The Evil Dead/Earth Inferno/Witches Brew/2017 CD Review

  The  Evil  Dead  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  speed, and  thrash  metal  with  touches  of  traditional  metal  and  classic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Earth  Inferno"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

    A  very  heavy  sound  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  riffing  is  heavily  influenced  by  thrash  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  NWOBHM  elements  can  be  heard  in  both  the  riffs  and  leads  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  later  songs  add  in  touches  of  blues  and  70's  hard  rock  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

 Back  up  shouts  are  also  used  at  times  and  some  of  the  faster  riffing  uses  tremolo  picking  while  also  adding  in  speeds  metal  influences  as  the  album  progresses  and  clean  playing  is  also added  onto  a  later  track  while  some  of  the  vocals  add  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  diversity.

  The  Evil  Dead  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  black/death  metal  style  while  also  adding  in  influences  of  thrash,  speed  metal,  NWOBHM  and  classic  rock  to  create  something very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Darkness,  and  Insanity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Evil  Dead  are  a very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  speed, thrash  metal,  NWOBHM,  and  classic  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Electric  Evil  Revisited"  "They  Live!"  "Songs  Of  The  Hunt"  and  "Chariots  Of  The  Gods".  8  out  of  10.

https://witchesbrewthrashes.bandcamp.com/album/earth-inferno?utm_source=Promo%2BList&utm_campaign=7c131e81a8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_01_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b7d3bffdfc-7c131e81a8-159719745   

A.C.o.D/Inner Light/2016 EP Review

  A.C.o.D  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death  and  thrash  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Inner  Light".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  soem  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  also incorporates  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  along  with  a  few  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  leads  and  solos  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  a  symphonic  edge  and  back  up  gang  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences.

  On  this  recording  A.C.o.D  expands  on  their  blackened  thrash  metal  style  by  adding  in  elments  of  melodic  death  metal  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A.C.o.D  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  melodic  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "And  Darkness  Around".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/acodband/?fref=ts

Mordant/Demonic Satanic/To The Death Records/2016 CD Review

  Mordant  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Demonic Satanic"  which  was  released by  To the  Death  Records.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  first  wave  black  metal  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim s creams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the music  is  mostly  influenced  by  the  80's  and  90's  without  sounding  out  of  date  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  Swedish  style  melodic  black/death  metal  and  the  album  also  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Mordant  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  side  of  Swedish  black/death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  first  wave  black  metal  and  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Occult  and  Black  Metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mordant  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  "Vengeance  From  The  Dark"  "Evil  Impalers"  "Infernal  Curse  Of  Evil"  and  "Count  Lucifer".  8  out  of 10. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Solomonic Demons/Malevolent Destiny/Merdumgiriz/2016 Cassette Review

  Solomonic  Demons  are  a  solo  project  from  New  Jersey  that  has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  an  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Malevolent  Destiny"  which  was  released  by  Merdumgiriz.

  A  very  hard,  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  album  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  some  elements  of  thrash.

  When  solos  and  leads   are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  more  old  school  extreme  metal  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  mid  80's  and  early  days but  with  more  up  to  date  technology and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  be  heard  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavier  style  and  classical  guitars  along  with  spoken  word  parts  are  introduced  on  the  last  track.

  Solomonic  Demons  creates  another  recording  that  takes  the  melodic  and  old  school  style  of  black, death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  heavy recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics cover  dark, violent, war  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Solomonic  Demons  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dawn  Of  Souls"  "Rotten  World"  and  "War  Never  Changes". 8  out  of  10.  

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Cadaveria/Necrodeath/Mondoscuro/Sleaszy Rider Records/2016 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Italy's  Cadaveria  and  Necrodeath  called  "Mondoscuro"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records  and  we  will start  off  the  review  with  Cadaveria  and  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  gothic  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  cover  of  Necrodeath's  "Mater  Tenebrarum"  which  starts  out  with  dark  sounding  synths  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  they  also  keep  the  thrash  elements  of  the  original  version  and  clean  guitars  along  with  melodic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  have  an  old  school  vibe  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  operatic  male  vocals     and  their  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  close  their  side  of  the  split  with  a  cover  of  Type  O  Negative's  "Christian  Woman".

