Othismos/Sottrazione/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Othismos  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  and  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Sottrazione".

  A  very dark, heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  blackened  metal   screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Touches  of  post  hardcore  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  crust  influences  and  blast  beats.  Some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Othismos  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  and  post  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion  and  Inner  Struggles.

  In  my  opinion  Othismos  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  crust  and  post  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUD E "I  Will  Fade  Away"  "The  Mirror"  and  "Death  Forever".  7  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Othismosrock

https://www.instagram.com/othismos666

https://othismos.bandcamp.com/    

The Mountain King/Stoma/Void Key Recordings/2024 Full Length Review

 

  The  Mountain  King  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Stoma"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Void  Key  Recordings.

  Synth  orientated  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  alter  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  album  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Clear  singing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  at  times  the  music  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  some  of  the  album  also  adds  in  touches  of  ambient  and  post  hardcore.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  question  of  balance  between  everyday  life  and  the  thoughts  about  the  inevitable  death  of  the  individual  at  the  end  of  it.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Mountain  King  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of post  black,  doom,  death,  progressive  metal  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Space  Is  Now  Tainted"  "Stoma"  and  "To  The  Caves".  8  out  of  10.

  https://themountainking.bandcamp.com/album/stoma

  

Invictus Interview

 

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

 Kurt: We all grew up loving underground music in general. All of us were stretched between different scenes and genres. We loved punk, hardcore, grind, death, black… And I think we incorporate a little of that in our music. In my head we are a melodic blackened death band. But you can hear quite some crossover in our music if you listen closely. I see the music as an ode to all the records that shaped us growing up. When people hear the record they mostly refer to bands like Dissection, Death, Unleashed, At The Gates, The Haunted, Bolt Thrower, old Amon Amarth… I feel like that is a good reference for what we are doing. 

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep and  split? 

Kurt: I think we’ve grown a lot more as a band. The songs are much more mature. We put a lot more influences in it and went deeper. I feel we left behind our hardcore roots on this record and evolved to being a “real” metal band, whatever that may mean. There is much more black metal in it, being heavily inspired by bands such as Dissection, but also a lot of death metal. 

3.You refer to your music as being 'edgmetal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term? 

Kurt: “edgemetal” was a term donned by Congress in the early 90’s. In the H8000 scene a lot of bands emerged that were on the border between death, thrash, black, hardcore, … Those bands (Liar, Congress, Deformity, …) had a huge impact on us growing up. They called themselves edge metal over the term metalcore. Back then everybody was straight edge in that scene, hence the word “edge” and they thought of their music more as metal, as opposed to hardcore (like youth of today)... There is a lot of similarity between those bands and Invictus, so we felt like the term fit us very well. It’s also a lot shorter to write as “melodic blackened death metal”. 

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

Jo: This world is very rotten and often I hope we humans just stop existing. Cause we really don’t earn this. Next to this I also want a society that treats each other better. For every horrible act someone creates, there are a lot of humans who do their utter best to make it a better world. So although most of my lyrics are cynical, dark and straight on misanthropic, some of them end towards a positive way (with a little reading between the lines). They explore the topics of despair, unnecessary hatred, inhumanity, abuse, suicides, conspiracies, the rise of hategroups and social media’s (un)“reality”. 

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

 Kurt: The inspiration is a bit double. Firstly it came from one of my favorite records growing up by a local band called Liar. Secondly it’s a from a poem written by William Ernest Henley: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. The poem revolves around resilience, inner strength and overcoming adversity. Something that we all have to deal with in life. 

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

 Kurt: We believe that humanity is ruining our planet and killing itself. The artwork is meant to represent that: A desolate toxic mountain with no life on it. It’s also a bit of an ode to the artwork of “The Sound Of Perseverance” by “Death”, one of the bands that shaped us when we were young. 

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

Kurt: I would describe our shows as very pure and real. We are not playing dress up or playing theater. Nothing against bands who do… I feel it’s just not something that would fit us. We’re all a bit punk, so we believe in “what you see is what you get”. 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

 Kurt: We are lucky to get quite some shows on a lot of varied bills. So this year is starting to fill up nicely. A personal ambition is to do some weekend tours in Germany and Eastern Europe. I’m hoping we can play some fests next summer, especially Ieperfest would be great as I’ve been going there for 24 years. Rockstad in Romania is also a dream I’d really like to achieve.

 9.The physical version of the album is going to be released through many labels, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you are working with on the new release? 

