[BOLT]/Aidan Baker/dunk!records/A Thousand Arms/Church Road Records/Bird's Robe Records/New Noise China/2021 Collaboration Album Review

 

  Germany's  [BOLT]  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  where  they  team  up  with  Canada's  Aidan  Baker  to  create  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2021  collaboration  album  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  A  Thousand  Arms,  dunk!  Church  Road,  Bird's  Robe  Records  and  New  Noise  China.

  Drone  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  the  bell's  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  bass  guitars  when t hey  are utilized  show  some  influences  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal.  

  Guitar  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumental.  Elements  of  noise  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  also being  improvised  along  with  the  synth  also  adding  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  percussion  can  also b e  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  [BOLT]  team  up  with  Aidan  baker  to  create  a  recording  that  is  less  metal  influenced  than  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  noise,  experimental,  ambient  and  drone  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  [BOLT]  and  Aidan  Baker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  (35)/Clover".  8 out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/34dcI9jNYaCGKuvrEaYu4U?si=VoONTkCcRZm7zlu5N2Tbwg
Order: https://dunkrecords.com/collections/all-releases/products/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker

Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaLuWtndD1o       

XCIII/Void/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Review

 

  France's  XCIII  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  moving  even  more  further  from  their  black  and  extreme  metal  roots  and  focuses  on  more  of  a  mixture  of  avant  garde,  post  rock,  coldwave  and  electronic  dark  music  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  album  "Void"  which  will b e  released  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Keyboards  and  programmed  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  clean  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  are  more  rooted  in  a  post  rock  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  coldwave  elements.  Female  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  making  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  Touches  of  trip  hop  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  heavier  riffing  also  showing  an  influence  of  metal,  one  song  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Romanticism  and  Human  Nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  XCIII  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  newer  stuff  from  Ulver,  Anathema,  trip  hop  and  post  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Lights"  "Rosemary"  and  "Tapeworm".  8  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/XCIIIspleen

https://youtu.be/fvSZulLzz30 

  

Snaum Interview

 

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

 

We’re Snaum, a two-piece band from Warsaw, Poland. I (Xypus) write all the music and handle production stuff, and Hewan is doing all the vocals and visual performance side that you will see in the video we’ll be releasing soon. 

 

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recoridng?

 

We play a quite experimental mix of black metal, sludge and industrial music. We didn’t aim for any specific genre, we just write music we love and want to listen to ourselves, drawing from many sources of inspiration. When people listen to what we play, they usually are like ‘WTF is this’ and then we know we’re doing things right :) While I don’t think it’s possible to be 100% unique and original, I like to think that we stand out of the crowd at least a little bit. We have blast beats, super low guitar tunings, dirty synths, black metal shrieks, long, mournful drones and dreamy, trip-hop passages so definitely you need to have an open mind to like what we have to offer.

 

3.The band also avoids the use of traditional lyrics or songwriting, can you tell us a little bit more about this concept?

 

The traditional song structure with verse and chorus is sometimes limiting and predictable, and we wanted to just do whatever we want. We wanted our songs to be little stories told with sound only, they have distinct intros, main parts and outros that operate with different intensity and emotion. As to the lyrics, when we were writing the songs Hewan recorded some vocals with no words, you know, just to establish the lines and so on, then we tried to fit some lyrics in them but we didn’t know if they should be in Polish or in English or perhaps in some other language and suddenly we realized that we don’t actually need them. With extreme music it’s usually really hard to understand what the singer is screaming or growling about, and when you check out the lyrics, they’re often just disappointing because let’s be honest, it takes a special kind of talent to know how to work with words and not many people have it. Besides that, without lyrics you can attach any meaning to the song that you want, it can be about whatever you want it to be. It fits the idea of telling a story with sound instead of words, evoking emotions and images that are very personal to the listener. And Hewan says that having no words to stick to allows him to express better whatever he wants to express with his voice so it works for everyone.

 

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

 

It’s just a made up word. We’ve had a very long list of names we came up with because we’ve had a very strict set of criteria it had to fit - it had to be easy to pronounce and to remember, it had to be original (or at least not used by everyone and their mother already) and it had to not be cliche. Then we were twisting and bending all we had on the list until we settled for Snaum. I bet it does mean something somewhere but it is enigmatic and has this slightly malevolent sound to it which is exactly what we were going for.

