Numenor/Draconian Age/Elevate/2021 CD Review

 

  Numenor  are  a  band  from  Serbia  that  plays  an  epic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death,  power  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Draconian  Age"  which  was  released  by  Elevate.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  and  are  done  in  a  classic  metal  metal  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and power  metal  clean  singing.  Most  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  both  the  80's  and  90's  era  but  modern  at  the  same  time  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  one  of  the  tracks  is  a  cover  of  "Hall  Of  The  Mountain  King"  and  introduces  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  onto  the  album.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  the  more  melodic  death  metal  style  along  with  the  songs  also  capturing  an  epic  atmosphere  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  back  up  shouts,  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  Michael  Moorcock,  J.R.R  Tolkien  and  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Numenor  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death,  power  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Make  The  Stand"  "Arkenstone"  "Twilight  Of  The  Gods"  and  "The  Last  of  Wizards".  8  out  of  10.

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Apocalypse/Pedemontium/Earth And Sky Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Apocalypse  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  an  epic  mixture  of  Viking,  black,  folk  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Pedemontium"  which  was  released  by  Earth  And  Sky  Productions.

  Epic  style  beats  and  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  the  atmosphere  of  either  a  fantasy  or  historical  movie  soundtrack  and  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  clean  Viking  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  acoustic  guitars  also  adding  in  touches  of  folk  music  when  they  are  utilized.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  Viking  era  Bathory  and  the  mid  90's  era  pagan  metal  bands  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  grim  black  metal  approach  in  some  parts  of  the  recording,  as  the  album  progresses  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  s  lower  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  History,  Legends,   Mythology  and  Fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apocalypse  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  mixture  of  Viking,  black,  folk  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pedemontium"  "Crystal  Eyes"  "The  Lake  Of  Witches"  and  "The  King  Of  Stone".  8  out  of  10.

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Ensiferum/Thalassic/Metal Blade Records/2020 CD Review

  Finland's  Ensiferum  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  epic  folk  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Thalassic"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  some  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  back  up  shouts.

  The  clean  vocals  also  add  in  some  elements  of  pagan  and  power  metal  when  they  are  utilized  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  folk  instruments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  history,  myths,  legends  and  heathenism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ensiferum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seafarer's  Dream"  "The  Defence  of  The  Sampo"  "One  With  the  Sea"  and  "Cold  Northland  (Vainamoinen  Part  III".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/Ensiferum
http://www.ensiferum.com
http://www.metalblade.com/ensiferum 
   

Formicarius/Rending The Veil Of Flesh/Schwarzdorn Production/2019 CD Review

  United  Kingdom's  Formicarius  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  and  epic  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Rending  The  Veil  Of  Flesh"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Schwatzdom  Production.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  growls  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

   Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  mid  90's  era  influences  but  keeping  it  modern  at  the  same  time  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dark  ages  and  the  corruption  of  the  Christian  religion  in  that  era.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Formicarius  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beyond  The  Veil  Of  Flesh"  "Inherit  Our  Sickness"  "Stalker  Among  The  Stars"  and  "O  Dread  Impaler".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.formicarius.co.uk       

Arsantiqva/Scavengers/Mors Lucerna Records/2018 CD Review

  Arsantiqva  are  a  band  from  Brooklyn,  New  York  that  plays  a  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  black'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Scavengers"  which  was  released  by  Mors  Lucerna  Records.



  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  keyboards  when  they  are  utilized  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling.

  A  decent  amount  of  Norwegian  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Choirs  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  deep  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black'n'roll  elements.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in    decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  female  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  grooves  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  leads.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  dystopian  philosophy  and  post  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arsantiqva  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black'n'roll  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They"  "Dominion"  "Scavengers  Of  Salvation"  and  "Ultra  Black".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/Arsantiqva
https://arsantiqva.bandcamp.com      

Norvhar Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? We are an Epic Folk Metal band from Lausanne, Switzerland. We are 6 musicians and we all have a big experience of stage in others bands. We exist for 2 years now.

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording? As we are influenced by a lot of bands and styles, we tried to mix our main inspirations to create our own universe. We did a mix between the “drinking songs” part of folk metal and the “epicness” side.

3. A lot of your lyrics are influenced by both Nordic Mythology and the writings of J.R.R Tolkien, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics? In Norvhar all of us have read books of Tolkien and many more fantasy authors.We also have a quite good knowledge of Nordic mythology, so it appeared as a natural way to us to use both of those thematics.