  Cadaveria  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  goth  metal  and  mixes them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover   Occultism  and  Witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cadaveria  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  goth  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Dominion  Of  Pain".

  Next  up  is  Necrodeath  a  band  from  the  first  wave  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out with  a  cover of  Necrodeath's  "Spell" which  starts  out  with  starts  out with  classical  guitars  and  grim  black  metal  vocals  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  they  also  mix  in  their  thrash  approach  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  parts  of  the  songs.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and female  vocals  and  they  close  their  side  of  the split with  a  cover  of  The  beattles "Helter  Skelter".

  Necrodeath  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  still  rotted  in  their  first  wave  black  and  thrash  metal  while  also  mixing  in  more  modern  styles,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Necrodeath  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Rise  Above".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Cadaveria/3045
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Necrodeath/2107

Ominous Eclipse/End Of Days/2015 Full Length Review

  Ominous  Eclipse  are  a band  from  Ottawa,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "End  Of  Days".

 Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  symphonic  edge  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  technical  style  to  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  thrash  and  groove  metal.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  part  and  their  is  also a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavier  style  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals.

  Ominous  Eclipse  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  black,  melodic  death,  thrash and  groove  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  some  symphonic  and  technical  elements  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  death  and  Armageddon  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Ominous  Eclipse  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Morning  Hate"  "Desecration"  "Abandoned"  and  "Beyond  the  Apocalypse".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/rWOn9PhNGS4       

   

Quinta Essentia/Initiates Of The Great Work/Deathgasm Records/2016 CD Review

  Quinta  Essentia  are  a  band  from  Alabama  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2016  album  "Initiates  Of  The  Great  Work"  which  will  be  released  on  September  29th  by  Deathgasm  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also bring  in  clean  singing  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  traditional  metal  feeling  and  synths  along  with  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  while  some  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  influences  from  thrash  and  death  metal  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  Quinta  Essentia  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  style  of  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  heavy,  thrash  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  alchemy  and  Hermetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Quinta  Essentia  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Stone  As  A  Key"  "Mystical  Union"  and  "Iniates  Of  The  Great  Work".  8  out  of  10.   

http://www.facebook.com/quintaessentiaofficial

http://www.quintaessentia.net

Sarcoptes Interview

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

Garrett:  Sarcoptes is a two-piece metal band from California. We are heavily influenced by old-school thrash, black, and death metal.
The founding member and I met in highschool. He was a withdrawn, goofy kid with a soft heart, and could shred everyone I know on guitar. Before his darkest days, he recorded several songs on Myspace under the band name. I free-styled a cheesy black metal vocal over one of them, and thus was dubbed the band's singer.
Later on, I would jam with Sean Z, who also had an appreciation and talent for music from Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, and other great and influential bands, and we were able to establish our own sound.
The creation of this CD is a milestone which cannot be taken away from us. Through all trials, reservation, regret and resistance, we have persevered and created something meaningful to ourselves.
The driving intent of my participation in this band is to stay as close to meaning as possible. I am really only able to get into this style if the music moves me. I am not one who can mechanically perform at high speeds without any connection to the music. It just makes no sense.
The CDs and bands that moved me so much that I committed myself to becoming a drummer contained a great deal of meaning, message, and power. I hope to bring that through my participation in this band.