Kurt: Working with so many labels helps us get some more coverage and distribution. We chose Genet Records because it’s a legendary name from the 90’s, and in Belgium they provide a home base for bands that are crossing over and merging multiple genres. Bands like Last, Förbittring, Work of The Flesh, Verslinder, Dudsekop all share a similar background and vision as we do in a way. Tim from Bound By Modern Age actually contacted us after the split we did with Risale. He liked the songs and wanted to work with us. We talked to him and we shared very similar opinions and world views, so it was a no brainer to get him on board. He’s an all around great guy and him being situated in Germany is a great advantage for us as a band. 24 edge wear is a new clothing brand/label that was started by our good friend Nico. We will be the first release for him. I really wanted to get him aboard as I consider him a good friend. In My Heart Empire was recommended by us through our old label (Ugly and Proud Records). He has an amazing distro filled with punk,crust, grind, hardcore, death, thrash, back…. 

10.In 2023 you were a part of a split with 'Risale', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording? 

Kurt: I really liked them. They incorporate that 90’s hardcore sound but put it in a modern package. Ozan was great to work with. Even though they were musically different from us, and they were way younger, we got along really well. It’s too bad they stopped right after the release of the split. So they couldn’t really promote it that well. I think they would’ve had a great future as a band. 

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

 Kurt: The record will be officially released on october 4th, so you’re one of the first who heard it. Overall most people who heard it are really positive about it. It’s generally seen as a big step up from our split, both musically as production wise. I think this is some of my best writing so far, and most of our friends seem to agree to that. The singles we released in anticipation of the full album did get very good feedback, so that builds good confidence for the record. 

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

Kurt: I think we’ve set the foundation for our sound with this record. We will continue to build on this in the future. The current songs we are writing are a bit less mid tempo. So more fast but also real slow parts in there. Maybe also include a bit more of the old Swedish bands in our music like Grave, Dismember, Entombed… We’ll see. I like that our music allows for a multitude of influences and styles to be mixed into it. 

13.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? 

Kurt: When writing I get a lot of inspiration from my all time favorite records. I often think “What would Slayer do” when I’m stuck with a song. Big inspirations for me are black metal bands like Dissection, Watain and Darkthrone. Those records get a weekly spin at home. But a lot of classical death metal records also find their way into our music. Bolt Thrower’s “The fourth crusade”, At The Gates’ “Terminal spirit disease”, the later Death albums… A lot of “smaller” bands I look up to also find their way into our music. I’m really into bands like Ringworm and Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and our friends in The Infernal Sea from the UK have always been a band I’ve looked up to. 

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

Kurt: First of all: Thank you very much for this interview and the support you’re giving our band. It really means the world to us when people express an interest towards our music. Also the people who read this: Thank you for checking us out! I’d encourage everyone who reads this to get involved in underground music. Start a band, do a zine, go to shows and maybe put on a gig yourself. It’s not the big fests and rockstar bands that keep metal alive, but people like you and me who are passionate about it

https://www.facebook.com/invictusxxx/

Invictus/Despair/Genet Records/Bound By Modern Age/In My Heart Empire/x24x Edgewear/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Invictus  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Despair"  which  will  be  released  in  October  as a  joint  effort  between  Genet  Records.  Bound  By  Modern  Age,  In  my  Heart  Empire  and  x24x  Edgewear.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  Gothenburg  influences  without  sounding  like  a  copy  of  that  area.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  tracks  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore.

  Invictus  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  hypocrisy,  social  indifference  and  inhumanity  of  mankind. 

  In  my  opinion  Invictus  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  "Inhumane  Shells"  "Wolves"  "Despair"  and  "Screams  of  An  Enslaved  Choir".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62FivZ_hfE

Malevich/Trembling And Dowsed/Roman Numeral Records/2024 EP Review

 

  Malevich  are  a  band  from  Atlanta,  Georgia  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  dissonant  black,  sludge  metal  and  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Trembling  And  Dowsed"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Roman  Numeral  Records.

  Distorted  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  hardcore  style  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments.

  Some  of  the  screams  also  add  in  touches  of  black  metal  while  the  riffs  also  go  into  a  dissonant  direction  at  times.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  influences  when  it  speeds  up  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  slide  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  clean  sections  also  add  in  post  rock  elements  and  clear  vocals.    

  Malevich  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dissonant  black,  sludge  metal,  post  hardcore  and  experimental  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  existential  dread  and  the  oppressive  systems  under  capitalism.

  In  my  opinion  Malevich  are  a  very  decent  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  dissonant  black,  sludge  metal  and  post  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  To  Gold"  and  "Inaliencable".  7  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fH5r8NKI8      

Acid Throne/Kingdom's Death/Trepanation Recordings/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Acid  Throne  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  elements  of  stoner  rock  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Kingdom's  Death"  which  was  released  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction.  The  slower  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  sludge  metal  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  lot  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  stoner  rock  style  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  black  metal  and  hardcore  influences  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard.

