Ash Of Ashes Interview

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

Skaldir: Hello! The release of our debut album was quite successful, so we're in a good mood and I have already started to write new songs for the follow-up album that hopefully will not take as much time as the debut.
We also wanna start rehearsing for live shows in 2019.

2. A few months back you had released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

Skaldir: It's a rather melodic metal style, rooting in Black Metal. We call our music “Epic Skaldic Metal”. You could also call it Pagan Metal, Viking Metal or Epic Metal, but since our music has this storyteller vibe, we wanted to have the word “skald” in there, too.

3. You label your music as 'epic skaldic metal', how would you say your music differs from bands that play more of a pagan metal style?

Skaldir: We surely aren't on the “funny” side music-wise. We don't play party or drinking music. We're rather on the path old bands like BATHORY took, when the whole thing started.

4. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

Skaldir: It's a mixture between mythological, historical as well as tales and legends. We also have four songs on the album which are based on “The Lay of Wayland” – an old Germanic legend found in Anglo-Saxon, German and Scandinavian sources.

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

Skaldir: The ship on the ocean scenery fits the title and leaves a lot open for imagination, because you don't see men on it, nor sails.

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

Skaldir: We'll see. Personally I like to work as a duo, and like to compose song on my own. It worked really well, so I don't think that for the albums the line-up will be expanded. But I surely want to have our drummer Dennis on the next album as well!

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

Skaldir: We’ve chosen to be without label on purpose. The music industry has changed, and I don't really know what an indie label could offer us. But it's also a lot of work to do everything on your own, so maybe in the future there will be collaborations with labels again.

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

Skaldir: For a newcomer band there is really nothing more we could ask for. The album was extremely well received. We got tons of great reviews and a lot of plays on Spotify. It was like a dream start.

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

Morten: I’ve been involved in four bands or projects for quite some time now: THULR, SKARDUS, HERNE and GRAVEHAMMER.
Skaldir: I'm in a few other bands as well. The most known might be ELANE, then I have an Irish Folk Project called OVER THE HILL and a Death Metal band ABSCESSION.

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

Skaldir: The style will more or less stay the same. The songs on the debut are maybe a bit too simple, so maybe we will have some longer and more progressive songs in the future. But I'm not sure yet.

11. How would you describe your views on Paganism?

Morten: I guess it would take too long to describe my personal views on paganism in detail here. Also, I think, that religious - or better spiritual matters – should remain something personal, something private as far as ones daily life is concerned. As it is clear from the lyrics, northern European mythology and lore are things I feel a close connection to, yet I do find similarities and very interesting aspects in other “pagan” or animistic beliefs, e.g. in the mythology of the Native Americans of present day USA and Canada. In general, I think that there is far more to explore and to discover than the usual stories of the two Eddas.

12. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Skaldir: I'm a sound engineer, that's my job and also my passion besides music. In my free time I like to be outside hiking.
Morten: I like to be outside in the woods or on the beach and spend time with my friends and family. And I’m interested in history, so this offers lots of chances to visit interesting places.

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

Skaldir: As the year is ending and winter is near people naturally think about what happened in their lives this year and what might happens in the next year.
I just wanna say thanks to all the people interested in our music and hope we'll have some new tunes for them next year.

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Ash Of Ashes/Down The White Waters/2018 Full Length Review

  Ash  Of  Ashes  are  a  duo  from  Germany  that  plays  a  musical  style  they  describe  as  being  'epic  skaldic  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Down  The  White  Waters".

  Epic  sounding  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  which  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  pagan  chants  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  blast  beats  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  short  instrumental  can  also  be  heard.

  Ash  Of  Ashes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  pagan,  melodic  black  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  fro  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism and  Nature  themes  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ash  Of  Ashes  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  pagan  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Down  The  White  Waters" "Sea  of  Stones" and  "Chambers  Of  Stone  (The  Lay  Of  Wayland)". 8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NyM2H9BgRU    

Dyrnwyn Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a Pagan Folk Metal band based in Rome, a bunch of friends with two common passions, Roman history and music.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep and demo?
It is another world completely.  In the mean time as we were composing Sic Transit Gloria Mundi we grew up a lot both as musicians and as people. We learn to communicate and understand each other and this new found complicity and harmony between the members of the band brought us this album and we cannot be more proud of it!