Sean:  Gar and I met through a mutual friend at a concert. I learned he and another friend were jamming as a black metal two-piece in Gar’s garage. I asked if I could get in on this playing bass. We had two rehearsals as a three piece where we rehearsed “I Am the Black Wizards” and “Blessings Upon the Throne of Tyranny”. The guitarist bailed after that but I stayed on and transitioned to guitar. We continued to rehearse other cover tunes until Gar asked if I had any original material of my own to bring to the table. I actually had already completed songs 1 and 3 from the album at that point. From there we just continued to write and rehearse new material.  Once I heard Gar’s vocal tracks on the original Sarcoptes demos with Steven on guitar I knew that Gar had to be the vocalist. I was blown away with his voice. At that point I pretty much knew we needed to continue on as Sarcoptes and not another project. We recorded the EP ‘Thanatos’ in February 2013 and began work on the album ‘Songs and Dances of Death’ in February of the next year.

> 2.So far the band has released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the
musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they
differ from each other?
Garrett:  Well, the CD is just better [laughs]. Honestly, we have been under the double-barrel with the hammer clicked back every time we've tried to do anything. I've personally been stretched so thin I'm surprised I have made it out as loosely sane as I am throughout this experience.
The EP was a good opportunity to hear ourselves played back. I liked the vocals, and I liked Sean's work, and my drumming was ‘meh’. I've been caught up in too many bands at once to ever give this a full punch.
The CD is much closer to a true effort. I could sit and pick it apart until I make myself unhappy but it's really good. It's our music, laid out, with a great job by our producer to enhance our sound.

Sean:  Well the two songs on the EP were re-recorded for the album. So style wise there is no difference. I think the major difference would have to be in the production. Namely the keyboards on the album are much, much better sounding than the EP and the drums are much better as well. The mix on the drums and the clarity of the hits is greatly improved on the album. Style-wise it’s very much a blending of 90s black metal meets classic thrash with a dash of old school death metal. I’ve always thought of it musically as a mix of ‘In the Nightside Eclipse’ and ‘Reign in Blood’ with a dash of ‘The Bleeding’. Those were the kinds of sources I was drawing from. Early Emperor, Dimmu, Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Metallica, etc. All old school influences from the 80s and 90s. In my opinion the album has the no-nonsense crushing riffs that made all those classic thrash bands so great but with the depth and grandiosity that made bands like Emperor so compelling. There’s no unnecessary intro or outro tracks, no ballads, no ambient tracks. All the fat has been trimmed.

> 3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Garrett:  This album is heavily centered around introspection. The constant narrative is one of self-examination, and the speaker is often in the grips of agony in understanding the weight of truth. There are also themes of becoming self-aware, to see what is truly there for better or worse. The fear of death, and its inevitability, as the truest justification for man's many (and sometimes ludicrious) forms of religion. Also one song is about Constantinople. I'm the uneducated hack of the two, so I just coat-tail the insight provided by Sean. But it sounds cool as f*ck.

Sean:  Gar’s description is pretty accurate. The opening track “The Veil of Disillusion” is basically about trying to transcend the mundane through contemplation of the mystery of existence itself. “The Sexton’s Spade” is presented as an allegory of a congregation worshiping Death. The meaning behind the allegory is that mankind’s fear of death is the true source of religious faith. All of the songs deal with topics like this. “The Fall of Constantinople” is about the invasion of Constantinople by the Turks and the ensuing slaughter of the city’s population. The moral of the story is revealed in the last verse which states “with God on their side all crimes are justified”. You can extrapolate that message not just to the subject at hand in the song, but to all kinds of atrocities that mankind has committed. Once people are convinced they are on the side or God or “right” they can then use that conviction to justify any action. I’ll leave the listener to decipher the rest of the album’s subject matter. But that is the general tone of the lyrics.

> 4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sarcoptes'?
Garrett:  Well, the rock-and-roll story behind it is that our founding member moved back to Texas and picked up Sarcoptes scabiei (skin mite) from a "lady-of-the-night" on one of his infamous benders. Pretty metal, to be honest.
Beyond that, it's just a kind of shocking, uncomfortable name without being like "Anus Farm" or "Re-mutilated Goat Labia." We wanted to get in the middle, and when we formally began as a two-piece, I knew Steven's band was sitting to not be used anymore, and figured it was an awesome way to both give tribute to a fallen friend and also carry the torch forward.

