Messora/Burn/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Messora  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Burn"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

    A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  The  album  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  which  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  acoustic  ballads,  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  either  s  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Messora  takes  melodic  black,  doom,  death  and  progressive  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  diverse  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Messora  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seed"  "Respite"  adn  "Winter".  8  out  of  10.

  https://found.ee/O8E6oQ

https://www.facebook.com/MessoraBand/

https://www.instagram.com/messoraband/

https://messora.bandcamp.com/        

Mind Erasure/Connive/Soman Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Mind  Erasure  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Connive"  which  was  released  by  Soman  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes,  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  while  percussion's  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  having  their  atmospheric  moments.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  singing  and  choirs  as  well  as  some  female  vocals  and  whispers  also  being  utilized  briefly,  one  song  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  battles,  violence  and  schizophrenia  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mind  Eraser  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  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  "Azrael"  "Sour  Eyes"  and  "As  First  Light  never  Comes  Part  III:  Life's  Epilogue".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/OaIZpH1GLU8

https://www.facebook.com/MindErasure/

https://www.instagram.com/mind_erasure/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MindErasure

https://minderasure.bandcamp.com/album/connive

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pEpN1fdyWU1lOs1okfi8A

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mind-erasure/976409168    

The Wolves Of Avalon/Y Gododdin/Godreah Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

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  The  Wolves  Of  Avalon  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Y  Gododdin"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Godreah  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  briefly  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  blackened  metal  style  while  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Clear  pagan  vocals are  also  utilized on  a  lot  of  tracks  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  having its  progressive  moments.  Session  work can  also  be  heard  from  members  of  Venom  Inc,  Drudkh,  Taake,  Forefather  and  Aklash  and  most  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  style.

  On  this  recording  The  Wolves  of  Avalon  takes  their  pagan  style  of  folk  metal  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  ancient  battles  described  in  the  ancient  Welsh  poems  written  by  the  bard  Aneirin.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Wolves  Of  Avalon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  pagan  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Men  Of  Gododdin"  and  "Dead  mans  Cloak's"
.  8  out  of  10.

  www.thewolvesofavalon.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thewolvesofavalon

https://youtu.be/McD2wn1QkxI  

Antipope/Rex Mundi/Moribund Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Antipope  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Rex  Mundi"  which  will  be  released  on  October  28th  by  Moribund  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  introducing  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  onto  the  recording.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also b e  hear d in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.

  Melodies  are  also added  into  a  lot  of t he  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  and  power  metal  style  singing.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  Albigensian  Crusade  and  Cathar  Wars  in t he  1200's.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Antipope  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  death,  doom,  power  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rex  Mundi  Aeternum"  "Glory  Of  Slaughter"  "Twilight  of  The  Grey  Gods"  and  "Hell  On  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

    

        

In The Woods... Interview

 

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

Nils: Covid happened. And James split. Which led us to Bernt taking over the microphone. We had already recorded lots of the songs, and Bernt got "thrown into it". We received vocals pretty quickly, and we were amazed. It was like In The Woods… became more ITW than ever before. And thats where we are at.

2.You have a new album coming out in November, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Nils: Good question. ITW have always progressed, not "stopped" in one type of style etc… But you know, making music it should be about making what you like, not about what you think others will like. And thats what we do, and have in the past.

3.The band was broken up for 14 years, what was the cause of the split and the decision to reform?

Nils: I was not in the band when they split, but Anders had an injury where he thought he never could perform again. And then he found out he could. He then had an "awakening", where he got a clear vision that he had to start up ITW again in honour of Oddvar AM. I also knew Oddvar, and i know he would have wanted ITW to continue.

Kåre: Well, I joined the band in 2015, but these stories have come up a few times over the years in conversations with both Anders Kobro and former members. I think the easiest way to explain the split back in the early 2000s was that each character of the band was floating their own way, wanting to explore other things in life, while the opportunity still was there.

4.After the release of the first full length in the 90's you stopped using the black metal screams and harsh vocals but they have returned on your current releases, what was the decision behind bringing back this vocal approach?

Nils: What suits the songs should be used vocally i think. Bernt can do all sorts of things, and so he use it where it fits in. He probably have the best answer to it.

I scream and growl myself, and being in a metalband, it is a cool thing to add. Personally i listen to bands that use both clean/growl and shrieks. I love stuff that is more than "one style", both musically and vocally.

