimental,  dark  ambient,  avant  garde,  ritual,  drone  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  triple  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II  "V"  "VIII"  and  "X".  8  out  of  10.

https://telestherion.bandcamp.com/

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

(Dolch) Interview

 

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

T: Hello! That´s a lot what happened, as the recording started a long time ago. Actually, we kept on writing songs and recording stuff for ever and we took a lot of work into mixing "NACHT". We played a handful of shows and a tiny little tour in the close east of Europe , which seemed like a miracle doing this during a worldwide pandemic situation.

 

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

T: We used a bit less guitars, a bit more electronic sounds and we mixed the vocals louder. The songs are a bit shorter.

 M: FEUER, the previous Album, NACHT, released this year and TOD, still to be be finished, were recorded in a more than proper studio for the first time, so it gave us a lot of opportunities to vary with every instrument and soundscape on the recordings.

3.Your earlier material showed some black metal influences while the newer music sees you moving away from that influence, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical change?

T: I am not sure if we ever had a big black metal influence. Maybe even more influenced by music and tunes that have been an impact on what became then black metal? The 80ies? Early EBM and Doom music? We never had one specific sound. (Dolch) is like a chameleon of sound, depending on what story we want to tell. However. The guitar sound now is different, we also grew up with so much different music we would be lying to ourselves of denying other influences, like 90ies alternative and rock music, such as trip hop or anything experimental. Do you remember, back in the days even the word "Pop" was not a "no go" or something bad, when it was good quality?

 M: NACHT might differ when you listen to superficially. But it‘s just us. We are all influenced by such a broad variety of different genres in music and art, so it just has to come down to what fits best to the topic or songs.

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

T: The "Nacht" album is one trip through the night, we talk about euphoria & depression, lust for life but also the fear of it. We were hanging out in California during these recording sessions, it was beautiful but also cold and ugly at the same time. The night can make you become a stupid modern vampire, looking for attraction, but also leaves you spitted out ugly in the morning, lost and broken.

I think we learned to become more precise songwriters, more specific on the story. We are maybe not the best songwriters, but hopefully good storytellers. (Dolch) is not meant to be entertaining only, we always wanted to say something, to communicate with the listener.

 

5.You have also covered some occult topics on some of your releases, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

M: I am sorry. If you read it in an occult way, can you tell me more about it? It is your own decision on how to read the lyrics, I am definitely not the one to argue about it. But we never had that topic in mind.

T: There is no such topic in our songs, there never was. Sorry. But it is ok if you feel so.

 

6.I know that the bands name means 'dagger' in German, how does  this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

T: Actually, the band never really had a name but the symbol, the triangle and the dagger inside. It used to be a military sign, we turned it and de-militarized it. Somehow, the logo feels like a shield of protection for us, same as writing, recording and playing this music might protect us from becoming crazy.

M: T is right. But maybe it is little stitch to our hearts for every song.

 

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

T: I remember the tour kick off in Berlin last October was one hell of energy between the audience and us, that felt great! We had some great shows on the older tours, I remember Paris and London being fun, same as Roadburn, Norway, House Of The Holy, Hell Over Hammaburg and our first ever show on Acherontic Arts Festival of course!

 Our performance is quite an “anti -performance” ,I  would say. We are there, but we are not important as individuals. The music must speak, we try to create a special energy and sometimes we are able to transport this to the audience, they give it back to us and we have a wonderful night.

 M: But we evolved in our stage to audience communication. Still the songs we play is more important than our stage performance but the connection to the audience, weather they enjoy it or not, is also a big impact.

8.You have also been a part of splits with 'King Dude' and 'The Ruins Of Beverast', what are your thoughts on the other bands that had participated on the recording?

We did a split with King Dude, yes, and there is the tour tape that also includes The Ruins Of Beverast. Both absolutely great artists and friends to us. They are family. T.J from King Dude has a performance on one track on "Nacht", he does a perfect job with his dark voice. Other bands are not included on that album. We have some guests, like a german theatre actress speaking a poem etc.

 

9.On a worldwide level how have your fans reacted to your newer material?

T: We can´t say yet, the album "Nacht" is just about to be released. I guess a lot of old school metal dudes will hate it and there will be folks listen to it secretly as it is too genre-ignoring.

The last LP "Feuer" was beloved as far as I remember. "Nacht" will be a love or total hate thing.

 M: On a worldwide level, I would like to learn more about reactions about every release. But with NACHT, yes. Love or Hate.

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

T: More wide, less boundaries, more unexpected tunes on the other hand, but some traditional stuff on the other. We are working on finalizing "Tod", which will be the third part of FEUER, NACHT und TOD. Expect some ambient but orchestral sound, at least a bit. Then we already work on what follows after. It will be full of Soul I hope…

M: For every song we seek the appropriate measures.

 

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?

T: Ok, like mentioned before, a lot of styles and bands, too much to count. Stuff from the 80ies and 90ies when Pop music was still good, a lot of alternative and independent music, punk, metal (yeah of course the darkness and hopelessness of black metal), but also classical tunes from past to modern. We also get our influences from theatre plays, art, good books and philosophy. There is some rare good new tunes coming out here and then nowadays, but 90% of all stuff is just an repetition of hypes and such which really can be a bore...it is always good when you have a good tunes and melody and something to say with your own sound and in your own way.

