A Cunning Man/To Heal A Broken Body/2018 EP Review

  A  Cunning  Man  are  a  duo  from  Scotland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  folk,  power  and  progressive  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "To  Heal  A  Broken  Body".

  Saxophones  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  clean  vocals  a  few  seconds  alter  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  blast  beats  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  and  progressive  metal  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  influences  from  classical,  jazz  and  post  rock.

  A  Cunning  Man  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Goetia,  Alchemy  and  Western  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Cunning  Man  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Picatrix  &  The  Calcine  Alchemist".  8  out  of  10.

https://acunningman.bandcamp.com/

    

Battlesoul Interview

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

Answer:

Since recording the new album, time was spent on getting the artwork and other detail for the album sorted.  Time spent together as a band since finishing Sunward and Starward has been mostly spent rehearsing the new material.

2. You have a new album coming out in February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Answer:

I would say that this album turned out darker. There is still some folk influences and you can still tell it's us playing but overall I think it's more of a metal album then our previous ones.

3. This is your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time?

Answer:

Song writing for what was to become Sunward and Starward started right away after Tir Na Nog was released.  The recording/production process is what really took the most time over the 5 years.  As with our previous albums - this one was self-recorded/mixed/mastered.  This time however, it was a struggle to get it to a point that I was happy with.  Even to the point where we re-recorded the drums three times. This can be the downside of self-producing and why it's not necessarily recommended. I would have preferred this album to be released sooner but we weren’t going to rush it.

4. Your Lyrics cover a lot about Celtic mythology and history, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Answer:

Our singer Jon Doyle solely handles the lyrics.  I must say I think he does a great job and I am always excited to see what he comes up with. I feel like he has a great way of bringing the story out of the song. I personally like Celtic mythology and history because the epic themes that comes along with it.

5. What is the meaning behind the name Battlesoul?

Answer

Mike Grund, who was the founding guitar player, came up with it.  My interpretation is that it’s the warrior spirit found inside of you.  Summon up your Battlesoul!



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

Answer:

We have fun on stage and we hope that people watching have fun too.

We have been fortunate enough to have played with lots of great bands. Playing with Sabaton and with TYR would definitely be highlights for me.

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

Answer:

Nothing, as of right now.

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

Answer:

For the most part feedback has been positive. Some negative that it's good to hear all sides. It's great reading reviews from all over world. It gives you a sense of how metal really is a worldwide community.

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

Answer:

I am currently not in another project and am actually not too sure what the other guys are up to with regard to their other projects.

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

Answer:

Not sure really, I can’t say that Battlesoul is heading in any specific direction currently.

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

Answer:

It's tough to say.  Every member has there owns distinct preference and there are few bands/styles that the members of Battlesoul can agree upon - all our answers would be different. For me, I am always a big fan of film scores and you can definitely here the influence on the album, that and trying to incorporate doom type riffs. This morning I was listening to some Man-O-War and Master of Puppets.



12. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Answer:

I also record bands so most of my time is spent doing music.  However when I do have free time,  I quite enjoy learning about history.

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

Answer:

Thank you for the interview. I would like to thank CDN Records and Black Element for all the work that they are putting into 'Sunward and Starward'.  I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to check out Battlesoul, it is appreciated!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Myspace

ReverbNation

Spotify

Nordheim/RapThor/Maple Metal Records/2017 CD Review

  Quebec,  Canada's  Nordheim  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black/death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "RapThor"  which  will  be  released  on  November  24th  by  Maple  Metal  Records.

  Heavy  and  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  vocals  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  that  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  and  the  fast  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  songs  also  bring  in  clean  playing  and  folk  instruments  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Nordheim  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  folk,  power,  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  bacon  and  dinosaur  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nordheim  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk,  power,  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Troll  Riding  A  Raptor"  "Black  Witch  Rises"  and  "Dragonthorn".  8 out  of  10.

 http://newnoisemagazine. com/stream-nordheim-wish-beer/  

  

Crimfall Interview

Mikko Häkkinen – Vocals, lyrics
Jakke Viitala – All music

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
MIKKO
A lot of waiting for sure. The recording itself took quite some time since we didn't have the label to financially support us and had to use time consuming means to get everything on tape. Then the actual mixing took surprisingly long, but it must have been something to do with hundreds and hundreds of tracks the songs contained. When we finally had the complete album in our hands we approached various record labels and started the negotiations for the deal. And of course the actual release of the album took months. Meanwhile we have been doing few live shows, shooting our first music video and planning for the future.