Kåre: As Nils stated above, its about what suits the songs and not what we need or should use. With the former vocalist James Fogarty and current vocalist Bernt Fjellestad, the screams and harsh vocals comes more naturally than the original singer. Also they can do it without hurting their throat.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer release and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Bernt Fjellestad: Most of the topics are totally random. They cover everything from the political wiev to more....carnal desires. I was given full freedom over the lyrics and what to sing so I experimented a lot with different styles. Personally I (Bernt Fjellestad) were not that involved in the songwriting due to most of the songs were completed when I joined. We are already writing together new material as we speak by the way.

6.A lot of your lyrics over the years have also covered Paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about what this path means to you?

Anders: Back in the days we where hugely influenced by nature, philosophy and norse culture/mythology. So obviously we where in a realm of paganism. We called our music in early days Pagan Metal. 

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork tha tis presented on the new album cover? Kåre: Max Winter did the artwork, he also did Pure and Cease the Day. Max likes to read the lyrics for the album and sit down and start with a sketch. This one turned out very different from previous ones, and is done in a different type of style compared to the two earlier ones. It is up to each one of us to say what it means and gives, but you can see that all hope is out, but if you try to focus on the smaller things and leave the big picture out of things for a while, somewhere in the vast, there is hope. 

8.In the 90's when you first came out you where very different from the rest of the Norwegian scene and there seemed to be mixed reviews back then, do you feel you where ahead of your time and also influenced the newer bands that started stretching the black and pagan metal genres into different musical territories?

Kåre: Well as a music fan I must say that HEart of The Ages was ahead of time, the structure in the songs and the brilliant mystique that lies all over the record. They way vocals where switched between very harsh screaming and then to the soft beautiful voice. You can see this in In The Woods… today and many other bands. I think In The Woods… have influenced other bands to go a little more out of those typical border lines you find in metal genres, which can get to a point where it gets boring. Some bands do it very very well, and all honor to them. For us its again, to make a song we want to make. 

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

Nils: Our two recent ones actually (Cosmic Void London and Summer dying loud in Poland). We have fun. We like what we do. And we function in our dysfunction haha.

Kåre: Well thats a hard question for me to answer, because all the shows I’ve played with this band has had their own little things that I want to remember. Some crowds are wild, some are quiet, but never boring. The two last one we had where phenomenal and ranks up there with the absolute best ones. I always say that I really want to go back to Greece to play. On stage we try to have fun, and try to mend our energy and adrenalin with the crowds energy and adrenalin. 

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

Nils: European tour in March/April i think/hope. We hope to play as much as we can. We are back on Redback promotion, and are eager to play…

11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by your long time fans?

Nils: Only positive reaction i guess. There will always be the ones that wants the old stuff, but you cant bring back the past like that, and we as a band want to progress, not copy what has been…

12.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?

Nils: Kåre is writing new music for his solo moniker KAS, and me and Anders have an album with My solo moniker Drivdal.

We all have the love for music, we breathe it, and cant simply stop making it.

Kåre: Yes I’m working on the follow up to my first album under the alias KAS. Other than that, its about time to sit down and write some new In The Woods… songs for the next album. 

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

Nils: We evolve together, so its hard to say really. But we progress, and we play ball musically, and so we try to mold the songs together to make it better.

14.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Nils: I listen a lot to Wormwood, Tribulation and Witchery. Also i listen to Edge of Sanity, as always. Fucking brilliant. I think Bernt actually worked with Dan on some musical project of his.

Kåre: On repeat the last weeks has been Guy Clark and I just discovered a brilliant band when we played in London.. Make A Change… Kill Yourself. Brilliant band! 

Bernt: Nowadays I listen to a lot of synthwave and folk music, but I always come back to good ol’ Edge Of Sanity, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Amorphis and, of course, Judas Priest.

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

Nils: Just want to Thank you so much for showing interest in us, it means a great deal to us…

Kåre: Cheers for your time! Album pre-orders are available at the links below:

World (physical): https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com 

Americas (physical): http://soulsellerrecords.aisamerch.com

Digital: https://orcd.co/diversum 

Memories Of A Lost Soul Interview

 

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

We replaced the rhythm section of bass and drums because it was slowing us down.

I'm not just talking about speed of performance but also the scarce time they could devote to the band, later during the pandemic time we recorded these pieces and I finished the recording studio so that we could record quickly in the future as well, since many of the problems in the past depended on the slow recording methods. Now we have landed in the My Kingdom Music family and we are very happy with this new beginning.

2.You have a new album coming out october, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Honestly it's still related to the past as concept and music, it's a new beginning but continues from the previous speech, compared to the past we are favoring violence in the songs, just to wake up.

3.Since 2004 there has only been 2 albums released, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait in between releases?