3.Your lyrics cover Paganism and Ancient Roman History, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?
We believe that if someone decide to play and compose folk metal he has to talk about his folkloric history and what greater history if not the one about Rome for us that were born and grew up here in the eternal city.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dyrnwyn'?
This one is actually kind of funny story. We were at the beginning of our musical journey and the direction to take was really blurred and unsure.We all came from different music backgrounds and each of the name we picked represented more ourselves as single people then the band. We fought and we discussed for quiet a few days until exhausted we decided that the first who will propose a name, whatever it would have been, in the next few hours would be the official name. Let’s say that
we’re happy it wasn’t something silly ahahah Dyrnwyn is one of the thirteen tresure of England. Is a black sword which when wielded by a pure of heart will harness the power of fire to his favour but when wielded by someone unworthy it will burn him to ashes.


5.Can you tell us a little bit more abut the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The name of the album is Sic Transit Gloria Mundi that translated it would be “and that’s how the glory of the world disappeared” . Based on this concept we worked with Gianmarco Colalongo in order to represent it on paper and we can all see the result of this process.

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?
The best show we did until now  are definitely the one with our brothers Atavicus in Rome and in Pescara. The atmosphere and the bond of friendship that binds us just made the concerts , pre, during and post a great experience all around.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Not yet but we’re starting to plan an italian tour really soon followed by some dates in europe, germany, swiss, austria etc.

8.The new album was released on 'Soundage Productions', how did you get in contact with this label?
Our bassist and founding member ,Ivan Cenerini , has a remarkable cd collection and some of them have been bought through the soundage distr

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of pagan and folk metal?
It has been really really good. We’ve received some first reviews and are extremely good  8,5/10, plus everyone who listen to the album really enjoys it and send us compliments about it.

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?
Almost all of the band members are involved with other projects: Alessandro Mancini our guitarist and composer is currently on board of other two different projects , Drakens Orden (MelodicDeath) with whom is going to release a full lenght this month  and DragonhammeR (Power Metal) who recruited him as live guitarist.
Ivan Coppola our drummer is part of Ulfhednar  (Black Metal) with whom is taking part in a lot of concert here in Italy. The new found vocalist Thierry Vaccher is the singer of Manner (industrial metal) and Ivan Cenerini and Michelangelo Iacovella as well as Mauro Ricotta (former guitar) are composing for an original Atmospheric Black Metal project call AITA.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
A balanced mix between Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal and Classic Pagan Folk .

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?
Here we need to make a brief list: Falkenbach, Manegarm, Moonsorrow, Draugr, Svartsot, Kawir, Istapp, Saor, Romuvos, Skyforger etc etc…
Nowadays they are pretty much the same with some occasional discoveries but in the same field as the one mentioned before.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Kick boxing, MMA, Historical re-enacment, D&D, Hiking, Trekking in nature and DRINKING ahahahah

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We hope to be able to bring this album everywhere and play as many live show as possible especially out of italy. But to do so we need to ask everyone of you a favor, be curious of new music, give a chance to small names because they might surprise you and if you can, support them as you can. We play and compose our music for all of you out there because we want to connect with you in some way, conveying our emotion and ourselves into our songs and nothing give us more happiness then knowing that you’re there headbanging in your car or at home or down the stage listening to us!

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Dyrnwyn/Sic Transit Gloria Mundi/SoundAge Productions/2018 CD Review

  Dyrnwyn  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Sic  Transit  Gloria  Mundi"  which  will  be  released  on  October  24th  by  SoundAge  Productions.

  Rain,  thunder  and  tribal  drumming  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the riffs  also  bringing  in  a  lot  of  melody  as  well  as  some  epic  sounding  keyboards  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording.

