Xanthochroid/Of Earth And Axen Act II/Earth And Axen Records/2017 CD Review

  California's  Xanthochroid  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  epic  and  melodic  style  of  cinematic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Of  Earth  And  Axen  Act  II"  which  was  also  self  released  through  their  own  label.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier and  melodic  side  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  clean  playing  and  operatic  clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  and  avant  garde  at  times  as  well  as  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  be  heard  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  flutes  and  death  metal  growls.

  On  this  recording  Xanthochroid  goes  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  and  progressive direction  while still  mixing  in  elements  of  black  metal, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  their  own  self  created  lore  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Xanthochroid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Aching,  Empty  Pain"  "Walk  With  Me,  O  Winged  Mother" and  "Toward  Truth  And  Reconciliation".  8  out  of  10.

 http://www.xanthofficial.com/store.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/xanthochroidmetal
YouTube: www.youtube.com/xanthofficial

  

Tele S. Therion Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
TST was established in 2007 with the purpose of creating a variable ensemble dedicated to the esoteric side of the art of noise.

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented n the recording?
Michel Chion define the “acusma” as a “sensory phantasm”, consisting of a sound whose true source of emission is invisible. In this way “Luzifers Abschied” it’s a device for “ghostly” manifestation of sound masses.

3.You refer to your music as being 'acousmatic black metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
Extended methods and unortodox practices of "sound fixation" and "sound reproducibility" to design the audible and the inaudible.

4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the concept behind the album and also the opera it is based upon?
It is a sort of transfiguration of the homonym score composed by Karlheinz Stockhausen, originally conceived for male chorus with mass bells, good friday clappers, organ/synth, tam-tam and seven trombones (live or tape), a caged wild black bird and a sack of coconuts.
“This opera cycle revolves around 3 archetype characters, Michael, Eve and Lucifer, and over the 29 hours each of these characters are introduced, come into conflict, face temptation and finally come into union“. – Ed Chang about the opera of Karlheinz Stockhausen –
“Luzifers Abschied” was originally composed on a commission to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St Francis of Assisi, and premiered in 1982 at the Assisi Cathedral where St Francis was baptized.A suggestive link with this sub-theme of the opera, not formally related, it is the hagiographycal essays of the saint, written by Andrea Armati, “Lo stregone di Assisi - Il volto negato di San Francesco” and “Le stimmate dello sciamano”.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tele.S.Therion'?
Echemytia.

6.Has the band done any live shows yet? TST have done also rare public sound diffusion, but not to be intended as a music show. A public diffusion for loudspeacker orchestra and audience, is conceived as site-specific artwork, deliberately focused on the psycho-acoustic experience.
If you ask to the right people, someone could explain you better what it mean, unless he too is under the rule of silence.

7.In what part of the world is the band located in?
It is kept secret.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal and other dark or underground forms of music?
“You may have immersed yourself in the blackest of metals for decades. You may feel you have embraced the sonic distillation of evil. You may have walked the deepest catacombs of black metal’s kingdom of fire and shadows, searching out the harshest creations by the most intimidating of the face painted disciples of darkness. Not one moment of all those years, searching in the black, has prepared you for Luzifers Abschied “ [...] “To listen to this album is to walk a path you have never taken before, to see sights you have never seen before, to step over the threshold” – ImperativePR -

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Coming to know is a process of dynamic adaptation towards viable interpretations of experience. Act always so as to increase the total number of choices.

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?
There is a pragmatic relation with the studies of Luigi Russolo (a depth study about this author is the Luciano Chessa’s assay “Luigi Russolo Futurist - Noise, Visual Arts, and the Occult”), Edgard Varese and with many authors involved in the cultural framework called “last avantgarde” (circa 1950 – 1980), including: concrete, aniconic and non-objective visual artists, conceptual artists, and in the aural field, there are relations with the praxis of the electroacoustic and atonal music, sound art, non-idiomatic improvisation, metaphonic researches (including spontanous music and direct voices phenomenon), the first era of black, dark and doom metal (searching for the roots of these terms, for their sonic phenomenas, their thought-forms, before they became a music genre).

11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
The acousmatic practices dealt into TST are focused on the mysterical degrees of the art of listening; the art of silence.

