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 



  

Okkultokrati/La Ilden Lyse/Southern Lord Recordings/2020 CD Review

  Norway's  Okkultokrati  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  mixture  of  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "La  Ilden  Lyse" which  was  released  by  Southern  Lord  Recordings.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  black'n'roll  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore  punk  while  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  psychedelic  and  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  The  guitar  riffing  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.,  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Okkultokrati  takes  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Thelema,  Occultism,  Moon  Worship  and  Transcending  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Okkultokrati  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thelemic  Threat"  "Grimoire  Luciferian  Dream"  "Kiss  Of  Death"  and  "The  Dying  Grass  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.okkultokrati.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/okkultokrati

http://www.okkultokrati.bandcamp.com

Wykan/Brigid: Of The Night/2019 EP Review

  Wykan  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  psychedelic  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and  heavy  blues  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "Brigid:  Of  the  Night"  which  will  be  released  in  June.

  Clean  guitars  start  off  the  ep  while  the  solos  and  leads  add  in  touches  of  blues  rock  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  The  music  also  adds  in  a  good  amount  of  stoner  rock  touches  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  On  this  recording  Wykan  remains  true  to  their  mixture  lack,  psychedelic  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and  heavy  blues  from t heir  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Celtic  Paganism  and  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wykan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  lack,  psychedelic  doom  metal,  stoner  rock  and  heavy  blues,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Breo  Saighead".  8  out  of  10.

http://bravewords.com/news/exclusive-wykan-premieres-breo-saighead-triple-goddess-single   

Waste Of Space Orchestra/Syntheosis/Svart Records/2019 CD Review

  Waste  of  Space  Orchestra  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  consists  of  members  from  Oranssi  Pazuzu  and  Dark  Buddha  Rising  that  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Syntheosis"  which  will be  released  in  April  by  Svart  Records.

  Avant  garde  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times  as  well as  mixing  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  psychedelic  sounding  mixing  the  60's  sound  with    more  modern  style.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  tremolo picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  which  also  expands  on  the  black  metal  influence  that  is  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  and  mid  tempo  parts.  Keyboards,  electronics  and  effects  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  tracks.

  Some  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  also getting  very  shamanistic  and  ritualistic  sounding  at  times.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  getting  more  diverse,  one  track  also  introduces  demonic  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept album  involving  3  beings  and  their  search  for  knowledge  along  with  some  shamanistic,  occult,  esoteric  and  alien  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Waste  of  Space Orchestra  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  psychedelia,  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Void  Monolith"  "Journey  To  The  Center  Of  Mass"  "Infinite  Gate  Opening"  and  "Syntheosis".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/wasteofspaceorchestra/

Dreams Of The Drowned/Self Titled/Cult Of Nine Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Dreams  Of  The  Drowned  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  psychedelic  avant  garde  black/gray  metal  and  anarcho  post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  album  which  will  be  released  on  March  20th  by  Cult  Of  Nine  Records.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  first  track  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction.  A  great  amount  of  dissonant  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  clean  avant  garde  style  vocals  also  being   utilized  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  music,  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Elements  of  post  punk  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  as  well as  some  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times  Some of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  psychedelic  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music.

  They  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Dodheimsgard  "Midnattskogens  Sorte  Kjerne".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  European  Witchcraft,  atypical  mental  states,  the  feeling  of  loss,  the  forest,  the  will  to  reclaim  long-gone  connexions  and  power  from  within,  and  the  urge  to  properly  name  and  subsequently  confront  power-overs.

  In  my  opinion  Dreams  Of  the  Drowned  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  avant  garde  black/gray  metal,  psychedelic  and  anarcho  post  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conciliabules"   Real  And  Sound"  and  "Danced".  8  out  of  10.

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Wykan/Solace/2018 EP Review

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

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

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

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

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

https://wykan.bandcamp.com/releases

Greyfell Interview

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

We recorded this album 2 years ago, we are currently composing new songs.
Now we are a four-piece band, it changes a lot of things, so we are working with this new line up and booking couple of good gigs for the next months

There is also something really cool, we are working on with friends on a new concept for us, two bands writing an album together.

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

It's hard to precisely describe, it's a huge evolution on many aspects, but we think about it as a continuity of the first album. We also made a big work to find new sounds and textures. All those researches led us to different atmospheres.


