Magni Interview

https://magnifolk.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Magnifolk
https://deadgamesrecords.com/




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

Clint - It comes from The Neofolk and Pagan Black metal I have loved over the years I founding member of  As All Die ( Martial Neofolk/Noise) I wanted to bring some of those elements back with my love of bands like  Tenhi, Of the Wand and the Moon, Antimatter, Falkenbach and Blood Axis. Ryan brought in the Goth elements for sure esp on track 3 " The Watcher" which he does the vocals on.  Goto - https://magnifolk.bandcamp.com/  to hear and order !!!

 Ryan-The music of project is a folk Gothic metal Doom dark insane project that has melodies harshness and everything else in between

2.You have an ep coming out in September, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

Clint-  I would  Say  Folk, Black metal,  Northern European Pagan music and some Gothic Doom elements
Ryan-  Well at RPM Studios we went with a nice acoustic folk undertones and we just let the project grow as it was I wanted the Neil Young darker side of the folk doom style of music


3.A lot of your lyrics and the band name come from Asataru and Norse Paganism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this path?

Clint- I'm a worshiper of Asatru and have had a love of bands that follow that path so many to mention but many in Viking, Black, Death Metal and Neo classical and folks sides. I never take my hammer off even while sleeping. The lyrics are around how Raganok is the End and Rebirth of mankind all at once and how there is never really an ending, it's just the next cycle to something new. The name is just one of Thors son's and the only one to ever be able to use Mjölnir. The Germanic Gods are more like us then you think and we need to go back to the old ways or this world is doomed to suffer.

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

Clint- The cover is German Wheel of the year that shows the eight Sabbats for Festivals.

5.The ep is coming out on 'Dead Games Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Clint-  DGR is a label Ryan started years ago and then seemed to go into slumber He and I decided to give it a rebirth and release some of our material to start so 1st 4 releases are  Idiot Robot ( DeathPop/Indie Rock)  Magni ( Blackened Prog Folk)  Until the Sky Dies ( Death/Doom meets Odd Electro Post Metal) and The Slumbering ( Doom Noise). At this time it's a label just for our projects but who knows as we are fully focused on the label doing Limited CD or Cassette Runs for releases and well as full PR push through Against PR and have Digital Distro through all the major channels. goto http://deadgamesrecords.com its all there.

Ryan-For the record label we just don't do one style music it's whatever we like

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

Clint-As the album is not even out yet only time will tell. Those who have heard or pre-ordered the feedback have been very positive. Many say it the favorite thing I've done in years.

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

Clint- Until the sky dies, Kadaver/Listing, The Slumbering, Idiot Robot

Ryan- Ryan michalski AKA Spaceking, DeadDarkSlide, Idiot Robot


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

Clint- I'm working on new material already and it's going to be in the same common themes . Magni is a Pagan Folk Project with Blackened Metal and Gothic overtone. I hope to have a full length out by end of 2021

9.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?

Clint- Thergothon , Dolorian, Bethlehem, Fleurety, Manes, Queen, Monster Magnet, Neurosis, Swans, Cop Shoot Cop, Tenhi, Shudder to think, Nirvana, Blood Axis, Bathory, Marduk, Emperor, Devin Townsend, Dan Swano and Bolt thrower and the list goes on

Ryan- Neil Young , Pornos for pyros , Culture Club, The Cars ,  Ramones , G&R ,S.O.D, Metallica, M.O.D , Slayer
Listening to nowadays- Ed Sheeran, Lisa Loeb, That Dog & Green Day


10.What are some of your non musical interests? 

Clint- Working on Linux Computer, DC/Marvel Comics, Sci Fi, History ( Esp War themes and Religions), Cooking Shows, Some Horror and Thrillers.

Ryan- Housewives of Beverly Hills & Orange County . Watching horror movie & Sci-Fi movies watching NHL . Playing Dungeons & Dragons & Star Wars Legions and watching Christy knows best. And hanging out with my wife Milissa

Nemesium/Continua/Black Lion Records/2020 CD Review

  Nemesium  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Continua"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Records.

