Nomvdic 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?

James: Well since we released back in July I’ve been hard at work on press and promo for the album, to try and get the music in front of people. I’ve also been thinking hard on ideas to keep the band and album relevant since we can’t tour the record

2.A few months back you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

James: ‘Euphoria’ is definitely very different from our previous release “Horror” conceptually, so I think the biggest sound difference comes from the subject matter. So, Horror sounds like “horror” as a concept, and Euphoria sounds rather “euphoric”, haha.

3.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?

James: From a very broad perspective, I guess I’m covering the general human experience of ups and downs, and how thoughtfulness and introspection can breed even deeper and darker experiences and feelings, as opposed to “ignorance is bliss”. Personally, the story in the album is sort of my justification for feeling like shit about certain things haha.

4.In the beginning you where known as 'As Crusaders Depart' then 'Nomadic' what was the cause of the name changes?

James: Haha, As Crusaders Depart is not this band. Two previous members of this band were in that band, but they’re not the same. Nomadic started in early 2016. We are still Nomadic but it’s branded with the V because there’s another artist called “Nomadic”. I still refer to it with the A though

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

James: I didn’t name the band unfortunately, so it doesn’t really mean anything to me. I think the ‘V’ is dumb but we had already garnered some attention as “Nomadic” so a total name change was out of question, and we just started stylizing it with the V. I guess the cool thing about it is we’re undeniably the only thing that will show up when you search “NOMVDIC”

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

James: Yes! I love our symbol! The “-∀-“ thing. I guess that’s the one good thing to come out of the upside-down A. I really made it a point to not put our band name on the front cover of the album or any of the album merch. Euphoria isn’t about us as a band, it’s about the music, and I want that symbol to embody that. It’s very intentional. Also, aesthetically, I wanted Euphoria to be very very colorful to represent feelings and the human experience.

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?

James: Oh man. Our tour with The Faceless was phenomenal. The shows in Joliet IL, St. paul MN, and Kalamazoo MI really stand out. We headlined a festival that sold out back in 2018 and that’s one of the best shows I’ve ever played, so much fun. I just really enjoy playing shows. Our live performance is very active and very theatrical. We play to our album back track (we’re not cheating anything haha, I just mean all of the additional sounds are in the back track) so you still get the album experience, but you also get the added intensity of our high energy live show.

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

James: I’m very proud of my work as an independent artist and releasing this album independently, and the releases performance given that it was independent inspires me even more to continue DIY. however I’m always down to work with people who share the same creative vision. I don’t think I could ever give that up. I’m so proud of this album and I love it so much.

9.The new album also got a huge score on the billboard charts in the first week, do you feel this is a very great accomplishment for an unsigned band?

James: Huge accomplishment. I’m so proud. So so proud. I love this album and love our fans. I could cry, it’s so cool.

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

James: I definitely thought it would be more jarring. But we seem to have fans in all corners of metal. I think any elitist of any group would not enjoy it as it’s not specifically death metal or specifically black metal or specifically metalcore, etc etc, but it dabbles a little bit into every single thing. So I think people who have an open mind and appreciate music generally seem to enjoy it. I’m happy with that. I can’t wait for more people to hear it.

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

James: great question! I love blast beats, and I love big choruses and the pitched yelling-Gojira style vocal that I do. So i think all of that will remain. Other than that, we will see where the music takes us. I’ll be writing and collaborating with other people moving forward - people much more talented than me - so we’ll see how it’ll turn out. I have some cool concepts for records moving forward. I’d like to work on and release music at a higher frequency than before though.

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?

James: Another awesome question. Euphoria was super influenced by Gojira, The Contortionist, Deafheaven, Sleep Token, Now, Now, The Faceless, Fit For an Autopsy, Spiritbox, and Meshuggah.

As far as metal goes, I’ve been listening to a lot of Gojira to prepare for the new album. I’ve also been listening to Spiritbox and Oathbreaker. Fantastic bands. Uh, I recently revisited the most recent Vale of Pnath, that’s super good, and discovered Numenorean recently and think they’re great. Oh, and I’ve been on an Artificial Brain kick. Outside of metal, I’ve been listening to a lot of Incubus, Jacob Collier, Gamby, Angel Du$t, and Heilung.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

James: I love traveling a lot. I’m actually visiting North Carolina right now while writing this. Hard to do during the pandemic, but renting a car is safer than flying. I work full time as a producer and mixing engineer, so I spend a lot of time working on audio. I also enjoy going for walks, eating great food, and spending time with my friends and cats.