2.You have a new album coming out during the end of August, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
JAKKE
AMAIN is a beast. It is the most epic Crimfall album so far. It has the enegry of our first album but also the mood and visuality from our second. So it is kind of hybrid but with everything tuned up to eleven.

The songwriting, musicalship, arrangements and the whole production is taken to a complete new level. So, like everyone usually tend to say about their latest work "this is our best album so far"...but it really is... seriously!

3.You label your music as 'epic cinematic metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
JAKKE
Coming up with a term has been a difficult task. We have had a chat about it with all of our record labels and promoters, but we simply cannot cover our music with one term without giving wrong impression about the music. Our material varies a lot by taking inspiration from all the possible sources. But there are few elements which have been present since the beginning of our band. Epicness and movie scores.


4.This is your first full length since 2011, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
JAKKE
Since our previous album "the writ of sword", quite a lot has happened. We were already working on these new songs in 2011 when our previous label had to let us go due to their financial problems. We were alone again.... without anyone supporting us. Because of that we were struggling quite a lot with our motivation and even had a meeting about our future. But as the new album was already written and the demos already sounded pretty impressive, we decided to try one more time... and make it perfect! And as we had to pay everything from our own pockets, we also had to do as much as possible by ourselves... But still invest huge amount of money to the production.

The recording and editing process itself took more than one year from drums to vocals. Mixing all the 1600 tracks to one album took almost half an year. So even if 6 years is a long time indeed, we have been working on AMAIN almost for the whole time. Doing as massive album as this one by yourself (while having a daily job) simply cannot be done any faster.



5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
MIKKO
One of the themes is facing unsurmountable odds with your back against the wall and coming through that storm a changed man, with tempered new truths. We also want to celebrate freedom in its many forms, rebellion against rules of oppression and outright lies meant to bind your will. This time we are dealing more with contemporary topics than dwelling in the past and myths.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crimfall'?
MIKKO
It doesn't really have such a deeper meaning. We wanted a name that wouldn't point too evidently to any genres and wouldn't necessarily carry too obvious meaning. Rather a symbol that raises images and connections from your subconscious. I can say we were thinking of Finnish autumn when ending up with the name.

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?
MIKKO
I could mention two highlights. One was the sold out concert in London warming up Turisas where we felt really welcome. Another one was Metal Fest Open Air in Pilsen with an awesome location. But we do enjoy playing in small stinking clubs where the audience is spitting beer in your face. We aim to bring on stage all the visuality and intensity of the music but without cheap gimmicks. Building a journey or arc of drama and contrast with the music.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
MIKKO
Few shows have been released but otherwise it seems our plans will be delayed until next year. It is a shame since we are eagerly waiting to get back to the stage to play the new songs.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of folk, viking and black metal?
MIKKO
The first reviews are only now pouring in so it remains to be seen what the final reception will be. So far it has been mostly positive and we have been finding new audiences amongst the people who don't normally listen to this kind of music. Also our music video did get lot of positive feedback and we are excited how it turned out. We wanted something that would really capture the relentless and dismal atmosphere of the song.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
MIKKO
I have somewhat darker pagan metal band Draugnim that is actually older than Crimfall but hasn't been able to gather as wide audiences. It is more uncompromising and closer to black metal and I'm extremely satisfied how the latest album "Vulturine" turned out so feel free to keep the name in mind. Helena used to have quite many different projects but to my understanding she will be focusing more on song writing and staying in the background with those. I would imagine Jakke to have other projects at some point but currently he is way too consumed by efforts he puts on Crimfall.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
JAKKE
It is too early to say. All the Crimfall albums are pretty different to each other. As our music comes straight from the heart and is not giving a poo about the trends or public opinion, the sound and style starts to find its form sometime during the writing process. They all represent the era they were written, the music, movies or other sources of inspiration which were playing important role that time.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
JAKKE
I'm listening mostly movie scores and classical music. Of course I have been listening to metal music since I was a little bastard, but nowadays rarely find any impressive new albums. So for me movie score have much more to give at the moment.