  Sci-fi  sound  effects  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  black  emtal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  progressive  and  technical  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Tribal  drumming  can  also  be  heard  briefly  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  can  also  be  heard  which  also  introduces  synths  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nemesium  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  "Archetype"  "The  Fire  And  The  Flesh"  "The  Dawn  Of  Retribution"  and  "Relive  this  Nightmare".  8  out  of  10.

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

https://youtu.be/fSt-TLiwqLY   

Magni/Self Titled/Dead Game Records/2020 EP Review

  Magni  are  duo  from  Phoenix,  Arizona  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  gothic  folk,  progressive  music  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  ep  which  will  be  released  in  September  by Dead  Games  Records.

  Folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  goth  style  vocals  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.  Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  drum  beats  also  being  added   into  certain  sections  of  the  tracks.

   One  track  also  introduces  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  while  grim  black  emtal  screams  can  also be heard briefly.  All  of  the  tracks  all  sound  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  always  sticking  to  very  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Magni  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dark  gothic  folk,  progressive  rock  and  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Magni  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  folk  music,progressive  rock  and  pagan  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ragnarok"  and  "Golden  Fields".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMQ112UQxwo        

Brotthogg/The Die Is Cast/2020 Full Length Review

  Brotthogg  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album "The  Die  Is  Cast"  which  will  be  released  in  August.

  Cinematic  sounds  start  off  the  album  before going  into  a  heavier  and  faster  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.   Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal screams  along  with  some  groove  metal  style  vocals   also  being  used  at  times and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  synths  can  be  heard  in certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  get  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  the  writings  of  Dante  and  philosophy  themes.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Brotthogg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nokturne"  "Draugen"  and  "Iacta  Alea  Est".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/iLXAA1dyamo   

    

Dunwich/Tail-Tied Hearts/Caligari Records/2020 CD Review

  Dunwich  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  prog,  darkwave  and  post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Tail-Tied  Hearts"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Caligari  Records.

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  returns  on  later  songs  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  darkwave.  Melodic  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  slower  riffing  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  psychedelic  sides  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  grim  black  emtal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Some  of  the  songs  also  show  the  music  bringing  in  more  of  a  progressive  style  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  post  punk  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dunwich  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal prog,  darkwave  and  post  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Dense  Woods"  "Mouth  Of  Darkness"  and  "The  Sea".  8  out  of  10.

http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/tail-tied-hearts 



  

Thyrant/Katabasis/Indie Recordings/2020 CD Review

  Thyrant  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Katabasis"  which  will  be  released  in  July  17th  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and epic  in  length.

  Clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  growling  style  vocals  also  being  used  in  certain  sections  of  the  songs  which  also  introduces  elements  of  death  metal  onto  the  recording.

  Some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  show  an  influence  of  groove  metal  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  being  instrumental  as  well  as  one  of  them  introducing  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  onto  the  album,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  fast  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  whispered  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  story  of  someone  going  through  difficult  moments  and  conquering  them.

  In  my  opinion  Thyrant  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Face  The Thyrant"  "Black  Oceans"  "KatabasisChapter  Iv".  8  out  of  10.

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Creature/Ex Cathedra/I, Voidhanger Records/2020 CD Review

  Creature  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  very  progressive,  symphonic  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Ex  Cathedra"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  Avant  garde  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  and  classical  music  elements.

  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  sounding black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  deep  death  metal  growls.  Horns  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  more  brutal  parts  of  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  having  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  which  they  also  mix  in  with  a  more  modern  style.  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. 

 One  of  the  later  songs  is  also  an  instrumental  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  some  dissonant  structures.  Elements  of  60's  to  80's  French  pop  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  violins,  acoustic  gutiars  and  hip  hop  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  and  cover  poetic,  metaphysical  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Creature  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  avant  garde  and  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fugue  en  Sol  Mineur"  "Note  Anticosmique"  and  "Ethemellement".  8  out  of  10.