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

Tele.S.Therion/Luzifers Abschied/Minotauro Records/2017 CD Review

  Tele.S.Therion  are  a  band  from  an  unknown  location  that  plays  a musical  style  they  refer  to  as  'acousmatic  black  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Luzifers  Abschied"  which  was  released  by  Minotauro  Records.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  underground classical  music  along  with  some  touches  of  noise  and  experimental  and  whispered  ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in length.

  After  awhile  the  chants  start  utilize  more  of  a  melodic  tone  along  with  a  very  grim  black  metal  edge  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile   drum  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  evil  screams  and  demonic  voices  and  at  times  synths  and  saxophones  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  when  percussion  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  shamanistic  feeling.

  Tele.S.Therion  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  without  the  electric  guitars  and  mixes  it  with  avant  garde  and  experimental  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  fourth  act  of  Karlheinz  Stockhausen's  opera  "Samstung  aus  Licht  (Saturday  From  Light).

  In  my  opinion  Tele.S.Therion  are  a  very  great  sounding  and  original  mixture  of  black  metal,  experimental  and  avant  garde  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Periode  V  -VII"  and  "Periode  X  -XII".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JceekdNS29o

Les Chants Du Hastard/Self Titled/I, Voidhanger Records/2017 CD Review

  Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  orchestra,  and  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  album  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  Avant  garde  stlye  classical  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestra  elements  and  after  awhile  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  a  few  deep  growls  while  the  music  avoids  any  use  of  traditional  metal  instruments.

  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  drum  beats  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  martial  and  militant  atmosphere  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  stringed  instruments  and  symphonic  elements.

 Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  takes  an  avant  garde  style  of  classical  and  orchestra  music  and  mixes  it  in  with  black  metal  style  vocals  to  create  something  very  different  while  also  having  its  roots  and  influences  from  80's  era  Arcturus  and  Elend,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  universal  and  existential  themes  along  with  some  inspirations  from  the  writings  of  Comte  de  Lautreamont.

  In  my  opinion  Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  classical,  and  orchestra  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Soliel"  and  "Le  Deiu".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/leschantsduhasard/

Sanatana Interview

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

Technically speaking ...

Sanatana is a conceptual project that we have created with my wife in 2016. Some friends of us and like-minded people from our circle, inspired by the Vedic worldview and the ancient culture, are the part of it.

The musical range of Sanatana is diverse and presented at once in several directions: metal and new age. This musical spectrum makes it possible to express all the meanings and sentiments embodied in Sanatana project.

2.Recently you have released a double album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

This is a double album consisting of two parts:

BRAHMA - Vedic metal with clean vocals

VIDYA - Vedic New Age

BRAHMAVIDYA uses live authentic instruments from various ancient cultures that fill the music with mysteriousness and charm. Also the sound of mantras and prayers represented on the album has a mesmerizing effect. They are performed in the ancient Sanskrit language from The Upanishads and other Vedic scriptures  and recited by active priests of the Vedic tradition.

3.Your lyrics cover Vedism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this eastern religion?

Vedism is not a religious system but rather a worldview and attitude to the world!

The word Veda means knowledge. The Vedic knowledge was used throughout the history of mankind. Starting from the Arabic numerals that the Arabs brought from India and that are nowadays (under the binary form) run the entire world of computer systems and it continues to be revealed through the modern science.

The Vedas contain all the science and knowledge (astronomy, mathematics, Ayurveda, Yoga, philosophy, psychology, art and spiritual knowledge).

We found a lot of interesting concepts in Eastern religions, as well as something appealing to us as we were discovering some parallels with Paganism etc; so we naturally decided to integrate this knowledge to our art.

Leo Tolstoy, Schopenhauer, Goethe, Herder, Hegel, Beethoven, Heine, Rodin, Einstein, Nehru, Gandhi. С.Lassen, E.Burnouf, Aurobindo Ghose, L.Vallée, S.Radhakrishnan, S. Lévi, Russell, Wordsworth, R. Rolland, W. Whitman, H. Hesse and many others drew inspiration and knowledge from the Vedas!

The Vedas are close to us as they were part of the pre-Christian culture common on the lands occupied by the Slavs. They had a Vedic culture in tune with the indian philosophy.

