Wizards Of Wiznan/No Light Has No Shadow/Argonauta Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Wizards  Of  Wiznan  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "No  Light  Has  No  Shadow"  which  will  be  released  on  September  29th  by  Argonauta  Records.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  stoner  rock  style  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  retro  proto  metal  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  utilized.

  Wizards  of  Wiznan  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  death,  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  dark  and  misanthropic  exploration  of  the  human  condition.

  In  my  opinion  Wizards  of  Wiznan  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom,  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seeds  Of  Light"  and  "Reign".  8  out  of  10.

   https://www.facebook.com/ wizardsofwiznan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l5xe1nZiNk&ab_channel=ArgonautaRecords  

  

Cunabula Interview

 

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

Goda: In some non-artistic and rather technical terms, we’re having small tasks for the album PR and also for the upcoming album release show that needs to be organized. Mentally, we’re trying to look forward and not take the album release fact as some result after which we can finally rest. And it’s not an easy task.

Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?

Jurgis: I would say that the recent release has a more consistent and defined sound than the previous EP. Also, musically the new album has some recurring rhythmic composition techniques that in my opinion plays a strong role in overall musicality of this album.  Whereas the first EP was more experimental and dedicated for bands musical research. 

Tadas: The album production is less polished and more raw/live. Musically every song on the album is like a journey, everything is more coherent. And the vocals are much more important now.

This is also your first release since 2017, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Goda: After the EP release we were into live performances more, rehearsing, bringing our audience together, and when we started developing our recent album, we actually faced lots and lots of waiting in every single phase of it. Not mentioning the pandemics that wasn‘t very grateful for the band.

Tadas: On the other hand, we had an opportunity to try the songs live before the recordings. Only two tracks in this album were never performed live.

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

Tadas: Our lyrics are very abstract, it’s the atmosphere that matters, not the story. As the sole songwriter (so far), I wish other band members would get themselves involved in the songwriting more, it would be nice to explore collaborative songwriting. 

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cunabula'?

Goda: The name came from Kurt Vonnegut's „Cat‘s Cradle“ and the word cradle had a special meaning for us at the time the band formed. Cunabula is Latin for cradle.

Tadas: I don’t know why, but this book is very highly regarded in Lithuania. Maybe it’s the same in other countries too.

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

Goda: Nojus Petrauskas, the author of the painting in the artwork, is a Lithuanian painter, an amazing surrealist, which was noticed by us accidentally after we spent hours searching for what could be an organic fit for our album visually. We just saw the painting named ‘Heart’ and we knew.

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

Goda: We vividly remember the gig when we were given a chance to support Conan band – the evening was insane. Also, it is Something Else to play at an open-air festival. And what’s regarding the listeners – we always receive some unexpected feedback about how gigs make people feel. For me, those words are exactly how I’d wish to feel as a listener in some heavy gig myself: partly hypnotized, partly scared, and energetically crushed to the ground. That kind of feedback is definitely inspiring.

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

Goda: Not sure about the touring, but we definitely want to have an album release show in Lithuania.

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

Goda: We are happy to have some worldwide fans reaching out to us personally to express their gratitude for what we do. In general, the feedback is greatly motivating to keep doing what we do.

Tadas: Yes, the feedback was mainly positive so far. Our style is a tough cookie to crack, so it’s hard to fit it into one simple description. The music like this probably will never be popular, but if someone likes it, we are happy.  

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

Jurgis: I think Cunabula has potential for the unexpected, I would not be surprised that we would take more experimental turns in the band's musical future. However, at this moment it is fair to say that some essential elements of our music would still be transferred to our future works, especially harmonic, and textural qualities of our sound. Which in my opinion has a big role in defining Cunabula as a band and are hugely responsible for the emotional weight of our music.  

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

Jurgis: I think the overall musical spectrum of what we listen to is very wide, but regarding Cunabula style I strangely find much resemblance from 20th century’s academic minimalists or even some of the composers from New Simplicity wave. For example, works of Steve Reich, David Lang or Arvo Part. Though the similarity with such music is more of primal musical ideas level.  As for stylistically similar artists I think bands like: Cult of Luna, Russian Circles, Meshuggah plays a big role in our development. Also, i’d like to mention Polish post metal band Entropia, especially their album “Vacuum” which was a very fortunate discovery for me personally a few years ago.

Tadas: Old Norwegian black metal, new French black metal, classic sludge metal bands, some old prog rock, some random classical music.

