Suton/Sacrilegious/insArt Records/Satanath Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Suton  are  a  duo  from  Bosnia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Sacrilegious"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  insArt  and  Satanath  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  also  being  added  into  the  background  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  bring  in  a mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  clear  singing  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  drones  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  clean  playing,  stringed  instruments  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  and when  the  album  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  madness,  death,  universe,  isolation,  soul,  abstract  and  decay  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  Suton  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Celestial  Consciousness.  Straight  Divine"  and  "Old  man  Willow".  8 out  of  10.

  Bandcamp: https://insartrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sacrilegious

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suton.official

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kult.suton/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/suton-band   

Gorgonchrist/Fish In A Mountain/2023 Full Length Review

 

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

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

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

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

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

  www.facebook.com/gorgonchrist

Shit Hexis Interview

 

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

Hey, first of all, thanks for the interview for your webzine. We have been playing together for more than ten years. We previously had a psychedelic doom band, Mills of God, with Kai (now Yagow), with which we released an LP on Modus Operandi (the band also continued to exist for a while with a slightly different musical direction under the name Dead Widows). After the breakup of MOG, we didn't make music at all for several years, mainly for family reasons. 

In 2018 I contacted Pat with the idea of forming a band again as a duo. All started well off, the feeling was right back after all that time and we quickly had enough songs together for a whole set. Over time, a good friendship has grown out of it, we often spend half of the rehearsal just hanging out, drinking beer and talking....

2.In December you had released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

So we are very happy that Alex released the record on Bleeding Heart Nihilist. The record actually has a bit of a history. We had actually finished recording in summer 2019. We recorded the songs in an industrial hall, with our buddy Jan, who is by the way a sound engineer. It was a mix of DIY and professional arrangement. We are super satisfied with the sound. Jan was able to understand what we were sound-wise aiming for and had no problem with the fact that everything was recorded extremely loud and with some extreme feedback, haha… After that Jan was very busy at work, so mixing and mastering took almost one year (also due to the crappy pandemic situation). 

Alex from BHN Prod. and I used to go to school together for a while and, if I remember correctly, we also had a band together for a short time (Nihil Obstat). 

The year before he also released a tape of Lebend Relique, a solo project of mine with T. from Wigrid on vocals, so it kind of made sense to touch base with him for the Shit Hexis release. I think that the label roster of BHN is really characterized by very good, unconventional bands (e.g. Cruda Sorte, Sunshine & Lollipops, Wigrid, Noia, Arcane Frost, Fvneral Fvkk etc.). 

Due to the pandemic and some other projects with Alex, the final release was delayed again. For several reasons it took another year, so it ended up being Dec. 2022 when the record was ready to be released. And the songs are now almost 3-4 years old, haha. But we are happy with the collaboration with Alex, which is on an uncomplicated and friendly basis. We would have liked to release the record also on vinyl, but that was financially and also due to the tense situation in the pressing plants not an option. But maybe one day….

Concerning the musical style it was clear from the beginning that it should go in the direction of sludge. We had in mind a sound like Moss, Burning Witch, Eye Hate God. Certainly bands like Mantar or Black Cobra were an inspiration to realize it as a duo. Pat is more into punk/indie, while I listen to a lot of death and black metal - the common intersection is doom/sludge - and so in the end the songs developed quite quickly and naturally in this melange. The important thing was that the whole thing sounds ugly and shitty, haha. More primitive than progressive - I think that worked quite well. In the constellation as a duo, the equipment must not be underestimated . I play two amps in parallel, not particularly loud anymore, but sonically somewhat different - that's already important, so that the sound also has the violence of a 'whole' band.

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

Mhh..well, I understand Shit Hexis as a political band. Often there is this premise that music and politics should be kept apart, especially in metal music. This is difficult for me to understand or even illusory, because the issues that we express as people are always the product of a certain socio-political constellation (even if we are sometimes more or less aware). 