Sean:  Sarcoptes is the genus name of Sarcoptes scabiei, better known as Scabies or the itch mite. I loved the sound of the word. It seemed very mysterious to me. I also found the origin of the band name to be highly amusing. Honestly it has no real connection to the lyrical themes of the band.

> 5.According to the fb page one of the former members is deceased, was it hard keeping the band going after deal with that kind of experience?
Garrett:  Initially that was a devastating blow. I felt that I could have done so much more for the kid. He was truly one of the funniest people I’ve known. If there's one thing I've learned from doing this deal for a while, it's that if you can sit and laugh for hours with your band, you've got a keeper. That and his unheard talent for a unique vein of music, it was a great loss that many will not ever know went by.
Nonetheless, as a proud member of this unit today I can safely say that we do Steven justice by continuing forward under this name and playing this music. We are not simply black metal for the sake of the ambience, or the tattooed girls that are into a gothy look. This music has class, sophistication, and depth. This is something I think Steven would be proud to know his influenced matured into.

Sean:  I actually never met Steven in person. I think when he passed Gar and I were already doing our own jam together out of his garage. Nevertheless I heard those demos he and Gar did and was blown away that this 18 year old kid was writing these ferocious black metal riffs. I’m happy that we continued on with his legacy and feel we’ve done it justice.

> 6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to working with other musicians again in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?
Garrett:  I think that creatively we will always remain a duo. There was a long stretch of time where Sean and I were able to carry on long conversations speaking entirely in inside jokes. That kind of rapport you just can't build quickly. Also, the drive of this band is very close to each of our spirit and insight into the world.
That being said, would I love to hire out a 5-star line-up and tour the world, not having to annihilate my bones on that cursed drumset? Of course. I'm open to any future, but the core of this band will remain the two of us. We have been scarred and bled enough times to make our positions unmovable.

Sean:  The core will always remain Gar and I. If either of us calls it a day then the band is done. It’s impossible for this entity to exist without one another. That being said, I would certainly be open to musicians doing guest spots on future recordings.
>
 7.The new album was released on Cimmerian Shade Recordings, how would you compare
working with them to your old label Wraith Productions?
Garrett:  I am very happy to be working with Cimmerian Shade. So far, the interaction has been professional and comfortable, and it is nice when the label appears to enjoy your music and support what you're doing.

Sean:  Actually we were never signed with Wraith. I sent our EP to Wraith as a demo submission. Armando who runs the label was floored when he heard it and wanted to put out our full-length which was almost done at that time. Our time tables didn’t quite match up though so he recommended us to Cimmerian Shade Recordings who got back to us the next day. Wraith has done some distro on our EP though. So while we were never signed with them I consider them an ally. Dave at Cimmerian has been awesome. Very professional and completely enthused about the album and its potential. I’m very grateful for his support and for giving us this opportunity.

> 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
Garrett:  I am not sure. On my end, I try not to pay too much attention to the feedback. I am extremely hard on myself as it is, and I would not want to piss myself off by reading the wrong trolling or flamed comment. That being said, it appears that several credible sources are liking what we're doing. I hope to continue to produce material to keep the listeners who enjoy this genre satisfied.

Sean:  The feedback I’ve received by and large has been very positive. I think once this album is released and people become aware of it, it’s going to turn some heads. The album is old school influenced without sounding like we are copying a specific band or a specific era of music. It’s taking what I think are some of the best elements of classic black, thrash and death metal and putting them through our own filter.

> 9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Garrett:  Personally I hope I get a lot better [laughs]. That's just me. We've become seasoned going through this process, especially in managing disappointments and setbacks. I am active in music in the area, and continue to rehearse on a daily basis.
I would like to explore more middle-ground with our music. I think our peaks and valleys are very nice, and would like to hear us jam out a bit more in the middle. Theme wise I am not sure either. A musical mentor of mine once said that if you have to continue to claim the same position, or the same grief against whatever entity or ideology you oppose, you are not succeeding. I think we nailed this b*tch straight to the cross on this one. We'll have to see what domain we want to tackle next.