 

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

 

The artwork was done by Maëlle Cadoret, a very talented French artist. I found her by accident on the internet, contacted her, she loved our music and prepared some artworks for us to choose from. They were all great so it was a very difficult decision. The one you can see on the EP cover conveys similar emotions to our music I think and it depicts something that is being constructed, much like our band that really took a long time to find its identity.

 

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

 

This is a difficult one. I am not very good at collaborating with others because I really don’t like to compromise when it comes to my ideas and actually I haven’t met a lot of people whose ideas I’d really like. Hewan is an exception here because he doesn’t really mind me being the tyrant, or at least that’s what he says haha :) Sometimes I feel like I could really use someone else to contribute to the music because you’re not always inspired of course, but it would have to be someone really special and I have yet to find such a person. I have tried several times to collaborate but I was always disappointed. So for now I think we’ll remain a duo, perhaps we’ll hire some studio musicians to record some parts in the future but that’s it. Especially that we don’t plan to do live shows so there’s no real need for a full setup.

 

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

 

Well we’ve had some proposals and we have reached out to some labels but after consideration we decided that we don’t really need a label. If we were a touring band things would’ve probably been different but for an underground studio project a label is just an unnecessary complication. We’ve reached out to some more experienced people for advice (shout out to Ryan Schutte from Pound, check them out!) and we decided to just handle everything ourselves.

 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal, experimental and noise?

 

It’s difficult to say at this point, ask us in six months. The people we have shown our music to usually liked it so that’s a good omen :)

 

9.Do the band members also have experience working with other bands or musical projects?

 

Yes, we have both been in bands before, but those were the typical metal acts and it was a long time ago and actually nothing to write home about :) We’re both over 40 and we know exactly what we want now so Snaum is probably the most important and serious musical endeavour of our lives, at least so far.

 

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

 

As to the full length - I’m not sure if there will ever be one, I’d much rather release smaller albums but with more meaningful content, especially that we’re sticking to the digital format. But of course nothing is set in stone. Right now we’re fully focused on getting ‘selfmadeself’ out and we’re not really thinking about new music, there’s just some loose ideas floating in the air. If anything, our next release is probably going to be more extreme in every meaning - more blast beats, more harsh synth noise and more mellow, droney parts. Who knows, maybe we’ll do some hip hop as well haha :)

 

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?

 

Over the years we have listened to all kinds of music - from classic stuff like Metallica to some weird drone shit like Sunn O))), with things like folk or trip-hop in between. As to where I get my musical ideas from - I just pick stuff from very random places, from Neurosis and Godflesh to Massive Attack and Ani DiFranco, to some suggestions Spotify gives me haha :) 

 

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

 

Check out our music, have an open mind and be kind to each other, the world has enough of evil shit going on :)

https://snaum.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/snaum.official

Snaum/Selfmadeself/2021 EP Review

 

  Snaum  are  a  duo  form  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  ep  "Selfmadeself"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  A  very  synth orientated  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  yet  slower  sludge  metal  direction.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while t he  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  guitar  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  track  also  being  an  instrumental  and  introducing  harsh  noises  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  are  also  utilized.

  Snaum  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental  and  noise  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  anger,  sadness  and  longing  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Snaum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Colossos"  and  "Against".  8  out  of  10.

https://snaum.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/snaum.official/

Devour Every Star/Antiquity/Blue Bedroom Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Devour  Every  Star  are  a  solo  project  from  Madison,  Wisconsin  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black  emtal  and  trip  hop  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  20231  album  "Antiquity"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Blue  Bedroom  Records.