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

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me, this is really cool. Also I hope everyone checks out Euphoria! We have CDs and merch for sale at store.nomvdic.com.

Thanks again and I’ll talk to you later!

Website: https://nomvdic.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/34XRjMu
Facebook: https://facebook.com/NOMVDIC
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nomvdicofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomvdic

Kosmogonia Interview

1. Hello everybody, we are Kosmogonia, we come from Greece and we play folk, melodic, death metal. Our name comes from the Greek word κοσμογονία (cosmogony= birth of the world). It is an ancient, pagan word that symbolizes the world’s creation and sacred harmony. Our music and lyrics are inspired by Greek and generally European mythology and history.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demos?
2. We started as a thrash, death metal band however, from 2017 we started playing folk metal. Our first album “Enthrone the gods” is the outcome of a three-year long journey which includes our first demos “Elysian fields” and “Triiris”.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Greek Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
3. As we mentioned before, our music is inspired by the ancient, pagan Europe. “Enthrone the gods” has an ancient Greek theme which is a mixture of Greek mythology and ancient Greek historic moments. Ancient Greece is the perfect way for us, since we are Greek, to start our journey through the ancient world and its numerous civilizations.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Kosmogonia'?
4. Kosmogonia which comes from the Greek word κοσμογονία (cosmogony) as we mentioned before, symbolizes the world’s birth and the power of renewal and these symbolisms are the key to our music. This word symbolizes our connection with the ancient world and its gods and goddesses through a “tool” and that tool for us is our instruments with which we give life to something new.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
5. The album’s artwork (made by Cosmas Hiolos) has many symbolisms. The young lady symbolizes the rebirth of the ancient spirit while the eagle that flies behind her is eternal Zeus which symbolizes the return of gods to Mount Olympus. The volcanic background symbolizes rebirth.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6. There have been plenty of lives in which we have participated in. We enjoyed all of them as much as our fans did and we believe that our presence on stage takes them on the journey that we do every time we play live.

7.The new album was released on 'Cronus Productions',can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
7. Cronus Productions is a freelance company founded by the members of the band and its goal is to help other metal bands come to the spotlight. It helped us majorly for our first album’s release.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of folk and extreme metal?
8. “Enthrone the gods” was a big success worldwide. We already have fans from many countries and we can’t wait to play live for them. The critiques around the world about the album are exquisite and we can’t thank everybody enough for their support!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. We hope that we continue to evolve as a band and as musicians and that is our goal. So far we thing that we’re going to that direction.

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?
10. Great famous bands such as Eluveitie, Esiferum and lots of others are a big inspiration for us. We listen to folk metal and other subgenre of metal music as well as neofolk music from many different European countries. For us, ancient civilizations are magical and we think that music may be the only way to travel there.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. We like sports, reading and watching series and movies but of course we all have different tastes.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. We hope that the corona virus pandemic ends in order for us to travel, meet our fans and play live for them. In conclusion, we would like to give our thanks to all of those who support us in every way possible as well as Dinos Lavrentakis from Woodstock Studios, Marinos Tokas and OGrego (Athanasios Karapanos) who worked hard for our album’s recording, symphonic orcestration, mixing and mastering respectively.

 

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

Nocturn/Like A Seed Of Dust/Sliptrick Records/2020 CD Review

  Nocturn  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Like  A  Seed  Of  Dust"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Clean  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Spoken  word  passages  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  progressive  touch  at  times.

  all  of  the  musical instruments  also  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  saxophones.  The  production  sounds  very professional  while the lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nocturn  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  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  "The  Wraith  in  Bloodred  Wings"  "Liberhate"  "Wasted  Earth"  and  "Odyssey".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook | On Sliptrick

  

Eshtadur/From The Abyss/Blood Blast Distribution/2020 Full Length Review

  Columbia's  Eshtadur  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "From  The  Abyss"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Blood  Blast  Distribution.

  A  very  heavy  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly death  metal  growls  along  with  some  blackened  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  brings  in a   great  amount  of  Swedish  influences.  The  symphonic  elements  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  they  also  add  in  a  cover  of  Firehouse's  "All  She Wrote"  which  also  introduces  clean  vocals  into  the  music.

