Empty Throne/Unholy/Downfall Records/2024 Full Length Review

 
    Empty  Throne  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Unholy"  which  was  released  by  Downfall  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  clean  playing  is  also  used  briefly.  Some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  faster  riffing  as  well as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  demonic  voices,  clear  singing,  spoken  words  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs.

  Empty  Throne  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  with  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Thelema  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Empty  Throne  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unholy"  and  "My  Flesh  The  Temptation".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/emptythroneband

https://emptythroneofficial.bandcamp.com/album/glossolalia

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6wz3wLAt8zu4zL7jImCIyJ

Apocalypse/Pandaemonium/MiMi Sound Records & Publishing/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Apocalypse  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  an  epic  mixture  of  black,  viking,  death,  thrash and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Pandeaemonium"  which  was  released  by  MiMi  Sound  Records  &  Publishing.

  Keyboards  and  classical  music  elements  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  the  riffing  mixes  in  touches  of  death  and  thrash  metal  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  slower  sections  of  the  album  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  and  gothic  metal  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  melodic  traditional  metal  style.

  Clear  viking  metal  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  demonic  growls  also  being  utilized  briefly.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time,  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and a  few songs  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  witchcraft  burnings  and  darkness  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Apocalypse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  black,  viking,  doom,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hanged,  Drawn  And  Quartered"  "The  Well  Of  Deception"  and  "Pandeaemonium".  8  out  o  10.

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Gates Open/Black Clouds Over The World/Inverse Records/2024 EP Review

 

  Gates  Open  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Black  Clouds  Over  The  World"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Inverse  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  thrash  metal  elements  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era.  Most  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction  with  only  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  fast  playing  being  utilized  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.  

  On  this  recording  Gates  open  remain  true  to  the  melodic  and  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  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  Gates  Open  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nightmares  Coming  True"  and  "Gates  Of  Rock".   8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/gatesopenband 

https://www.instagram.com/gatesopenband 

https://gatesopen.bandcamp.com 

https://youtu.be/SX2vkPowiZA

https://youtu.be/LWgHQN84p4g   

The Crown/Crown Of Thorns/Metal Blade Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  The  Crown  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal,  grindcore  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Crown  Of  Thorns"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements.  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  take  the  recording  into  more  of  a  black  metal  direction  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  80's  style  death  metal  growls.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  more  of  an  old  school  extreme  metal.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  vocals  also  mixing  in  the  more  aggressive  side  of  thrash  metal  as  well  as  some  whispers  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  they  also  add  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  an  old  school  style,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use of  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion,  Satanism  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Hunt  With  The  Devil"  "Gone  To  Hell"  "God  King"  and  "The  Storm  That  Comes".  8 out  of  10.

  http://www.thecrownofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thecrownofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/thecrownband

https://x.com/thecrownsweden

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

Magnetar Interview

 

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

Magnetar is a Blackened Heavy Metal band from Manchester, UK. The band was formed a few years ago but the album has taken a while to complete. There are elements of Heavy, Black, Death, Epic & Thrash metal all present.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that is presented on the recording?

“There Will Be No Peace In My Valley” is a mix of 80s and 90s heavy & extreme metal. The intent is to be as aggressive as the style allows, whilst retaining melody, and load a song with as many great riffs as possible. 

3.A lot of your lyrics tackle conspiracy theories and allude to the writings of George Orwell, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

The lyrics are inspired by nearly all aspects of modern life’s struggles, from personal to external. If Orwell’s “1984” is referenced then that is because morally corrupt populist politicians, and politically extreme conspiracy theorists, are currently ushering in a society that is reminiscent of that novel. There are many topics covered in the lyrics, but in an opaque and personal way that encourages the listener to transmute to their own lives. I find that holding up a mirror to the injustices of the world is often the easiest way to peel back the layers of lies that support them, that’s my approach to writing lyrics.

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

I’m no expert here but from what I understand, a Magnetar is a type of neutron star formed when a massive magnetic helium star collapses in a supernova explosion. A rare result of that explosion would be the birth of a magnetar - a dead star that will have a magnetic pull so strong it is capable of wreaking havoc on anything within a few million light years of it. There’s something that appealed about this thing capable of so much destruction, that is also quite beautiful if you see an artist’s impression.

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

The album artwork is by Misanthropic Art and we couldn’t be happier with the result. As the lyrics are broad in topics we focused on the title-track for the cover. These lyrics tell of warriors returning to their village after a long period away, unknowingly having brought with them an unnamed horror that attacks their lands. Obviously you could read other themes into this scene but taken literally it made for a powerful visual image. I’m a huge fan of 80s metal illustration - it’s often how I chose albums in record shops as a kid - so seeing this cover come to life was a heavy metal dream! Also the supporting artwork and layout by thewodeneye is excellent and features many hand drawn elements in the design.