The Vedas are the oldest scriptures in the world, they are written in Sanskrit, the language that we use on our album. Sanskrit is the source of all the Indo-European language group, or as it is referred Aryan.

Aryans are those who makes the difference between the spirit and the matter. Herewith it doesn’t matter to what ethnic group they belong to. It’s a certain  type of consciousness, not an affiliation to a particular nation!

According to Vedas earlier there was a unique culture on the planet that was based on the laws of the universe!


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

Sanatana means eternity in Sanskrit!

Everybody is asking the eternal questions about the purpose of life and death, their meaning. Where we came from and who we are led by. These eternal questions come from the consciousness (I) which is also eternal by its nature!

As Faust told to Mephistopheles:

“When I say to the Moment flying;

Linger a while -- thou art so fair!”

We found that moment, long as eternity!

5.Has the band done any live shows or is this a studio project?

This is a studio project for now, but we are planning to perform some live shows in future.

6.The guitarist also has a background playing more of a pagan style of black metal, how would you compare paganism with the Vedic religion?

We found pagan roots in Eastern teachings (and that’s the case, the roots are all there), it have seemed to us as a much more constructive and clear idea. We’ve accepted it, I don’t see any contradiction, but on the contrary, paganism became more meaningful and extended to me!

7.The compilation was released on 'Rising Moon Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

RISING MOON PRODUCTION is a young company founded by the organizers of the Ragnard Rock Festival. It’s not only a label, but also a booking agency.

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

All the feedbacks I’ve got so far are good, people are interested in.

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

We will stay faithful to the established musical tradition!

But I can tell you that for sure there will be some transformations.

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

The spectrum of our musical tastes is very broad and diverse: from ethnic folk to heavy metal. Today we can listen in a jumble ambient, jazz, rock, metal, Vedic ragas, Downtempo, etc.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Yoga, Meditation, Vegetarianism. And I love working with video and 3D graphics, but for the moment I’m not good enough.

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

Become yourself a change maker for values that you would like to see in this world!

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Sanatana/Brahmavidya/Rising Moon/2017 Double CD Review

  Sanatana  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  folk,  new  age,  ethnic,  and  experimental  music  and  this is a review  of  their 2017  double album  "Brahmavidya"  which  was  released  by  Rising  Moon.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  and  melodic  vedic  style  chanting  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some water  sounds  before  adding  in  melodic  guitar  leads  and  clean  singing  vocals  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  influences  can  be  heard  and  the  music  also  gets  symphonic  at  times.

  Acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  some  of  the  songs  which  also  add  in  elements  of  folk  music  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and tribal  style  beats  are  also  used  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  Ethnic  style  folk  instruments  are  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  and  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tacks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  whispers  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  more  of  a  black  metal  touch  and  the  music also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  new  age,  oriental  and  experimental  elements  and  the  second  album  on  the  compilation  focuses  less  on  a  metal  scene  and  goes  for  more  of  a  relaxed  style  that  is  perfect  for  meditation  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Sanatana  plays a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  oriental  folk  music,  new  age,  ethnic  and  experimental  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vedism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sanatana  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  ethnic,  oriental  folk music,  new  age  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Mother  Earth"  "Shiva"  "Maya"  and  "Brahma  Samhita".  8  out  of  10.

https://sanatanamusic.bandcamp.com/album/brahmavidya
 

Fleurety Interview

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

We are currently preparing to release our first new album since 2000: "The White Death". I consists of eight brand new songs, and it sounds very Fleurety in my ears, at least. Apart from that we are also working on a cd release that compiles all the music from the EPs that we've been releasing the last ten years. This release is called "Inquietus", and will be released through Aesthetic Records some time in 2017.

2. Recently you have released a new ep. 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 EP "Fragmenta Cuiusvis Aetatis Contemporaneae" has a sound that is somewhat marked by experimental recording techniques and a lot of layering of instruments. Consider, for instance, the song "Consensus". We have recorded a lot of ukulele, triangle, piano, synthesizer, fretless bass and and acoustic guitars, for instance. So I guess this is the most complex release we've done thus far, at least in terms of orchestration and arrangements. In my ears it is very evocative music. But, obviously, the best thing is to listen for yourself and make up your own mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=sNNr-q-v2-M

3. All of the music on the ep is instrumental, are you planning on going back to using vocals again in the future?

Yes, the reason why we didn't include vocals on this last EP is that we had kind of painted ourselves into a corner where we couldn't make any of the vocals we tried fit the overall expression. So we decided that we didn't need any vocals for this particular release.