  Dyrnwyn  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Pagan  Roots  and  Ancient  Rome  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dyrnwyn  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sic  Transit  Gloria  Mundi"  "...Para  Bellum"  and  "L'assedio  di  Veio  -  CCCVCVI  A.C".  8/5  out  of  10.   

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Black Coven/Everlost/Moonlight Productions/2018 EP Review

  Black  Coven  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  pagan  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Everlost"  which  was  released  by  Moonlight  Productions.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal s creams.

  Death  metal  elements  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  in  the  90's  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Black  Coven  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  melodic  era  of  black,  death  and  pagan  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Coven  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death  and  pagan  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ovation  of  the  Wolves".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp; https://blackcovenband.bandcamp.com/releases

Spotify; https://open.spotify.com/artist/4HgGsEkQKGGSCAtuMinfZ2?si=3hy6VEuESPKTYX6W2K5fuQ

Deezer; https://www.deezer.com/en/album/74145372

iTunes; https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/everlost-single/1437276155?l=en

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

Official Website : www.blackcoven.com

Metal Archives; https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Black_Coven/3540445588

Thunderwar Interview

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


We played a couple gigs, including two with Mayhem. Generally speaking we are preparing for the release of our new album.




2.You have a new ep coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


It’s going to be a short but intensive stuff influenced by late Bathory and Crust Punk. A nice combination, isn’t it? The main difference is that the material has been recorded by the new drummer Pavulon. Our music got a solid kick thanks to his brilliant technique and feeling.




3, In your lyrics i have seen references to Slavic and Norse Paganism, Hindu, Aghori and other types of occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?


These are simply great topics for metal lyrics. To us the most important thing is to achieve harmony between the music and the subject of the lyrics -then it has a double effect. We like especially the Slavic mythology. It’s a fascinating topic that still is undiscovered.




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


In the very beginning the band was called Perun, the slavic god of thunder and war. To avoid potential pronunciation problems we decided to combine the two attributes and the result is Thunderwar


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


Regardless of stage size we want to play each concert better than the previous one. With the benefit of hindsight it’s difficult to say now which one was best because we’ve been trying to raise standards all the time. It would be easier to mention our worst gig 😊 When it comes to our gigs please don’t expect a theatre. The biggest fun for us is playing per se and watching people’s reaction to our music and not what we do on stage. Our weapons are instruments and not scenery.




6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the ep is released?


Yes, two concerts in Poland have been booked already. As for a full-featured tour we will think of it after the “Wolfpack” release


7.On the ep you had also covered a 'Darkthrone' song, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?


We are big fans of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto. We played the song on our concerts even before the release of our first album “Black Storm”. We thought due to its punk rock character it would fit perfectly the concept of our new release.


 8.The new ep is coming out on 'Lifeforce Records', how would you compare working with them to 'Witching Hour Productions'?


Currently we and Lifeforce Records are at an early stage of promoting “Wolfpack” so it’s too early to comment on that to the full but it is apparent they are acting efficiently and clearly.




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




We send our records to USA and Japan so it’s not that bad. More and more people are contacting us and asking about new stuff


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


Anything can happen. It’s difficult to predict how far we can go with our music.




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


The bands that influenced me most are Iron Maiden, Dissection and Bathory. But for some time now I’ve been listening to stuff like Wolfbrigade – Run With the Hunted, Bombus – Repeat Until Death or Judas Priest - Firepower




12.Outside of music, what are some of your interests?


History and SciFi. I’m a big “Star Wars” fan



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


Thank you for the interview and see you on our concerts!

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Thunderwar/Wolfpack/Lifeforce Records/2018 EP Review

  Thunderwar  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Wolfpack"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Lifeforce  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  tremolo  picking  bringing  in  elements  of  black  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  brings  in  elements  of  early  80's  era  traditional  metal  and  atmospheric  drones  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  track  bringing  in  melodic pagan  vocals.

  Thunderwar  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  old  school  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Occultism,  Mythology,  War  and  Psychology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Thunderwar  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wolfpack"  and  "Circle  Of  Runes".  8  out  of  10.