The topic that concerned me at that time and still does today is the strengthening of a dull nationalism. This actuality of nationalistic or ethnic home discourses and blatant racism are for me ultimately childish and regressive ways of reaction to flee from the complexity of late-modern societies. Especially in (Black-)Metal the identification with Germanic mythology is a big topic and there it often tips over into racist fantasies of superiority. That is just absurd for me. It's ultimately a crappy coincidence where the universe has shat you out and there is no reason for you to feel somehow better or more valuable or to be particularly proud of a certain tradition, which under other circumstances could have been quite simply another one. Behind it there is often a great emotional insecurity or emptiness and often also a feeling of alienation, which overlooks and/or fades out the social and economic contexts and then seeks orientation in the identification with simplistic cultural interpretations. 

I am down with everyone who is interested in the traditions and mythologies of his cultural area, being fascinated by them or even identifying with them. But in the end the Edda remains just as much a fantasy epic as the Bible etc. And most of the pagan “black metal warriors” are also doing their 9 to 5 job, painting their board game figures at home, drinking honey beer in the village pub and thinking they are at war with modern civilization because they are wearing army pants and a mjölnir pendant from a mailorder catalogue around their neck. 

The lyrics on the record are partly a certain vulgar persiflage of this context. I also sing in German because I can express myself better that way and I also like the aesthetics of the German language. In my eyes, tradition is not problematic, only the uncritical and patriotic handling of it. Adorno, for example, reflected this quite well in the essay “Was ist deutsch?” (“What is German”).

4.You have also taken an anti occult or esoteric viewpoint, can you tell us a little bit more about these views?

The standpoint is not 'anti'-occultist. My relationship to it is rather a skeptical one. I had recently read the book “The Devils Cradle - The Story of Finnish Black Metal” by Tero Ikäheimonen and was in a way also fascinated by the spectrum of occultism in Black Metal and also how seriously the topic is taken there. In principle I can also appreciate the premises, as they are represented for example in the concept of the 'Left Hand Path': Autonomy of the self, greater attention to our corporeality and the associated 'dark' desires, breaking with social (sexual) conventions, dealing with questions of transcendence and spirituality, etc. Ultimately, this has its roots in Hindu and Buddhist body and meditation practices, which I also practice myself.

However, the impression that often creeps over me in the omnipresent 'occult' themes is also that it is mostly just a rather content-less form of aesthetic production and/or a certain 'cozy' form of escaping the world. Often it seems to me that a certain biographical lack of orientation and meaning is filled. Or rather, it also seems to be about satisfying a certain religious desire of integration into this cosmos in a meaningful way. That is also human and completely legitimate. Ultimately, however, I would also ask the question here: why seek salvation in any magical or supernatural phenomena? Sure, this is fascinating and can be found in all religious liturgies. But doesn't the perceived longing for a higher meaning or the suffering (from the meaninglessness) in one's own life rather have its reasons in an unfamiliar handling of one's own body, the unresolved issues of one's own (family) biography and especially with the social and economic conditions in which one grows up and lives? So from this point of view I see much clearer and realistic answers in our 'occidental' philosophy and history of science: with regard to the questions of an aesthetic way of life in the 'existential philosophy' of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, respectively in the psychoanalysis of Freud with regard to dealing with questions of corporeality and unsatisfied needs/taboos, and in a structuralist, non-ideological reading of Marxism with regard to the widespread feeling of alienation. But sure, dealing with social reality and oneself is just not as cool as creeping through the forest with corpse paint and feeling the devil in the ether, haha.

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

The term Hexis has nothing to do with witchcraft or magic. We are referring to the original greek meaning, which means something like a basic attitude, character or way of life or 'habitus'. It's about this basic, optimistic attitude towards life that everything sucks, haha.

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

The artwork and logo are done by Chris/Misanthropic Art. We sent him the lyrics of 'Le mort saisit le vif' as an inspiration. This is a Marx quote: the dead grasps the living, which means that the structures of 'alienated labor' historically catch up with us again and again in a new form. The lyrics read:

Deep from the black mud

of the class struggle stare 1000 pupils.