The story telling and kind of visuality that type of music has is something I try to create with Crimfall as well.


13.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
MIKKO
Paganism to me is most of all source of vehement inspiration, it taps into roots of all archetypes, subconscious gods if you will that resonate vigorously when conjured. One cannot also forget the primeval understanding of man being part of nature and not the king of creation, or even kingmaker with his figment gods.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
MIKKO
Collecting literature, especially of esoteric nature. Good craftsmanship on drinks and dining. Traveling. Previously I would have said movies but the new golden age of tv-series has changed that a bit. Oh and wrestling drunk in Finnish summer cabin. Jakke hunts, but rarely hits anything.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
MIKKO
If you feel that our music has given you something, please support it by coming to the shows, sharing our tunes, spreading the word and feeding the flame.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Google+

Homepage

Myspace

ReverbNation

Spotify

Twitter

YouTube

SinnerAngel Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.Of course. Sinnerangel is a band from the city of Medellín, Colombia, which combines and mixes several genres of metal without established guidelines. Our denomination is the Dark Metal

2.In June you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2.Our sound is the result of a decade of musical experimentation, we wanted to take the time to find the style that is finally reflected in the album. As we emphasized in the previous question, we never wanted to enter the studio with everything completely defined or established, and in a certain way it is what gives an identity to our music.

3.The band has been around since 2004 but waited until 2017 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 13 years?
3.The band had an important activity at the local level for the first 5 years, at that time we did not have enough perseverance to continue with the project on the rise and each member ended up focusing on their personal projects. In 2014 we started the activities again and we started the project to what would be our debut album.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
4.Our vocalist is the author of most of the lyrics, he takes a lot of theatrical literature and in that sense we consider that they are like short poems and writings that we try to preserve to give identity to the sense of obscurity.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'SinnerAngel'?
5.Sinnerangel is duality and contradiction to time. It is the profane and the sacred. In a way the name gives us a little bit to express the band's sense of not being on one side

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6.In our first stage we shared the stage with important national bands of great trajectory like REINCARNATION AND NEUROSIS, I believe that these bands have international recognition, since both had at that moment more than 20 years of trajectory. Then came other minor concerts and in this new stage of the band we are preparing better with our performance, we hope to have our album launch soon with a concert that has better conditions on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.We are in talks with some bands and labels. But our priority for the moment is to launch the album nationally.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
8.We receive weekly review reports on zines, websites and other media. It is encouraging to see how there are good comments on our music, keeping in mind that it is our debut. Currently there are many emerging bands worldwide and it is difficult to highlight in any way. But it's a long-term job.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9.Definitely composing a new work, and advancing conversations to play at an international level.

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?
10.Each member has his tastes and therefore the band has this multiplicity of sounds, in general melodic death, black metal and much of the old school metal is always present in our most common tastes. Bands like Hipocrisy, old man childs and at the gates, are influences of our first stage

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
11.I would say that more than an occult theme we are talking about the decadent human gods, the need for approval to continue living and the constant fear of death.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12.Hahaha, well, no one is a mystery that few metal bands can dedicate entirely to music. We all have alternative life projects, and our areas of work are architecture, photography, couching and things like that.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13.A huge thank you to Qabar Extreme Music and our GRIMM DISTRIBUTION labels for the support and diffusion in this time. To all the readers I recommend to visit our channel and fan page, to acquire our album and to be attentive to the innovations that we can bring in a future! Long live the metal from Colombia!

Facebook

Facebook

YouTube

Crimfall/Amain/Metal Blade Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Crimfall  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  power,  folk,  viking  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Amain"  which  will  be  released  on  August  25th  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  atmospheric  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  arts  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  stringed  and  folk  instruments  being  added  onto  the recording  along  with  some  drum  beats,  melodic  male  vocals  and  symphonic  elements  and  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs.