 

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

T: Everything occult is gone! 

M: Thank you and be safe!

https://youtu.be/E44MYlkzk9M

https://youtu.be/cz14y5ddCsg

Everson Poe/The Night Country/Trepanation Recordings/2022 CD Review

 

  Chicago,  Illinois's  solo  project  Everson  Poe  has  returned  with  a  new recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2022  album  "This  Night  Country"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  songs  also adding  in  some  synths  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  allegorical  and  universal  nature  of  fairy  tales.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Everson  Poe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Am  The  Maker  Of  My  Own  Evil"  and  "The  Chamber  of  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

https://eversonpoe.bandcamp.com/album/the-night-country-2

  

Son of Seth/De Dor a Odio/Trepanation Recordings/2022 EP Review

 

  Son  of  Seth  are  a  solo  project  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  ritualistic  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal, industrial  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  ep  "De  Dor  a  Odio"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  ep  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  decent  amount  of  ritualistic  and  apocalyptic  soundscapes.  Elements  of  industrial  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  haunting  atmosphere.

  Programmed  beats,  noises  and  industrial  sounds  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  deep  yet  demonic  sounding  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  vocals  evolve  into  more  of  an  industrial  metal  style

  Son  of  Seth  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  metal,   industrial,  drone  and  ritual  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a   sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  Son  of  Seth  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  drone  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tortured  Spirit"  and  "Epitome  Of  Silence".  8 out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/Sonofsethdoom

www.instagram.com/sonofseth_/

sonofseth.bandcamp.com/releases 

  

(Dolch)/Nacht/Van Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  (Dolch)  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  started  out  as  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal  and  drone  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  post  punk,  ambient  and  drone  with  some  touches  of  doom  metal  2022  album  "Nacht"  which  will be  released  in  February  by  Van  Records.

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of t he  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  some  touches  of  post  punk  and  the  slower  riffing  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  whispers.  Clear  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  (Dolch)  moves  away  from  the  black  emtal  elements  of  previous  releases  and  brings  in  more  of  a  mixture  of  post  punk,  darkwave,  dark  ambient  and  drone  as  well  as  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Night  Time  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  (Dolch)  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  post  punk,  darkwave,  dark  ambient  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lights  Out"  "Into  The  Night"  "Bird  of  Prey"  and  "Coda".  7/5  OUT  OF  10.

https://youtu.be/E44MYlkzk9M

https://youtu.be/cz14y5ddCsg    

Civerous/Decrepit Flesh Relic/Transylvanian Tapes/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Civerous  are  a  band  from  Los  Angles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  drone,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Decrepit  Flesh  Relic"  which  will  be  released  on  November  19th  by  Transylvanian  Tapes.

  Dark  yet  ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  evil  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  and  stringed  instruments  on  the  album,  drones  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  disease,  death  and  decay  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Civerous  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  drone,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  The  Crypt  To  The  Cavern"  and  "Spiral  of  Eyes".  8  out  of  10.

  http://www.instagram.com/civerous_disease

        

8 Hour Animal Interview

 

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

It’s just a place for me to go nuts. It’s as  rageful and fried as I want to get. No rules other than it’s just me doing everything . Right now I’m doing as much analogue gear as possible and that seems to work. It’s definitely manic so ii gotta keep an eye on how much time I spend everyday on it for my own well being… 

2.So far this year you have released 2 albums, musically how do they both differ from each other?

I think there will be a total of 4  releases in  2021 for this project.The project has two sides, the more song oriented industrial stuff Resigner and longer experimental  pieces that I am happy to release in very small runs  on rad labels with minimal digital access.  There is something great about limiting how many people hear certain works. 

 

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

Mostly alienation and mental illness. Figuring out what is  the inside crazy and what is the outside crazy. I realized how horrible, cruel and insincere people could be  when I was very young and have been trying to figure out why I even give a shit for 40 years. Weird music Marxism and  living in nature saved me.  Finding the right psych meds didn’t hurt either. 

4.hat is the meaning and inspiration behind the name '8 Hour Animal'?

It is for when I feel like digital trash in a capitalist shit machine.

 

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

I asked Paul (Van Trigt) to do something that makes you feel bad when you look it at it but you’re not sure exactly why. Paul does really top notch collage / xerox art for a ton of great noise bands.  

6.So far very little is known about the musical project with you only having a bandcamp and instragram page, are you planning on expanding your presence in the future or do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

I am too old to  truly value  being  cool or popular.  When those urges do flare up I try to remind myself how grossly unsatisfying it is to join the art star rat race.  It would be nice to play for appreciative audiences at some point…. so that requires some exposure. Music needs an audience that’s part of the deal. However t he whole process has been bastardized  by the sadly predictable exploitive bloodsucking bullshit you see in every aspect of our world.

 

7.the new album was released on 'Sentient Ruin Laboratories', how did you get in contact with this label?

