Thonian Horde/Downfall/Grimoire Records/2019 CD Review

  Thonian  Horde  are  a  band  from  Maryland  that  plays  black'n'roll  with  some  elements  of  death, thrash,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Downfall"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Grimoire  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  a  lot  of  the  music  also  brings  in  more  of  a  black'n'roll  style  while  elements  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also  captures  the  more  melodic  side  of  black  metal  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  some  influences  of  thrash  and  death  metal  into  some  parts  of  the  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Thonian  Horde  are  a  very  great  sounding  black'n'roll  group  with  elements  of  death, thrash,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cathedral  Spire"  "Hymn  To  Lilith"  "Chaos  Theory  Magick"  and  "Donfall".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/thonianhordeofficial

https://thonianhorde.bandcamp.com/releases        

Nevalra/Conjure The Storm/M-Theory Audio/2019 CD Review

  Nevalra  are  a  band  from  Columbia,  Missouri  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Conjure  The  Storm"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  M-Theory  Audio.

  Dark  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  demonic  voices  and  symphonic  sounds  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  while  the faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  utilize  a  lot  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  As  the  album  progresses  orchestra  sounds  are  also  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  some  of the  riffs  and  leads  also have  their  technical  moments  as  well  as  the  riffing  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  one  track  also  brings  acoustic  guitars  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  philosophy,  history  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nevalra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "...Of  Ruination"  "Conjure  the  Storm"  "Kismet"  and  "Prophet  For  Profit".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.nevalra.com

https://www.facebook.com/nevalra

https://www.instagram.com/nevalraofficial

https://www.youtube.com/nevalra

https://www.twitter.com/nevalra

    

Decision To Hate/Anti-Human Art/2018 CD Review

  Decision  To  Hate  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Anti-Human  Art".

  Classical  music  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grim  black  emtal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  A  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  in  the  riffs  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  classical  interludes  being  mixed  in  between  every  heavier  track.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  A  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  but  with  more  of  an  up to  date  take  on  the  black/death  metal  genre  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  showing  an  influence  of  thrash  metal.

  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  the  album  closes  with an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  human  and  spiritual  abysms,  orbited  by  Dante's  Divine  Comedy  and  the  Nine  Circles  Of  Hell.

  In  my  opinion  Decision  To  Hate  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  "Mercy  is  Weakness"  "Between  The  Graves"  "New  Age  Templar"  and  "Anti-Human  Art".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JuCm4bpazQ   

Vargrav/Reign In Supreme Darkness/Werewolf Records/2019 CD Review

  Vargrav  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Reign  In  Supreme  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  on  April 26th  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Clean  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  hatred  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vargrav  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Glory  Of  Eternal  Night"  "As  The  Shadows  Grow  Silent"  and  "Arcane  Stargazer".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9twUf6nmG9g

  

Ered/Evil Sorceries/Black Market Metal Label/2019 Full Length review

  Ered  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  blackened  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Evil  Sorceries"  which  was  released  by  black  Market  Metal  Label.

  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  some  influences  of  90's  era  Swedish  blackened  death  metal.

  When  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  they  also give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ered  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  Sorceries"  "Born  From  Ritual  Death"  "Of  Ghouls  And  Graves"and  "Grim  Visions".  8  out  of  10.

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Damnation Army/Death Macabre/2019 Full Length Review

  Damnation  Army  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic form  of  black metal  with  some  elements  of  death,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  album  "Death  Macabre".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  influences  of  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  atmospheric  sounding  synths  onto  the  recording.  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  fast  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  is  also  added  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  album  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Damnation  Army  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black  metal  solo  project  with  elements  of  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancient  Evil  Rituals"  "Enter  the  Blood  Massacre"  and  "Shadowed".  8  out  of  10.   

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Hecate Enthroned/Embrace Of The Godless Aeon/M-Theory Audio/2019 CD Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  Hecate  Enthroned  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  while  also  keeping  some  of  the  death  metal  elements from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019 album "Embrace Of  the  Godless  Aeon"  which  will  be  released  on  January  25th  by   M-Theiry  Audio.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  horror  movie  style  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  evolves  into  more  of  a  symphonic  direction  after  awhile.  After  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  also  introducing  black  metal  screams  onto  the  album.