  On  this  recording  Eshtadur  adds  more  symphonic  elements  in  their  melodic  style of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  despair  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eshtadur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lowborn  Bastard"  "The  Fall"  "The  Oathbreaker"  and  "Disphased  Dimension".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.facebook.com/EshtadurOfficial/    

Skyless Aeons/Drain The Sun/2020 Full Length Review

  Skyless  Aeons  are  a  band  from  London,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic,  technical,  progressive  and  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Drain  The  Sun" which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  structures  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  technical  style.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  whispered  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  some  melodies  also  being  added  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space,  death  and  corruption  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Skyless  Aeons  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic,  technical,  progressive  and  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Ascension  Towards  Nothing"  "Dimensional  Entrapment"  and  "Drain  The  Sun".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook.com/SkylessAeons      

Empyreal Sorrow Interview

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

We are a Melodic Death Metal band from Germany, mainly situated in the area around Munich, Bavaria. The roots of Empyreal Sorrow go back to 2014 when our guitar player Martin Hofbauer recorded the first song ideas with bassist Sebastian Moser. But as both of them were involved in other projects at that time there was never a real plan to do more than just playing around with some cool riffs. After Martin’s band project came to an end and he still had a massive pile of really cool song ideas, the two of them sat together again in Sebastian’s own Grotesque Studios, just plain recording guitars and getting the arrangements in shape. At that time Sebastian was also doing lot’s of studio recordings with our drummer Julian, and as Julian is an incredible talented metal drummer it was just a natural thing to ask him doing the drums on the tracks that were already laid out at that point. So in the first half of 2019 we also had the first half of instrumental tracks ready. Joining as a second guitarist at that time was Markus Winter, who already played together with Julian in another band. As with Julian before it just clicked and for the rest of the year we concentrated on finishing and recording the instruments for all the rest of the songmaterial that we had prepared. With 2020 starting we also began with giving the songs a „face“ - as Sebastian was working out the vocal arrangements, we decided for another refreshing approach on our songs; we integrated more than just one vocalist to give everything more dynamics and to serve the diversity of the songs. That’s were our singer Martin Szeike came on board. While Sebastian is serving more of the Black Metal-like singing style, Martin is bombarding you with his utterly deep Death Metal grunts.

2. You have your first full length coming out in November, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

Martin’s vision when writing the first songs for Empyreal Sorrow was always straight Melodic Death Metal with a decent touch of this good old vibe from the 90’s. As we are all fans of bands like At The Gates, Edge Of Sanity, Paradise Lost, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity or Heaven Shall Burn it came out really natural when arranging and recording the songs. For fans of these bands our music should be a pleasing experience.

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

It’s mainly devastation and destruction, the downfall of mankind. There is nothing that gives you so much inspiration as the look on today’s declining humanity. There is a constant frustration swelling inside of us because of how irrational and egoistic mankind is feeding on its own essence. It is not the most optimistic view or topic, but our music is our personal outlet for the anger and incomprehension we feel, when thinking about this planet and the swarm of human idiots flooding it.

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

Most people believe in love as the strongest emotion and bond between one another. But we think that sorrow and pain unites us even more and can push you to grow beyond your own limits. We believe in this out of own personal experiences. Sorrow is more honest than treacherous love, stronger than fragile valor and more divine than hypocritical forgiveness. But with the acceptance of pain as one of the most important parts of life, you can really reflect on your own self and see through other people’s actions. Sorrow is our leader through life and our band is deeply inspired by this emotion.

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

The artwork of our debut album „PRÆY“ is a perverted adaption of the Vitruvian Man drawn by Leonardo Da Vinci - the destruction of the ideal of the perfect human being. It is the logical visual interpretation of our lyrical topics on this record and of our view on today’s society acting like a human swarm, blindly following and consuming the feces  of the overpresent (social) media. The cover was created by Björn Lensig (www.lensig.com), a very talented and amazing artist who has also worked for artists like Amon Amarth and is doing lots of illustration for games. His style was perfectly fitting our artistic vision for this album.

6. Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows?