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

Goda: We enjoyed reading such personal and deep questions, thank you for that.

https://youtu.be/vw77kywj4dk

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Martikor/Soliloquy/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Martikor  are  a  solo  project  form  San  Francisco,  California  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  with  elements  of  ambient  and  this  is  a  revie w of  his  self  released  2023  album  "Soliloquy".

  ambient  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  post  rock  style  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  synths  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.  as  well  as  some  of  the  guitar  leads  also  adding  in  touches  of  blackgaze,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Martikor  is  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Aimless  Dance  In  The  Hallow"  an d "Somber  pace".  8  out  of  10.

  https://open.spotify.com/album/7CEsOb1Gy7MmJ3JWf6GQFl

https://music.apple.com/us/album/soliloquy/1704619144

https://martikor.bandcamp.com/album/soliloquy

https://www.youtube.com/@Martikor_Music/featured

https://www.instagram.com/martikor_music/

https://soundcloud.com/martikor

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550720735395     

Grim Ravine/Upon The Darkest Shores/Cursed Monk Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  Grim  Ravine  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for a   blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Upon  The  Darkest  Shores"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Cursed  Monk  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and doom  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly  along  with  some  blast beats  and tremolo  picking  also  being  utilized  briefly  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  towards  the  end.

  On  this  recording  Grim  Ravine  expands  on  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  that  they  had  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grim  Ravine  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Colossal  Matter"  "Singularity"  and  "Orogenesis".  8 out  of  10.

  YouTube: https://youtu.be/JFCmCQtvv0o

Preorder Link: https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/album/upon-the-darkest-shores

    

Allochiria Interview

 

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

We have been pretty busy really! After the release of “Commotion” in April we headed on our third European tour in May, together with our good friends Their Methlab, playing 14 shows across the Balkans and central Europe. Afterwards we had two great shows at New Long Fest in Athens, Greece and Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Rasnov, Romania. At the moment we are planning another tour for October 2023 that will include shows in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and France and we are pretty excited about it!

2.A few months back you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Το be honest we believe that it's our most complete and straightforward record so far; we do not stretch the parts and we try to keep the listeners interested, by adding or removing small details. Also, there are much fewer clean parts and the more rough parts are much more aggressive. The vocals are a bit more aggressive as well. This is how we perceive it at least.

3.This is also your first release in 6 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

A lot of things actually, mostly in our personal lives; Stavros, our guitarist, moved to Switzerland for 5 years, had two kids, Irene was in Belgium and moved to London, and of course COVID hit. The tracks for Commotion were getting completed at a slower pace, and eventually when they were ready there was no easy way to record the album! At the moment we are completely focused on Allochiria, we are already composing new songs for our 4th album and we are planning many shows for the upcoming months. 

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

Our songs and lyrics revolve around the modern way of life, the fact that many people have lost their homes and lives because of war. About the loneliness a person might feel despite the fact that they are surrounded by millions of people with whom they never interact because of the nature of life in big metropolitan areas. With regards to songwriting, I believe our progress reflects on our personal lives and how we as human beings first and musicians later are evolving. All these changes that happened to each one of us individually reflected greatly on our songwriting.

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

The following quote is from Ultragrim, the artist that is responsible for the artwork of ‘Commotion’: “What matters most in our case is the feeling that’s born by the cover, and not its exact interpretation, as it is a work of non-representational [or even semi-representational] art. The first concept that comes to mind is tension. Hermetically closed teeth tied with threads that are ending in tangled masses on both sides. These masses could be something that we universally perceive as weight. Everyday life, pain, fear, existence itself. A "disturbance" that is. However, the teeth remain closed, indicating determination and stubbornness.

At the same time, the teeth symbolize a classic depiction of worry or anxiety in the dream realm. The dark blue - almost black - background could be just that, a dream field, or it could be the seabed, something familiar, imposing and potentially terrifying. A vast no-space in which one can get lost listening to the commotion.”

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?

We have played numerous gigs with many of the most influential bands of the genre, like Deafheaven, Amenra, Year of no Light, Harakiri for the Sky. Our stage performance is always passionate and honest, each show is different but we try to present our compositions as perfectly as possible. The feedback we get from our shows is consistent and we truly believe that our shows take our songs to a different level.

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

Oh yes, we have had 19 shows in Europe and Greece so far this year, including New Long Fest in Greece and Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Romania a few days ago. We are planning a second tour in autumn together with Coltaine from Germany, we’ll announce it in the coming days and we’re really excited!