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

We are open to the idea in the future, but as it stands there are no plans in place. At the moment we all have too many commitments with work, other bands and life in general, but we could revisit that situation next year. I can say that the songs make for a visceral experience in the practice room, so it would be interesting to see how people react in a live setting.

7.The new album is going to be released on 'Vendetta Records', are you happy with the support the label has given you so far?

Vendetta have been tremendous since we signed. Very straight forward and honest to work with. Independent labels (or any small company) are a lot of hard work for the owner, sometimes for much less reward than they deserve, so we are hugely appreciative for the belief Vendetta has placed in the band. They’ve really stepped up in all aspects of supporting a debut album. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your musical by fans of extreme metal?

Only a very small circle of people have heard the album at this point. It’s all been positive.

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

There’s a lot of material already written, potentially for a couple more albums, but currently I’m exploring the incorporation of more classic metal guitar styles like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Jake E Lee into the music. Exploring more paths around harmonised leads would also be interesting. Probably more epic elements.

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?

Influences on Magnetar would be 80s Slayer, Sepultura, Infernal Majesty, Nuclear Assault and any extreme thrash from that time. Older proto-metal bands of the 80s such as Poison (Ger) and Bathory. Dissection, Necrophobic, Merciless and the 90s Swedish bands on No Fashion records. And Norwegian black metal, especially mid-era Immortal. Also some post 2000s black-metal from Vanum, Deus Mortem & Krieg. The phrasing of lead instruments interests me and I often listen to musicians from other genres such as jazz to freshen up the approach. If you asked the rest of the band there would be a lot of Death Metal included as well. 

Recently I’ve been listening to “Dreamkiller“ by Sumerlands, “Legend” by Vanum, “Toba” by Mayhemic (which I expect will be my ’24 AOTY), Ebony Pendant s/t, “Ruiner” by Krieg, all albums by Lykantropi, “Victims Beyond All Help” by Besieged, “Albion” by Harp, “Rites & Curses” by Morax, “Endless Skies” by Ashbury, “Place Of Torment” by Deranged, loads of mid-era Judas Priest, “Grotesque” by Foetal Juice, “Bang To Rights” by Heavy Sentence, the last two Darkthrone albums, “Silence Of The World Beyond” by A Canorous Quintet, “Exterminate” by Angelcorpse,  “War Against All” by Immortal, “Phenomenon” by UFO, Trouble s/t, “Serpents Unleashed” & “Forever Abomination” by Skeletonwitch, “Unbound” by Merciless, “Mandy” & “Trapped”  by Johann Johannsson, Julian Lage, and those Cavalera re-releases have been a massive treat with perfect production - how often does re-visiting old recordings go wrong - not the case here.  -DW

https://www.instagram.com/magnetar_band/
https://magnetar666.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnetar666

Warlust/Sol Invictvs In Vmbrae Satanae/Dying Victims Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Warlust  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Sol  Invictvs  In  Vmbrae  Satanae"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Dying  Victims  Productions.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  angry  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and t he  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  One  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  whisper  and  as  the  album  progresses  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Mythology,  War,  Devastation  and  Torture  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Warlust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent  Crown"  "Forgotten  Cult  Of  Chronos"  and  "Black  SOuls".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kgI6bpDVfc

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/sol-invictvs-in-vmbrae-satanae    

Magnetar/There Will Be No Peace In My Valley/Vendetta Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Magnetar  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "There  Will  Be  No  peace  In  My  Valley"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Vendetta  Records.

 Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  thrash  metal  direction  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  death  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  When the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing,  classical  guitars  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.

  The  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  conspiracy  theory  themes, a  society  reminiscent  of  George  Orwell's  "1984"  and  anti  religion  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Magnetar  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "SCUM"  "There  Will  Be  No  Peace  In  My  Valley"  and  "Adorned  In  Flame".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.instagram.com/magnetar_band/

https://magnetar666.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/magnetar666   

Hand Of Omega/The End Of The Beginning/Cursed Monk Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Hand  Of  Omega  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "The  End  Of  The  Beginning"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Cursed  Monk  Records.

  Harsh  noises  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  shouts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  harsh  noises  also  make  a  return  as  the  album  progresses,  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  environment  and  society  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Hand  Of  Omega  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Survival  Of  The  Shittest"  and  "Amazon  Burning".  8  out  of  10.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmV6x_IyKQE

https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-the-beginning

Vulgaris 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?