4. Originally the band was called 'Harmoniks', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Norvhar'? We decided to change because Harmoniks has been running for around 10 years. There were no former members in the band anymore, and we chose to change name before our 1st EP, as a “new beginning”. The meaning of “Norvhar” is quite simple actually : we had another band years ago which was called “Nordreign”, and we used the “NOR” particle. We also would like to keep something from Harmoniks so we kept the “HAR”. And finally we thought about the “visual” part of the band’s logo, so we chose to add a “V” in the middle.

5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover? It’s been created and drawn by the swiss designer Agnès Keller, who is a good friend of us. We explained her the ideas and the concept behind “Kauna” and she did this beautiful artwork! This artwork presents the place where the story of Kauna is happening: an old and dark forest, filled with creatures.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? We played as open act for Finntroll some months ago, it was a really nice show and a killer crowd! By the past we also opened for bands such Tyr, Moonsorrow, Black Messiah. But as far as we are on stage, despite the size of the venue or the number of people in front of us, we do the best show we can. It’s important for us because we have seen too many gigs as spectators with bands playing with sad faces because there were not as many people as they wanted etc.. Our stage performances as always full of fun and smiles, we love to play for people and we try to bring the best ambiance !

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? We will be playing at Lid Ar Morrigan Fest in May, it’s a very nice festival near Nantes. We’ll also play in Lenzburg in June with Morgarten and more. The second half of 2019 will be more interesting.

8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? We have been contacted by a few companies, but for the moment we are not looking for collaboration. We would like to remain the “masters” of our work, and maybe in the future we’ll be looking for a worldwide distributor.

9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk metal? Very positive! We received reviews and feedbacks from all over the world. We’ve sent CDs to fans in Canada, USA, Mexico, Germany and France for example, and we are also distributed in Japan by a store in Osaka.

10. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of? Some of us are playing in other swiss acts like AM:PM, Peace Is Just A Break, Darkrise, Murge, Mathilde, and our drummer is touring with even more bands. We are very active! We also have founded an association, called SONS OF YMIR, to promote local and international folk metal bands by organizing shows and festivals. We did the 1st edition the 16th of February and we invited Celtachor from Ireland.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? Actually we have already begun the composing process for the upcoming album, I think we’ll release it in 2020. We don’t want to wait too long, because we would like to climb the ladder a little bit ;)

12.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? I personally am a huge fan of the old folk metal scene, with acts like Moonsorrow or Finntroll or Ensiferum etc and I am pretty sure that the others feel the same. On a more recent point we all like the work of Equilibrium, especially the “epic” touch they add. The list is very long!

13.What are some of your non musical interests? We all work beside Norvhar, and we practice together our biggest passion : drinking beers and writing epic stuff. But we also are normal human being, so we love different kind of activities of course.

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

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Norvhar/Kauna/2019 EP Review

  Norvhar  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  an  epic  form  of  pagan  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  'Kauna".

  Atmospheric  yet  epic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  track.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  folk  music  feeling  along  with  some  death  metal  growls also  being  utilized  at times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast beats  can  be  heard while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Flutes  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  and  the  writings  of J.R.R  Tolkien.

  In  my  opinion  Norvhar  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  pagan  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fest  In  Midgard"  and  "Fields  Of  Fate".  8  out  of  10.

https://norvhar.bandcamp.com/

Sabhankra/From The Frozen Mountains/Metalism Records/2018 CD Review

  Sabhankra  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "From  The  Frozen  Mountains"  which  will  be  released  in  2018  by  Metalism  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  as  the  album  progresses  death  metal  growls  and  doom  metal  influences  can  also be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Sabhankra  moves  away  from  the  folk  elements  and  focuses  more  on  an  epic,  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  epic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sabhankra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  and  melodic  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They  Are  Everywhere"  and  "From  The  Frozen  Mountains".  8  out  of  10.

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Folkodia/Battle Of The Milvian Bridge/Stygian Crypt Productions/2017 CD Review

  Folkodia  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  France,  Italy,  Argentina,  Germany,  United  States,  Greece,  Russia,  Switzerland  and  Monaco  that  play  a  mixture  of  epic  folk  and  viking  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album "Battle  Of  The  Milvian  Bridge"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Heavy  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  male  and  female  pagan  vocals  being  added  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Folk  instruments  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  get  very  melodic  at  times  along  with  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  elements  of  power  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  clean  vocals  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up a   small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of acoustic  gutiars.