Sean:  Musically I want to stay true to the foundation we’ve already established. The classic influences I’ve already detailed will always be the root and foundation of the band. I’ve been playing around with some very heavy doom metal riffs for a while now though, so that’s an element I’d like to incorporate into future work.
>
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?
Garrett:  Definitely Dimmu Borgir. I was that kid who would spin the same CD for weeks at a time. I couldn't get over that mental rush of those blasts and grooves inside such dark music. Same with Emperor. Such an atmosphere, a presence, you were transported to a different place. Like a book with less effort [laughs]! Black Dahlia Murder too. Lots of cool shredding drum fills, musical and accompanying the guitar movement. That entertained my mind for a long time, I was so committed to figuring out how in the f*ck they were doing that!
Nowadays I branch out a bit more. I was really into 1349 for a while. It's so insanely brutal. Borknagar as well. I love the keyboard work. Bands with ambience in addition to the shred usually get my attention. I've also branched out into bands like Fit for an Autopsy, After the Burial, and Within the Ruins. Conquering Dystopia. It eventually just becomes anything with that caliber of musicality. I will always prefer the black metal style. But I will nod to anyone who's pouring everything they've got into it.

Sean:  Well, I’ve already detailed what some of my key influences were in the composition of this album. Slayer was a huge influence on the riff writing of this album. For my money Jeff Hanneman is the greatest riff writer of all time. Most of the thrash influence is from Slayer though there is also some Metallica influence in spots. All those minor third harmonies and those hammer-on pull off minor third riffs are a Cannibal Corpse influence. The influence of Emperor, especially their first album is incalculable. I learned so much about how to arrange keyboards and twin guitar parts from Ihsahn and Samoth. Obviously Dimmu Borgir was an influence as well, both in the riff department but more so in the vocal department. To this day Shagrath’s vocals on ‘Enthrone Darkness Triumphant’ are my favorite extreme metal vocal performance. I also learned from and was influenced by other bands such as Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Darkthrone, Iron Maiden, etc.

As far as what I’m listening to now... I’ve been working my way through a ton of classic old school thrash albums. Lots of it is new to me even though some of these albums are 30 years old [laughs]. I really enjoy going back and filling in the blanks in my musical education. Newer releases I really enjoyed were the new Tribulation record and the latest Paysage D’Hiver album which was incredible. 

> 11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Garrett:  I enjoy exercise, playing with my dog, reading, meditation and video games. I have education goals that are slow moving, but in my personal life experiences I have taken leaps, that most thought I was surely doomed to never make.
Sean:  I’ve been getting back into playing old school 1st edition Dungeons & Dragons with a group of friends and fellow musicians for a while now. Games like these really get the imagination and creative juices flowing. So that’s been a blast and what I’ve been doing with my spare time as of late. Outside of that I love reading, learning, movies and playing with dogs and cats [laughs]. I’m also always continuing to further myself in my career field.

> 12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Garrett:  I appreciate you taking the time to ask us some questions. We are exactly as you see and hear us to be. I live inside my own transparency and only aspire to improve. I hope to continue to bring home the accomplishments, with additional tales of victory for the next time. Be safe and stay metal!

Sean: Thanks very much for your interest in the band and for this opportunity. Thanks again to Dave Lindley at Cimmerian Shade

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Sarcoptes/Songs And Dances Of Death/Cimmerian Shade Recordings/2016 CD Review

  Sarcoptes  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  thrash  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Songs  And  Dances  of  Death"  which  will  be  released  on  April  22nd  by  Cimmerian  Shade  Recordings.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  blast  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  symphonic  elements  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  thrash  elements  in  the  bands  musical  and  all  of  the  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  mostly  in  a  melodic  fashion  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch of  melodic  death  metal.