Jess: Straight back to work! We've been sitting on a whole load of new ideas while finishing the album and we're starting to really flesh those out as a band now that we've released Seat Of The Fire. Otherwise we've been performing as much as we can, with the album launch show and our performance at Signature Brew being standouts.

2.In May you album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Jess: I think we're continuing to improve as musical collaborators with each song or rehearsal and the album speaks to that. I think our last album was a good statement of intent but we had maybe not found a consensus of sounds that feel ‘Vulgaris’ yet, whereas we now know how to pull from each other to blend our influences and styles much more successfully. SOTF has a lot of my favourite groovy riffing but meets these incredibly grand sludgy evil moments that are almost post metal and atmospheric and I think the combination of those parts really work for us in a way that we didn't fully capitalise on before.

Matt: For me, the newer album feels more cohesive in terms of styles and vibes compared with the debut, even when it does move between fast black metal and slower passages. It’s also more intense and extreme to me, and has a lot of moments that are heavier than anything we fit into the debut album.

3.The lyrics on the new album are inspired by Greek Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Jess: Well I personally just find so much inspiration in myths and legends, these classic fables that are endlessly rich for storytelling and of course our lovely vocalist/ guitarist Jon is Greek Cypriot so in the writing process it made a lot of sense to draw from those places. I think it can often feel like the world is burning so the framing of current unrest through the lens of these old gods is something I enjoy.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?

Matt: On the debut album, we didn’t have a specific concept for the album, so there’s songs covering topics such as climate change, serial killers and also again some mythology. We then released a standalone single in 2021 called Goat Bong, which was a somewhat silly track lyrically about cults.

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

Jon: The name “Vulgaris” comes from two things that were irritating me when I formed the band 2017. The “Era Vulgaris” which was when right wing populism was at an all time high it felt like, and also “Acne Vulgaris”, which has a way more embarrassing reason. So I decided to take the two words in common and turn them into something positive. Plus it’s a great name for a metal band, if nothing else.

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

Jess: I had a really clear image of what I wanted for this after writing Black Gold Baptism. I wanted this almost baptised figure walking from an oil coated sea filled with anger, someone ready to burn it all down. And when Matt found our incredible artist Leoncio Harmr we struck gold, he really got the concept and yeah I'm absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.

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?

Jess: We're a bit spoilt with this question as we've played some of my favourite places in the country and shared the stage with some excellent people. An easy shout out is playing The Forum with Conjurer in Tunbridge Wells, but also the final of the metal to the masses competition where we played at the dome in London which was so much fun being surrounded by the underground London metal community. 

Our performance is something we work very hard on and it's something very deliberate- we aim to build an atmosphere with the samples and lighting before landing our explosive songs and then from there it's just all about making people lose it to the music.

George: As well as the Forum and getting to the M2TM final mentioned by Jess, a recent highlight for me was overwhelming the little crowd at the Black Griffin in Canterbury. Wild Halloween night on and off the stage and things kept heating up with the opening bands - it all boiled over when we started with a big opener and I felt like we tore the place down. I loved it. 

We all play with our own individual visceral intensity that seems to connect with people live when blended together - I’d say that our live performances do our songs justice. I really enjoy the camaraderie we have before, during and after we play. 

Matt: On top of the ones mentioned above, I really enjoyed the album launch show we did in May when we played Seat Of The Fire in full, and also a show we did in Brighton in 2022 supporting a band called Kinzoku, the crowd made that a great show and I really enjoyed the headliner’s set too. Our stage show has definitely evolved in the past couple of years as we’ve begun to integrate samples and play around with different lighting. For me, the important thing is opening with a high-octane song that gets us and the crowd immediately in the zone, and just keeping the momentum going from there on.

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

Jess: Hard at work trying to plan a tour yes but we had the best launch night show with some of our favourite bands last month, we're also playing Kent and Bristol next at the end of the month.

George: I hope we can find a run of shows with some bands in the post/sludge/blackened/doom scene. We’ve made friends with some great bands who we’ll try to tour with when they have new releases.

Jon: I love playing live, so we’ve got some very interesting shows coming up in August which are with punk bands. I’ll play anywhere. August is shaping up to be a busy month for us.

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

Jess: It's pretty insane how many countries have been playing our music l think it's something like 33 different countries now, and yeah that blows me away, radioplay in a country I've never been to myself is very humbling. Feedback has been fantastic. I am very proud of how many people get our blending of styles and are invested in a brutal concept album like SOTF.