  Synths  and  trip  hop  influenced  beats  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  and  avant  garde  moments.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  field  recordings  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  

  Devour  Every  Star  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  trip  hop  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  her  own  as  well  as  keeping  most  of  the  music  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Devour  Every  Star  is  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  black  metal  and  trip  hop  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Possessed  By  The  Saintly  Euphoric"  "Fractured  Starlight  Trepanation"  "The  Punishment"  and  "Peace  Eternal".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/devoureverystar/

https://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antiquity

      

XCIII/The Blue/Anesthetize Productions/2019 EP Review

 

  XCIII  are  a  band  from  France  that h as  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  avant  garde  and  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  trip  hop  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "The  Blue"  which  was  released  by  Anesthetize  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  synths  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  female  vocals  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  Programmed  beats  and  trip  hop  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  songs  also  have  their  progressive  moments.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  more  experimental  side  of  the  tracks

  Touches  of  industrial  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  male  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly.  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  black  metal,  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  whispered  vocals   and  hip  hop  style  rapping can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Romanticism,  Human  nature  and  Spleen  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  decent  sounding  recording  from  XCIII  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  experimental,  progressive,  industrial  and  trip  hop,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Abstract"  and  "The  Blue".  7/5  out  of  10.

Website: www.xciii.fr
Bandcamp: https://anesthetize.bandcamp. com/album/the-blue
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ xciiispleen
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/ UCMQbJYLSA9a6oMkKkofoWtA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ xciii.paris/    

 

Aduanten/Sullen Cadence/2021 EP Review

 

  Aduanten  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  experimental  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  ep  "Sullen  Cadence"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal growls  with  some  blackened  screams along  with  the  melodies  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  black  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  one  of  the  songs  also  introducing  clean  playing,  spoken  word  parts  and  post  punk  style  synths  into  as  well  as  some  percussion  and  tribal  style  beats  also  being  added  on  a  few  songs  and  at  times  the  music  also  captures  the  tragic  atmosphere  of  90's  goth  and  doom  metal.

  Aduanten  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  more  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  as  well  as  adding  in  some  experimental  and  post  punk  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aduanten  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sullen  Cadence"  and  "Palace  of  Ruin".  8  out  of  10.

https://aduanten.com/     

 

Soothsayer/Live In Malta/Cursed Monk Records/2021 Live Album Review

 

  Soothsayer  are  a  band  form  Ireland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  live  2021  album  "Live  In  Malta"  which  was  released  by  Cursed  Monk  Records.

  Live  audience  and  electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  Ritualistic  soundscapes  are  also  utilized  briefly  while  clean  playing  and  atmospheric  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  moments.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  vocals  also  brining  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  good  amount  of  shouts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  frustration,  rage  and  despair  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Soothsayer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Outer  Fringe"  and  "Lunar  Correspondence".   8  out  of  10.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Eth55xaJGtQ

Bandcamp: https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-malta   

Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi/Futurista/Devoted Art Propaganda/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Poland's  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi  have  returned  with  a new  recording  which  shows  the  music  continuing  to  move  away  from  the  experimental  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  going  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  experimental  and post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Futurista"   which  will  be  released  on  April  23rd  by  Devoted  Art  Propaganda.

  A  very  dark  and  electronic  oriented  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  post  punk  style  synths  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later.  The  clean  vocals  also  show  an  influence  of  goth  rock  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  at  times  and  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed.

  Guitar  riffs  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  touches  of  synthpop  and  new  wave  along  with  a  later  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi   avoids  the  use  of  any  metal  influences  that  where  a  huge  part  of  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  experimental  and  post  rock.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  futuristic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  post  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I'  "IV"  and  "VII".  8  out  of  10.

https://wedrowcy-tulacze-zbiegi.bandcamp.com/album/futurista             

Lung Knots/Golden Dirges, Molten Larynges/Tartarus Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Lung  Knots  are  a  solo  project  from  an  unknown  area  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  harsh  noise  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Go0lden  Dirges,  Molten  Larynges"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Tartarus  Records.

  Harsh  noises  and  power  electronics  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  programmed  beats  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  add  in  touches  of  industrial.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  which  also  get  deep  yet  aggressive  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  experimental  style  soundscapes  are  also  added  into  the  background  at  times.

  Drones  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album  while  the  synths  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  dark  atmosphere  when  they  are  utilized.  When  power  electronics  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  harsher  sound  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  powerful  sounding  bass  sounds.

  Melodic  chants  and  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  are  also  utilized  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  introducing  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  disturbing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lung  Knots  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  harsh  noise,  industrial,  experimental  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Void  Hymnal"  "Our  Torches  Soaked  In  Oil"  and  "Throat  Flutters".  8  out  of  10.

http://lungknots.bandcamp.com 
https://facebook.com/lungknots 
https://instagram.com/lungknots 

 

Feed Them Death/Negative/Brucia Records/2021 CD Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  solo  project  Feed  Them  Death  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  avant  garde  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental,  noise  and  grindcore  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Negative"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Brucia  Records.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  faster  grindcore  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffing  also  brings  in  some  dissonant  structures  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Guitar  solos  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  yet  progressive  style.