As you know, the current Corona situation is not an easy task, especially for the entertainment industry. There are certain chances to do live shows, but we have to see if it is worth the risk at the moment. So right now we are mainly looking into how we can reach our potential fans on other ways, via Social Media in particular. But we are also planning our future stage setup at the moment. The most important part in playing live shows is to give the audience an entertaining experience. With that in mind we try to avoid the stereotypical stage presence of so many Metal bands - just standing around, moshing and boring the crowd. All of us have longtime stage experience as live musicians and we know that activating the crowd counts way more in the end than playing every note right.

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

To be honest - we love the DIY attitude and we try to stick to it as long as possible. Sure, you need competent partners to be competitive on today’s music market. But our experiences especially with music labels in past cooperation's were not really satisfying and it showed us that if you are willing to keep pushing and work focused you can do so much yourself. We are not interested in giving other people control over what we want to do or express with Empyreal Sorrow. And maybe the most important part - as long as we as a band are working on all aspects of the band it bonds us closer together. Empyreal Sorrow is mainly about the enjoyment of making music WE love, the way WE want to and doing everything surrounding the band the way WE think it is fitting.

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

As we are writing this, the promotional activities to get our debut album out to the music loving community and Metal fans is in full swing. First reactions so far are really promising and we hope to get more and more listeners into the Cult.

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

We’ll definitely never set to one certain rule of sets. Yes, we love Death Metal and we certainly will be part of this Metal genre in the future, but: While recording our debut album we already prepared a set of songs for a future EP release that alone has the goal to widen our own musical horizon. On this EP we will experiment with some new influences and let other musicians be part of our Cult Of Sorrow.

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?

Naming musical influences is always a hard task, as so many listeners often are interpreting this as a sort of „the music will sound like XY“. But musical influences are often very subtle and subliminal. As mentioned above - it’s bands like At The Gates, Paradise Lost, Dark Tranquillity, Edge Of Sanity that surely had a huge impact on the songwriting process and you will hear that in our music for sure. But as all of us are very open to all sorts of musical influences, we have no problem with incorporating samples, clean vocals, Black Metal-atmosphere or other details that seem to fit the song. When it comes to today’s new releases - it’s really hard as there is so much new music released each day. Certainly we all have our „most loved“ bands we always stick to, but the musical range is really widespread - from Heavy Rock like Gary Moore to Thrash Metal like Anthrax or Black Metal like Dark Funeral.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

There is definitely one non-musical-interest within the band we all share and that is enjoying nature. We all come from countrysides where you are near to the woods or mountains and if there is something that really frees up your mind - it’s going into the mountains or just grabbing the bike and breathe fresh air.

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

We invite you to join our Cult Of Sorrow and receive salvation through sound. Keep an eye on our online appearances to get the latest news regarding the release of our upcoming album „PRÆY“. And always stay Metal!

Website - https://www.empyrealsorrow.de/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/empyrealsorrowmetal/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/empyrealsorrow/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCotlWovcAgd-WXMn0es0J2w

Empyreal Sorrow/PRÆY/2020 Full Length Review

  Empyreal  Sorrow  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "PRÆY"  which  will  be released  in  November.

  Clean  playing start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  onto  the  recording.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  while the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  era  Swedish  influences.  When  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  songs  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  vocals  and  more  modern  elements  onto  the  album  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  making  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Empyreal  Sorrow  plays  a  musical  style that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  devastation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Empyreal  Sorrow  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thrown  Into  The  Fire"  "Come  Down  With  Me"  "Scars  Of  Old"  and  "A  Night  Without  Armor".  8  out  of  10.

Website - https://www.empyrealsorrow.de/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/empyrealsorrowmetal/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/empyrealsorrow/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCotlWovcAgd-WXMn0es0J2w
Pre-save PRÆY - https://snd.click/praey    

Nomvdic/Euphoria/2020 CD Review

  Nomvdic  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  melodic  death,  progressive  metal,  djent  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Euphoria".

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  some  prog  and  djent  elements.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  bringing  in  touches  of  Swedish  style  melodic  death  metal.

  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  metalcore  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  vocals  also  having  their  melodic  moments.

  Grim  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  influences  of  deathcore  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  touches  of  blackgaze  can  also  be  heard  at  times and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  covering  the  human  psyche.