  When  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  brought  into  the  music  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  90's  feeling  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  averaging  from  6  to  minutes.  One  track  also  adds  female  vocals  into  the  music  which  also  adds  in  more  of  an  operatic  atmosphere  as  well  as  a  touch  of  goth  metal  while  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  male  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. As  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  is  also  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  small  amount  of  spoken  word parts  giving  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere.  The  production  has  a  very  powerful  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Mythology  and  Darkness themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hecate  Enthroned  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  their  previous  albums,  you  should  enjoy  this  release.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Revelations  In  Autumns  Flame"  " Whispers  Of  The  Mountain  Ossuary"  and  "Erebus  And  Terror".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/m8WSg5pcr5I

Dawn Of Ashes/The Crypt Injection II(Non Serviam)/Metropolis Records/2019 CD Review

  Dawn  Of  Ashes  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture of  industrial,  ebm,  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Crypt  injection  II(Non  Serviam)"  which  will  be  released  on  January  18th  by  Metropolis  Records.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  electro  industrial  elements  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  grim  black  metal  screams  and  heavier  guitar  riffs  start  mixing  in  with  the  more  industrial  and  ebm  style  while  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  aggrotech  and  the  music  also  has  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Harsh  industrial  style  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  can also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  most  of  the  music  sticking  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  synths  also  gives  the  music more  of  an  epic  atmosphere.

  Dawn  Of  Ashes  plays  a  musical  style t hat  takes  industrial,  aggrotech,  ebm  and  black  metal  ans  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christianity,  Death,  Torture  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dawn  Of  Ashes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  aggrotech,  ebm,  industrial  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are    fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ahirman"  "The  Serpents  Of  Eden"  "Sitra  Ahra"  and  "Entering  The  Realm  Of  Shadows".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/Dawnofashes/
https://www.dawnofashesband.com
https://twitter.com/dawnofashes666
https://www.instagram.com/dawnofashesofficial/

  

Forbidden Rites Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a mexican black death metal band inspired by the metal of the 90's. We talk a little about occult knowledge and secret societies.



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?
This album is a black death metal with 90’s shades,looking for a metal as powerful as melodic, aggressive and sometimes a bit tearing.



3. Your lyrics deal with  ancestral occult knowledge and secret societies can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
These are topics that interest us a lot, how much of that knowledge have been lost over time and nowadays it is only embodied in signs and symbols of ancient civilizations, how human beings were closing their knowledge channels and now it has led them to being in a state of lethargy and obscurantism. Hell is here, hell is now, and we like to shout it in the face of people through our music. It’s worth mentioning that 6 of the lyrics were written by Alonso Guzmán, a mexican writer and good friend of the band, and the other two lyrics by Sergio Campos, who has always supported the project and has a lot of knowledge about these matters.



4. Originally the band started out playing covers, what was the decision behind writing and creating your own songs?
Actually, the covers were played only for a while and at the same time we started to compose our own material, the idea was always to generate our own music and expose in it everything we had inside.



5. The band originally started in 96 and waited until 2018 to release the first album, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
Exactly, the band started in '96 and after a while some of the members separated and started new projects,they looked for new sounds, etc. Hugo Olivos moved to Cyprus and Raúl Campos to Tijuana Mx, after those years, some members of the band were still in touch, some more, some less, everyone in different projects until at last, in 2017, a common friend, Rubén Contreras, put us in touch again and we decided to resume the ritual we had left pending.



6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Forbidden Rites'?
Mainly, the name was inspired by the ancient rituals carried out by the leaders of some secret societies with occult knowledge, those rituals that wrapped knowledge and could be used for any purpose, rites that today are forgotten, and were forbidden before. It also has a personal connotation and we allude this name to the musical rites that had been forgotten among us back in the 90’s.



7. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
It is the whole representation of those secret sects, which in ancient times hid their temples in the woods to carry out their rituals away from the curious and the blind.



8. Most of the band lives in Mexico while another member lives in Cyprus, how does this work out in the recording process?
It was a complicated process, but not that painful. In Mexico the guitars and bass were made, and we sent them to Hugo in Cyprus, he made the drums and returned the proposals, and so on and on until we were satisfied with the result. Later, Vlad Marin added voices to achieve the final product. At the recording studio, the process was similar.



9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
It is true that the album still has a short time in the market and that still does not give us a full picture of the acceptance of it. So far we have received good reviews and the support and appreciation from the people who have heard it, which we are very grateful for.





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?
Hugo Olivos continues with his project Vomitile (who already released a third album), Raúl Campos and Juan Carlos Mtz finished their previous projects to dedicate themselves to Forbidden Rites and Vlad Marin has his Xiutecutli project on stand-by.



11. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We will always seek to perfect our music, but above all continue to seek how to communicate through it, that music has to tell you something and make you feel something. We also believe that talking about the future of Forbidden Rites music is a bit difficult since we like to live in the here and the now.



12. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Definitely bands like Dissection, Necrophobic, Satyricon, Vinterland, Old man’s child, Dawn were great influence for these 4 metalheads. Today any subgenre of metal is in our playlists but we also move to genres like jazz and progressive rock, but mostly, extreme metal.



13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, we greatly appreciate this space and this interview, and also thanks to all the people who have shown us their support and empathy with this project, and to all those who have been with us throughout these years from the beginning.

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Lemuria/The Hysterical Hunt/Massacre Records/2019 CD Review

  Lemuria  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "The  Hysterical  Hunt"  which  will  be  reelased  in  2019  by  Massacre  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  and  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  while  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording along  with  some  symphonic  elements  being  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  heat  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of   female  vocals  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs also introducing  folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  interludes.

  Lemuria  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  epic,  melodic  and  symphonic  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  inspired  inspired  by  true  events  and  involves    a  hunt  for  werewolves  along  with  some  horror  and  occult  elements.

  In  my  opinion  Lemuria  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Plague  Upon  The  Land" "Of  Winter  ANd  Hell"  and  "Endcame  (The  Impending  Truth)".  8  out  of  10.

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Dark Reverence Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Yes, we are a duo. Lord of Horns creates and records all of the music and Legion sings in various styles. We both contribute with lyrics and Legion focuses on our visual marketing.

2.Recently you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
We chose 3 songs that we felt displayed our talents and influences the best. It has a good mix of goth, black metal, ambient, and industrial. We were able to prominently display Legion's vocal capabilities, which is a key factor of our music.

3.You refer to your music as 'savage goth', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
I came up with the term to describe our sound. We are a little too soft for metal and way too hard for traditional goth. I wanted a term that represented our sound as soon as you heard it. Metal in general and especially black metal is known to be savage sounding. Goth is more dreary and slower paced, but we use elements of each to attain our sound. I didn't want to go by 'goth metal' because that's still not exactly what we are doing. I really wanted something that represented our black metal influences, so I chose the word savage.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We have a range of topics that we enjoy writing about. They include, but not limited to, serial killers, dark fantasy/ mysticism, psychological torture, classic horror tropes, etc.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dark Reverence'?
We revere all that is dark, we live in a harsh world and we feel dark themes are more realistic and representative of life. For this project, we wanted to incorporate many different types of dark music that we each are influenced by. Some people like goth, or industrial, or thrash metal. We like it all, so long as it's dark sounding. It's also another take away from our black metal influences. Many bands are Dark this or Dark that. So, the name works well to promote our sound.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
For the time, we are happy with how we work. We would love to share the stage with other musicians, but we don't want to compromise on our craft. I think if we are ever signed by a major record label, studio musicians would work best for us.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far we only had one show with a good turn out. We started slow and didn't promote much. Now we are promoting constantly. Our last show was the best, we opened for the Vampirefreak's monthly Cybertron event last month. For being an unknown opening band, we played for about 60 people, half of which we personally sold tickets to. Our stage performance is rather reserved. We wear hoods and have mysterious presences. That's the aesthetic we are going for.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have 2 shows coming up next weekend. One is in Ardmore, PA at the Rusty Nail. That's a metal show. The night after we will be in Mystic Islands, NJ at the last Castle Corridors event. That's a goth dance event. In the summer we just got accepted to perform at Steampunk Fest. Before then, however, we want to do some weekend touring around the northeast region of the US to spread our name. We are thinking that would go from March-May

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are still only 4 months old, so no interest has come to us. We aren't really looking for a label right now. We want to gain exposure first to make ourselves more marketable for bigger labels.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and goth metal?
We received a good amount of positive feedback by fans of those types of music. These are people I am friending on facebook and promoting to all over the world.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to do a few more demos first and then focus on getting a record or distribution deal. Once we have that we would be game to do a full length release.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Legion enjoys traditional goth, industrial, and tribal; bands like Depeche Mode, Eisbrecher, Dead Can Dance, are just a few. I like a lot of styles from blues to hard rock, metal of all kinds, punk and goth. We continue to listen to much of the same as we always have.