They reflect a gray light

that cuts through all humanity.

The stench is bestial.

In a way, it's the clichéd, but somehow also increasingly realistic dystopian vision that humanity manages to wipe itself out quite well in the long run and that it's often difficult to look to the future with hope. In this respect it is an extremely well done visualization of our lyrics. He really worked very committedly and professionally.

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

We will definitely remain a duo. This constellation makes it so much easier to write songs, organize dates and make all other decisions regarding the band. I also think that we manage it well in terms of sound, that there is no feeling that something is 'missing'. It's also quite cool to see that especially at the live shows people are surprised how 'brutal' a two-piece line-up can be, haha.

8.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

Yeah, sure. We've played a handful of shows around here. Some of them with our good friends Turin Horse and Geisterfaust. We also try to organize shows ourselves to revive the metal underground a bit and are also constantly looking for gig opportunities. So get in touch with us!

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

Since we didn't have a demo and the record is freshly released, there are hardly any reactions so far. We are also trying to publish it through the usual social media channels and Alex/BHN Prod. is doing his best in terms of promotion. But the net is overcrowded with good (and not so good) bands. I find this whole internet publicity often very exhausting and annoying, so it's even nicer when every now and then a review or an interview request like this one comes along…

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

I think we will start writing new songs soon. They are going to be a bit more dark and disgusting, but also a bit more homogeneous and maybe more primitive and simple. So the stench of hopelessness will be a bit more acrid in the nose, aargh.

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

As already said, bands like Moss, Burning Witch, Iron Monkey, EHG, Meth Drinker, Graves At Sea or Buried at Sea were certainly a clear influence, also doom bands like Black Sabbath, Sleep or Electric Wizard, punk like Black Flag, Subhumans or His Hero is Gone but also old Hellhammer, Sodom, Bathory, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Dodheimsgard etc..

Lately the following tapes and records were on my stereo: Unholy, Predatory Light, Baxaxaxa, Katatonia, Watain, Eremit, Impaled Nazarene, Bell Witch, Xasthur, Korpelarörelsen, Wagner Ödegard, Black Curse, Undergang, Thou, Mizmor, Mortiferum, Azaghal, Conan, Flotsam and Jetsam, but also Portishead, Nirvana, The Cure, Tenhi, Soft Kill, Sleater Kinney, Brutus and Afghan Whigs.

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

Nope, not really. Except for a huge thank you for your review and questions! Has been a pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5l4IpXaLZ0

Shit Hexis/Self Titled/Bleeding Heart Nihilist Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Shit  Hexis  are  a  duo  Form  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  emtal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2022  album  which  was  released  by  Bleeding  Heart  Nihilist  Productions.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  onto  the  recording.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Distorted  amp  sound  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  on e of  the  tracks  is  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  whole  album  also  ticking  to  a  very  slow  and  heavy  musical  direction,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Shit  Hexis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and   cover  class  struggle  and  alienation  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Shit  Hexis  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Schleier"  "Drel  Krueze  und  eine  Hand"  and  "Scherben".  8  out  of  10.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5l4IpXaLZ0  

  

Exdestrier/Glorious Barbarism/2023 EP Review

 

  Exdestrier  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  ep  "Glorious  Barbarism"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  A  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  The  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  blackened  metal  style  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  music  also  has  its  progressive  moments.  On  some  of  the  tracks  the  riffing  goes  into  more  of  a  technical  direction  as  well  as  a  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clear  stoner  vocals  and  shots  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Exdestrier  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  and  progressive  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  fantasy  realms,  tales  of  medieval  landscapes, gruesome  warriors  and  a  looming  gloom.