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Dystersol Interview

 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are Dystersol from Styria (Austria). Our band was founded back in 2013 and over the years we developed our unique style which is best described as modern metal.  What’s cool is that we are all from the same small village and know each other very well. Being in a band together can sometimes be quite tough, however, it’s a great pleasure to share all these band moments with some of your best friends.

2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
Since our first homegrown demo album a lot has changed. “Welcome the Dark Sun” was supposed to be an album with two contrary faces. The first part was quite heavy and serious, whereas the second part consisted of rather melodious and folkish songs. Even though the concept was interesting and contained a lot of meaning, the clear line of the musical genre was missing and the result was very diversified. On our new album “The Fifth Age of Man” we tried to create one coherent piece of music. Every single one of us had a huge influence on the songwriting and we took way more time for all the details regarding the songs, but also for everything apart from the music, like album artwork and band image, for example. Soundwise, the new album is much heavier. We got rid of almost all the clean vocals and the guitars are even more riff-based and aggressive than on “Welcome the Dark Sun”. Even though the folk influence is still recognisable in some parts, the synth sounds have become more broad and orchestral. Another big difference is of course the quality of the new album. While the first demo was recorded in our rehearsal room, “The Fifth Age of Man” was recorded professionally at Realsound Studio in Italy. The collaboration with our label Wormholedeath helped us to bring our music to the next level.

3.After 2014 you waited until 2018 to release the next album, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
First of all, we took a lot of time to write new material. After releasing our demo album, we felt that in some songs, the overall sound and especially regarding the artwork the love for detail was missing because we did everything under a lot of pressure. So, we wanted to think everything through carefully and take all the time we need for these details. In 2016, we had already started recording our next single on our own, when we first got in touch with Wormholedeath. They offered us a great deal to record a LP the following year, so we had to write a few more songs. We also spent a lot of time to find our identity as a band. It was clear that we had to define our sound and specify our image in order to become more professional. In early 2017 we did all the pre-recordings in our rehearsal room and made the final adjustments on our songs before we hit the studio in July. While we were waiting for the final results of our mixes and masters, we put a lot of effort into all the stuff surrounding the music, like merch, artwork, videos and so on. Of course, we also played a lot of concerts during this time.

4.Your lyrics cover 'Ancient Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
For many topics, it seems that they haven’t changed a lot over the centuries. Many of today’s human thoughts and problems are not vastly different from those hundreds or even thousands of years ago. What makes ancient texts and particularly mythology so interesting in our opinion is that they had a certain perspective on things which would not even be considered these days. They have a rather “free” (at least by today’s standards), ambivalent and variable view on life, moral and mortality.  Associating those views with our modern worldview brings up a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas to think about.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dystersol'?
Dystersol is Swedish and means dark - or rather gloomy sun. This oxymoron leaves room for interpretation in various ways, and can be seen as an allegory for numerous topics, as well. It involves an ambiguity which is part of humanity, and therefore, part of us, too. The dark side of the sun represents our awareness of misery and sorrow in the world, whereas the bright rays of the sun illustrate our positive attitude, as well as our passion for music we want to share with our audience.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
It’s really hard to pick the favourites because a lot of shows were great fun. Opening the amazing Kaltenbach Open Air back in 2015 was definitely one of the highlights of our career. It was our first festival show and the biggest stage we’ve played so far. What’s more, the Volk Metal Jacket tour 2017 has to be mentioned, especially the stop in Graz at the club Explosiv was really nice. We’re lucky that there are many great bands and passionate people who keep the Styrian metal scene alive and support each other.
7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We have a couple of upcoming shows in 2018, like the Volk Metal Jacket vol. 4 or the Dead Man Walking festival, for example. Currently, we’re also working on our album release show in early June. All the dates and details will be released on our website and Facebook page. At the moment, we have no upcoming tour, however, we hope that the new album gives us the chance to play more national and international shows and tours.
8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
The official release date of “The Fifth Age of Man” is on May 4th, so it’s a bit too early to talk about feedback. However, the response to our first single “Down to Nothing” has been very positive so far. Since the press release in March a couple of our songs have been broadcasted in radio stations all around the world, especially in the US. At the moment, we’re really excited about the feedback and we can’t wait to see the reactions.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
As we are just releasing this album, we haven’t talked about our future in detail, yet. Our further plans also depend on the reactions on “The Fifth Age of Man”. We’ve put a lot of time and energy into this album, which was really exciting, but also an enormous amount of work. We already have a couple of ideas for new riffs and lyrics and we’ll start to write new songs after the CD has been released.
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?
All of us are really open-minded when it comes to music. We all love heavy stuff, but each of us has slightly different preferences. In the early days, folk metal bands like Finntroll or Korpiklaani, but also heavy metal bands like Accept had a big influence on our first songs. Over the past years, heavier stuff like Kataklysm or InFlames has become more important. The rhythm section probably listens to the most extreme stuff like Dark Funeral, Benighted and The Black Dahlia Murder. One of our guitarists is really into post and atmospheric black metal. The other one is more an old school guy and likes Metallica and Pantera but also bands like Queens of Stone Age. Our singer has listened to almost everything over the years, but at the moment he is really looking forward to see Ex Deo this year.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We live in a small village where we’re surrounded by nature, so we often play football or basketball together or just spend some time outside and go swimming or hiking. Of course, also partying is an essential part of being a metal band, so we all share a passion for beer.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We want to thank all the people who supported us and helped to create “The Fifth Age of Man”. If you’re interested in our music or want to get in touch with us, visit our website and Facebook page to stay tuned.
Thanks for the interview