  Sarcoptes  plays   a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  mid  90's  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  which  they also  mix  in  with  elements  of  melodic  death  metal  and  thrash  to  create  a  style  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sarcoptes  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Sexton's  Spade"  and  "Within  the  Labyrinths  Mind".  8  out  of  10.

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Enthean Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We're actively training our new bassist and preparing for our tour this year! Personally, we've all got bullshit jobs. We only have jobs to put money towards the band! Well, we like to eat occasionally.

2.In May you have a  new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The sound is a bit more mature and WAY more professional! We had Mr. Jamie King master the album and he did a killer job! The last thing we released was our demo and Brian mix and mastered it... Neither of us knew how to do much of anything concerning any of it.

3.This is the first release to come out in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
In 2013, I had a bad shoulder injury which prevented me from playing guitar or using my left arm in any way... so 2013 and into 2014 sucked a fat hogs dick. Then, in March and April of 2014, we played a TON of shows and went on a tour around the southeast and east coast of the US. We had a great reception and people dug the shit out of our sound! Our old bassist quit in mid-2015 and we've been looking since then. I do believe we've found the right guy, though.

4.Your lyrics cover some mythological topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
I'm interested in mythology altogether! Not just the stories but how they come to be. So, 'Priests of Annihilation' has a few songs based on the myth of the Christian story (Tones of Desecration, Before You, I Am), and the rest of the songs are mythologized events that have happened in my life except 'Ekpyrosis' which is a pretty cool scientific theory dealing with the cyclic birth/death of the universe.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Enthean'?
"Enthean" means "Divinely inspired". We knew right away that "Enthean" was going to be the band name! We wanted people to be curious as to which deity divinely inspired us... As far as I'm concerned, it's all of them since mythology is a key aspect of our writing.

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?
There have been quite a few at the world famous Ground Zero in Spartanubrg, SC! A few were in Asheville, NC at the Odditorium. One in Astoria, NY and a very memorable but quick one at The West Texas DeathFest put on by one of the guys in Abolishment of Flesh from Texas. I'd describe our stage show as manic... Both Brian and I switch off on vocal duties and leads and sometimes it happens at the same time, so... yeah, manic.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We plan to tour in late Summer of this year, so be on the lookout!

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We have had a great deal of interest from smaller labels but most of them want physical copies of the new CD before any one decides. We've gotten a few offers, but we're still looking for a home!

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
We've had a ton of positive reactions to our music worldwide. A ton of people dig us in Russia, parts of Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. I've sent CD's to fans in all these parts of the world. We've had a few negative reactions... One of them is that we're not "true" black metal, which ya know what? Fuck it. Who gives a shit? We play what we want and whatever comes out is what it's gonna be. We're not trying to please any elitists. I've had one other experience in which people didn't care for us and it was from a guy in a doom band.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Again, we play whatever comes out... With that said, we have some new stuff written that sounds evil as fuck! We also have some very proggy, interesting music we're writing. So, we're still gonna be Enthean, but it's gonna be a different flavor.

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?
Emperor, Death, Pantera, Immortal, Origin, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, AngelCorpse, Krisiun, Nile, Deicide, The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dimmu Borgir, Bach, Beethoven, Segovia, Tarrega... too many to list! Those have all influenced our music... I'm personally listening to Motorhead and Pink Floyd.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I really like to read. Mythology, History, and science articles are usually my go to reads. I do have quite a few books I'm trying to get through: '11/22/63' by Stephen King and 'Deviant' by Harold Schechter (a book about Ed Gein). I also enjoy cooking a great deal. Mostly Indian food and desserts...

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I want everyone to check us out at all of our social media outlets and give us a like, love, a tweet, a play, a fuck off, or whatever is going on at any particular site at the time! Do it! Also, thanks to you guys for the interview!

http://enthean.bandcamp.com/album/priests-of-annihilation

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Enthean/Priests Of Annihilation/2016 CD Review

  Enthean  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal  and technical  death  metal  with  elements  of  thrash,  shred  and  classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Priests  Of  Annihilation".