  When  the   music  gets  heavy  it  still  mixes  in  with  the  folk  and  symphonic  side  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  solos  and  leads a re  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  amount  of  power  metal  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto some  of  the  songs  while  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Crimfall  plays  a  musical  style  that  power,  folk,  viking  and  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  together  with  symphonic  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism,  War  and  Anti  Religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Crimfall  are a   very  great  sounding  mixture  of  power,  folk,  viking  and  melodic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Last  Of  Stands"  "Ten  Winters  Apart  Part  4:  Dawn  Without  A  Sun"  "it's  A  Long  Road"  and  "Until  Falls  The  Rain".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.crimfall.com/site/
https://www.facebook.com/crimfall/
https://www.youtube.com/user/CrimfallOfficial



  

SinnerAngel/Sinister Decalago/GrimDistibution/2017CD Review

  SinnerAngel  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black, death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Sinister  Decalago"  which  was  released  by  GrimDistribution.

  A  very  epic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  riffing  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  music  can  get  very  ritualistic  and  demonic  sounding  while  the  fast  riffs  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  tremolo picking  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  and  still  keeping  it  modern  and  the  solos  and  leads  capture  the  melody  of  power  metal  and  classical guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  SinnerAngel  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  melody  of  melodic  death  and  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  sinister  side  of  human  existence.

  In  my  opinion  SinnerAngel  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zeon"  "Cerberus"  "Banshee"  and  "IX".  8  out  of  10.

WEBSITE
http://artistecard.com/SINNERANGEL  

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/sinnerangel-1773234572941400  

E-MAIL
sinnerangelmetal@gmail.com

A Cunning Man Interview

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


A Cunning Man is one man metal project combining different styles of extreme music. Expect blast beats and tremolo picked guitar lines, but also piano, strings and clean vocals sung with a Scottish accent.



2.In January you had released on ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?


I wanted to fuse all my favourite things about music. The sounds range from Black and Melodeath Metal to Modern Classical and Post Rock.

Everything is shaped by my own experience living in Scotland.



3.Your lyrics cover some Occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?


Each song title is named after a Renaissance period Grimoire.

As the EP title: Practical Applications of Theurgy hints, the content is concerned with different Occult and spiritual topics. These range from The Shared Unconsciousness to Folk Hymns.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'A Cunning Man'?


Cunning folk were the esoteric advisors of the common people throughout Medieval and Renaissance Europe.

I wanted a name which reflected my interest in this history. I also wanted it to reflect that the project was the work of a single person.



5.On the ep you had recorded almost everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to remain solo?


At the moment I’d like to continue doing the majority of the work myself, especially the composition. For the next EP though, I think I’ll be bringing on board a guitarist.


.

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


At current I’ve only been sending the EP out to press. I’m comfortable handling the distribution and PR myself at current.

I’m very interested in working with a label for future releases though.



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


Broadly positive at current, which is very exciting. I’m really enjoying receiving feedback on my work and connecting with fellow metal fans.



8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?


I’m currently studying music so most of my time goes towards that. A Cunning Man is my only project at the moment.



9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?


The next release will be another EP. After that I'll consider a full length. Pending possible label support.

I’m always looking to improve my compositional and song writing skills, so expect increasingly complex music going forward.



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?


Iron Maiden’s Brave New World is what really inspired my initial love for music.

My influences include Katatonia, Evergrey, Shade Empire and Eternal Tears Of Sorrow. I love my metal as melodic as possible with lots of different instrumentation.

At the moment I’ve been enjoying the new releases from Harakiri for the Sky, Insomnium and Dark Tranquillity.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?


I love gaming when I have the time and play a lot of RPGs. I’m also big into table top gaming with friends.



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


Thanks very much for the interview and for reviewing the EP on the site.

You can expect a new EP in the early months of Summer.

https://www.facebook.com/acunningmanmetal/

A Cunning Man/Practical Applications Of Theurgy/2017 EP Review

  A  Cunning  Man  are  a  solo  project  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  ep  "Practical  Applications  Of  Theurgy".

  Tremolo  picking  which  gives  the  music  a  black  metal  feeling  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  singing  that  adds  in  a  touch  of  pagan  and  power  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  prog.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  stringed  instruments  are  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  programmed  and  the  music  also  mixes  metal  influences  from  the  80's  up  to  modern  times  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  last  track.