13.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
We embrace occultism. I am a nordic pagan and Legion is spiritual, but unaffiliated with religion.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
We like being out in nature and creating art. We enjoy going out to goth clubs and metal concerts.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
It was a pleasure to take part in this interview and we thank you for taking interest in our project!

https://www.facebook.com/darkreverenceband/

Dark Reverence/2018 Promo Review

  Dark  Reverence  are  a  duo  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  goth,  ambient  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  promo.

  Heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  promo  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats  as  well  as  the  female  vocals  also  mixing  goth  elements  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  great  amount  of  synths.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  synths  also  adding  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them as  well  as  a brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Dark  Revernece  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  dark  ambient  and  goth  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Reverence  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  dark  ambient  and  goth  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Let  Me  Be  Myself  Again".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/darkreverenceband/
  

Haiku Funeral/Decadent Luminosity/Aesthetic Death/2018 Double Album Review

  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  industrial  and  ritualistic  satanic  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  double  album  "Decadent  Luminosity"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  first  side  of  album  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length   along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  done  in  a  very  grim  black  metal  style  and  synths  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  programmed  and  militant  beats  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  chants  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments,  some  tracks  also  add  in  whispered  style  vocals  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  and  when  percussion  is  utilized  briefly  it  adds  in  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  and  the  closing  track  also  adds  in  elements  of  Indian  ethnic  music.

  Ritualistic  percussion's  start  off  the  second  sound  of  the  album  along  with  some  clear  yet  chanting  vocals   while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  they  also  sound  very  demonic  at  times  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Ambient  style  synths  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  second  half  of  the  album  while  grim  whispers  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental.

  With  this  double  album  Haiku  Funeral  brings  out  2  different  sides  of  their  musical  style  with  the  first  side  being  blackened  industrial  and  the  second  side  ritualistic satanic  ambient,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Eastern/Western  Occultism,  Rituals  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haiku  Funeral  an  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  industrial,  experimental,  ritual  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  double  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scientia  Intra  Satana"  "Dreaming  Kali  In  The  Temple  Of  Fire"  "Lacerate  The  Light"  and  "Endlessly".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/haikufuneral/

  

Forbidden Rites/Pantheon Arcanum/GrimmDistribution/2018 CD Review

  Forbidden  Rites  are  a  band  with  members  from  Mexico  and  Cyrus  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Pantheon  Arcanum"  which  will  be  released  on  November  7th  by  GrimmDistribution.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  as  well as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in    great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks,  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  thrash  influences  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  isntruemntal.

  Forbidden  Rites  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  Swedish  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  secret  societies  and  ancestral  occult  knowledge.

  In  my  opinion  Forbidden  Rites  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  "Human  Mortuary  Landscapes"  "Judgement"  and  "The  Defeat  Of  Man  By  Man".  8  out  of  10.

https://grimmdistribution.bandcamp.com/album/030gd-forbidden-rites-pantheon-arcanum-2018 

Act Of Impalement/Perdition Cult/Caligari Records/2018 Cassette Review

  Act  Of  Impalement  are  a  band  from  Nashville,  Tennessee  that  has  had  music reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom/death  metal  with  elements  of  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  'Perdition  Cult"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  distorted  amp  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  elements  and  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well,  as  some  d  bear  and  sludge  elements  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  when  guitar  leads  are used  briefly  they  are  done  in  a  very  raw  and  melodic  style  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Act  Of  Impalement  remain  true  to  the  blackened  style  of  doom/death  metal  from  their  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  History  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Act  Of  Impalement  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Disembowelment  Rituals  Of  Moloch"  "Ruins  Of  Sarnath"  "Pax  Ramona"  and  "Chthonic'.  8  out  of  10.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/perdition-cult

Malphas/The 39th Spirit/Via Nocturna/2018 CD Review

  Malphas  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  39th  Spirit"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  vocals  being  a mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  an  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Malphas  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  man  who  makes  a  pact  with  the  demon  Malphas  and  his  corruption  by  the  deity  in  his  quest  to  destroy  the  roots  of  organized  religion.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Malphas  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invoking  The  39th  Spirit" "You  Will  Lead  My  Armies"  "Spells  Of  Destruction"  and  "Heaven  Falls  II:  The  Aftermath".  8  out  of  10. 

 http://www.ghostcultmag.com/exclusive-premiere-malphas-stream-red-constellations-the-39th-spirit/

Tongue Eating Louse Interview

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



Nick: Tongue Eating Louse is the culmination of years of trying but always failing and I think you can really hear that pain and disappointment in the recordings. We’re a Sludgemetal four piece, from Ontario, Canada in the styles of Helpless, Buried Inside

And Lord Mantis. I’m the drummer, I came onto the project in 2015, a year before we recorded the ST/EP.