  Symphonic  sounds  and  melodic  guitar leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  before going  into  a  fast  musical  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  there  are  also  death  metal  growls  and  clean  singing  vocals  present  throughout  all  off  the  recording.


  Elements  of  thrash  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  of  the  solos  are  very  technical  and  incorporate  elements  of  shred  and  neo  classical  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  the symphonic  and  heavy  sounds  together  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times.

  Ethean  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  technical  death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  prog,  thrash,  shred  and  classical  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  reality  and mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion Ethean  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  technical  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tones  Of  Desecration"  "Ekpyrosis"  and  "Bring  Forth  the  Raven".  8  out  of  10.  

https://enthean.bandcamp.com/album/priests-of-annihilation

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Onkel Hryum/Ragnaroll/2015 CD Review

  Onkel  Hryum  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  folk  metal  with  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Ragnaroll".

  Animal  sounds  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  folk  instruments  and  a  heavier  musical  sound  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when the  music  speeds  up a  great  amoiunt  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  feeling  and  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  at  times  and  elements  of  black  metal  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  songs  and as  the  album  progresses  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  stick  mostly  to  a  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Onkel  Hryum  creates  a  different  style  of  folk  metal  going  for  more  of  a  heavier  approach  that  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  as  well  as  being  less  melodic  than  most  bands  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  folklore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Onkel  Hryum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Puzzle"  "Achad"  and  "Come  To The  Forest  With  My  Beauty".  8  out  of  10.

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Gloria Morti/Kuebiko/Willowtip Records/2016 CD Review

  Gloria  Morti  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  metal  and  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Kuebiko" which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Willowtip  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile black  metal  screams  can  be  heard.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  blackened  death  metal  direction  and  the  music  can  be  atmospheric  at  times  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  direction  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  samples  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  a  lot  of  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  thrash  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Glori  Morti  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  in  the  blackened  death  metal  style  taking  both  the  brutal  and  melodic  sides  of  the  genres  and  mixing  them  together  with  a  touch  of  thrash  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dark  and morbid  side  of  real  life.

  In  my  opinion  Glori  Morti  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  black,  brutal  death  and  thrash  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Joseph  Fritzl"  "Gallows  Built  In  Rows"  and  "The  Termination  Of  All  Bonds".  8  out  of  10. 

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Demonstealer/This Burden Is Mine/2016 Full Length Review

  Demonstealer  are  a  band  from  India  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "This  Burden  Is  Mine".

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  singing  and  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  song  and  the  music  also  brings  in  atmospheric  and  progressive  elements  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  keyboards  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that are  present  on  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  thrash.

  Most  of   the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  very  melodic  and  some  of  vocals  bring  in  angry  shouts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  technical  and  they  also   bring  in a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  elements  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  Indian  ethnic  music  and  the  melodic  vocals start  having  more  of  a  dominant  presence  on  the  later  tracks.

 Demonstealer  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  modern  melodic  metal  but  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  black, death  and  thrash  metal  along  with  some  technical  and  progressive  elements  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Demonstealer  are a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  atmospheric  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  "How  the  Mighty  Have  Fallen"  "This  Burden  Is  Mine"  "Where  Worlds  End"  and  "From  Rubble  to  Ruin". 8  out  of  10   

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Widower/The Unholy Oath/2016 EP Review

Widower  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "The  Unholy  Oath".

  A  very  fast  black  metal  direction  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  melodies  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  melodic  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  thrash  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  touch  of  German  thrash  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  growls  and  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  while  having  more  of  a modern  take  and  the  whole  ep  remains  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Widower  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  black  metal  sound  of  the 90's   and  mixes  it  in  with  German  style  thrash  to  create  a  style of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Widower  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of melodic  black  metal  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unholy  Force" and  "Whore  Crusher".  8  out  of 10.

https://widoweratx.bandcamp.com/album/the-unholy-oath

Hypermass Interview

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

We are a melodic Death Metal band consisting of 5 members from Trondheim, Norway, all in the ages of 19 to 20. We’ve played together since late 2012. Our musical influences include The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation and the more brutal side of the melodic Death Metal spectrum, though that’s only a small fraction of our influences.