I was listening to the first decoherence and thought - this is weird and unclassifiable and SR does a decent amount of releases that straddle metal, noise etc. I sent a few songs to MA and he got back to me quickly and we agreed to do the LP.  It just worked out, you really can’t force these things.

8.on a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal, harsh noise and industrial?

It is hard to gauge but I am satisfied to see that some people dig it. The idea with Resigner was to push everything all the way. Make ugly music that people who like ugly music get excited by.  8HA lives in the middle zone between multiple musical worlds and that will always limit theaudience. People like a clear scene to associate an act with. That’s just not something I’ve ever been able to do.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

Currently  I have a strict noise project called Father Fister and working on the industrial follow up to Resigner . The nosie is great because it is very fast / intuitive and I do it all to 4 track- no computers. The industrial music, while I try to limit laptop use,  it just takes forever to get it to the point where  it feels done.

 

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?

I generally listen to a lot of the music that inspires what I am working on at the time and put on classical music when my ears are fried. So write now it’s industrial music Moral Order Anenzephalia semi-abstract stuff like that.  Winter is more black metal of course.   Some current bands I like are Carved Cross, Revenant Marquis, God Is War, Human Failure and Decoherence and lot of other stuff  on Sentient ruin, Caligula 031, All the lake shark tapes,  Kommodus, Burier Cerebral Rot nd always a ton of classical music . From Stockhausen to Penderecki to fucking Chopin and Schubert  I love it all. 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Learning Slavic language, nature, political action, psychology (my profession !)  and books. …. Music is generally 60 percent of what I think about 

12. If you are young listen to older music if you are not listen to more current music,

https://youtu.be/VR0KlFhfWTk

8 Hour Animal/Resigner/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2021 Full Length Review

 

  8  Hour  Animal  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  punk,  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  industrial,  drone  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Resigner"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  a  few  seconds  later.  Industrial  style  beats  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording    while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Samples  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also   mix  in  a  great  amount  of  power  electronics  and  harsh  noises.  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  drone,  at  times  the  tracks  also  mix  in  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock.

  8  Hour  Animal  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  punk,  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  industrial,  drone  and  dark  ambient  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  disturbing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  8  Hour  Animal  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  punk,  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  industrial,  drone  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Almost  Free"  and  "Wake".  8  out  of  10.

BANDCAMP RELEASE      

  

Cult Of Occult/Ruin/Breathe Plastic Records/MusicFearSatan/2021 EP Review

 

  Cult  Of  Occult  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  ep  "Ruin"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Breathe  Plastic  Records  and  musicFearSatan.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  a  very  slow  and  powerful  bass  guitar  which  also  introduces  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  onto  the  recording.  After  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  are  added  into  the  music  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  also  start  making  their  presence  known.

  Both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  a  deep  yet  aggressive  growling  sludge  metal  style  vocals  at  times.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  style  when  they  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  nightmare  oriented  atmosphere  and  on  the  second  track  the  vocals  also  start  getting  more  deep  and  demonic  sounding  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  a  slower  direction  as  well  as  the  second  track  also  being a   re-mixed  version  of  the  first  song.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover satanism,  alcohol  and  hatred  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cult  Of  Occult  and  if  you  sre  a  fan  of  drone,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/cultofoccult

www.cultofoccult.bandcamp.com       

Lung Knots/Golden Dirges, Molten Larynges/Tartarus Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Lung  Knots  are  a  solo  project  from  an  unknown  area  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  harsh  noise  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Go0lden  Dirges,  Molten  Larynges"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Tartarus  Records.

  Harsh  noises  and  power  electronics  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  programmed  beats  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  add  in  touches  of  industrial.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  get  deep  yet  aggressive  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  experimental  style  soundscapes  are  also  added  into  the  background  at  times.

  Drones  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album  while  the  synths  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  dark  atmosphere  when  they  are  utilized.  When  power  electronics  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  harsher  sound  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  powerful  sounding  bass  sounds.

  Melodic  chants  and  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  are  also  utilized  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  introducing  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  disturbing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lung  Knots  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  harsh  noise,  industrial,  experimental  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Void  Hymnal"  "Our  Torches  Soaked  In  Oil"  and  "Throat  Flutters".  8  out  of  10.

http://lungknots.bandcamp.com 
https://facebook.com/lungknots 
https://instagram.com/lungknots 

 

Feed Them Death/Negative/Brucia Records/2021 CD Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  solo  project  Feed  Them  Death  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  avant  garde  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental,  noise  and  grindcore  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Negative"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Brucia  Records.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  faster  grindcore  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffing  also  brings  in  some  dissonant  structures  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Guitar  solos  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  yet  progressive  style.

  Elements  of  noise,  industrial  and  drone  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  also  starts  getting  more  diverse  sounding,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  clean  vocals  and  shouts  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  philosophical  writings  of  Theodor  Adorno.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Feed  Them  Death  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  grindcore,  experimental,  noise,  industrial  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Minima  Moralia"  "Our  Cruelty  to  Reality  (Evokism  IV)"  and  "The  Idiotic  Yearnign  For  More  (Barbarism  of  Perfection)".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/feedthemdeath/