2.You have your first full length coming out in August, what are some of the things you have done differently on this recording that you where bot able to do with your previous releases?



Nick: I think the length of the songs on the album are an obvious distinction. We’ve been sitting on these songs for a while so to finally have them coming out is actually kind of freeing. I feel like Voidwalker was the album we we’re always trying to make but just didn’t have the power to materialize.




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


Nick: I have spoken with John about this many times and from what I can tell Voidwalker is about being dead? It’s a concept album about leaving your body after death and traveling to other side, or walking the void- if you will. I told him it sounded kinda boring but he believed in it, oh well!


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tongue Eating Louse’?



Nick: I wasn’t in the band when they named it but I can give you my idea of what probably happened. Rob suggested the name Tongue Eating Louse and no one heard him, then, moments later either Beau or John said “I know, let’s name it Tongue Eating Louse!” And the rest is misery.

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



Nick: It was a design we had stumbled upon on Instagram by Curseofface, he’s done stuff for Power Trip and Mammoth Grinder. It goes with the theme of the album so well you’d almost SWEAR it was commissioned but I can promise you that it wasn’t because before that I was pushing HARD for the dudes to use an old Tom of Finland picture as the cover to literally no avail.


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



Nick: awkward and loud like a teens first time. Our best show was probably in Oshawa with Pink Cocoon, a sick blusey stoner doom band from Montreal. The crowd was awesome and the tunes were loud. 10/10 Would relive again with some minor changes to the bill.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?



Nick: none. I never want to be in a car with Beau for longer than three hours. I fear his lust for Alex Jones level conspiracy theories has driven him to a point of involuntary celibacy and I don’t know who to talk to about it. Aside from that Canada is the real void, getting around out here takes too long.




8.A year ago you where a part of a split with 'Hunter, Gatherer', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?



Nick: I love the dudes from HG. On some Lost Highway shit I've been in Garrets apartment like three times without him even knowing. I wish they would release more music, their blend of post-black metal is sensible, stylish and innovative like a car of Asian design. Garret and Kelsi both are in a sick cockrock band called Thunderkok now. Their IG is thunderkokrocks.


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



Nick: The reception has been great, I’ll never forget that time we got bumped by the (now defunct) meme page Dab Moms. I’m excited to be working with Sludgelord records on the full length release, their releases so far have been so strong so to be included among them is the real shit for me. Finland is a big demographic for us, so I just want to shoutout all our Finnish readers and listeners, you guys ARE the band!





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



Nick: indigenous is a good gauge for the future. It's actually a cut off the next album. We want to do shorter songs for the next album, think 7-8 minutes instead of 11 -17 with more blasting, we talked to advertising about it and they say it’s just good optics.

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?



Nick: When I was 16 there was like 3 bands, now Im 24 and there are at least 50 that I know of. Death, Pig Destroyer, Korn, The Locust, The Black Dahlia Murder were some of the first metal bands I discovered. I didn’t really discover sludge metal until around the time I was asked to play in Tongue Eating Louse, by that time I was digging on bands like Trenches, Black Sheep Wall, Disembowlement, Eyehategod, and Melvins and I had already been to a few TEL shows before that so when Beau asked me to join I was pretty stoked.

N O W A D A Y S I’m listening to In/Humanity, Death Grips, M. Ward, Mellow Harsher, Closet Witch, Dehumanized, Night Slug, Conan, Iron Lung (always),  and Cemetery Lust. Tomb Mold is pretty sick too, lot’s of cool death metal going around right now, like you ever hear of that band Spectral Voice? Just nutty.













12.What are some of your non musical interests?


Nick: Comic books, obviously I smoke weed everyday- just to stay fresh. Those two bitches from ABBA are hard, I love how powerful they are. uhhh, beyblades are still hot here, so that’s nice. Serial killer docs are hard, if I had to make a band out of my favourite killers Id have to say Dc Snipers on the drums, for their precision, The Night Stalker on Guitar, zodiac killer on bass (could literally be anyone with a balaclava on) and of course the greatest killers of all Hilary and Big Bubba Bill Clinton on dual vocal duty, they got it in ‘em.