  In  my  opinion  Nomvdic  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   post  black,  melodic  death,  progressive  metal,  djent  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Euphoria"  "Dysmorphia(Im  So  Sorry)"  "Dead  Oaks"  and  "Blue  Jay".  8out  of  10.

Website: https://nomvdic.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/34XRjMu
Facebook: https://facebook.com/NOMVDIC
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nomvdicofficial
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Transcendence/Towards Obscurities Beyond/Blood Harvest/2020 Full Length Review

  Transcendence  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2020  album  "Towards  Obscurities  Beyond"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Blood  Harvest.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of the musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  High  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  screams.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  and  90's  influences  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  s  very  melodic  style.

. The  riffs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  thrash  elements  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples,  synths,  whispered  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness,  blasphemy  and  obscurity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Transcendence  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infernal  Resurrection"  "Drowned  Screams  of  the  Departed  Souls"  and  "In  Silent  Procession".  8  out  of  10.

http://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/towards-obscurities-beyond 
     

Nemesium 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?
We have been in and out of lockdown due to the virus, but we have basically finished our first song for the next album and are continuing to write new material. We really wanted to be out there touring and promoting the new album but just like everyone else in the world it's just not happening. So its basically just sit down and lets get another album done!

2.In June you released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep?
It's more extreme! We took one of the songs off the EP and re recorded it as we thought we never captured the true sound we wanted from it. But on the Continua album we brought it to life! Musically we got more advanced in technicallity and song structure and kept pushing on our recording abilities.

3.This is also your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Well after our EP we lost our bassist Luke so we had to then find a new bassist for which we found in Dave, He was in the band for about 3 years and right before bass was about to be recorded for Continua we decided to go back to our original bassist Marcus. So he then had to come back into the band and write all new bass parts for the album within a couple of months which he did amazingly! So basically we were just writing/gigging and fine tuning our line up. Which we are 100% happy with now.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover science fiction themes can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
I've been a huge Sci Fi fan for as long as I remember and movie/tv buff. So basically all my lyrics are based off Movies I love or TV episodes I love. Parallel Dimensions/Time Travel are full of endless ideas, Shit if Star Trek can make god knows how many episodes about it I can dable in the idea as well haha. And being death metal the stereo type is to sing about death etc... But its over done and to me not very interesting so I write about what I enjoy.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nemesium'?
Nemesium is Latin plural for Nemesis. The inspiration basically just came from searching for cool words

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork was done by the amazing Kirill Seminov, I found him on Instagram and was hooked! I love the sci fi H.R. Giger that he goes for but he puts his own little spin on it. The idea that we gave Kirill is that each side of the cube is a different Parellel Dimension giving you multiple stories out of each world.

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?
Personally the best shows I have played is when we supported Omnium Gatherum or Krisiun in our home town. Such amazing International acts and we get to support them which was amazing!

Our stage performance we try to go as hard as we can each show and make it as aggressive as possible. It's loud and tight!

8.In 2015 you also done a 'Damaged' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
We all grew up with Australian bands being a huge inspiration for us. And Damaged being a regional band like us and been at an international level of greatness we always wanted to pay homage to them.


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
Very positive! We have been overwhelmed with positive comments and reviews. I think we have created something that is fresh and new but also keeping in with the old sound which is exactly what we were after. We all are fans of multi genres and we all bring them into the mix to create something different.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Clint - I'm in a few other bands at the moment, an old school death metal band Munitions with Marcus our bassist. And also a Post Black Metal band titled Visha Kanya.
Chris - Plays in an old school death metal band also in our home town called Destruktor

11.Where do yo you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to basically keep doing what we're doing. We're all happy with the way we write and with the reviews coming back it looks like we're on the right track.

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?
We all love different genres of Metal and music. From old school death metal and black metal to the more modern melodic death and black, to Grind and all things tech. Even Post Rock and classics like Queen. So we have a lot of influence between us which I think is great!

Nowadays personally I can't get enough of the Post Black Metal genre so Harakiri For The Sky and Numenorean to name a couple.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Music is basically my main interest, outside of the bands I have a Huge family to take care of. 6 kids...... And I run my own Carpentry business so I don't have time for anything else haha

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Cheers for the interview guys! And stay tuned to our Facebook page for any new updates coming up soon. We really want to get out there and start playing live again and to show the world what we can bring to it.

But in saying that, support the underground and keep Death Metal alive!