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

The lyrics were written the same way on this album than they were on the first. It's always related to personal subjects, like an introspection treated in a metaphoric way.
The topics evolve in the same time than we do.

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

The name Greyfell comes from the Nordic mythology, it's one of the different universe that we draw inspiration from.


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


Our trip to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem was a great adventure. Playing at the Motocultor festival this summer was massive. We also had a lot of good memories during some « wild » tours across Europe.
And about the stage performance, I think you’d better ask this question to someone in the crowd :)

6.DO you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We are working on a couple of mini tours in France for the release of the album.
We are talking about booking a European one this summer.

7.The new album was released on 'Argonauta Records' and 'Atypeek Music', are you happy with the duo support that they have given you so far?

Yes, it is new for us, we are very happy to release this album with two labels, It's great to have this collaboration supporting us, and it really makes this release happening in a good spirit.

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

Our first album was relatively confidential.
This one has just been released so we have to wait a little more to have feedbacks.
I think we cross over different styles and inspirations so that many people can get in our music, whatever the scene or the predilection kind of music they like. Some people might think we are not enough in one style or another, but that is the way we like it.


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

That's sure that we will go on experimenting and digging all the time about what we create as a band. That's the way we do music. We will continue to multiply influences to stay in a constant evolution.

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

There are a lot of bands and musical scenes that influence us. It can be Kraut Rock, Death Metal or D-beat Punk, it depends of the mood. we listen to a lot of bands and I guess that they all have a part of influence in our music. This week I only listened to Leftover Crack and Booba’s latest album.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We are active within the Soza collective, who presents and broadcasts different forms of art and expression. We try to mix up every disciplines in a same way of apprehending things, the same spirit in different medias. It's a big part in our lives when we are not playing music.


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

We hope you will enjoy our new album.
Support your local scene.
We have a lot of friends who release music stuff through the Soza collective like The Sharkettes, MNNQNS, Elephants or Servo, go listen to them and support

Can't wait to tattoo my face myself with a sewing needle to make my mom cry.
Keep in touch in 2018 for the new stuff we are working on.

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Greyfell/Horsepower/Argonauta Records/2018 CD Review

  Greyfell  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom, stoner  metal,  psychedelic  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Horsepower"  which  was  released  by  Argonauta  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  stoner  style  melodies  along  with  the  clean  vocals  bringing  in  more  of  a  traditional  doom  metal  feeling  as  well  as  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  psychedelic  elements.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with  the  melodies  also  adding  in  touches  of  post  hardcore  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  sticking  to  a  very  slow  direction,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  synths  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  atmospheric  feeling.

  Greyfell  plays  a  musical  styles  that  takes  black,  stoner.  doom  metal,  psychedelic  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Greyfell  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  stoner,  doom  metal,  psychedelic  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Horses"  and  "Spirit  Of  The  bear".  8  out  of  10. 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Greyfellband

Bandcamp: https://greyfell.bandcamp.com

Cormorant/Diaspora/2017 CD Review

 Cormorant  are  a  band  from  California that  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death,  folk,  psychedelic  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Diaspora'  which  will  be  released  in  August.

  Drum  beats  along  with  some  fast  tremolo  picking  and  a  few  blast  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  the  riffs  start  getting  more  melodic along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  death  metal  growls  also being  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  great  amount  of  funeral  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slow  guitar riffing  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  a  few  songs  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  psychedelic  and  folk  music  touches  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments.

  Cormorant  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  death,  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  progressive,  psychedelic  and  folk music  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Surrealism,  Mythology,  History,  Nate  and  Political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cormorant  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  psychedelic,  folk,  melodic  black,  death  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  looking  for something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Preserved  In  Ash"  and  "The  Devourer".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.cormorant.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/cormorantmusic
http://www.twitter.com/cormorantmusic
http://www.youtube.com/cormorantmusic

Okkultokrati/Raspberry Dawn/Southern Lord/2016 CD Review

  Norway's  Okkultokrati  have  returned  with  a  new  recording that  keeps  the  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  punk  elements  of  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  goth,  psychedelia  and  70's  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Raspberry  Dawn"  which  will  be  released  on  September  30th  by  Southern  Lord.