4. Since 2000 there has been no full length and before 2009 there was no new material and also there has only been an ep released once every 2 to 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Fleurety more or less fell apart as a band during the late nineties. Most of the time since then we have been living on different continents, and for different reasons the notion of keeping the band going as a file exchange/internet project didn't seem so tempting. We had plans of making more music, but the years went by without much happening within the framework of Fleurety. I had made a couple of songs intended to be used in Fleurety, but they were released under the name Zweizz as the EP "Black Necrotic Obfuscation" in 2004. After a while we found out that it was better to keep doing things very slowly than doing nothing at all. Between 2004 and 2014 we tried to keep up this tradition of meeting up once a year to record a new song. Those are the songs that ended up on the four 7" EPs that we've been releasing. Then in 2014, we recorded a new album which is due for release some time the coming year, hopefully.

5. I know that the bands name came from a Goetic demon, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?

At the time we chose the band name, we were 14 years old and wanted something demonic. We didn't know much about the subject; teenagers rarely do. We found the name Fleurety in an encyclopedia. These days I guess I'm more of a occultism/witchcraft nerd.

6. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to becoming a full line up again or do you prefer to remain a duo?

We have no specific plans of playing concerts, so at the moment there is no need to recruit more personnell.

7. What where some of the best shows that the band played back in the days and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We only played some 5-6 shows back in the day, not much to be talking about. For those of you who are very interested, i recommend this clip from 1994: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=103DtO23lXA

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer material by fans of experimental, avant garde and black metal?

Seems most people enjoy our new material, even though there is also the occasional "meh". There have been comments from people that think we should be more prolific, and that is the only really non-enthusiastic feedback I've heard.

9. Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

I have some other projects going on. For instance you can check out a band where I play the drums, called Succuba, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=GDofo0Gunos

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

I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!!!!!!

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

Most of the time I listen to whatever's on the radio. I used to be working as a music critic from 2002 to 2013, and it basically ruined my relationship with the "listening to music" situation, so I guess I'm still trying to recover from that.

12. What are some of your non musical interests?

Food, people, movies, visual art ... politics to some extent.

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

Thanks for paying attention!

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Noctiferia Interview

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

Igor Nardin

We just started to promote and book shows for Transnatura. Album is about to be released on 3th of march  2017 for a world wide territory via Plastichead distribution. On 26th of march we will release limited edition Transnatura LP with some unreleased material and perform live in full lineup in Ljubljana National Theatre. Beside that we are currently working on what is to be our next metal album. It is going to be kind of homage to a certain Slovenian artist but can't say much more at this point, it would ruin the surprise.



2.In December you had released a new album, 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?

Igor Nardin

Transnatura was released for Slovenian territory on 2nd of december, and is our first acoustic full length album. The fact that is acoustic album is the biggest difference. Can't really describe whole album with few words, cause it is so diverse. With our metal albums we do all the things pretty much by the book and in a way you know what to expect from typical Noc album. But here we did not mind any rules. There are gypsy jazz, balkan, mehico, etno etc parts or even entire songs and a whole bunch of weird instruments. The rules and expectations ware put aside. The fact that in the beginning we were not thinking about an album but merely of single radio show also effected outcome. There are 13 guest musicians on album. There are no samples no digital keyboards all instruments were recorded live, all the partitures and arrangements were done by our keyboard player Dame. It was so far biggest and hardest album to record and mix but hormonically and emotionally wise best so far. It is a journey, a soundtrack.



3.You have experimented a lot with your music over the years, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands musical sound has evolved over the years?

Igor Nardin

We are type of the band that can't repeat it self over and over  again. Can't really say if that's good for fan base or business but anyhow trough years we found our base, people that feel and like the idea of change, follow us and enjoy the unexpected. It was always atmosphere, the one thing, the most important to us in music. If trying to fit in genre boxes then Noctiferia was originally Black/Death metal band in late 90's. Later on with »Slovenska Morbida« we evolved into Industrial death metal and i think we're still there somewhere. With exception of last album that cant be easily categorixed.