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Helioss/Devenir Le Soleil/Satanath Records/Mourning Light Records/2020 CD Review

  Helioss  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays a  very  melodic,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Devenir  Le  Soliel"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Mourning  Light  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while symphonic  elements  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  track  also  introduces  stringed  instruments  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  being  programmed.  A  lot  of  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  touches  of  the  neo-classical  and  shred  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  melodic  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  synths  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  influences  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  dark  and  scientific  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Helioss  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  melodic,  symphonic  and  progressive  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Wall  Of  Certainity"  "Singularity"  "La  Lepre  Des  Hommes"  and  "Now...Shine!".  8  out  of  10.

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(0)/SkamHam/Napalm Records/2020 Full Length Review

  (0)  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "SkamHam"  which  will  be  released  on  April  24th  by  Napalm  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  growls  and  deep  growls  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive  and  post  metal  elements.  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  clean  playing  also  making  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  A  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  as  the  album   progresses  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  the  closing  track  is  also  an  instrumental. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  dark  and  gloomy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  (0"  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tyndere  end  Hud"  "Rod  Glorie"  and  "SkamHam".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/42qW87QjajI

    

3xperimental/Symphony Of Element/2020 CD Review

3xperimental  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "Symphony  Of  Element"  which  will  be  released  in  June.



  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Melodic  choirs  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.



  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  Progressive  influences  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.



  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  Nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  touches  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs,  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  adds  in  some  operatic  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  album  while  the  lyrics  cover  end  of  the  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  3xperimental  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Earth"  "Fire"  and  "Visions".  8  out  of  10.

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Hallowed Hands/Bleeding Pixels/Blue Bedroom Records/2020 EP Review

Hallowed  Hands  are  a  duo  from  Madison,  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Bleeding  Pixels"  which  was  released  by  Blue  Bedroom  Records.



  Growling  death  metal  vocals  and  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some black  emtal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  some  of  the  mid  tempo  riffing  and  shouts  shows  an  influence  of  hardcore.



  Elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  a  touch  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music.  Video  game  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  whole  recording  mostly  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly  on  the  closing  track  and  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Hallowed  Hands  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  sludge,  progressive  metal,  hardcore  and  video  game  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own. The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cove r video  games,  wasted  youth,  health  problems  and  growing  up.

  In  my  opinion  Hallowed  Hands  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  post  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  death,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bullet  Hell"  and  "Final  Form".  8  out  of  10.

  

Descent Into Maelstrom/Iconoclasm/Club Inferno Ent,/2020 CD Review

  Descent  Into  Maelstrom  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Iconoclasm"  which  will  be  released  on  March  25th  by  Club  Inferno  Ent. .

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  blackened  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  The  riffs  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences.

 There  are also  two  instrumental  tracks  presented  on  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  acoustic  guitars  also  return  in  some  parts  of  the  music.  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death,  consciousness  and  dram  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Descent  Into  Maelstrom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Misanthrope"  "Forgotten  Wisdom"  and  "The  Portal  Of  The  Elsewhere".  8  out  of  10.

 http://facebook.com/descentintomaelstromband 

  

Khôra Interview

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

KHÔRA was formed in Budapest around 2012-2013 when I was still doing my degree, but when I moved to Germany in 2015, was when I started to develop my old ideas and in 2016 I managed to release a small Demo



I have played drums in bands in the past, but always wanted to compose my own music and develop my own ideas and structure of music composition.



2.In April you have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous demo?

The demo that I released in 2016 was a bit more simple in terms of genre, it’s a bit more traditional atmospheric black metal, without vocals and without bass, as I didn’t have Kranos and Lars at that stage yet.



3.This is also your first release since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

This is the first release since 2016, not 2014.
Since 2016 I have moved to Ireland and from 2017 was busy settling and composing music, I wasn’t rushing the debut, I kinda let it cook on small fire, then in 2018 I had a bit more time and things sped up in terms of recording and production, and eventually looking for a label after the album was fully done.