  Acid  throne  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy  and  anti  establishment  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Acid  Throne  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  Is  Not  The  End"  and  "Last  Will  And  Testament".  8  out  of  10.

   https://acidthroneband.bandcamp.com/album/kingdoms-death

   

      

Ash Prison/Future Torn/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Ash  Prison  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  dark  hardcore  punk  and  heavy  industrial  electronics  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Future  Torn"  which  will b e  released  on  September  22nd  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Industrial  style  beats  and  power  electronics  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  synths  and  spoken  word  parts.

  Most  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Whispers  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording   along  wit h the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  hardcore  punk  elements,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction. 

  Ah  prison  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  hardcore  punk,  power  electronics  and  industrial  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  society,  anarchy  and  chaos  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ash  prison a re  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of black  metal,  dark  hardcore  punk  and  heavy  industrial  electronics  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Archangel"  "No  Return"  "Collapse"  and  "Weep  in  my  Shadow".  8 out  of  10.

  BANDCAMP RELEASE    

Ghost Hollow/Self Titled/2023 Full length Review

 

  Ghost  Hollow  are  a  band  from  Arkansas  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  sludge  metal  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2023  album.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  elements  of  sludge  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  song  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  songs  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  closing  song  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  melancholy  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Ghost  Hollow  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Crown  of  Writing  Worms"  "Naked  And  Craven"  and  "Honor  in  Suffering".  8 out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/5sjcu19mBUY

https://ghosthollow.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-hollow

https://open.spotify.com/album/6NkKFOxJraJ8tBBzCzIesV

https://music.apple.com/us/album/ghost-hollow/1693500690

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

https://ghosthollow.bandcamp.com/

https://linktr.ee/ghosthollowar

  

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       

Valve 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?

A: /

C: Our schedule has been pretty tight because we had booked a tour for November 2022 and logically, the release date had to be around the same time. While we did our best to plan ahead, with vinyl production delays and all that, we ended up having to deal with a lot of different things in a very short amount of time, like promotion, final tour details, printing merch... It was challenging but it went well, the release went as planned and we went on tour with everything we hoped for!

G: /

S: /

W: /

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

A: /

C: /

G: I would say that we incorporated more influences, like "Mathcore/Noisecore" for example, which can be heard on "Kabuki", and we also added synths parts which was new for us. In my opinion we have a wider range of sounds, noises, sonic textures and atmospheres on "Thermoclines".

S: /

W: Yes, still a sludge/doom musical base, but with a larger soundscape, with on the one hand psychedelic and melancholic phases (including synths parts, but not only) and on the other hand more aggressive ones, with d-beat patterns and blast beats.

3.This is also your first release in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

A: /

C: /

G: The line up changed, we toured in 2015 and 2016 across Europe to support our previous release "Apnée" and we have to admit it : we like to take our time !

W: It was not an explicit desire, but we were embarked in a complex composition process, absorbing the musical influences of the newcomers and also wanting to enlarge our musical spectrum. COVID phase was also not very helpful, of course, as well as our personal and professional lives.

S: Yeah, we don't have any excuse really… We just implicitly decided we'd rather do it well than do it fast I guess! 

It took us a long time to find which composition process was right for us. And even when all the songs had finally been written, we took the time necessary to get every detail just the way we wanted them. 

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

A: I would say that since the first EP that we released in 2012, we have always followed a common thread which was water and diving to the depths, like an allegory of the existential questioning of the human being.

Each project was an opportunity to push this reflection a little further.

The texts are also borrowed from feelings by which I could be submerged in my personal life at the time when I wrote them, while being enough imaged, in order to leave to the listener his own interpretation.

C: /

G: /

S: /

W: /

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

A: Finding a name for this band has been subject to a lot of debate, which in my opinion is something inseparable from the identity of VALVE, 5 thinking heads, so a lot of debate! We even went so far as to put random letters in a hat!

C: It’s “VALVE”, all caps! More seriously, back then when we created the band, we did not want its name to bear a “deep” meaning, that felt a little pompous to us. And we were laughing about some noise rock bands with common names like “Cheveu”, “Tondeuse” or “Pneu”. “Pneu” means “tire” in french, and at some point somebody said “Well, some bands are named “Pneu”, so we might as well call ourselves “Valve”, and that stuck with us. We liked the word for its sound, and the absence of meaning, I guess. But we like to write it all upper case, “VALVE” 🙂

G: /

S: /

W: Disappointing, isn’t it ? :)

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

A: Ëmgalaï had worked on the artwork for the project of one of my beatmaker friends, Aguirre, and I loved his work! Then I realized that he had worked for a lot of bands with a tendency to doom, sludge... I immediately thought of him for the artwork of Thermoclines.