  Folkodia  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  folk  with  melodic  viking  metal  along  with  the  heaviness  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  cover  European  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Folkodia  are a   very  great  sounding  mixture  of  viking  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Battle  Of  The  Milvian  Bridge"  "Battle  Of  Salamis"  "Hussar  Angels"  and  "Red  Rubicon".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Folkodiaofficial/
    

Saille/Gnosis/Code666/2017 CD Review

  Saille  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Gnosis"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Code666.

Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  horror  movie  style  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  style  that  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  mix  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  together.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of   tremolo  picking  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  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  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  give  the  recording  more  of  an  occult  feeling.

   One  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  while  clean  guitars  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  later  songs and  as  the  album  progresses  violins  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  one  of  the  later  tracks  which  is  also long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present on  this  recording.

  Saille  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  epic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal from  their  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  upon  based  upon  Promethean  and  Luciferian  ideals.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Saille  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pandaemonium  Gathers"  "Before  The  Crawling  Chaos"  "Thou,  My  Maker"  and  "1904  Era  Vulgaris". 8  out  of  10.     

http://www.metalinjection.net/av/new-music/belgiums-saille-offer-frostly-black-metal-with-gnosis​​

Romuvos/Infront Of Destiny/No Colours Records/2016 CD Review

  Romuvos  are  a  solo  project  from  Lithuania  that has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  epic  form  of  folk/pagan  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Infront  Of  Destiny"  which  was  released  by  No Colours  Records.

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding in  pagan  chanting  and  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of a  medieval  feeling  and  other  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  and  it  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  atmospheric  and  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  alternates  between  both  folk  and  metal  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  some  of  the  drums  bring  a  tribal  and  shamanistic  atmosphere  to  the  music.

  A  great  amount  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  the  influence  of  black  metal  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  as  the  album  a  brief  use  of  whispers  can  be  heard  and  when  synths  are  finally  utilized  they  give  the music  more  of  an  epic  feeling  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Romuvos  remains  true  to  the  pagan/folk  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  while  also  mixing  in  some  black  metal  influences  in  the  guitar  riffing  to  create  a  very  heavy,  epic  and  melodic  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Lithuanian  Traditions  and  Medieval  Times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Romuvos  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infront  Of  Destiny  We  Shall  Face  Our  Death"  "Our  Spirits  Pass  Through  The  Underworld"  "The  Return  Back  Home"  and  "Let  thy  Gods  Sing  Your  Glory hymn".  8/5  out  of 10.

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Onirism/Cosmic Dream/2016 CD Review

  Onirism  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  very  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "Cosmic  Dream".

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  tribal  style  percussion  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  yet  symphonic  musical  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  a  melodic  musical  direction  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  singing  while  other  songs  also  bring  in  ethnic  music  sounds  and  as  the  album progresses  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  into  the  music  briefly.

  Onirism  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  and  epic  while  also  adding  new  elements  to  the  genre  to  create  a  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  cosmic,  nature  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Onirism  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beginning  Of  A  New  Era"  "Hymn  To  Ahriman"  and  "Cosmic  Dream".  8  out  of  10.

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Thulnar/Nightfall In Theros/2015 EP Review

  Thulnar  are  a  band  that  plays  an  epic  form  of  fantasy  metal  that  is  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  folk  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Nightfall  In  Theros".

  A  very  epic  and  symphonic  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  that  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  hear  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Operatic  female  and  male  vocals  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  power  metal   and  there  is  also  a  brief use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  incorporating  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Thulnar  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  touch  of  death  and  power  metal  to  create  a  style  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Thulnar  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "City  Of  the  Golden  Halls".  8  out  of  10.

https://thulnar.bandcamp.com/releases 

    

 

Sekoria/Im Reich Der Schatten/Kernkraftritter Records/2015 CD Review

  Sekoria  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  epic,  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Im Reich Der Schatten"  which  will  be  released in  November  by  Kernkraftritter Records.

   A  very  symphonic  and  epic  keyboard   sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  heavier  and  adds  in  grim  black  metal  screams  and  melodic  riffs  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  solos  and  leads  are   utilized  they  are  in a  very  melodic  metal  direction  and  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  mix  together  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  a  lot  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  more  modern  metal  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them   while  the  vocals  also  mix  in  both  deep  and  high  pitched  screams  and  growls   and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  a  couple  of  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Sekoria  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  symphonic  in  the  90's  style  while  also  mixing  in  modern  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  suicide,  hate,  desolation,  depression  and  desire  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sekoria  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Im Reich Der Schatten"  "Wessen  Der  Zeit"  "Der  Fall"  and  "Ein  Letztes  Mal".  8  out  of  10.