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

Jess: Spoilers but we're currently delving a bit more into the sludge/post sounds with some really fun new contortions of those genres. I'm also very aware of how the crowd has been exploding to some of our tunes off of SOTF so I'm writing some nasty ideas in the dissonant techy realm, all will be revealed soon.

Matt: I think we would like to explore as many sounds as we can while broadly keeping the overall energy and vibe consistent with what has come before, whether that be doubling down on blackened aggression, playing around with longer, more progressive writing, or unleashing some foul sludgy filth.

Jon: More disgusting riffs. I love the grooves on Seat of the Fire so I want those to continue. Also just doing what we normally do, which is just fucking around with different metal genres and tying it all together. I don’t want to be stuck doing purely one sound on one album, if that makes sense.

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

Jess: Well George just turned me onto the new Black Tongue album which is pretty outrageous, and I'm loving the new Nails singles, but as I write this Gojira is currently playing also.

George: Apart from giving Jess great slam recs, my favourite scene is grim blackened stuff - a lot of which seem to be French. Bands like Celeste, Mourir, Plebeian Grandstand, Throane, Cross Bringer, Oathbreaker, Dragged into Sunlight etc.

Matt: I’m increasingly into anything that falls into the overlap between sludge, stoner, prog and post-metal, whether it be Elder, Dvne, Mastodon, Horndal, Meridian Sun, or anything else in that general area.

Jon: I love bands that are creatively heavy, so bands like Wayfarer, Blood Incantation, Meth, Deafheaven and Mizmor to name a few. I’m not a fan of bands who are “heavy” just for the sake of it. 

I’m a huge fan of 90s black metal as well as early 00s British Indie. When I’m not listening to metal, I’m listening to that.

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

Jess: Make sure you try to catch us live, that is our favourite thing in the world and I think the songs really speak in that environment. And stay tuned for another video soon - go on and follow us on our socials, we're Vulgaris everywhere.

vulgaris2017.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/VBANDUK
www.instagram.com/vulgaris_band
twitter.com/vulgarisband
www.youtube.com/@vulgaris978
Spotify: SpotifyVulgaris

Vulgaris/Seat Of The Fire/WormHoleDeath Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Vulgaris  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Seat  Of  The  Fire"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding intro  starts  off  the  album  before  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  which  also  returns  on  later  song.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Elements  of  sludge  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  influences  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  more  of  an  old  school  extreme  metal  style.  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing,  keyboards  and  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vulgaris  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Gold  Baptism"  "Prometheus  Rise:  and  "Seat  Of  The  Fire".  8  out  of  10.

  vulgaris2017.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/VBANDUK
www.instagram.com/vulgaris_band
twitter.com/vulgarisband
www.youtube.com/@vulgaris978

Spotify: SpotifyVulgaris      

  

Bloodcross Interview

 

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

Bloodcross is a metal band that was started a few years ago. We incorporate a lot of different musical elements from black metal, neoclassical metal and traditional heavy metal. While not exactly a new or unique mix of elements, I think our sound is not one you'll hear from every other band.

2.You have your first full length coming out in July, musically how does it differ from your previous demo?

The album, Gravebound, is more melodic, varied and technical than the demo and quite a leap forward in my own view. While "more technical and more melodic" doesn't automatically mean that the music is better, of course, I believe that for us it represents refinement and evolution of the same elements that were already on the demo.

3.The band formed out of the ashes of 'Angelscourge', what was the decision behind splitting that band up and forming a new one?

Bloodcross forming out of the ashes of Angelscourge is correct in some ways but needs a bit of clarification. Angelscourge never quit per se, but has been on hold for a few years due to some of the members having other things to do.  Both bands share some members but not all.

Bloodcross is a different band that is less black metal and more of a hybrid as far as influences go.

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

Most of the songs on the album have different themes and are about various specific topics. The themes of death, afterlife and underworlds of different mythologies are the most common themes but there are also tracks that are about something completely different. 

For example, one song on the album is based on certain Western films and a particular Yngwie Malmsteen inspired song is about various people in history who have been accused of making a deal with the devil for their musical talent.

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

There isn't any truly deep meaning behind the name. Personally, I'm fascinated by blood in an aesthetic and thematic sense and it's also kind of a reference to an Angelscourge song.

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

It's designed by a great Mexican artist by the name of Nestor Avalos. I discovered them when I was browsing through album artwork from other bands, looking for a suitable artist for our album. 

The artwork itself relates to the title track of the album, Gravebound, and its lyrics. He created the artwork based on the lyrics and various other art references I sent to him.

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

We've only played a few shows thus far but I'd say they have all been good. If I had to pick the best one, it would probably be our latest since we played with awesome bands like Jävelin and Beatrix.