4.The new album was unplugged, what was the decision behind releasing an acoustic album instead of a heavier recording?

Igor Nardin

It all started with invitation from Jure Longika's »Izštekani« radio show on Slovenian national radio. Show hosted all major slovenian bands in unplugged version trough the period of last 20 years or so. It was challenge situation, to do something new and weird, we also talked before about going unplugged but it was never right moment. At first it wasn't meant to be an album, but over a time ideas were pouring in and we had to record it. 



5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your recordings?

Uros Lipovec

We write about themes dealing with modern society and spirituality. Lyrics are mostly critical as a result of the world in which we are living. On the other hand with spiritual messages we are trying to show a positive aspect of this experience we call life.



6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Noctiferia'?

Uros Lipovec

Name basically means eternal night or bringer of the night. We were 16 at the time we chose the name and although we would probably pick a different name today it still represent the atmosphere of the music we create.



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

Uros Lipovec

Some of the best shows were probably in Spain when we were supporting In Flames on european tour, Midi festival in China was beyond crazy and also performing at Wacken was special experience... Our shows are dark, energetic with lots of atmosphere and anger!



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

Uros Lipovec

We are planning to return to China in May this year. More shows will follow.



9.The new album was released on 'Nika Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Uros Lipovec

It is basically the biggest slovenian independent label and Warner Music records representative with long tradition in business. They made our album also available in Europe through Plastic Head and Code 7 distributions.



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

Uros Lipovec

Wherever we played so far we were mostly really well accepted and pleasantly surprised by the reactions of people, specially in China as it is on the other side of the world and was complete mystery to us. We would like to be more on the road as touring is the most efficient way of promotion this days, unfortunately it's not cheap.



10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Igor Nardin

Giani and Dame have few jam bands but nothing serious for now. Dame is studying composition on Academy of Music so he's active in that field to.



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

Igor Nardin

 We'll go on do few more albums and try to be creative and original as possible. Enjoy the process of creating music. With Transnatura we kinda started parallel Noctiferia timeline, at this point we're not sure if this is just a single album or we started something that might go on for years.



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

Igor Nardin

We all listen to different styles of music, We're not band that agrees on everything or shares fascinations for same bands by the default. But there are few bands that we all love and those few had an impact on our creative process last few years. Bands like Dead Can Dance, Korn, Juno Reactor. These are few that popped to my mind instantly.



13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Igor Nardin

Personally Motion Graphics, Graphic Design, Snowboarding, Dogwalking and in general spending as much time possible in nature in woods! Other guys are all in to art, music or visual stuff.



14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Uros Lipovec
Check out Transnatura. We guarantee you it is not what you would expect or even imagine!

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Noctiferia/Transnatura/Nika Records/2016 CD Review

  Noctiferia  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  ethnic  and  experimental and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Transnatura"  which  was  released  by  Nika  Records.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ethnic  style  female  vocals  and  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  black  metal  screams  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of the  songs.

  Acoustic  guitars  are also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  an   the  music  also  brings  in  a great  amount  of  folk  music  elements  and  also  avoids  using  any  electric  guitars  and  as the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  avant  garde  and  experimental and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  diversity  with  some  traces  of  swing,  jazz,  gypsy  and  country.

  Noctiferia  move away  from  the  more  black,  death  and  industrial  metal  style  of  previous  releases  taking  songs  of  these  albums and  making  them  all  acoustic  while  also  adding  in  many  different  musical  styles  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Eastern  Mysticism  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Noctiferia  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of   black,  death  metal,  ethnic  and  experimental  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mara"  "I  Am  You"  "Gaga  People"  and  "Rust".  8  out  of  10.  

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Red Harvest Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

- Right now we are going promotion for the re-issue of the Hybrid album, we are rehearsing for concerts and we work on new material we hope to release during 2017. We are not living as close as we used to do before, so things take a bit more time, but we are in rush and do things the way we find most comfortable for us.

2.You where broken up for 5 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

- Personally I just had no fun anymore back then. I felt more like I worked in an office than playing in a band. CD/album sales dropped dramatically and we were not able to tour to be able to weight up for that, so it was better to take a break before we all became enemies. So we split as friends and with no bad blood. Now it feels right to play again. It is less stressful and I think we all feel we have some unfinished business to take care of before we put ourselves to sleep for good.