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Arkveid/Self Titled/Metal Scrap Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Arkveid  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2018  album  which was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  Fire  burning  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  folk  music  feeling  while  stringed  instruments  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  song.

  The  song  is  almost  40  minutes  in  length  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  when  they  are  utilized  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  the  slow  heavy  riffs  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  at  times  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Arkveid  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arkveid  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Arkveid/3540439066

Dystersol/The Fifth Age Of Man/WormHoleDeath Records/2018 CD Review

  Dystersol  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Fifth  Age  of  Man"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Pagan  war  horns  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  symphonic  direction  which  also  introduces  grim  black  metal  vocals  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  modern  death  metal  elements  in  the  riffs  and  growls  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  at  times.

  A  great  amount  of  folk  music  elements  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  female  vocals  also  being  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  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  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on a  couple  of  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Dystersol  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk,  symphonic  black,  melodic  death  and  modern  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  five  ages  of  man  as  described  in  Greek  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Dystersol  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fifth  Age  Of  Man"  "Winterking"  "Children  Of  The  Wasteland"  and  "End  Game".  8  out  of 10. 

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Wykan/Solace/2018 EP Review

  Wykan  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  doom,  stoner. psychedelic  and  blues rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Solace"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Shamanistic  and  tribal  style  chanting  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  blues  rock  direction  which  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  clean  70's  rock/proto  metal  style  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  retro  style.

  Black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  acoustic  guitars  and  psychedelic  elements  also  being  used  on  a  couple  of  songs  and when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized  and  on  a  couple  of  tracks  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Wykan  plays  a  musical  sound  that  takes  black  metal,  doom  stoner,  psychedelic  and  blues  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Ethnobotany,  and  the  Amanita  Muscaria  mushroom  rituals  that  are  performed  among  the  Saami  shamans  of  North  Europe.

  In  my  opinion  Wykan  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  stoner,  doom  metal,  psychedelic  and  blues  rock  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  original,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Wykan  (The  Shamanic  Trance)".  8  out  of  10.

https://wykan.bandcamp.com/releases

Grimner/Vanadrottning/Despotz Records/2018 CD Review

  Grimner  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a mixture  of  viking  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Vanadrottning"  which was  released  by Despotz  Records.

  Drum  beats  along  with  some  epic  and  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast beats  can  also  be  heard  and  clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  used  at  times.