As I explained to you before this is due to the slow recording studios in our country, our always busy former sound engineer is to blame for this, as well as some lineup changes that have obviously slowed us down, but the lineup now is stable and works better than ever and we boast our own recording studio.

4.A lot of the lyrics on the new album cover horror and science fiction themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics? 

I have always been a lover since I was a boy of this, both of Lovecraft and Asimov and other writers, with time and movies the passion has increased, of course the texts are affected, in Memories there is this horror and despair typical of these atmospheres, with some examples in our days and also related to everyday life.

5.What if the meaning and ispiration behind the name Memories of a lost soul?

This not many people know, actually besides being precisely a collection of my memoirs, it is also the final manuscript in the video game alone in the dark, one of the first games based on Lovecraft's world.

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

The artwork is by our drummer who is also a professional working graphic designer, the idea started with me and then we developed it together.

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

 Among the most important festivals I would say Agglutination Metal Fest, some dates with Vision Divine, Rotting Christ and Grave.

I always try to communicate through looks and gestures what's going on in the piece, in general I aspire to a very theatrical performance.

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

We have the record presentation in Palermo, some dates between Sicily and Calabria never fail, being from the deep south unfortunately it is often difficult to move, even economically speaking.

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

Let's say we are neither death black nor gothic in fact, the sound has evolved over time into a kind of dark and progressive soundtrack, consequently true fans, loyal to one current, I don't know how they can see us, we believe in general that we make beautiful music, beyond any genre.

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

I know that those who play with me get involved in other projects often, but honestly that has never interested me, what matters is the presence in Memories for me.

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

I hope for more and more sharing, I am not interested in money, but I would like our music to reach everyone.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles the nand members are currently listening this days?

Hypocrisy, Moonspell, Mgla, Dark tranquillity, In flames, Rotting christ, Septic flesh, Kalmah, Samael but also many others.

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

We also already have the writing of another future record ready, a remastering of Distorted Perceptionz, our first album, and much more... so we won't make our fans wait so long anymore, especially now with the possibility of recording us right away.

http://facebook.com/memoriesofalostsoulofficial 

In The Woods.../Diversum/Soulseller Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  In  the  Woods...  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  progressive  rock  and  avant  garde  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Diversum"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Soulseller  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Clear  pagan  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  more  of  an  avant  garde  approach  to  metal  and  black  metal  screams  and  growls  are  also  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive  elements  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  one  song  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album.

  Most  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  more  modern  style  which  is  also  different  from  their  earlier  releases  as  well  as  being  aggressive  than  what  was  released  towards  the  end  of  the  90's  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  most  of  the  music  also s ticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Philosophy  and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  In  The  Woods...  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  rock  and  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Coward's  Way"  "A  Wonderful  Crisis"  and  "Your  Dark".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Scars Of The Flesh/In Darkness Alone/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Scars  Of  The  Flesh  are  a  band  from  San  Antonio,  Texas  that  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "In  Darkness  Alone"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  some  of t he  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a very  melodic  style.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  clean  guitars  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  some  keyboards  are  also  utilized  on  a  couple  of  tracks,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  they  also b ring  in  some  Behemoth,  Dimension  Zero,  Amon  Amarth  and  Metallica  covers.

  Scars  of  the  Flesh  plays  a  musical  st6yle  that  takes  the melodic  and  progressive  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scars  Of  The  Flesh  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hooded  one"  "Memory  Unknown"  and  "Victorious  March".  8 out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/scarsoftheflesh     

  

Memories Of A Lost Soul/Redefining Nothingness/My Kingdom Music/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Memories  Of  A  Lost  Soul  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Redefining  Nothingness"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

 Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clear  gothic  metal  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  can  also b e  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.

  Death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  the  songs  also  take  a  90's  style  and  mixes  it  with  the  more  modern  era  of  the  genre  and  one  track  also  introduces  female  vocals  onto  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover horror,  science  fiction  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Memories  Of  A  Lost  Soul  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic,  progressive  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They're  Coming  From  The  Stars"  "The  Unspoken  Dracula"  and  "In  The  Eye  of  Nothingness".  8  out  of  10.

  http://facebook.com/memoriesofalostsoulofficial   .        

Brotthogg/Epicinium/2022 Full length Review

 

  Norway's  Brotthogg  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Epicinium"  which  will b e  released  in  October.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  tremolo  picking  can  also be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  reocrding  Brotthogg  takes  their  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  into more  of  a  progressive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropic  and  philosophical  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  "When  The  Curtain  Falls"  "Ravn"  and  "Possessed".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Silence Oath/From The Womb Of The Earth/Elevate Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Silence  Oath  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  vey  symphonic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "From  The  Womb  Of  The  Earth"  which  will  be  released  by  Elevate  Records.