3.You have evolved with your musical sound over the years starting out with more industrial and thrash while the later material also mixed in a lot of black and death metal influences, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision to evolved with each release?

- Well, in many ways you sum it up pretty good. The thing with Red Harvest is that we have always followed our hearts and never had any rules or belonged to one specific sub genre. That is our strength but also our weakness. So basically we just did what we felt like and of course we got colored of what inspired us and what we went through together at the time. So we have been everything from thrash, to goth, to industrial and black metal.

4.What have been some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years with your music?

- Usually it is about paranoia and the darkness within man. No love songs or party songs.

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

- The name came up before I joined the band. The guy that played guitar before me came up with it. When I first heard it it gave me associations to bloodshed and slaughtering. Later we also learned that it is the name of a famous detective novel.

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?

- Before we took a break, we managed to do some concerts with some very ambient light and VJ work as a supplement to the music. I was very comfortable with that. But Red Harvest  live is about energy. And the magic the five of us are actually able to create when we get together. So in that case the concert we played in Bergen in 2016 at Blastfest was a very strong experience. It just felt so right.

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

- We will play if we get offers that are doable/affordable for us. For now the only scheduled concert is the Inferno Festival in Oslo in  2017.

8.On the re-issue you also added a second disc with a more current live show, what was the decision behind making the recording a double album?

- Since it is a remaster of a 20 year old album, we simply wanted to have some bonus material. Unfortunately there are now live recording of Red Harvest back in the nineties, so we had so take something new.

9.'Cold Dark Matter' put out the re-issue, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?

- Yes. The dedication from the person behind this is just awesome.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of industrial and extreme metal?

- Like mentioned earlier, some people love us and some people hate us. For some it is not industrial enough, for others it is too industrial. or it is not melodic enough. Or, yeah - you name it. But we never made out music to please others than ourselves in the first place. And the results we have come up with from album to album is a result of what the five of us created together at that point. Take it or leave it.

11.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?

- Honestly I am not 100% sure. I think both LRZ and Jimmi write music, LRZ provides sound layers for other bands and artists. Thomas rocks off in a cover band now and then and I play in two bands called K.P Riot Brigade (US) and Gothminister.

12.Over the years your logo was also evolved, can you tell us a little bit more about this concept?

- In the beginning it was written with whatever font available. For Sick Transit Gloria Mundi I wanted a more “cyborg” look to it (that is the one on the Hybrid re-issue).  The latest logo is just a more modern variation.

13.When can we expect new material and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

- I hope we can release something new in 2017. What we have of material so far is quite brutal/industrial, but of course with a human touch like always with Red Harvest. Maybe a bit more complex and challenging than before.

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

- I like acts like Burst, Ghost, Opeth (oh my gosh, just Swedish bands…), Gojira, Røyksopp, Celldweller … I try to keep up on what is happening, but when there is nothing that catches my interest: Some old Slayer.

15.What are some of your non musical interests?

- I like to train in the forest or in the gym, watch movies and drink red wine!

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

- I am kind of excited to see what we can achieve in the coming years. At the moment.

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Sigh/Infidel Art/Cacophonous/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Sigh  are  a  band  from  Japan  that  has  albums  reviewed  by  this  zine  and  played  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  on  this  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 1995  album  "Infidel  Art"  which  will  be  re-issued in  November  by  Cacophonous.

  Heavy  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  80's  metal  style guitar  leads  and  a  few seconds  later  black  metal  screams  become  a  part  of the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  are  also  very  melodic at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  and  progressive  feeling  along  with  touches  of  classical  and  when  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  a  great  portion  of t he tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  songs  also  get  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  culture  and  music  of  Japan  is  also  a  very  huge  influence  on  the  recording  and  on  tracks  brings  in  acoustic  guitars  and  the  bonus  tracks  are  original  versions  of  a  couple  of  songs  that  appeared  on  the  original  version  of  the album..