8.The new album was released on 'Venerate Industries', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Venerate helped us a lot to organize the release, the video clips and the promotion of the album. Our collaboration is working really well for both parties so far. Their roster consists of many interesting bands of the Greek underground extreme music scene, which deserve more attention and produce so much with so little resources.

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

So far the feedback has been great! To be honest, we were really happy with the result and we knew we had a good album in our hands. We have seen an increase in interest in the US and Central and Latin America, which we are truly humbled by. We think that fans of the genres you mention will definitely enjoy Commotion.

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

Honestly, we don't know. Our compositions and style are being formed organically, so we can’t really “predict” something.

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

Gojira, Liturgy, Zeal & Ardor, Idles, Leprous, Converge, Celeste, Birds in Row, Employed To Serve. We also  listen to different musical genres like jazz, electronic, classical, drum and bass, depending on the mood and the occasion we’re in.

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

We would like to thank you for the interview and wish you all the best. We hope to see you in one of our shows in the future!

Website: https://allochiria.com/
Bandcamp: https://allochiria.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Allochiriatheband/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Allochiriatheband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PWwVHwBJwSIz5SJ7nkmtt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allochiria.the.band/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/allochiria

Tides Of Sulfur/Apathy Chasm/APF Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Tides  Of  Sulfur  are  a  band  from  Wales  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Apathy  Chasm"  which  will be  released  in  September  by  APF  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats,  tremolo  picking  and  grindcore  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Influences  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  utilized  on  a  couple  of  songs.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  riffing  also  capturing  the  brutality  and  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

   On  this  recording  Tides  Of  Sulfur  expands  on  the  grindcore  elements  while  also  stacking  the  the  blackened  sludge/death  metal  style  they  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  darker  side  of  human  consciousness  and  experience.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Tides  of  Sulfur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  emtal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anxiety  Veteran"  "Disgruntled"  and  "Open  The  Vein".  8 out  of  10.

  https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/tides-of-sulfur/1124159427

https://tidesofsulfur.bandcamp.com/album/apathy-chasm-3

https://www.facebook.com/TidesOfSulfur

https://www.instagram.com/tidesofsulfur/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fqg9ffdfJuOrd5G1aVdII

https://twitter.com/TidesOfSulfur

  

Call Of Pripyat/Lullaby Of Suffocation/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Call  Of  Pripyat  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge, doom  and  death  emtal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "Lullaby  of  Suffocation".

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off t he  album  before  going  into a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also b ring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  riffing  at  times.  Some  of  the  riffs  also  shows  an  influence  of  death  metal  along  with  the  drumming  also  having  its  more  aggressive  moments  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  instrumental  and  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  briefly  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  mostly  to  a  slower  direction. 

  All  of  Pripyat  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  sadness,  melancholy,  misery  and  nuclear  devastation themes.

  In  my  opinion  Call  Of  Pripyat  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Wailing  Hag  That  Stalks  The  Dust".  8  out  of  10.

  https://callofpripyat.bandcamp.com/album/lullaby-of-suffocation        

Cunabula/The Weight Of Sleep/Sleaszy Rider Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Cunabula  are  a  band  from  Lithuania  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2023  album  "The  Weight  of  Sleep"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  Radio  static  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  ar e mostly  high  pitched  blackened metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.   Clear  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs  as  well  as  the  keyboards  also  adding  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  and  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  sadness  and  solitude  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cunabala  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bruxa"  and  "silent  Somber  Suns".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/vw77kywj4dk

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

   

  

Karavan/Unholy Mountain/Evil Noise Recordings/Vinyltroden/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Karavan  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Unholy  Mountain"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Evil  Noise  Recordings  and  Vinyltroden.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  psychedelic  soundscapes  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Stone r metal  style  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  of  a  retro  proto  metal  style  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Karavan  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism  and  the  mysteries  of  the  universe. 

  In  my  opinion  Karavan  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Throne"  "demon  Slime"  and  "Unholy  Mountain"{.  8  out  of  10.

  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karavandoom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karavandoom
Bandcamp: https://karavandoom.bandcamp.com

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/karavandoom  

Noctomb/Self Titled/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Noctomb  are  a  band  from  Raleigh,  North  Carolina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2023  album.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  and  old  school  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  psychedelic  soundscapes  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  dissonant  touches.