  A  very  tragic  keyboard  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  symphonic  sounds  in  the  music  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  clean  playing  also  taking  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction  when  they  are  utilized  

 When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along with  some  melodic  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  the  recording  also  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Silence  Oath  is  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "When  The  Pillars  Come  Down"  and  "Eradicate  The  Firmament".    8  out  of  10.

    https://www.facebook.com/silenceoath/  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKr-a7U26Xk&feature=youtu.be

    

Nothing Is Real/The End Is Near/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Nothing  Is  Real  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  ":The  End  Is  Near"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  more  of  a  stoner  vibe.

  Psychedelic  touches  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  drones  also  returning  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  showing  the  music  also  adding  in  more  mid  tempo  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  covers  the  end  of  the  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Nothing  Is  Real  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  black,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "THE  (Pt.  1)"  "END"  and  "NEAR  (pt.  2)".  8  out  of  10.

  

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An Abstract Illusion/Woe/Willowtip Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Woe"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Willowtip  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  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  style  while  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  touches  of  electronica  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  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  riffs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  poetic  atmosphere  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  death  and  humanity  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  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  "Slaves"  and  "In  The  Heavens  Above,  You  Will  Become  A  Monster".  8  out  fo  10.

  https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/woe    

Dawnwalker/House Of Sand/Room 132/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Dawnwalker  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  progressive  form  of  post  metal  with  elements  of  folk  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  theri  2022  album  "House  Of  Sand"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Room  132.

  Clear  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  post  metal  style  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  acoustic  guitars  also  add  in  touches  of  folk  music  when  they  are  utilized.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  touches  of  indie  rock.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  a  cover  of  Elvis  Presley's  "House  Of  Sand"  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  violin's  and  piano's  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  darker  side  of  the  human  psyche.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dawnwalker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demon  Of  Noontide"  "Egypt"  "Coming  Forth  By  Day"  and  "House  of  Sand".  8  out  of  10.

  https://dawnwalker.uk 

https://dawnwalker.bandcamp.com 
https://facebook.com/dawnwalkeruk 
https://instagram.com/dawnwalkeruk 

https://twitter.com/dawnwalkeruk   

  

Destrania/Divine Archaic Lore/20220 Full Length Review

 

  Destrania  are  a  solo  project  from  Clarkston,  Washington  that  plays  an  instrumental,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "Divine  Archaic  Lore".

  Symphonic  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  add  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  black  and  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  classical  music  at  times  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Destrania  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  symphonic,  progressive  metal  and  neo-classical  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Destrania  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abandoned"  and  "The  Mountain  Of  Sorrow".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/QMqLCtlFfTU

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GxBHSWQP1ThU7wcs8n0Zk

https://music.apple.com/us/album/divine-archaic-lore-2022-remastered-version/1614810132 https://www.facebook.com/destraniaofficial https://www.instagram.com/destrania_music/ https://spoti.fi/3xyO1PC https://apple.co/3n1y9QO https://amzn.to/3y7NFks

      

  

Serpent Ascending/Hyperborean Folklore/I, Voidhanger Records/2022 CD Review

 

  Serpent  Ascending  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "Hyperborean  Folklore"  which  will  be  released  on  June  17th  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  some  hypnotic,  melancholic  and  psychedelic  touches  at  times  as  well as  some  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  also  being  utilized  briefly  when  one  of  the  songs  speeds  up.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric,  occult,  Hyperborean,  Norse  and  Finnish  folklore  and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Serpent  Ascending  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hyperborean  Folklore"  and  "Skadi's  Longing  For  The  Mountains".  8  out  of  10.

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hyperborean-folklore      

IATT/Magnum Opus/Black Lion Records/2022 CD Review

 

  IATT  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Magnum  Opus"  which  was  released  by  Black   Lion  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  Orchestra  sounds  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  saxophones,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  esoteric  sciences  of  Alchemy  from  the  17th  century.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  IATT  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Servitude,  Subjagate"  "Elixir  Of  Immortality"  "Planes  Of  Our  Existence"  and  'Chrysopoeia".  8  out  of  10.

https://linktr.ee/IATT_Official 
https://facebook.com/iamthetrireme 
https://www.instagram.com/iatt_official 
https://twitter.com/iamthetrireme 

https://www.youtube.com/user/RXSTRR