4.The lyrics on the new album are also inspired by the writings of Plato, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his work?

Yes I think the centre of intellectual progress came from Greece, at least philosophically, and astronomy always fascinated me so my ideas are kind of a combination of the two



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

It’s a metaphysical idea of being and non-being, think of it as a formless interval, where the non physical essences are held



6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The story is about how to universe was created, three alien races/deities create the universe for man, the lyrics talk about the corruption of the mind, the purpose of life, future of the human race and existence.



7.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind expanding into a full band?

I wanted to represent my music properly, and for that I would have to add vocals, bass and the rest of it, I knew that the next step from the Demo is a debut and for that to happen it wasn’t enough to just have a full-length, but a properly recorded album, I was then lucky enough to find brilliant musicians such as Kranos on vocals and Lars on bass with whom I share the same passion for music and we mostly listen to similar bands, which makes it easier to organize everything


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

Not yet, we all live in different countries, I’m in Ireland, Kranos in Greece, Lars in Norway, Dan and Wayne are the two new Orchestra/Effects guys from the U.S.A, and the last member to join is Kjetil from Norway on Orchestrations and Keyboards.

I am however trying to get people within Ireland who may want to play my music and gig locally, to start with at least, I got a few interests and some recruitment is under way at present.


9.On the new album you also have a few guests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

There are quite a few guests yes, many different keyboard players appear on Timaeus because I couldn’t find a permanent member/s at the time.
I suppose the most known guest members would be Henri Sorvali from Finntroll/Moonsorrow who did Keyboards on one song.
Vicotnik from Dødheimsgard on vocals on one song.
Antti from And Oceans on keyboards.
Frederic from Orakle on vocals on two songs, plus his tips around recording were paramount.
Arn from Deathcode Society on vocals on one track
Erlend Antonsen from Quadrivium on Keyboards and a few others...


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

So far we’ve only released one single but the reactions were extremely positive and everyone has been very interested in getting their hands(or ears) on more songs so it means a lot, especially as it’s the debut, and I am mostly a drummer.



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

Kranos has a few projects, Savaoth is his own solo project which I personally listened to before knowing Kranos, and Arkhangelsk is his black metal band, they had an EU tour recently.
Lars is playing in Dødheimsgard which includes gigging around the world and also his project with his brother called INI, which is an amazing project and I highly recommend everyone to check it out.
Wayne and Dan play gigs and record with Wilderun, hopefully they have a gig in europe so we can meet!
Kjetil plays in Profane Burial, Haimad and in his own solo project called Hogstul, really good stuff


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

I think we will play more or less around this genre, but we will see, there is a concept for the next album already, but now we focus on releasing Timaeus


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

A variety of stuff obviously, but to name a few, I’d say Mayhem, Emperor, Dødheimsgard, Keep of Kalessin etc...

Oleg: nowadays I listen to Avslut, Nordjevel, Genesis.. yes yes.
Kranos: Ihsahn, Leprous and lots of Greek-Eastern-Balkan folk music😊
Lars: Corpo-Mente, Bölzer, Poppy
Wayne: Gorod, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Devin Townsend
Dan: Dark Fortress, Finntroll, Death Grips
Kjetil: Slagmaur, Burzum, Mayhem


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

We are humbled by your support, thank you!

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Khôra/Timaeus/Soulseller Records/2020 CD Review

  Khôra  are  a  band  with  members  from  Germany  and  Ireland  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  symphonic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Timaeus"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Soulseller  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  keyboards  onto  the  recording  that  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music also  mixing  the  symphonic  elements  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.  Some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  clean  vocals  onto  the  album  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.

 Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  add  in  some  session  work  from  members  of  Dodheimsgard,  And  Oceans  and  Finntroll  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  creation  of  the  universe  by  three  omnipotent  entities,  which  also  also  loosely  based  on  Plato's  dialogue  "Timaeus".