  Sigh  played  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  original,  experimental,  avant g arde  and  symphonic  for  its  era  and  also  helped  influence  a  lot  of  later  bands  with  this  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Shinto  Mythology,  Occultism,  Suffering,  Insanity  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Sigh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  avant  garde  and  symphonic  styles  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Izuna"  "The  Last  Elegy"  and  "Beyond  Creatures".  8  out  of  10.

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Haiku Funeral/Hallucinations/Aesthetic Death Records/2016 CD Review

  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental  black  metal,  doom,  industrial  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Hallucinations"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death  Records.

  Dark  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  bass  guitars  and  the  music  can  also  be  very  experimental  at  times  and  after  awhile  aggressive  industrial  style  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  neo  classical  and  on  the  second  track  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  atmospheric  and drums  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  diversity  present  on  this  recording  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal  while  also  being  very  avant  garde  at  times  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  ethnic  and  death  metal  elements  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length

  Haiku  Funeral  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  industrial,  experimental  and  dark  ambient  while  also  mixing  in  dome  doom  and  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  occultism,  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental  black  metal,  doom,  industrial  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  band,  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hallucinations"  "Suicide  Organ"  "Faiths  Black  Orgasm"  and  "The  last  Hallucination  Of  Christ".  8  out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/user-174429814/haiku-funeral-the-first-amphetamine-kiss/s-3HtdG    

The Magik Way/Curve Sternum/Sad Sun Music/2015 CD Review

  The  Magik  Way  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  the  musical  style  moves  away  from  the  avant  garde  black  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  to focus  more  on  an  experimental  and  avant  garde style  of  ritualistic  occult  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  'Curve  Sternum"  which  will  be  released  on  May  11th  by Sad  Sun  Music.

  Clock  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  some  of  the  songs  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  recording  more  of  a  gothic  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses the  music  starts  getting  more  experimental,  avant  garde  and ritualistic  sounding  while  also  adding  in  clean  yet  semi  distorted  guitars  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  melodic  vocals  and  chants  and  none  of  the  songs  have  the  heaviness  or extreme  metal  elements  of  previous  recordings  but  you  can  hear  some  grim  elements  in  the  vocals  at  times that  are  very  close  to  black  metal.. 

  The  Magik  Way  moves  away  from  the  black  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  to create  an  album  that  is  more  in  ritualistic,  avant  garde  and  experimental direction  along  with  a  touch  of  neo  folk,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Quabilistic,  Occult  and  Esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Magik  Way  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic  occult  music,  you should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  Mano  Raccolglie"  "Yod-He-Vau-He"  and  "In  Alto  Come  In  Basso".  8  out  of  10. 

webpage: www.themagikway.com
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Self Spiller/Worms In The Keys/Varia Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Self  Spiller  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  the  United  States,  Canada,  Norway  and  Japan  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Worms  In  the  Keys"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  May  of  2015  by  Varia  Records.

  Middle  Eastern  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  avant  garde  elements  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  riffs  and  clean  singing  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  and  experimental  metal  sound  and  they  also  mix  the  ambient  and  heavy  parts  together  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts.

  Video  game  music  samples  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  acoustic  and  classical  guitars  at  times  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  saxophones  and  a  good  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  add  in  grim  black  metal  screams  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  also  demonstrate  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  noise  and  symphonic  music  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals  on  some  of  the  songs

  Self  Spiller  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  post  black  and  avant  garde  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  more experimental  and  free  form  jazz  elements  to  create  a  a  very  original  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  covers  the  writings  of  Anthony  Bourain,  Alejandro  Jodorowsky  and  Corman  McCarthy  as  well  as  the  bass  players  own  experiences  with  health,  travel  and  loss  of  home.

In  my  opinion  Self  Spinner  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Folds  Of  Skin  To  Lay"  "Rot  On  Root"  and  "Strong  But  Damaged.  8  out  of  10.

http://www.selfspillerwitk.bandcamp.com 

  

Sigh/Graveward/Candlelight Records/2015 CD Review

  Sigh  are  a  band  from  Japan  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  symphonic, experimental  and  avant  garde  from  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Graveward"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Candlelight  Records.