We try to be energetic and also play well since our music has some technical elements that don't sound very good if played poorly.

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

Not right now but I'm sure some will come up.

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

The album isn't out yet so we haven't had that much feedback but everything I've heard so far has been positive. That usually tends to be the case with smaller bands, of course. You usually start to see more negative feedback when a band gets popular.

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

I've written some new material after the album was recorded (which was a year ago, in fact) and I'd say it's in the same style as Gravebound. What it's going to be like in a few years, I cannot say. Maybe even more traditional heavy metal influences? 

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?

From my own perspective as the songwriter, the most important and obvious influences would be Dissection, Necrophobic, Dark Funeral, Children of Bodom, Yngwie Malmsteen and Iron Maiden. 

As for what I'm currently listening to, it's mostly power metal, traditional heavy metal, guitar virtuoso music and popular music from the 80s. Extreme metal I listen to less than I used to.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music ?

Yes and no. I'm not an occultist but I'm very interested in occult and esoteric topics in a scholarly sense. That does find its way to the music and lyrics sometimes.

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

Stay tuned for our album Gravebound and I hope you like it as much as we do. I am personally very pleased with the result and I'm excited that the album is finally getting released.

Regards,

Aleksi/Bloodcross

www.facebook.com/bloodcrossmetal 

Bloodcross/Gravebound/Personal Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

   Bloodcross  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Gravebound"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Personal  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  Swedish  tradition.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in a   lot  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  power  metal  style  screams  along  with  the  closing  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodceoss  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Warbeasts"  "Gravebound"  and  "Howling  Spirits".  8  out  of  10.

  http://personal-records.bandcamp.com/album/gravebound

www.facebook.com/bloodcrossmetal 

  

Mythologik/Blood In The Sky/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Mythologik  are  a  duo  from  Texas  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Blood  In  The  Sky"  which  will  be  released  on  June  14th.

  Clean  playing  which  also  returns  on  later  songs  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  utilized  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  an  old  school  power/thrash  metal  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  elements  of    black  and  death  metal.  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  he  album  also  takes  an  80's  style  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  more  modern  day  brutality.

 Harsh  vocals  can  also  he  heard  briefly,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  some  orchestra  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mythologik  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blood  In  The  Sky"  "Fallen  Empire"  and  "Dark  Waters".  8  out  of  10.

  https://lnk.bio/mythologik      

  

Necropanther/Oblivion Jones: Tales Of False Consciousness/2024 EP Review

 

  Denver,  Colorado's  Necropanther  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "Oblivion  Jones:  Tales  Of  False  Consciousness"  

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  screams.  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  and  thrash  metal  elements.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school extreme  metal  style  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  saxophones,  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  doom  metal,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly. 

  On  this  recording  Necropanther  expands  on  the  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover  metal,    science  fiction  and  dystopian  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Necropanther  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  doom,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Transported  Man"  and  "Thrash  Till  Death".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.necropanther.com 

https://www.facebook.com/Necropanther 
https://www.instagram.com/necropanther 

https://necropanther.bandcamp.com   

Pontifex/From The Pale Mist/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Pontifex  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  ambient,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "From  The  Pale  mist".

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  symphonic  sounds  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in a   mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  an  instrumental  as  well a s  the  music  also  mixing  in  both  old  school  and  modern  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  mystery themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pontifex  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  with  elements  of  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  REOCMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Festering"  and  "Abyssal".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/srVAty5dWkc

https://open.spotify.com/track/6FW3pN2D59Cq6vzzRlKGd

https://pontifex.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-pale-mist

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555978000917

https://www.instagram.com/shadowspireband/ 

Ren Marabou And The Berserkers/Helgafjell/WormHoleDeath Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  are  a  band  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  aggressive  form  of  viking/pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Helgafjell"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Viking  horns  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  heavier  and  melodic  direction  while the  vocals a re  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Clear  pagan  singing  is  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments,  clean  playing,  spoken  word  parts  and  synths.  A  lot  of  the  album  brings  in  more  of  a  modern  metal  style  along  with  some  old  school  touches  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  and  vocals  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  most  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  

   Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  plays  a  musical style  that  takes  viking,  pagan,  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology,  History  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ren  Marabou  And  The  Berserkers  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  pagan,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journeys  Of  Rig"  "Curse  Striker"  "The  Duel  of  Flint  And  Steel"  and  "Holy  Mountain".  8  out  of  10.

  www.facebook.com/renmarabou

www.instagram.com/renmarabouandtheberserkers

www.youtube.com/@RenMarabouandtheBerserkers