  In  my  opinion  Khôra  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  atmospheric  and  symphonic  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  "Noceo"  "De  Vetus  Ad  Novum"  "Existence"  and  "The  Occultation  Of  Time".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/KHORA.Official/ 

https://youtu.be/r1qJBj-mB4E 

Antipope/Apostle Of Infinite Joy/Fertile Crescent Productions/2020 Full Length Review

 
  Antipope  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  goth,  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Apostle  Of  Infinite  Joy"  which  was  released  by  Fertile  Crescent  Productions.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  whispered  vocals  are  also  utilized  briefly.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  heavier  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  also  done  in  a  grim  black  metal  style.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Some  songs  also  mix  in  some  influences  of  industrial,  goth  and  traditional  metal  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  add  in a   semi  melodic  tone.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism  and  self  realization  in  an  esoteric  and  metaphoric  sense.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Antipope  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Harbringer  Of  Dawn"  "Red  Goddess"  and  "Serpent  Of  Old". 8  out  of  10.

www.antipope.info
www.facebook.com/Antipope/
twitter.com/antipope_band
www.instagram.com/antipope_band/ 

 

   

Lychgate/Also sprach Futura/Debembur Morti Productions/2020 EP Review

  Lychgate  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  progressive  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  black  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Also  sprach  Futura"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Debembur  Morti  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  avant  garde  elements  along  with  the  faster  sections  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style.  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  funeral  doom  metal  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  blackened  screams  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  Clean  playing,  organs  and  mellotron's  can  also  be  heard in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  along  with  the  music  also  taking  some  of  the  mid  90's  avant  garde  black  metal  style  and  mixing  it  with  some  more  modern  influences.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  transhumanism,  simulacra  and  simulation,  post-humanity,  the  uncanny  valley,  Pygmalionism,  and  the  fictional  machine  Golem  XIV  which  exceeds  human  intelligence.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lychgate  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  avant  garde  black  metal  and  funeral  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Progeny  Of  The  Singularity"  and  "Vanity  Ablaze".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Lychgate

https://lychgate.bandcamp.com

Grey Skies Fallen/Cold Dead Lands/2020 Full Length Review

  Grey  Skies  Fallen  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Cold  Dead  lands"  which  will  be  self  released  in  2020.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  clean  playing  also being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  utilized  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars, at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  slower  musical  direction.

  On  this  recording  Grey  Skies  Fallen  goes  for  more  of  an  epic  style  of  doom  metal  while  still  mixing  in  some  elements  of  progressive,  melodic  black  and  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  despair  and  bleakness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grey  Skies  Fallen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cold  Dead  Lands"  and  "After  The  Summer  Comes To  Fall".  8  out  of  10.

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Messora Interview

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



Z- Messora is a band that plays a seemingly non-identifiable subgenre of Metal, but we attach the label Progressive Death Metal for the sake of fitting somewhere. It’s pretty much a one-man band/solo project with me, Zach Dean, at the head of the project. The first live lineup was formed in early 2017.



2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?



Z- The style that we were going for was definitely within the “Progressive Death Metal” realm, but we weren’t trying to sound “Proggy” or like any particular prog band. I had lots and lots of ideas that I wanted to put into each song and lots of moods that I thought should be explored and touched on in each piece, which resulted in the record having many long, multi-faceted songs, and each song bringing a different atmosphere and mood to the whole. The idea was also always to be conceptual, in the traditional sense in terms of lyrical theme, but also musically by having each song fit perfectly with the others and creating an overarching work and not just a collection of songs.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?



Z- The Door is a concept album that explores the desire to escape from the world, how one achieves this escape and what one is running from in the first place. I think that many people can relate to this situation in a variety of ways, so the lyrics are fairly obscure and “big picture” rather than focused on a particular situation.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Messora'



Z- The name is extremely meaningless. I wanted to use the name Messorem, which is Latin for the word Reaper. There were already a few bands using that name, so I altered the word and that that it was fitting.



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



Z- The artwork was drawn by my sister Maya. She’s a phenomenal artist, and she’s only 17 years old. It’s meant to depict the “character” that the lyrics revolve around, the person wanting to escape. The figure is being pulled towards outside of the frame, representing the deep desire and pull that they feel to escape their world and be thrown into a different one.