C: /

G: /

S: /

W: We really like Ëmgalaï’s work and, especially, his fascination for dystopian landscapes, so he was given free rein to interpret visually his perception of the album, the atmosphere and the message conveyed in it.

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?

A: Without hesitation, the small and medium venues with the pit totally filled!

C:

G: I have great memories of playing gigs at small venues, bigger venues or at festivals.

I remember a gig in 2015 at "Le 3 pièces", a small venue in Rouen, France which was an absolute mess ! We had wonderful times on stage on this tour too.

I would describe our stage performance smoky but intense ahah !  

S: This last tour we just came back from (November 2022) has been packed with great shows. We have been playing together for a while now and I feel we really have become a well oiled machine. The fact we are now mostly playing songs we wrote together definitely adds to that too. I don't know if it is up to us to describe our own performance, but I hope the people coming to the shows find them worth remembering! 

W: Our best scene experiences were probably shows in short/medium sized venues, with dense crowd and proximity between the stage and the crowd, facilitating interactions.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2023?

A: /

C: /

G: Yes, we are planning to tour in Europe next spring, possibly in Germany, Czech Republic,  Hungary… and maybe some shows in France as well.

W: We’ll try to play as much as possible in France, in Europe and… Who knows ?

S: We love to play, invite us and we'll come! Simple as that… 

9.On the new album you also worked with 3 different labels, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels that have helped you with the new release?

A: /

C: /

G: /

S: /

W: 4 labels in fact : Itawak & Moment of Collapse for the LP, Poutrage & Yoyodyne for the tape, and we released the CD by ourselves. Itawak, Poutrage & Yoyodyne were basically friends, even if we like their previous releases. Regarding MoC, we feel lucky since we consider this label as one of the most important in the underground european scene.

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

A: Thermoclines came out while we were on tour, so we mostly saw the reactions of the public to this new album that was presented to them live in its entirety.

And honestly we can say that people were quite enthusiastic and eager to get Thermoclines 😁

C:

G:

S:

W: It’s too early to get worldwide feedbacks at this point. That said, it seems so far that our friends and the people met during our November tour were very enthusiastic, indeed. 

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

A:

C:

G:

W: I guess we’ll explore deeper the sonic territories we entered in with “Thermoclines”.

S: Although we're all extremely pleased with how Thermoclines turned out, I think we're all eager to try and make an even better album next, indeed going deeper into the new sounds we experimented with on Thermoclines. We'd love to manage that in less than 7 years this time, but I feel we're not comfortable with working with deadlines composition - wise, so… 

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

A: We are quite eclectic music lovers.

For my part, I listen to a lot of rap, especially french rap, techno, jazz and of course metal with a big preference for bands with a tendency to sludge, doom, post hardcore, chaotic…

To give you a few names, all styles combined, Alpha Wann, Veerus, Converge, Wolves In The Throne Room, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Autechre, Venetian Snares...

C:

G: I would name Cave-in, Botch, Car Bomb, High On Fire, Fantômas, Kowloon Walled City and even some soundtrack composers (Howard Shore, Richard Band, Harry Manfredini…).

S: There are of course a few references we share. Bands like Isis, Torche, Yob or Converge come to mind. But we all have very personal tastes the rest of the band don't necessarily approve of haha. I believe I am alone in VALVE to unironically enjoy Bon Jovi! Some of us are really into techno, others into old school hip hop…

W: We share a musical base indeed, but beyond that, we listen to very different music. For example, for my bass player cred, I really like dub (roots or electro), drum’n’bass, trip hop (Seriously, I really like this music). Regarding “heavy” music, I used to mainly listen to what we call post-metal or post-rock, but now more and more “straight to the point” music (punk/hxc;crust;d-beat…). As I was a teenager in the 90’s, I’m also deeply attached to grunge, noise, post-hxc and (good) pop rock bands.

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

A: Let's see what the future holds for this band!

C:

G: Yes, we will see ! Thanks for interviewing us !

S: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, and thanks to people who have read this far! See you on the road hopefully! 

W: /

https://www.facebook.com/VALVE.PARIS/

Valve/Thermoclines/Moment Of Collapse Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Valve  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  sludge  metal  with  some  elements  of  post  hardcore  and  mathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2022  album  "Thermoclines"  which  will  be  released  on  November  11th  by  Moment  Of  Collapse  Records.