  Elements  of  noise,  industrial  and  drone  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  also  starts  getting  more  diverse  sounding,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  clean  vocals  and  shouts  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  philosophical  writings  of  Theodor  Adorno.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Feed  Them  Death  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  grindcore,  experimental,  noise,  industrial  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Minima  Moralia"  "Our  Cruelty  to  Reality  (Evokism  IV)"  and  "The  Idiotic  Yearnign  For  More  (Barbarism  of  Perfection)".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/feedthemdeath/            

Non Serviam/Le Coeur Bat/Code666/CD Review

 

  Non  Serviam  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  industrial  metal,  grindcore,  crust  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Le  Coeur  Bat"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Code666.

  Experimental  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  adding  in  some  industrial  style  beats  at  times.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Clear  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  album  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats,  crust  and  grindcore  elements.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  album  also  having  its  avant  garde  elements. 

.  Keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  some  psychedelic  touches,  the  also  bring  in  a  brief  ritualistic  version  of  Moody  Blue's  "Knights  In  White  Satan"  before  returning  back  to  their  original  material,  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  Occultism  and  Anarchy  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Non  Serviam  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  industrial  metal,  crust,  grindcore  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infanticide"  "Salem"  and  "Je  Contre".  8  out  of  10.

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/NonServ11606883

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Non-Serviam-103846074427132/

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQCKxPoJDkE9ScK8woFhsbA/videos

bandcamp: https://non-serviam.bandcamp.com/

The Sun Came Up Upon The Left/Everson Poe/Ancestral Memory/Trepanation Recordings/2021 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Portland,  Oregon's  The  Sun  Came  Upon  The  Left  and  Chicago,  Illinois's  Everson  Poe  called  "Ancestral  Memory"  which  will  be  released  on  January  22nd  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  The  Sun  Came  Up  Upon  The  Left  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental  black,  doom  and  death  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  his  side  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times  and  elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Distorted  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed.  Touches  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  his  closing  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  adds  in  some  clean  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Sun  Came  Upon  The  Left  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Clouded  Mirror".

  Next  up  is  Everson  Poe  a  solo  project  who  returns  with  his  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  melody  also  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing.  When  the  vocals  get  more  aggressive  they  add  in  touches  of  black  metal  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  Most  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  witchcraft,   occultism  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Everson  Poe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Malleus  Maleficarum".

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

https://thesuncameupupontheleft.bandcamp.com/

https://eversonpoe.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/eversonpoe       

Dawnwalker/Ages/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Dawnwalker  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  folk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album "Ages"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

  A  very  dark  and  drone  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  a  very  cinematic  atmosphere.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  as  well  as  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  also  being  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  Growls  are  also  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  post  metal  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments,  touches  of  melodic death  emtal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  getting  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times,  flutes  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  story  of  a  dying  world,  reflected  against  out  own  and  the  warnings  signs  which  go  unheeded  day  by  day.  

  In  my  opinion  Dawnwalker  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  progressive,  post,  atmospheric  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  folk  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Wheel"  "Burning  World"  and  "The  Cataclysm".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/dawnwalkeruk 
https://dawnwalker.bandcamp.com 
https://twitter.com/dawnwalkeruk 

https://www.instagram.com/dawnwalkeruk   

The Magik Way/II Rinato/My Kingdom Music/2020 CD Review

 

  Italy's  The  Magik  Way  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  occult  mixture  of  ambient,  ritual,  experimental,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020 album  "II  Rinato"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later.  Clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal   as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  while  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments.  Some  of  the  songs  are  in  a  more  acoustic  direction  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  drum  beats  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  when  they  get  more  aggressive.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  psychedelic  and  dark  ambient  feeling  at  times  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  introducing  female  vocals  onto  the  album,  most  of  the  music  also  lacks  the  heaviness  of  previous  recordings  but  still  retains  an  occult  and  ritualistic  atmosphere  that  was  presented  on  past  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Occultism  and  Esotericism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Magik  Way  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  ritual,  experimental,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II  Rinato"  "Deforme"  "Le  Vampe"  and  "La  Procwssione".  8  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/themagikway

https://youtu.be/E63ILwfmvUU  

Feed Them Death/For Our Culpable Dead/Brucia Records/2020 EP Review

 