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





Nick: Yeah, I just wanted to give a shoutout to Zac Murray of Gland. Hey! Where’s the ketchup?! Also S/O to Nina Simone for dedicating her life to making the music she had to make not the music she wanted to make. Voting is important, please vote and be involved.

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Tongue Eating Louse/Voidwalker/Sludgelord Records/2018 Full length Review

  Tongue  Eating  Louse  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Voidwalker"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Sludgelord  Records.

  Heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  metal  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  high  pitched  screams  being  elements  of  black  metal  and  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  distorted yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Tongue  Eating  Louse  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  sludge  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Shamanism  and  Alchemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tongue  Eating  Louse  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Alchemy".  8  out  of  10.

https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/album/voidwalker

Urarv Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
1.Since that we've gathered live members to relieve me from the guitar duties. Then prepping for gigs once a week. During this time we've also had a debut show at the REVOLVER scene in Oslo, which went quite well I'm glad to say. I was surprised to see that the venue actually became sold out. Secondly, we played at The Howling Infinity festival in Germany which was lots of fun. Some of the audience was really good and obviously happy to witness out contribution. Especially Marlon Crudo Crudo,Tim Simonis and Marco Saloni, which is three of the most hardcore supporters of this scene. (thank you guys for everything)




2.You have a new album coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous releases?
I guess I would describe it as unfiltered madness, echoing through a downward spiral and profused in a human being with invisible manacles attached to his feet. A blueprint of the automatic destructive entity that runs the machinery of the human mind.
A complete "out of balance" creature, neglected and cast into the shadows of himself BY himself.A rotting form of human flesh and psychè.Conveyed through music with an unpolished, raw, yet crystalized sound, executed by Cam Ill at HVN Recordings (glad to have you on board brother)


3.The band has been around since 2003 but waited until 2016 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?
Those years I was desperatly striving with keeping my head abow water,mentally speaking, and gathered a lot of inspiration from it. During that period I also recorded the vocals for The Deathtrip album "Deep drone master". A lot to say about that period if I would want to, but it's in the past, and the past doesn't exist any more than a thought in the NOW.



4.I have read the band originally started out more as a folk infuenced project, what was the decision behind going into more of a black metal direction?
m,yes, this is true on one level. I did want to convey stuff through an output much like a folkish thing, but that didn't really cover the whole "story", so because of the intensity and the agitated state of mind I was in I needed to express it with a more fierce sensation.
Whether it's black metal or not I don't care. I just needed to express it like that whatever you wanna call it.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Urarv'?
Urarv means "Ancient Heritage", and is meant to portray something that lies hidden deep inside all of us. Which we have forgotten but which is the very source of existence.Our home, if you may.And the music is a portal to open the gates of memory in order to return home.



6.The symbols on the album cover look almost alchemical, can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork?
I'm a huge fan of occult symbols. Always was, still is. And one day, figuring out what to tattoo on my skin I realized that I could create my own symbols instead of using other peoples. So I entered some kind of an internal process where I began forming these lines due to different life experiences and events which magically gave them all a meaning as well.I made a map of nearly two houndred different symbols.


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?
We've only played two shows so far so I have very little to comment on at this time.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Yes, we have some upcoming shows in Norway,Belgium, Romania,and Ethiopia. Really looking forward to that.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
It's been mixed, of course, all else would've been strange, but all in all it's been overwhelmingly positive and even inspirational I'd say.Seems like a lot of people makes use of something that stands out from the crowd a bit, something that offers a new way of thinking and a relief from the decadence of the decaying Black Metal scene, which basically has by far become just a parody on itself in many cases.

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?
I don't know.I think Trish is involved in about 5000 other bands and Sturt is messing around with the next Troll album besides dealing with his other bands «Blindfisted «and «Whip».


11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I have no idea, nor do I care. I just wanna compose my riddles of sound, execute them live and record them on a physical format for people to enjoy. I have no plans or intentions to « conquer the world « with it, and even if I did we don't play boring music enough to become big.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I've drawn a lot of inspiration from 80's heavy metal and 70's punk, but also some themes from elderly jazz and gothic blues.
I listen mostly to Heavy Metal, Psychedelic Trance and Underground hip-hop


13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Country, gospel, mainstream pop and mainstream rock and mainstream metal,, basically everything that is mainstream.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks to all of you who support the band and what we do. Without you, this would not be possible, which means that your presence and contributions mean everything to us. May you all have a long and happy life :)

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