6.The band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind expanding into a full line up?



Z- I was playing in a band called Whispers in the Maze with Ben, our current bass player. I had asked him to record bass on an early version of the song The Door, and we were both so happy with the way that that song turned out that we decided that the project needed to expand into the live world, and not stay just a solo recording project. At the time the project didn’t have a name or anything behind it, but we completed the live lineup pretty quickly and it’s been going well ever since.



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



Z- Montréal has been very kind and welcoming to us. The band was originally formed in the Ottawa region but I’ve relocated the project here, and it’s been very nice here. The first time that we played at Piranha bar here in Montréal was extremely memorable. Everyone was so into it, the whole place was on fire. Rob the Witch from Necronomicon was there, and came up and congratulated all of us on our performance. I still see him wearing one of our shirts sometimes. More recently, we played our release show for The Door at a place called O Patro Vys. It’s a smaller venue but it has a cool vibe and we packed the place. It was super satisfying, everyone had great things to say about the show and the album, and the atmosphere was full of love and support.



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



Z- Unfortunately the current live lineup is not extremely well equipped or touring, so we’re not going to be able to hit as many cities as I would have liked to. We did our release show in Montréal, and at the moment we’ve got Pembroke and Ottawa coming up, with a possible date in North Bay as well. The touring will definitely get more intensive in 2020.



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



Z- I honestly don’t know whether I want to work with a label in the future. I am planning on doing a bit of “label shopping” for our next release, but my decision to work with a label will come down to the type of deal that we get. As it stands working independently is going very well for us, so I would need to be offered a beneficial deal in order to want to give up this independence.



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



Z- The record has been receiving a lot more attention internationally than I had initially expected. We’ve had Bandcamp sales in Poland, Slovenia, Mexico, Japan, the US, and the Netherlands to name a few. Most of our Spotify listeners are also American rather than Canadian, which I found surprising. It’s cool to see, I really didn’t expect the record to reach this far after having been released for not even two weeks. The record has also been reviewed by many foreign publications, and always positively.



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



Z- I have plenty of ideas for the future of Messora, and I think we’re going to have a heavily varied discography in the coming years. I think it’s going to get more experimental and progressive, and at the same time more simple and streamlined. I think it’s going to stay generally conceptual. The Door is already fairly out there and challenging, so I don’t feel that we’ve painted ourselves into a corner musically or anything like that. I think that those who enjoy our debut will be along for the ride for wherever we go in the future. I’m very excited to see what we come up with.



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?



Z- The bands that I listened to the most when I was getting into the heavier side of metal, around the time that I was 15ish, were Slayer, Opeth, Lamb of God, Children of Bodom and Whitechapel. I think that naturally your first influences are often the ones that stick with you the most. I don’t think that our music sounds like any one of these bands at all, but you can absolutely hear the influence there. I’ve obviously discovered and fell in love with countless bands since then, but I feel like these five bands are the foundation of what I do in terms of heavy music. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of old Prog, namely Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson and Camel. It’s crazy to me how out there these bands wanted to be and how far they wanted to push Rock music. I’ve also been interested in simpler and more textural music, like Swans and the latest Daughters album.



13.What are some of your non musical interests?



Z- I like reading quite a bit, fictional novels as well as comic books. I’ll usually try to discover new books by buying ones that seem interesting for super cheap at thrift stores. Sometimes I’ll find an absolute gem (The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran comes to mind), but sometimes I end up loathing what I’ve gotten myself into and just want to finish it so I can move onto something else (Twilight of The Idols by Nietzche, total wankery). I’ve recently been enjoying bouldering with my friends as well, but that takes a toll on my arms and makes it difficult to play guitar so I don’t really see myself becoming a climber any time soon.



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



Z- Go listen to The Door! It was extremely satisfying for us to make it and I’m extremely proud of the album. Go read the lyrics while you’re at it.

Thanks a lot

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