  Noctomb  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  sludge  metal  and mixes  them  together  to create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Misanthropy  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Noctomb  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "Kali  Yuga"  "Tongues  Of  Madness"  and  "Evensong".  8  out  of  10.

  https://noctomb.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EnterNoctomb

  

Terra Builder/Solar Temple/Transcending Obscurity Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Terra  Builder  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Solar  Temple"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Elements  of  sludge  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  add  in a   decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  faster  parts  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a lot  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  grindcore  influences.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  p-aced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  extreme  metal  style  along  with  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in a   lot  of  tremolo  picking,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Terra  Builder  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  futuristic  and  post  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Terra  Builder  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "End  Of  Orbit"  "Solar  Temple"  "Total  Overcome"  and  "Cryogenic  Sleep".  8  out  of  10.

  Official Video Stream #1

Official Video Stream #2

Terra Builder Bandcamp

Terra Builder Facebook    

  

Allochiria/Commotion/Venerate Industries/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Allochiria  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Commotion"  which  was  released  by  Venerate  Industries.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  sludge  metal  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Growls  can  also be  heard  at  times  while  one  of  the  songs  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also be  heard.   

  Allochiria  plays  a  musical  style  that  take s post  black  and  progressive  sludge  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  exploration  of  the  human  condition.

  In  my  opinion  Allochiria  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "We  Have  Nothing"  "Ocean"  and  "Darklight".  8  out  of  10.

  Website: https://allochiria.com/

Bandcamp: https://allochiria.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Allochiriatheband/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Allochiriatheband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PWwVHwBJwSIz5SJ7nkmtt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allochiria.the.band/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/allochiria 

Ghost Hollow/Self Titled/2023 Full length Review

 

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

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

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

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

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

  https://youtu.be/5sjcu19mBUY

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

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

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

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

https://ghosthollow.bandcamp.com/

https://linktr.ee/ghosthollowar

  

Nibiru/Anamorphosis/Argonauta Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Nibiru  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  ritualistic  and  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Anamorphosis"  which  was  released  by  Argonauta  Records.

  Heavy  breathing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drones  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  a  few  seconds  later.  The  only  song  that  is  presented  on  this  recording  is  also  over  55  minutes  in  length  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  and  avant  garde  moments  and  harsh  noises  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  tribal  percussion  is  utilized  they  also  enhance  the  occult  atmosphere  of  the  music  while  a  lot  of  the  album  also  sounds  improvised.  Grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  calling  upon  the  ancient  spirits  when  they  are  utilized.

  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  song  along  with  the  bass  guitars  also  giving  the  music  a  lot  more  heaviness  when  they  are  introduced  on  the  album,  Keyboards  and  organs  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album  as  well  as  some  clear  singing  also  being  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while t he  lyrics  cover  the  Enochian  keys,  the  writings  of  Aliester  Crowley,  Austin  Osman  Spare,  Kenneth Grant  and  Psychiatric  Essays.

  In  my  opinion  Nibiru  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  and  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/RI_4viJaNZ0

https://nibiru667.bandcamp. com/

https://www.facebook.com/ nibiruritual    

    

Pylar/Limyte/Cavsas/Cyclic Law/2023 Full length Review

 

  Pylar  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  drone,  experimental,  ritual  and  psychedelia  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Limyte"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Cavsas  and  Cyclic  Law.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  and  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  psychedelic  sounds  a  few  seconds  later.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clear  chants  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Some  of t he  drum b eats  also  bring  in  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  grim  black  metal  screams  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also b rings  in  more  of  an  improv  atmosphere  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  writings  of  Francisco  Jot-Perez,  Occult  Sciences,  Paganism,  Mysticism,  The  Sacred,  Superstition  and  Cosmic  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pylar  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal   drone,  experimental,  ritual  and  psychedelia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Limite".  8  out  of  10.

  

http://www.pylar.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/PPYLARR

http://www.instagram.com/pylar_the_band    

[ BOLT ]/( 05 )/dunk! Records/2023 Double Album Review

 

  Germany's  [  BOLT  ]  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for a   mixture  of  drone,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2023  double  album  [  05  ]"  which  was  released  by  dunk!Records.

  Drums  and  percussion  start  of  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental,  avant  garde  and  improvised  at  times.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  most  of  the  music  is  instrumental.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  drones.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  adding  in  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  synths  also  bringing  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized,  sounds  of  silence,  whispers  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  for  a  few  seconds  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  [  BOLT  ]  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  double  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "White  Concrete"  and  "Petite  Fieur  Des  Champs".  8  out  of  10.

  https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/0-5