  A  Cunning  Man  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  aggression  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  melody  of  power  and  progressive  metal  to  create  something  very  original, the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  A  Cunning  Man  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Honorious  &  The  Choral  Forecast".  8  out  of  10.

https://acunningman.bandcamp.com/

Spectral/Artic Sunrise/Boersma Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Spectral  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black, viking, thrash  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Artic  Sunrise"  which  will  be  released  in  2017  by  Boersma  Records.

  Atmospheric synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a few  seconds  later  and  after  the intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  also  being  added  onto  the  recording  while  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  also  make  their  presence  known  along  with  a  few  death  metal  growls.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  they  also  mix  the  keyboards  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  an  epic  feeling  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Clean  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  along  with  some  of  the  solos and  leads  mixing  in  an  old  school  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  great  amount  of  viking  metal  elements  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  air  raid  sirens  and  war  samples  and  the  melodies  are  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  power  metal and  a  later  track  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Spectral  plays  a   musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  viking,  thrash  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create a sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics cover  Norse  Mythology,  Vikings  and  Epic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Spectral  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  black,  viking,  thrash  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  Takes  Control"  "In  Battle  With  Fire  &  Steel"  and  "Fuck  Off  And  Die  (Metal  Is  Forever)".  8 out  of  10.

FACEBOOK | LABEL

Behind The Shadows/Raising Hell/Visionaire Records/2016 EP Review

  Behind  The  Shadows  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Raising  Hell"  which  will  be  released  on  May  18th  by  Visionaire  Records.

  Clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  along  with  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  lot  of  melody  and  also  adds  more  of  a  traditional  metal  style  to  the  recording  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times.

  When  spoken  word  parts are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  adding  in  more  melodic  death  metal  elements  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  when  keyboards  are  finally  added  onto  the  recording  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other.

  Behind  The  Shadows  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  power  metal  and  mixes  it  with  black,  melodic  death  metal  and  some  symphonic  elements  to  create  something  very  original  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Behind The  Shadows  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of power,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Give  Me  Your  Soul"  and  "Bloody  paradise".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Facebook

ReverbNation

ORCumentary Interview

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



Finishing the album was a big relief, but no rest for the wicked, as they say. I have two CD pre-release shows lined up in a couple weeks, so I’m busy rehearsing 7 new songs.



2.You have a new album coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?



Destroy the Dwarves is a continuation of the style on Orcs 1 Goblins 0, which is the album I think of as ORCumentary’s true beginning. I coined a new “genre” called “orc rock”, because it’s legitimately difficult to sum up my style quickly. I incorporate influences from music I like (mainly melodic death, industrial metal, power metal, and folk metal). I have fast songs, mid songs, slow songs, straightforward songs, long songs, melodic songs, aggressive songs, you get the idea. I work very hard to make sure every song is one I can be proud of, one I will enjoy playing live, and one that offers something that hasn’t been presented in an ORCumentary song before.



Bringing all that back to your original question, I went even further on both ends of the musical spectrum with Destroy the Dwarves. To give two quick(ish) examples, there’s one song towards the end of the album that’s about 3 minutes long. Very catchy and straightforward. It starts out as kind of a garage rock song but it kind of builds into something heavier and there’s a great guitar solo in it. Now compare that to a song around the middle that’s 7 minutes long, has an ambient intro, switches tempos midway through, and has extended instrumental sections. That and everything in between is what listeners can expect to hear on Destroy the Dwarves.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music?



Lyrically, ORCumentary’s music follows a storyline. To sum it up quickly, Orc Adams, hero of the orcs and wielder of the Keyboard of Mayhem, is on a mission to establish orc supremacy and lay low all the other races in The Five Lands. Destroy the Dwarves is a continuation of that story and the Dwarves are on the chopping block next. The Dwarves raise a white flag and want to meet with Adams to make a peace treaty, but the hero of the Orcs has other ideas. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan for either party. There’s lots of violence, flatulence (as Dwarves are rather gassy), scheming, razor-sharp wit, and the ending is rather shocking.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ORCumentary?



It literally means “a documentary about orcs.” The lyrical content has always been from the perspective of orcs, but everything after my debut album follows a continuous storyline.