  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  some  songs  also bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  a  lot  more  as  the  album  progresses  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Grimner  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking  and  folk metal  along  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Norse  Mythology,  Paganism,  War  and  Drinking  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grimner  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  viking  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vanadrottning"  "Kvallningssang"  "Dodens  Dan"  and  "Freja  Vakar".  8  out  of  10.

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Abinchova/Weltenwanderer/Massacre Records/2018 CD Review

  Abinchova  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Weltenwanderer"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Massacre  Records.

  An  epic  sounding  intro  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  stringed  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  screams  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  keyboards are  utilized  they  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling.

  Female  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  they  also  add  in  more  of  a  goth  and  operatic  feeling  while  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  growls  can  also  be  heard  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic guitars.

  Abinchova  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk  and  melodic  black/death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swiss  and  cover  Swiss  Mythology  and  Folklore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Abinchova  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Weltenwanderer"  "Eulemann"  "Pestwind"  and  "Sennenpuppe".  8/5  out  of  10.   

http://www.abinchova.ch https://www.facebook.com/Abinchova https://twitter.com/abinchova https://www.youtube.com/abinchova https://www.instagram.com/abinchova https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Zape1JhnU8g7iC1t9eEpR

  

Heidevolk 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?
Sure! First of all, most of us took some well earned time off from the band to get some rest and spend time with family and friends. In some cases that was needed after our pretty hectic touring schedule from the past 2 years. We played over a 100 shows together in this line-up, doing tours, festivals and even acoustic shows, and also spend a lot of time creating ‘Vuur vanVerzet’. Now that it’s finally released, we’ve started rehearsing again and are preparing ourselves for a busy and very promising 2018!

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I would say it’s a good mix of old and new Heidevolk. There’s definitely a vibe in some of the songs that connect with the early Heidevolk sound like the one we had on for instance ‘de Strijdlust is Geboren’. If you compare ‘Vuur van Verzet’ to the previous 2 albums ‘Batavi’ and ‘Velua’, there’s also a significant increase in traditional elements that we deliberately weaved into the songs. More violins, more instruments like nyckelharpa, Irish bouzouki, and on top of that a 24-piece male choir. So the new album is definitely more ‘folky’, epic, and traditional than recent Heidevolk. Doesn’t mean that it is less ‘metal’ in any way, since some of the songs are heavier and more metal than ever. There’s simply more balance in the mixture between these styles. A different approach. You could call that ‘the new and improved’ Heidevolk ;)

3.Your lyrics cover the history and culture of Gelderland and Germanic Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
Heidevolk is of course from the province of Gelderland, in the East of the Netherlands, close to the German border. When the band started out, the general idea was to combine metal music with a Viking choir. If you work with a choir, or at least with more than one voice, storytelling in the lyrics can be a natural thing. But the band also really wanted to tell these stories, the historic events in Gelderland, and the surrounding regions, and make those the center focus of the lyrics. And this of course comes from the basic interest in history and mythology that the founding members of Heidevolk already had back then, and it is this general interest in history that every single Heidevolk member has to this day, and also should have in my opinion, to be able to play in this band with the right attitude and mindset.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Heidevolk'?
Literally, it means ‘people of the heather’. The word ‘heide’ does not refer to ‘heathen’ as many people like to think. The Dutch word for that is ‘heiden’, with an extra ‘n’ at the end. When you visit the Veluwe, a ridge of hills filled with forests in the province of Gelderland, stretching out over more than 1000 km2, you will easily understand where the name Heidevolk comes from. The land in between the forests is largely covered by heath, or ‘heide’ as the Dutch call it. TheVeluwe is basically our backyard, the place where the band was formed, and where we draw inspiration from.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Oh, there have been many great shows, difficult to choose! Looking at recent years, I have to mention the gig we did at Hellfest in 2016. We played on one of the big tent stages, and when we were up, the place was absolutely packed with Heidevolk fans, from front to back. Outside the tent, all the way in the back, there were loads of people trying to watch the show from an impossible distance. But the atmosphere on that particular moment was magical. We felt it.The crowd felt it. It was one big party from start to finish, and one of the most memorable festival gigs we ever did. Another one to mention is a club show we did in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that same year in November. It was our first tour in South America, and instantly one to remember. The Sao Paulo show was crazy, somewhere around 1600 people in the venue, packed to the rim, singing along every single song. Really special, and they were really loud haha. But describing our live performances, I would say we all feel the same about this. It’s Rock and Roll, and that’s what we strive for on stage. A fun show to watch, with raw energy, lots of movement, emotion and passion, and loads of interaction with the crowd, as is usually tradition in the folk and pagan metal scene.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
You bet your ass we do haha! Next month we will start a 4-week European run under the moniker ‘FolkMetal Superstars’. Korpiklaani will headline, and support will come from us and our friends Arkona and Trollfest, together with a variety of local support acts. This will definitely be a big and fun tour, and we are really looking forward to it. Venues are already selling out as we speak! After this, we will most likely do a couple club shows, and then the whole festival season will start again. We’re already working on those dates, as well as another short tour halfway the year (location not yet determined), and nearing the end of 2018 we’ll schedule another long tour outside Europe. No specifics yet that I can tell you, unfortunately. But all in all, there’s going to be plenty of touring this year to support the new album.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of folk and viking metal?
Great! We still see an increase in fans and support with every new release that we put out there. We’re not complaining ;)