  A  melodic  guitar  lead  which  also  dominates  throughout  the  album  and  symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  guitars  using  a  lot  of  old  school  metal  riffs  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  deep  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  clean  singing  vocals  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  traditional  Japanese  music  elements  in  with  the  heavier  parts  and  there  is  also  a  good  mixture  of  both  male  and  female  choir  vocals  present  throughout  the  recording  and  at  times  both  the  solos  and  synths  bring  in  a  heavy  influence  of  70's  psychedelic  and  progressive  rock  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses  Japanese  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  at  times  and  some  of  the  later tracks  also  bring  in  spoken  word  parts  along  with  an  influence  of  noise  music  being  brought  in  at  times  and  the  heavy  parts  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  thrash  influences  while  the  saxophones  enhances  the  avant  garde  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Sigh  creates  another  album  that  is  still  very  heavily  rooted  in  black  metal  but  just  like  with  previous  efforts  the  music  also  remains  avant,  garde,  symphonic  and  original  sounding  while  the  band  has  gotten  back  a  lot  of  their  heaviness  over  the  years,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  movie  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from Sigh and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Graveward"  "The Molesters  Of  My  Soul"  "The  Casket  Burner"  and  "Dwellers  In  Dream".  8  out  of  10.  

http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/2015/04/17/sigh-legendary-japanese-avant-extreme-metal-quintet-to-release-tenth-studio-album-via-candlelight-next-month-new-tunes-posted/

Orakle/Eclats/Apathia Records/2015 CD Review

  Orakle  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Eclats"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Apathia  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  progressive  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  start  out  with  clean  singing  and  bring  an  avant  garde  feeling  to  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  70's  prog  rock.

  When  solos  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  are  very  melodic  and  progressive  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  grim  black  metal  screams  at  times  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  some  sections  of  a  few  songs  and  each  track  also  brings  a  diverse  sound  to  the  recording.

  Orakle  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  has  a  lot  in  common  with  the  avant  garde  side  of  the  genre  of  the  90's  while  also  being  very  experimental  and  adding  in  a  touch  of  the  more  modern  and  progressive  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  cover  Nature,  Curse  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Orakle  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental,  progressive  and  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS    TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Solipse"  "Apophase"  and  "Aux  Eclats".  8  out  of  10.

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Abstruse Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the release of the 2 albums?

I am currently working with the promotion of the albums and also dealing a live performance for them.

2.In July, you had released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The sound has more space as it is intended through the concept of the albums. This is
elaborated by using the binaural (3d) recording technique which gives the listener the perception of a three dimensional space surrounding him. It is more diverse than the previous works, many instruments, styles in a working whole, a ‘’gestalt’.


3.What was the decision behind releasing 2 albums instead of one?

I had many pieces that would not fit in a single work. Also each album works as a complement for the other. They are one work in essence.

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

The space within us and the void surrounding us or inversely the void within us and the space surrounding us. The different perspectives and philosophical views over life
that shape the mood and our intentions.

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

It means difficult to comprehend, inspired by the statement that truth is hard to grasp, it lies behind the curtains of our illusory world.


6.There are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

Since 2007 it’s only me. No plans for the future, just wait and see.



7.The band was formed in 2002 but it took 5 years to release any material and it took till 2012 to release a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

Since 2010 , an album comes every two years. I think this is not a large gap for a solo project that has many demands of technical, structure-wise nature. In  the beginning things were more difficult and also demands from universities kept things hard .

Actually a demo was released in 2003 but we decided not to let it out.

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

No, the music is very underground for a label to release. They also seek for live concerts that are not doable right now. I prefer the DIY view for now.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal and experimental music?

There has been a lot of feedback from all over the world , such as U.S. , Germany
and it is always a nice surprise to see the albums featured on talks in forums by fans suggesting them to others.

10.What musically direction do you see yourself heading into during the future?

I can speak for the next album which will have a tribal feeling in it. The future is unknown…

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?

In the past, Mayhem, Thorns, Bolt Thrower,from the extreme metal scene, Stravinsky, Scriabin, Debussy from the 20th century classical, later Amon Tobin, Bong Ra from electronica. I am listening to a lot of different genres; one particular band that walks great on the crossover path is the Norwegian Manes.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Reading, Writing, in specific a paper for a new musical system I am developing through the years, called the ‘rational system’

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

Thanks for the questions, people can check out the albums and download them for free in bandcamp , here is the link : http://abstruse.bandcamp.com