2.Recently you have released an EP, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It’s hard to describe it without resorting to mindless genre referrals, but it’s basically a buffet of melodic, technical, and groovy Death Metal with a side of exotic jazz fusion.

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

The lyrics are mostly very critical of humanity as a whole, with certain underlying philosophical themes. We try to not get too obvious in our writing, and leave a lot of it up for interpretation. I’m a sucker for lyrics myself, as for me they can define a great song. Clutch is one of my favorite bands mostly for that reason, I never tire of Neil Fallon’s abstract and satirical lyrics. But with every band the lyrics must complement the music in a special kind of way. What we try to do is contrast those lyrics of misanthropy and negativity with melodic and «epic» parts, if that’s a word that’s possible to use without sounding like a douchebag. I think it’s a great effect, nonetheless.

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

Hypermass is essentially another word for «black hole», although it’s not a frequently used word anymore. That stuff always intrigued me, you know, along with the fact that dark matter/energy constitutes about 95% of the universe, with no one having the slightest clue of what it actually is. It also complies with our subject matter in a way. I will admit that it had also to do with the fact that it’s pretty hard to find a recognizable band name now that pretty much everything has been used, but I think we lucked out on that one.

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

We try to be as energetic as possible, and let the crowd know they’re just as big a part of the show as we are. We just try to have fun on stage no matter how big or small the crowd is. If there’s only 5 people in the crowd, it’s your job to give those 5 people the greatest show you can give them. We try to keep that in the back of our heads every gig, although we’ve fortunately yet to play for that small of a crowd. People are there to have a good time, so it’s also important not to take yourself too seriously. Some of the best shows we’ve played have been local club gigs, those are always really fun.

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

We’re doing some local gigs in the coming months. We may go on tour soon, when the time is right. As of now we’re in writing mode for the full-length though, so that comes first.

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

We have received interests from various underground labels, which is awesome. Still, we think we have a lot more to offer than what’s presented on the EP, and I don’t wanna sound reluctant, but we’re kind of holding it off at the moment until our full-length is done, or at least until the right contract is presented.

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

It has been overwhelming, to say the least. We really didn’t have any expectation on whether people would like it or not, to be completely honest. Luckily for us people seem to enjoy it, as we’re yet to get a bad review.

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

Too early to say when the full-length will be nearing release, I’m afraid. All I can say is that we’re in serious writing mode, and that the songs so far sound great. The new stuff I’d say is a little bit more focused, in terms of writing, as well as it’s a lot more technical and faster than the previous stuff. We’re still a melodic Death Metal band though, as far as genres go.

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?

Guitar-wise I’d say the top 3 would have to be The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation and Allegaeon, as we’re often lumped into the same category as those bands. But you know, we’re very easily inspired by stuff. We don’t like to shut out ideas just ‘cause it doesn’t necessarily comply with other influences. Then it would become tedious and boring.

Currently I’m really digging the latest Rivers of Nihil album. Those guys really caught me by surprise, with possibly the best combination of atmosphere and heaviness I’ve ever heard. My other top 5 records of the year so far has to be the new TBDM, Clutch, Cattle Decapitation, Ghost and Nile.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Outside of music we’re pretty versatile people when it comes to other interests, but I guess everyone is into some form of sport. I’m a rabid MMA fan myself, our other guitarist likes golf, our vocalist and bassist is really into football («soccer» if you’re American I guess), and our drummer likes fishing, although I don’t know if that’s officially declared a sport by now. It should be. That stuff is tiring.

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

Thanks for the interview, and be sure to keep an eye out for our debut album coming up!

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