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Playing in a band such as Heidevolk demands a certain commitment. Of course, we are free to do whatever we feel like besides the band, but practically speaking there isn’t always enough time to do so. When there is, however, enough time to work on special projects and/or other bands, we do what we can or feel like. It varies with each individual member. For instance, I know that Rowan (Roodbaert) is focused on creating more music for himself whenever he has time on his hands, like he did in the past with ‘I shall move the Earth’. Lars (Nachtbreaker) also does vocals and bass in ‘Godenbloed’. Kevin (Storm) has a variety of projects and session jobs going on. As for me (Koen Vuurdichter), I still have my old band ‘Detonation’, in which I have been playing since 1997. I haven’t done much for that band these past years, but there are still plans to create another album whenever time permits it. We will see.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hard to say, although I’m pretty convinced Heidevolk will never completely change its’ style. Because then it would no longer be Heidevolk. As simple as that. So I’m sure the metal and folk influences will always remain, as will our trademark 2-vocalists. I cannot see that being changed in the future. But what WILL change then? Maybe more traditional instruments? Time will tell. I do think the band still has many paths to explore within the boundaries of this subgenre. There’s plenty of stuff we can try out, and still remain true to the bands’ original sound.

10.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?
Since Rowan (Roodbaert) wrote the majority of ‘Vuur van Verzet’, both musically and lyrically, it is whatever influenced him what ended up influencing us, haha. But of course, we all have our own influences. For me personally, looking at recent times, there have been a couple bands that inspired me, and that I really enjoyed listening to. ‘Leprous’, for instance. And more recently, ‘Soen’. These are not influences that directly influenced my guitar playing for Heidevolk, but more on a personal and psychological level it has done exactly that.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
That’s easy. For all the band members combined; nature, history and mythology. For me personal, I also enjoy astronomy, writing books and stories (as a published author), and spending quality time with my wife and son.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me, and thanks to the fans for reading this and supporting us! The response towards the new album has been overwhelming so far, and we cannot wait to repay that positivity by giving you a kick ass show in return somewhere around the globe!
Proost, and keep the Pagan Metal Brotherhood alive!
- Koen ‘Vuurdichter’ Romeijn.

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Arkona/Khram/Napalm Records/2018 CD Review

  Arkona  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Khram"  which  will  be  released  on  January  18th  by  Napalm  Records.

  A  very  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams,  spoken  words  and  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  folk  instruments  and  shaman  style  percussion  is  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  clean  female  vocals  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  a  more  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  all  of  the  musical instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars,  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  black  metal  edge.

  Arkona  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes folk,  pagan  and  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavic  Paganism,  Folk  Tales,  Legends  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arkona  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shtorm" "Khrom"  and  "Volchitsa".  8  out  of  10.

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