Order Continua:
https://nemesiumblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/continua (CD, Digipak LP, Merch, Digital)
https://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/black-lion-records (CD, Digipak, LP, Merch)


For More Info:

https://www.facebook.com/NemesiumOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/nemesiumofficial_/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IUsvIFmFQ45sSuRwSbMRK

https://www.facebook.com/blacklionrecordsswe
https://twitter.com/Blacklionrecswe
https://www.instagram.com/blacklionrecordsswe
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKzG_KjmK7A-PnunzLvzdQ   

Midgard/Tales Of Kreia/Sliptrick Records/2020 CD Review

  Midgard  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Tales  Of  Kreia"  which  will  be  released  on  August  18th  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  screams  adding  in  touches  of  black  metal.  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  songs  also  add  in  folk  instruments.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  showing  some  influences  of  the  Swedish  style  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style,  clean  male  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Midgard  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  themes  and  philosophical  issues  about  life  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Midgard  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necromancer"  "Dwarf  King"  "Elven  Blade"  and  "Ice  Spirit". 8  out  of  10.

Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | VK | On Sliptrick

Abyss Interview

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



A: I started Abyss in 2009 together with another former member. The line-up soon was completed by aspiring musicians from a rural part in Bavaria, where we are located. Our music is a mixture of Melodic Black and Death Metal. If you like classic bands like Dissection, Sacramentum and if you appreciate modern successors that draw at least a little from their heritage, you might enjoy giving us a spin.



2.So far you have released a demo, ep and a split, musically how do they both differ from each other?



A: Our early work resulted in a number of songs that had a bigger Death Metal influence. This influence is still noticeable on our last EP from 2018. Throughout the years the Death Metal ration diminished. And together with some other new elements, we solidified a specific trademark sound we were aiming for. This is what you will hear on our part of the coming split with Besna.



3.The band has been around since 2009 but waited until 2018, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?



A: That´s a common question. Mainly for two reasons that deserve a little elaboration:

First one would be because of line-up changes. The number of people that had an instrument in their hands in order to play for or with Abyss comes to more than a dozen already. The changes had nothing to do with personal differences, but more with people going abroad, moving away, getting a job, etc. Those things caused a lot of delay and pauses in the past and for those very reasons you will hear two session musicians on the coming release. There is a permanent line-up though, that works on the songs and concepts and you will most likely see on stage.

Second: It took a while to build the musical skill and capacity to transfer our ideas to reality in a proper way. I can only speak for myself, but I basically learned to play the guitar with the Band.



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



A: We dedicated our themes to chaos. In short: Our songs should reflect mankinds unrest
about being at the mercy of this power and its search for sense, order and the higher, when there is
none of that. A rather nihilistic view on the world and humanity.




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



A: As the literal meaning depicts a bottomless pit, it reflects the symbolism and themes of our songs. No clear line, no end, no order. The name is used quite often by bands. And during the 10 years of minor public activity, it would have been easy to simply choose something more distinct. However, the name Abyss resembles a special meaning for the members. The missing puzzle piece, so to say, that binds all the other aspects of the band and brings it back to conclusion. Contrary to its meaning.



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



A: The artwork awas made by Théo Braisaz, a french artist working under the name „Mr Kiwi“. I work closely together with him for another project. He´s an excelent graphical designer. Our cooperation reached a level where I can lay down my visual ideas and from then on almost blindly trust him with the realization. For the split, the artwork gives several hints on its main themes, which revolve around unfulfilled religious -or even ideological- salvation, absence of the higher and natures indifference towards these themes.



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



A: We had many great shows. One that really stood out was our first live performance. We played in front of 100-200 people in a Band Contest of which probably only 5 % were into Metal. The feedback was overwhelming though. Everyone freaked out when the last note subsides. It was the beginning of many things and the moment when Abyss truly came to life.

As a matter of fact we often hear that our live performances are far more convincing than our releases. Our music profits from the chaotic frenzy both Band and audience find themselves in during live situations. In the past recent years we worked hard to make our show aesthetically fitting to the concept. So it´s all about increasing the intensity to make the music, the dread almost physical.



8.You have a split coming out with Besna in September, what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?