5.On the albums you record everything my yourself, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain solo?



I get asked this question a lot. I thought about making it a full band once, went as far as to seriously consider it. However, ORCumentary means too much to me to allow anyone else to be a part of the process, if that makes sense. It’s been my creative outlet for almost 10 years. It has also already been established as a solo band, and people love it that way. It’s part of what makes ORCumentary stand out. Something huge would be lost if other people were added to the mix It’s nice to be in complete control of everything, although the downside of that is if I’m not motivated, nothing gets done. If I could do absolutely everything myself for ORCumentary I would, but I don’t have the skills/means to do the mastering and artwork. Luckily, Not A Damn Cheese Design and I are always on the same page when it comes to bringing my ideas to life, and my friend Ben Lane does a great job mastering.



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



My live show is literally just me on stage with a keyboard and a mic. I have a larger-than-life stage presence, which makes up for the lack of members. Orc Adams on stage is the complete opposite of what I’m like in real life. He’s boisterous, loud, demanding, arrogant, but he’s got a great sense of humor (although I have a good sense of humor too) and the stage shenanigans are really hard to take seriously. Anyways, I do vocals and play keyboard parts live. It’s very energetic, or so I like to think.



My favorite show so far has been my CD release back in 2013 for Orcs 1 Goblins 0. For the songs “Orc and the Butterfly” and “Sword of Iron”, a group of about 15 people came up and helped me do the gang vocal parts. It was pretty surreal. I also opened for Agalloch back in 2012, which was really cool too.



7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?



Nothing concrete, but I’m probably going to take it easy for the rest of this year. Might pick up a couple shows, but next year is when the heavier gigging will take place. I can’t do extensive touring, but I want to do a few weekend tours next spring/summer; hopefully the Philly area, maybe return to Buffalo, who knows?



8.Can you tell us a little bit more about Orc Rock Records?



Most people/publications take artists who are signed more seriously, so that was honestly the only reason why I put it on there.



9.In one interview you talked about your interest in fantasy novels, what are some of the fantasy authors that you have taken an interest in lately?



Terry Brooks is my favorite author. 5 of his books are at the top of my “to read” list. R.A. Salvatore is one of my favorites too, although I haven’t read any of his books in years (he’ll be next). I really liked the first four books in The Sword of Truth series, but I couldn’t stick with the fifth one. Jacqueline Carey wrote this really interesting duology called The Sundering, which portrayed the “villains” as the heroes often are, and the “heroes” as the villains often are.



To be honest, I haven’t been good about keeping up with new authors and those recommended to me because up until a few years ago I had kind of “fallen out” of reading. Now that things have settled down a bit in my life, I’ve been re-reading a lot of the ones I own. I want to be “caught up”, per se, before pursuing new authors and books. Over the past few years, I’ve reread LOTR, Harry Potter, Dragonlance Chronicles (which was a bit of a disappointment), and some Terry Brooks too.



10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?



The response is mostly positive. Usually the only really negativity is from the online community. It’s definitely a love it or hate it thing. The people who come out to shows have a great time and can appreciate not only the comedic aspects, but the musicianship too. I’m really lucky that the response has been as supportive and positive as it has been.



11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?



I’d like to continue to keep songwriting as my main focus. I’ve kind of started a side band (actual band with other people) and I have 4 songs in various stages of completion for that. I don’t want to talk too much about it, but I really want to do just vocals live if it kicks off and we start doing shows.



I like the idea of getting back into playing sheet music as well. I took piano lessons for 11 years (age 7 to 18), but after I graduated high school, my main focus has been on songwriting. Getting back into technical and theoretical study on the piano would be great, but it depends on if I have the musical time for it.



Eventually I’d like to start a project for ambient/soundtrack style music, but again it’s about having the time and sufficient inspiration. The vast majority of what I listen to is metal, so that’s what I want to play and write most of the time. I have a really hard time finding non-metal that’s interesting, so I think I’d like to make whatever ambient/non-metal side project similar to ORCumentary, in the sense that I’d take influence from lots of other genres and just write what I like to hear.