  Feed  Them  Death  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  avant  garde  mixture  of  black,  sludge  metal,  experimental,  noise  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  ep "For  Our  Culpable Dead"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Brucia  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  guttural  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  experimental  and avant  garde  elements  as  well  as  some  synths  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  All  of  the  musical instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in some  of  the  guitar  riffing. Touches  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

 Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  some  harsh  noises  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  on  the  closing  track  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard.   The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Feed  them  Death  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  death  metal,  grindcore,  avant  garde  and  experimental,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "For  Our  Culpable  Dead".8out  of  10.

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Noite/A Cor do Fogo/I, Voidhanger Records/2020 Full Length Review

  Noite  are  a  solo project  from  Portugal  that  plays  an  experimental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "A  Cor  do  Fogo"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  I, Voidhanger  Records.

  Operatic  vocals  start  off  the  album  while  choirs  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  clean  playing  and  drums  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also showing  an  influence  of  90's  era  avant  garde  black  metal.

  Elements  of  neo-classical  and  medieval  music  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the recording  while  the  songs  also  get  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.  Psychedelic  sounds  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  the  whole  recording  also  sticking  to  a  slower  musical  direction.

  Noite  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  experimental  and  avant  garde  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  psychedelic,  neo-classical  and  medieval  music  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.   the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  witchcraft,  human  damnation,  hell's  nostalgia,  Devil  Worshiping  and  mordant  satire  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Noite  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  black  metal solo  project  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  very  original  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Noite  Eterna"  "Marcha  Do  Caldeirao".  8  out  of  10.

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-cor-do-fogo

   

  

Irhagar Interview

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


A little about the project. We are from the city of Ulan-Ude, located in South-Eastern Siberia, near Lake Baikal. It is important to note the territorial location, because our music and sound absorbed the local motives of nature and the phenomena of the cultures of the peoples living here since ancient times.

2.Recently you have released an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
Since our music is closely related to local folklore, we are intermediaries in it. It passes through us and gradually manifests through tools, gaining face. Thus, you can hear the awakening of different forms of energies that are inherent in each of us. All this, in the end, pours out, as if from an overflowing bowl, into music that does not limit itself.

3.What are some of the themes and images you have brought out with your music so far?
Our goal is not to create and impose certain images. We just want to nudge the listener to build their own. For example, the cryptographic definitions of our tracks speak about this - that is, the listener himself gives the names.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Irhagar'?
Let's just say that there is no inspiration behind this and not even a name, let alone a hidden meaning, etc. Irhagar is an ancient name deeply rooted in the rituals of the Baikal peoples. This is the name of the spiteful,”grinning” Spirit.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The cover is a visualization of the music, forming a complex with the definition of tracks of a whole picture. Simultaneously bringing the listener into the trip, immersing him. Better look closely to the cover and it’ll say more than we can.

6.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?
Our live performances are an important factor in shaping the overall picture. In the period prior to release, we had already performed several live performances on the local stage of our city. The rest, of course, is in the future.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
It is difficult to say yet whether we are looking for a label. But if we receive proposals, we will certainly consider them.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your recordings by fans of underground music?
We received messages from different parts of the world. And these were mostly positive reactions and bewilderment, of course in a good sense of the word. To be honest, it is difficult to judge feedback now, because this is our debut release

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

We do not think it is worth setting any definite goal in the future, concerning the direction of music. But we try not to limit ourselves to various frames and labels. Use all opportunities and skills to the maximum.

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?
You know we can endlessly list everything and everyone and it doesn't make sense. Undoubtedly, we have been influenced by a wide variety of musical genres of the electronic and heavy underground scene, as well as other art forms.

11.How would you describe your views on metaphysics?
This can be felt on an ephemeral plane. That which arises before all the concepts and concepts in which the human mind can endlessly wander. Do not forget this and do not remember.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
“Questions are always baffling”

1. SoundCloud
2. vk.com