A: Already during the planning of the „Further Into Perdition tour“ working together went off smoothly. When we played together in Bratislava, they convinced us musically and therefore were our prime candidate for our intended split project. While our music has a certain drive and a pounding blast every now and then, theirs is equally wild, but more on the melancholic side and adds important aspects. Quite naturally and despite the very slight differences in the styles we play, the split reached a coherent whole.



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



A: That will mostly turn out with the responses towards the coming release with Besna. Besides playing a east-euro-tour together with Groza, Abyss stayed hidden a long time. In my eyes, the project still has to get „out there“.



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



A: One upside of the current crisis is, that naturally artists are most likely sitting at home and have time to live out their creativity. I look forward to all the „quarantine creations“ released in the future. And perhaps we will be among them. Soundwise, sometimes I wish to make our music a little harsher and messier. It is leaning towards that already and I still want to keep our melodic trademark. After all, who needs another Deathspell Omega clone.



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?



A: One main part of my songwriting work is indeed listening to new stuff. I am one of the persons that really listens to everything. I know people say this quite often and to me personally that´s actually often negatively connotated. Black Metal wise, I´m more and more intrigued by french, canadian and icelandic Black Metal. To name a few general bands I listen to quite often: Svartidauði, The Great Old Ones, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Sombres Forêts, Gris, Selbst, Be'Lakor. Sure from our style, I guess one can draw conclusions on what we mainly listen to.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



A: As I have hinted already, Abyss is a busy band. Some members will experience some career developments in the future. The plan is to lay down enough ground work for Abyss now to still be operational when that time comes.



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



A: Thanks for the interview, check out our split. One song has been published so far (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_jkcV8_IDI&fbclid). Look out for the next one that will drop soon!

Cheers,

Kosmogonia/Enthrone The Gods/Cronus Productions/2020 CD Review

  Kosmogonia  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2020  album  "Enthrone  the  Gods"  which  was  released  by  Cronus  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  epic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with    brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into a   heavier  musical  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  folk  music  and  flutes  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Operatic  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  mixed  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  the  more  melodic  side  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  of  keyboards,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  some  songs  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  symphonic  moments.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kosmogonia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Elysian  Fields" "Dionysian  Song"  "Legacy  Of  Myrmidons"  and  "Pandora's  Fall".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.facebook.com/Kosmogoniafolk
https://www.instagram.com/kosmogonia_official
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpULz0evz6Ve2QLI0QJy6Vw     

Black Crown Initiate/Violent Portraits Of Doomed Escape/Century Media Records/2020 Full Length Review

  Black  Crown  Initiate  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Violent  Portraits  Of  Doomed  Escape"  which  will  be  released in  August  by  Century  Media  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  clean  vocals  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   heavier  musical  direction.  Aggressive  vocals  are  in  between  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also add  in  some  melodies  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  chants  and  throat  singing  also  being  utilized  briefly  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  symphonic  sounds,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  show  an  influence  of  djent  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Crown  Initiate  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invitation"  "Years  In  Frigid  Light"  and  "Holy  Silence".  8 out  of  10.

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Trident/North/Non Serviam Records/2020 CD Review

  Trident  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "North"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Gregorian  chants  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  music  sounds  and    ritualistic  percussion.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  most  of  the tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements  death  metal  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  classical  guitars  also  making  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks,  a  couple  of  songs  also  introduces  ritualistic spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  story  about  an  Internal  journey,  of  ominous  visions  through  dreams,  touching  the  subjects  of  ancient  wisdom's  long  forgotten,  cursed  bloodlines.

  In  my  opinion  Trident  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enter"  "Summoning"  "Possession"  and  "Schaman".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Trident666official/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvrG4qEybGmeLhK9QIkKc4w  

Yevabog/King Of The Worms/2020 EP Review

  Yevabog  are  a  solo  project  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  demo  "King  Of  The  Worms".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  when  the  music  speeds  up  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts, one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording   and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Yevabog  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  death  metal to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Yevabog  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Creatordestroy"  and  "Crumbling  Ossuary".  8  out  of  10.

https://yevabogmerch.bigcartel.com

https://instagram.com/yevabog

https://facebook.com/yevabog

https://Yevabog.bandcamp.com

open.spotify.com/album/6CDvhC536HXPdGsJmJQft5?si=kRIHBZfVRzG4sAJ_GiuIHA

yevabogmusic@gmail.com