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Formicarius Interview

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

We recorded the single back in March this year. There's been a lot going on behind the scenes to prepare for the band's launch, which happened on 1st July. Right now we're in the middle of booking a mini-tour during September and rehearsing for that.


2.Recently you have released a single, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Evil. It's a fucking gargantuan sound, especially with the keyboards, and between a straight minute of blastbeats and one of the best guitar solos you'll hear this year I don't really know what else to say - it's just very, very heavy.


3.Some of the lyrical topics covered Egyptian Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topics?
There isn't much more to it than a passing interest – it's fascinating but we're no experts on the subject in the way Nile are. Egyptian Mythology just provides an appealing backdrop to extreme metal for us; it's fantastical with powerful and extreme ideas and characters, and it can be revoltingly dark. It also provides a vivid setting which can easily be brought out in music, so it's a good basis for telling a story.


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

The Formicarius is one of the first books to discuss Witchcraft, written in the early 15th Century. This bleak time period of violent superstition and paranoia concerning the occult is something underlying all of our music, far removed from the industrial and modern themes. We explore the historic accounts in the Formicarius on the forthcoming album, and the mysterious and dangerous overtones of the occult are something which we will continue to explore. Therefore, Formicarius is an appropriate title to unite us by.

5.Has the band done any live shows yet or is it still in the works?

We have yet to make our live debut, which is being planned for September. We are all veterans of this industry and are taking our time to prepare carefully – the world shan't forget us once we begin our conquest.

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

Indeed, having announced the band only 3 weeks ago we are still unsigned. There has been interest surrounding us and the album, and we are open to the idea of a label provided we can come to a compromise which benefits both parties. That said, we have slaved over our already complete album and shan't relinquish our lifeblood without reason to.

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

Most people seem to 'get' it and are generally impressed with the quality of a record coming literally out of nowhere. There's basically no competition in regards to quality control as many unsigned bands do themselves a disservice by not investing properly in their music, so it isn't surprising that the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

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

De Profundis signed to Wickerman recently, and they're releasing their new album this September. I believe Premature Birth are writing an album, and Maxdmyz are training up their new guitarist.

9.You have a full length album coming out during the end of the year, what should we expect musically?

The single 'Lake of the Dead' was released to serve as a teaser for the album. The same overall production and sound spread across 8 tracks totalling at 45 minutes exactly. In my opinion we haven't revealed our best tracks yet – the wait will be worth it.

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?

We recorded an Emperor cover for the b-side of the single in order to pay homage to what is probably our biggest collective musical influence. Mid 90s era Satyricon comes to mind, along with Sigh, Bathory, Immortal and of course our English brethren Hecate Enthroned, Eastern Front, Old Corpse Road and so on. We are constantly influenced by our contemporaries.

11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

I speak only for myself when I say I don't really have any views on the subject. It's fascinating from a historical and sociological perspective, and I'm interested by ideas and stories which are fantastic in nature, but I'm not a believer in things which aren't backed by sound logic. It's something which real people have died for, which is fucking crazy... and crazy is exciting. It's not different from how I view religion, so I guess that makes me impartial.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Outside of music I just try to experience people, places and life and take inspiration from that. It's not an uncommon way to balance a working life alongside a music career in order to stop yourself from going insane.

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

Our aforementioned single 'Lake of the Dead' is available for free download and streaming from http://formicariusband.bandcamp.com – there's absolutely no reason for you to not make your own unbiased mind up. If you like it I would highly recommend that you watch this space and keep an eye out for our live exhibitions and the full length album later this year.

- Lord Saunders

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Formicarius/3540406692

Diabolus Arcanium/Path Of Ascension/Transcending Obscurity Distribution/2015 CD Review

  Diabolus  Arcanium  are  a  and  from  India  that  plays  a  very symphonic  and  epic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Path  Of  Ascension"  which  will  be  rleeased  in  August  by  transcending  Obscurity  Distribution.

  A  very  dark sounding  keyboard  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  and  after  the  intro  melodic choirs  are  added  into  the  music  which  also  leads  up to  a  heavier  sound  that  also  retains  the  symphonic  elements  and  also  adds  in  grim  black  metal  screams and  the  music  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Most  of  the  music  goes  for  a  90['s  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  classical  music  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  and  they close  the  album  with  an orchestra  track.