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



My favorite subgenres are melodic death metal, power metal, and industrial metal. I’m influenced by a lot of different bands these days, but my favorites are Elvenking, Mnemic, Soilwork, Poets of the Fall, and Thrice. I also really like certain soundtracks like LOTR. I can find something good in most styles of music, whether it’s something I personally enjoy or not



13.What are some of your non-musical interests?



My non-musical interests include reading, walking, archery (although I don’t get to do it very often), video games, and movies. I love spring and fall weather and I try to be outside as much as possible in those times of year.



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



Thanks for your thoughtful questions and for taking the time to listen to my music. Keep orc rock alive!

https://orcumentary.bandcamp.com/

ORCumentary/Destroy The Dwarves/Orc Rock Records/2015 Full Length Review

  ORCumentary  are  a  solo  project  from  the   Orc  lands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  industrial,  power,  black  and  death  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "Destroy  the  Dwarves"  which  was  released  by  Orc  Rock  Records.

  Neo  folk  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  elements  of  industrial  and  death  metal  can  be  heard  as  well  as  some  growling  vocals  being  mixed  in  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  tracks  also  mix  heavy  parts  with  electro  industrial  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  clean  singing  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  at  times  while  some  songs  can  also  be  very  symphonic  at  times  and  when  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  old  school  metal  feeling.

  ORCumentary  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death,  black,  industrial,  folk  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  to  create  a  musical  style  known  as  'orc  rock',  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  orcs,  goblins  and  dwarf  themes.

  In  my  opinion  ORCumentary  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death,  black,  industrial,  folk  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroy  the  Dwarves"  "He  Drank  Deep  From  His  Mug"  "Within  The  Folds  Of  My  Fat"  and  "Cropduster".  8  out  of  10.    

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=115689

   

Revealing The Conscience/Time Will Reveal/WormHoleDeath Records/2015 CD Review

  Revealing  The  Conscience  are  a  band  from  Slovakia  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  power,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Time  Will  Reveal"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

A  very  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  bringing  in  a  classical  music  feeling  and  after  the  intro  melodic  progressive  metal  guitar  leads  start  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  also  keeping  around  the  symphonic  elements  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  are  used  on  a  regular  basis.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  while  the  power  metal  influence  is  mixed  in  with  the  musical  instruments  and  the  vocals  stick  to  a  more  aggressive  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  songs  start  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  before  return  back  to  a  heavier  direction  while  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard.

  Revealing  The  Conscience  takes  both  black  and  death  metal  and  combines  them  together  with  symphonic  metal  and  the  melody  of  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Revealing  The  Conscience  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hellbinder"  "Struggling  Within"  "Farewell"  and  "God  And  Satan".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/revealthecon
http://www.youtube.com/revthecon  

  

Dissension Interview

please direct people to www.facebook.com/dissensionmtl or www.twitter.com/dissensionmtl as band links

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Dissension is a five piece band composed of a vocalist/ guitarist, lead guitarist, drummer, bassist and keyboardist- just to be clear so as to not be mistake with an acoustic black metal band hahaha (not that there is anything wrong with that). We also enjoy red beer and long romantic walks along the beach, you know nothing too crazy.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

 We are a band that likes to experiment with a lot of different sounds and likes to take advantage of metal’s capacity to incorporate and dominate different kinds of music. With that in mind, the many people who have commented on our music see it as a hybrid mix between black, thrash, power and melo-death metal. Now, we are not pretensious enough to claim that our music is unparalleled in the whole cosmos and we don’t fit into any genre. It’s just difficult to place us hahaha. Beyond that, we really like to take the listener to sometimes very epic heights and then to the dark depths. It’s the balance between the two that we like to play on as for us, our songs are like stories, and the music reflects the movements within.  

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Well thematically we noticed that a lot of our songs deal with death. This is why we chose to name our album after our song Of Time and Chronic Disease. What we are trying to convey with this the idea that in an world that is godless death represents a final and absolute end, that is eternal and dark. Our lyrics then tend to represent this aspect of human reality that eventually death finds all living things and what humans do in the face of that reality. Some despair, some triumph, and some fall into delusion, and it is this very human reality that we like to deal with.

4. The band was originally called Set To Kill, what was the decision behind the name change and how would you say the music evolved since those days?