  In  my  opinion  Exdestrier  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Glorious  Oblivion"  and  "The  Place  Of  Grim  Reckoning".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Exdestrier  

    

        

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       

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.actofimpalement.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/actofimpalement   

  

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

  

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.facebook.com/bornghost

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

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

https://bornaghost.com/   

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/  

Heron/Empires Of Ash/Sludgelord Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Heron  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Empires  of  Ash"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Sludgelord  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  mix  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  blackened  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  on  a  couple  of  tracks  they  also  show  an  influence  of  post  rock  while   the  synths  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  atmospheric  direction  when  they  are  utilized.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  along  with  the  riffing  also  having  its  repetitive  moments  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  added  on  the  closing  song.

  On  this  recording  Heron  focuses  more  on  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  atmospheric  and  post  metal  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  larger  scope  of  turbulent  emotions.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rust  And  Rot"  and  "With  Dead  Eyes".  8  out  of  10.

  

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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

    

Bones/Voimit/Disorder Recordings/2022 Full length Review

 

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

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

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

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

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

  http://bones-chicago.bandcamp.com

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

  

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gnash Interview

 

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

Gnash is a 4 piece blackened sludge band out of Central Ohio featuring the Richter brothers of the band Bather.

2. Later in September you have an EP coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Absolutely! Myself and Nicky are in several other bands together so with Gnash, we wanted to try something a little different but still in the realm of heavy music. We love the idea of slow and low riffing with groove pockets. When we went to record the vocals they originally were going to be all a lower “deathy” style but we played around with more of a Black Metal High vocal and noticed it cut straight through so it just made more sense to go that route. It complements the music very well and sits perfect with how deep everything else is around it, we think. What was just a playful, in-studio take ended up being the key to the entire vocal performance on the record.

3. The lyrics on the EP are also a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with release?

The concept of the record is a story about a set of conjoined twins and one of them dies, so the living twin must live the remainder of his life carrying around his dead sibling attached to him. I wanted to make a very dark and gruesome analogy of what it feels like to carry around the baggage that comes with mental illness and the toll it takes on someone and the ones they love.

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

Gnash originally was going to be the title of the band's first record. The band was originally called Cast Iron Tongue and after thinking on it Gnash just sounded heavier and perfect for the style of music we ended up writing.

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

Yeah definitely, that was all Nicky’s idea haha! He was thinking that instead of having some artwork that would be subtle or have the meaning secretly placed in the artwork that we should go full on the nose with it and show conjoined twins being sewn together by the hands of a creator. He found the artist who was down to take it on and draw it and it came out great. I’m super happy with it.

6. Has the band done any live shows or are you open to the idea?

Not yet! But we 100% plan on it.

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

Oh yeah, we are most definitely looking to get picked up if possible. We would love to push this record to a wider audience as well as get physical copies made. No bites yet but our fingers are crossed!

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

So far just from the single and music video we have gotten a lot of awesome feedback. People seem to really dig the sound so we are very stoked to see what people think of the rest of the record.

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

Definitely wanna do a full length. I think the next record will be another EP, then we will crank out a full length. We want to push the extremes of the next EP even further than what we did for Shared Nightmare. Lower, slower, and throaty as all hell.

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?

The biggest inspiration musically for this band came from Nicky’s love for The Abominable Iron Sloth (if anyone remembers them). We both listened to them a ton back in the day and that band always came up when we would talk about projects. Nicky, for a short while, left Bather and wrote all the music for the soon to be Gnash record with that band and similar styles in mind so I’d say that is probably the biggest influence on the band. Nowadays we have been listening to a lot more sludge based bands and even some classic stoner bands.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

I'm also a photographer and videographer as well as a podcaster (like most people haha). I'm a big fan of comedy so my podcasts are based mainly around laughing which seems to be a very big contrast in comparison to how dark and depressing my music projects usually end up being haha!

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

Thanks for everyone being stoked on the band and single and we hope you dig the full record. Follow us on all streaming platforms, and also on all social media, and let us know what you think! Also, keep your eyes open for possible shows and touring in the near future!

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gnashmetal/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/gnashmetal
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gnashmetal
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/metalgnash