  Distorted  drones  along  with  some  old  school  punk  rock  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  vocals  that  have  a  first  wave  black  metal  vibe  to  them  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffs.

      Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  more  old  school  hardcore  punk  style  and  the  vocals  also  adopt  a  punk  rock  style  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  goth  rock  style  clean  singing  and  female  vocals  while  some  tracks  bring  in  elements  of  old  school  metal,  70's  rock  and  psychedelia.

  Okkultokrati  makes  a  huge  change  on  this  recording  while  the  black  metal  and  punk  elements  can  be  heard  they  also  start  mixing  in  goth,  synth  pop,  70's  rock  and  psychedelia  to  take  their  music  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

 In my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Okkultokrati  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  punk,  goth  and  psychedelic  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "World  Peace"  "Suspension"  "Future  War"  and  "Agic  People".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.facebook.com/okkultokrati

http://www.okkultokrati.bandcamp.com

http://www.okkultokrati.blogspot.com

     

Abstracter/Wound Empire/Sentient Ruin Labratories/2015 CD Review

  Abstracter  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  crust,  noise  and  psychedelic  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Wound  Empire"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Sentient  Ruin  Labratories.

  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  reverb  and  distortion  before  getting  a  little  bit  more  louder  and  you  can  hear  some  grim  black  metal  vocals  being  added  into  the  music  after  awhile  along  with  some  deep  growls  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  heavy  sludge  metal  direction.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  with  the  heavier  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  more  elements  of  drone,  noise  and  psychedelic  being  added  into  some  of  the  tracks  and  on  the  last  song  a  small  amount  of  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  music.

  Abstracter  plays  a  very  slow  and  heavy  form  of  music  that  mixes  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  together  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  drone  and  psychedelia  to  make  their  music  sound  a  lot  more  experimental,  the production  sounds  very  dark  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abstracter  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal.  sludge,  doom,  noise  and  psychedelia,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lightless"  and  "Cruciform".  8  out  of  10.  

 http://www.cvltnation.com/exclusive-cvlt-nation-streaming-abstracter-lightless/

Taurus/No/Thing/2014 CD Review

  Taurus  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  very  psychedelic  form  of  blackened  drone/sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "No/Thing".

  The  album  starts  out  with  dark  experimental  sounds  and  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  mixing  in  heavier  and  noisier  sounds  along  with  black  metal  vocals  which  leads  to  a  more  drone/doom  metal  direction  along  with  melodic  vocals  and  riffing  and  you  can  also  hear  death  metal  growls  in  the  music.

  The  band  also  bring  this  approach  to  other  songs  while  also  bringing  in  more  psychedelic  and  atmospheric  elements  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  they  bring  in  melodic  ritualistic  chanting  and  folk  instruments  while  also  remaining  heavy  at  the  same  time  and  there  are  also  a  good  amount  of  synths  and  organs  being  utilized  on  this  recording  na d towards  the  end  the  music  starts  going  in  a  more  experimental  direction.

  With  this  album  Taurus  create  a  very  dark,  heavy  and   ritualistic  sound  while  also  bringing  in  psychedelic  and  experimental  elements  along  with  the  heaviness  of  black  metal,  drone,  doom  and  sludge  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  ritualistic  and  occultism  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Taurus  are  a  very  great  sounding   psychedelic  blackened  drone  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lives  Long  For  Own"  and  "Increase  Loneliness".  8  out  of  10.

http://taurusisdust.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/TaurusIsDust

Barashi Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before? We're a four piece band playing psychedelic metal from Vermont. we formed in 2010 right after we all got out of high school. We really enjoyed making music togethe, so we decided to stick with it. After three years we are very pleased to have just released our first full length album.