Well firstly, Set To Kill was somewhat of a retarded band name hahaha. We made it up when we were sixteen and first starting the band. When we had a bit of a lineup change, our bassist stepping down from vocals duties and our rhythm guitar playing taking his place, we also saw that the band was maturing and so we decided for a name change. Also,. There was this shitty emo band named Eyes Set To Kill and well, we hated the affiliation!

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Dissension?

Dissention was a song of ours (however we spelt it with a T) and it was a favoured song of ours at the time so we chose to name ourselves accordingly.  Dissenstion spelt with a T means literally going down. However, when spelt with an S, thus Dissension, it denotes something a little more diabolic as the word dissension means violent disagreement in a political or social sense. For example, an anti-capitalist riot is dissension within the capitalist system. Now, when Satan rebelled against God, this was also a form of dissension, and so in taking on this name we place ourselves in that satanic light. Of course we can go on into a discussion about Satanism and what that means, but the way we like to see it is that you rebel against something, you fight for an idea, even if there is no possibility of victory because winning is not the point, its rather just the fact that you fought despite knowing the inevitable outcome.  And this of course ties back into the reality of death. It’s something we all must face and if you just through in the towel saying, oh well I’m going to die anyways might as l live like shit, then that is defeat. Rather, living in a way that defies death even if it cannot be achieved, that is heroic, And so, with that in mind, we called ourselves Dissension. It’s the dissension against death.

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

Well for our sound it’s always best to play in bigger and louder venues. Thus our show at Heavy MTL was definitely one of the most memorable at we had a massive stage, all the  room in the world to run around, a fucking excellent crowd and a great sound to go with it. For a band that’s used to playing bars, a big stage performance is something we had always dreamed of. We also played the Wacken Metal Battle Canada finals in Toronto on another massive stage (the Opera House) and just to see a crowd who had relatively no idea who we were react so well to us was a great honour. Also, as I side not, we loose our fucking minds on stage, falling into somewhat of a religious ecstasy when we play (which sometimes has hilarious consequences), and a microphone attached to a animal skull decorated battle axe sometimes makes an appearance.

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

Those are definitely in the works. Once we play our album release show on September 9^th at Les Founes Electriques (an excellent venue) we plan to do some out of city gigs along with as many shows as we can during the winter with possibly a summer tour. But we shall see.

8.The new album came out on Blk Coq Musik, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Our glorious manager Pedro Barbossa started Blk Coq records, and he has been with us for several years. So naturally when he created the label, we hoped on. It has only been around for a few months its still in its infancy, but we hope to see its grow and expand into something huge.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of underground metal?

We haven’t released the full album yet, that will be on September 10^th. We shall see the worldwide feedback then. For nor, our single Of Time and Chronic Disease is released and its getting some great reaction. For a Montreal band, we didn’t expect the positive reaction and support we have thus far been getting. Yet even before this release we have had proposals to go to Europe and what have you, all we need now is the cash to do so. So come support!

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

On a music standpoint we already have a shit load of material building for another album. And so the direction is really upwards as we have played a few of these new songs live and they have gotten excellent reactions. We are always trying to incorporate different aspects into our music, but certainly shit will get darker as we grow music wise. We are also all in this for the long haul and we would like to see our band take off in a bigger way.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? 

Certainly Children of Bodom, Death, Dimmu Borgir are bands we all listen to. However what good about or bands is that each member listens to shit very different from the other so while our Keyboardist and drummr are into a lot of tech-death, our guitarist and vocalist are heavily into black metal while we have a jazz bassist hahah. So the list would be long. But lately, we are all waiting the new Behemoth album, we all like Ghost, Amon Amarth (great new album), the Faceless, Dissection, Watain (not decided on their new album) to name a big few.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Most of our guys are in school studying various shit. Our lead guitarist Conti is in History, or Keyboardist is a an evil Chemist while our vocalist (me) is studying religion.

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for the chance to have us spill our load the blog! Also our album launches September 10 worldwide, we have a promotional show for it on the 13^th, so if anyways wants to write nasty shit on our facebook and click the fuck you button next to the attend button, it would be very much appreciated!

And of course, we must hail Satan.