  Diabolus  Arcanium  plays  a  style of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  epic,  with  some  classical elements  as  well  as  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christianity,  Satanism,  Death,  Destruction  and  Supernatural  Phenomena  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Diabolus  Arcanium  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kingdom  Of   Sin"  "Of  Fire  And  Ashes"  and  "Herald  Of  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

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Formicarius/Lake Of The Dead/2015 EP Review

  Formicarius  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays a  very symphonic  and  epic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2015  ep  "Lake  Of  The  Dead".

  A  heavy  guitar  sound  and  epic  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some melodic  riffing  that  brings  in  elements  of  thrash  and  after  awhile  grim  screams  are  added  into  the  music  an d the  music  starts  adding  in  more  symphonic  elements  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  music  has  more  of  a  mid  90's  style.

  Throughout  the  3  tracks  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  more  of  a  melodic  metal  style  to  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  deep  growls  at  times  and  they  close  the  ep with  a  cover  of  Emperor's  "Cosmic  Keys"..

  Formicarius  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  style  and  also  brings  back  the  aspects  that  made  the  genre  interesting  back  in  those  days,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Formicarius  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Under  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

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Sabhankra/Seers Memoir/Haarbn Productions/2014 CD Review

  Sabhankra  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  an  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Seers  Memoir"  which  was  released  by  Hairbn  Productions.

  Atmospheric sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  guitars  start  to  mix  in  and  the  synths  also  bring  in  a  progressive  feeling  at  times  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  grim  and  deep  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  melodic  guitar  leads  which  are  also  a  huge  part  of  most  of  the  tracks  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  elements  of  thrash  and  melodic  death  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  There  are  a  great  amount  of  fast  playing  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  present  throughout  the   recording  along  with  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  few  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  the  recording  along  with  the  guitar  leads  adding  in  folk  elements  into  their  melodic  sound  and  the  synths  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  songs  giving  the  album  more  of  an  epic  feeling  while  towards  the end  one  of  the  tracks  brings  in  acoustic  guitars.  

  Sabbankra  plays  a  style  that  mixes  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  together  which  they  also  mix  in  with  thrash  and  folk  influences  along  with  some  epic  synths  to  create  a  sound  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  epic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sabbankra  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  epic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Against  The  False  Gods"  "Dancing  With  Death"  and  "A  Star  to  Shine".  8  out  of  10.

VIDEO FROM THE ALBUM SEERS MEMOIR "AGAINST THE FALSE GODS"





  

Eternal Decay Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Just back from the Germany & Austria shows last month, and the last few days are crazy as Hell cause we`re getting everything ready for the upcoming visit in Canada & USA!


2.How would you describe the sound of the newer material that you are currently working on and how it differs from the older music?
I would say we came a long way since “Beyond the ties of flesh” time till now, as you would compare VHS to DVD.. our sound would scratch the soul of one who listen to it.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Every Album is a key to a different part of the astral universe, its sounds probably too big to put in a cd or songs but I put the meaning of things at the highest priority. In our songs you can find the continues battle between the urge of life and the seduction of the death.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The bands name truly inflicts our aspect on life as a journey, it can be nice or not but eventually you rott..

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
The Austrians were amazing, crazy bunch of snow creatures that comes out only in the night.. we`ve loved their energy and the show came amazing.
Our performance is demonic and we hope your up for it!

6. What are your expectations of the upcoming U.S Tour?
We would like to make a stamp on the U.S soil and to come back every year with increasing CRAZY followers.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for your music?
We do things musically a bit different, but we do know there are label who can help push unique things forward such as Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner and Metal Blade.

8. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by black metal fans?
Our gender is “black metal” but we don’t really fit into that small definition, some black metal fans like it much more gloomy and less epic, but still they appreciate the music and support us as much as they can \m/

9. Are there any side projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
This band is our full time job, Bendor Blackwolf’s composing expertise goes beyond black metal, and spread across to folk metal.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
We love speeding up things so expect more extreme black metal combine with melodic epic power metal.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I love NOX ARCANA, MORTIIS, ELEND and stuff like that, yet i cant say i do sit and listen to music..


12.What role does Satanism and Occultism play in your music and how would you describe your views on these topics?
Occultism is the fuel that drives me.. any aspect in life i drawn from the dark and unknown beyond, as for satanism it depends on the definition.. for some we are satanist.. do we worship the horned one.. no.. but we are his best friends.


13. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Music is the breed and wine of life but add beer to that and we’re happy.

14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
I MONARCH ERHELBETA command your presence at our upcoming visit, get your necks ready, your stomachs for drinking and your ears for bleeding... Prepare to Armageddon ,Here we come

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