2.How would you describe your musical sound? Heavy psychedelic metal. Our sound has changed drastically since the beginning of the band. We were originally an instrumental trio, and added a vocalist after about two years of playing. Our sound got much darker and heavier but still included some of the melodic elements that were present in our earlier work.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? Lyrics are the last part of our songwriting process. We have all contributed to the lyrics on this album. Usually they are about mysticism or little stories that we come up with. We don't really have any sort of topic we always stick. Usually someone will just come up with something that we think is cool and that's what we will use.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Barashi? A Barishi is a shaman in Mongolian and Siberian cultures who practices bone-setting.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band ha splayed so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Our live sound is significantly different from the sound on the album. A large part of this is due to the fact that the album was recorded in E-standard and we play live in C-standard. The down tuning makes the songs heavier while, hopefully retaining the more melodic elements. We like to keep the energy high so our set generally consists of the more aggressive tracks. As far as shows go, its always a blast to play our home town of Brattleboro Vermont. There's a large gothic church downtown that we rent and have shows in. Its a perfect setting and the maniacs in this town are always down to come out and go nuts for a show!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? we would love to set up a larger tour in support of this album. As it is we are just gigging sporadically around the north east. We have quite a few dates lined up for the next couple months which is great. we really just love to play as much as possible.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? I think signing with a label could be very rewarding. It could be really great to team up with a label that would really help further our music.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up? Its definitely a full-time line up. We've been working on this for over three years now and it has become a huge part of all of our lives.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal? The album was just released, we don't even have physical copies yet, so we haven't gotten that many reviews. The ones we have received though have been resoundingly positive. We're grateful that people are willing to take time to listen to our album, and its great that it seems to be resonating with some people. Its really just great to be able to release an album after putting in so much time and hard work.

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? Who knows. When something strikes us we just go for it. Since the formation our sound has gradually gotten heavier and more aggressive, so we may delve deeper into some darker territory. New songs are already in the works and we are performing some of them live.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? We draw inspiration from a wide range of music. Mastodon and Opeth, as well as bands such as My Bloody Valentine and the Cure have had significant impact on our work. As far as what we listen to, its an incredibly eclectic mix. Collectively we listen to everything ranging from jazz, metal, hip-hop, rock, you name it. None of us are all that crazy about this new alt-folk pop movement though.

12.How would you describe the metal scene in your home state of Vermont? There is some real talent hiding out in the hills here. Nectars Nightclub in Burlington has metal nights where you can see a variety of Vermont metal acts alongside touring bands. One of our favorite bands, Vaporizer is from the Burlington area. Those guys fucking tear it up!

13.Outside of music what are some of your interests? Partying and racket sports!!! Sascha our singer is a crazy rollerblader and is usually doing backflips in a halfpipe somewhere when we are not playing.

14.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks so much for the interview!

Check out our album on bandcamp: http://barishi.bandcamp.com/album/barishi

and our Facebook page for updated events and info: https://www.facebook.com/barishiband

Barishi/Self Titled/2013 CD Review

  Barishi  are  a  band  from  Vermont  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  metal  with  elements  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2013  album.

  "Sky  Burial"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  sound  effects  along  with  some  saxophones  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  song  is  an  instrumental  intro  with  no  vocals  or  other  instruments  being  utilized.

  "Holy  Mountain"  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  progressive  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  which  also  leads  up  to  saxophones  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  then  melodic  clean singing  vocals  kick  in  before  evolving  more  into  aggressive  screams  and  then  guitar  leads  and  solos  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "The  Rider"  opens  up,  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  black  metal  screams  and  after  awhile  death  metal  influences  and  progressive  rock  style  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  song  along  with  some  hardcore  style  screams.

  "Exhibiche"  starts  up  with  nature  sounds  and  spoken  word  samples  and  a  few  seconds  later  bass  guitars  kick  in  along  with  some  clean  guitars  before  adding  in  drums  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Through  Mountains,  Through  Plains"  kicks  in  with  melodic  clean singing  vocals,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars in  the  background  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  gets  more  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  which  also  leads  up  to  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "The  Waters"  comes in  with  drums  and  heavy,  melodic  and  progressive  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  black  metal  influenced  screams  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.  

  "A  Place  That  Swallows  All  Rivers"  hits  it  off  with  distorted  and  clean  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  bass  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  there  are  no  vocals  present  on  the  song  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental.

  "Jaguar  Scarification  Ritual"  which  was  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  drums  and  bass  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  heavy  guitar  riffs that  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  clean  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  clean  singing  vocals  which  later  evolve  into  some  aggressive  sounding  screams  as  well  as  guitar  leads.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Barishi  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  metal  band  with  elements  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Rider"  "Through  Mountains,  Through  Plains"  and  "Jaguar  Scarification  Ritual".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://barishi.bandcamp.com/