  Cinematic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams.

  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Hardcore  style  growls  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  dissonant  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  playing  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  touches  of  post  hardcore  and  mathcore  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  despair  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Valve  are  a  very  decent  sounding  blackened  sludge  metal  band  with  elements  of  post  hardcore  and  mathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kabuki"  and  "Schism".  7  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/VALVE.PARIS/  

Throwing Bricks/The Burden/Tartarus Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Throwing  Bricks  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal,  hardcore  and  screamo  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2022  album  "The  Burden"  which  was  released  by  Tartarus  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  angry  sounding  hardcore  style  screams  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  mixes  in t ouches  of  black  metal  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  post  hardcore  or  screamo  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

 When t he  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also introduced  onto  the  album  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  when  they  finally  are  utilized  and  some  of t he  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  loss,  mental  health  issues  and  negative  feelings.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Throwing  Bricks  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  metal,  hardcore  and  screamo,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bricks  Of  Grace"  "Doubt"  "Safta"  and  "Find  My  Way  Out".  8  out  of  10.

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/throwingbricksband
Bandcamp: https://throwingbricksband.bandcamp.com

    

Hegemone/Voyance/Brucia Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Hegemone  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2022  album  "Voyance"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  post  metal.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  small  amount  of  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  music  also  adds  some  dissonant  touches  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  blast  beats  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up,  folk  instruments  and  electronic  frequencies  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  rage,  tension,  pain  and  disquiet  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hegemone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nourishment"  "Sermon"  and  "After  Demise".  8  out  of  10.

  https://hegemone.bandcamp.com/  

Where's My Bible/Circle/Inverse Records/2022 EP Review

 

  Where's  My  Bible  are  a  band  from  Finland  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  rock  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "Circle"  which  will  be  released  on  May  15th  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  angry  shouts,  growls  and  screams  which  also  brings  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  onto  the recording.  Clear  singing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  keyboards  also being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  adds  in  touches  of  punk  and  mainstream  rock,  whispers  and  throat  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly    

  On  this  recording  Where's  My  Bible  go  into  more  of  a  melodic  blackened  death  metal  direction  which  is  also  a  lot  different  than  the  deathcore  style  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  struggles,  inner  thoughts  and  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Where's  My  Bible  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Void"  and  "Origin".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/wheresmybible
https://twitter.com/BibleWhere
https://www.instagram.com/wheresmybible666 
https://wheresmybible.bandcamp.com/releases
https://spoti.fi/2uMMO7U

https://youtu.be/cahs8c5TbUQ

https://youtu.be/jkL18FCJIkw

https://youtu.be/fBACJCeHcLg

Dimwind/Breaths/Trepanation Recordings/2022 Split EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Sweden's  Dimwind  and  U.S.A's  Breaths  which  will b e  released  in  April  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Dimwind  a  band  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  post  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  keyboards  and  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  music  also  brings  in a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  and  their  only  track  is  over  15  minutes  in  length,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Dimwind  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

  Next  up  is  Breaths  who  return  with  a  mixture  of  blackgaze,  doomgaze,  post  metal  and  hardcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  song  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats  can b e  heard  along  with  their  only  track  being  almost  15  minutes  in  length, when  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  touches  of  post  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  shoegaze  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  and  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  abuse  of  the  planet.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  breaths  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackgaze,  doomgaze,  post  metal  and hardcore,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  i  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  doom,  post  metal  and  blackgaze.  8  out  of  10.

Dimwind

Bandcamp  /  Spotify  /  Apple Music  /  YouTube  /  Facebook  /  Instagram  /  Website  /  Email  

Breaths

Bandcamp  /  Spotify  /  Apple Music  /  YouTube  /  Facebook  /  Instagram  /  Twitter  /  Email

     

Apes/Lullabies For Eternal Sleep/Translation Loss Records/2022 EP Review

 

  Apes  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  grind  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "Lullabies  For  Eternal  Sleep"  which  was  released  by  Translation  Loss  Records.

  Harsh  noises  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals are  mostly  done  in  a  growling  or  shouting  style  along  with  some  screams  while  the  tremolo  picking  also  adds  in  elements  of  black  metal  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  show  an  influence  of  sludge  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  riffing  also  has  its  dissonant  and  melodic  moments.  The  mid  tempo  sections  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Apes  takes  black,  sludge  metal,  grind,  hardcore  and  noise  and  mix  them  together  to  create  a  very  aggressive  sounding  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nihilistic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Apes  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  metal,  grind,  hardcore  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cornwall"  and  "Sore".  8  out  of  10.

https://orcd.co/apesalbum