Saturday, June 18, 2016

Fange/Purge/Lost Pilgrims Records/Throatruiner Records/2016 CD Review


  Furge  are  a  band  from  France  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  metal  while  also  having  elements  of  d  beat  and death  metal  and  with  their  newer  music  they  start  mixing  it  in with  more  of  a  black  metal  style  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Purge"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Lost  Pilgrims  Records  and  Throatruiner Records.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  guitar  riffing  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  bring  in a  very  powerful  sound.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  crust  and  d  beat  elements  can  be  heard  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  you  can  also hear  the  influence  of  90's  Swedish  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  while  also  having  its  fast  moments  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Fange  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  sludge  metal  sound  of  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  more  black  metal  influences  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fange  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  sludge  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Machefer"  and  "Girone  Della  Merda".  8  out  of  10.   

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Friday, June 17, 2016

Berserker/Dark Worlds Collide/2016 Full Length Review


  Berserker  are  a  band  from  Lithuania  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  folk  metal  with  some  elements  of  melodic  death  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016 album  "Dark  Worlds  Collide".

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  starts  evolving  into  more  of  a  symphonic  direction  a  few  seconds  later  while  also  mixing  in  the  epic  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  keeping  around  the  atmospheric  elements.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  female vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  folk  instruments  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  you can  also  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  one  track  brings  in  war  samples while  some  songs  also  use  death  metal  growls  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  the  album  progresses.

  Berserker  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  and  folk  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  black  and  death  metal  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  and  War  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Berserker  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  folk  metal  band  with  some  black  and  death  metal  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Worlds  Collide"  "The  Day  Human  Died"  and  "Viking  Ship".  8  out  of  10.  

https://www.facebook.com/BerserkerOfficial
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Necronautical/The Endurance At Night/Cacophonous Records/2016CD Review


 Necronautical  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  misanthropic  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Endurance  At  Night"  which  will  be  read  in  July  by  Cacophonous.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  A  great  amount  of  symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  some  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  modern  metal  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  operatic  clean  singing  being  utilized  at  times.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  violins  while  the  synths  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  spoken  word  parts.

  Necronautical  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  symphonic  style  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  treacherous  waters  of  the  underworld  and  the  afterlife.

  In  my  opinion  Necronautical  are  a very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  misanthropic  black  metal  band  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED   TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pure  Moon"  "Oceanus  Procellarum"  and  "Theia".  8  out  of  10.

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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Cradle Of Filth/Dusk And Her Embrace...The Original Sin/Cacophonous Records/2016 CD Review


  Cradle  Of  Filth  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  is  the  worlds  most  well  known  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  this  is  a  review  of  the  original  and  unreleased  version  of  "Dusk  And  her  Embrace"  that  never  got  released  as  was  eventually  re-recorded  and  the  album  will  be  released  in  July  by  Cacophonous  Records.

  A  very  dark,  epic  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  retaining  the  symphonic  elements  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  goth.

  You  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  operatic  female  vocals  along  with  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts.

  In  some  parts  of  the  songs  a  small  amount  of  whispers  can be  heard  and  when  growls  are  utilized  it  also  adds  a  slight  death  metal  influence  onto  the  recording while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length   and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  violins  and  a lot  of  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  on  the  demo  tracks  a  brief  use  of  Gregorian  chants  can  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Cradle  Of  Filth  expanded  on  the  style  of  the  first full  length  and  started  taking  their  style  in  a  different  direction and  this original  version  has  more  of  a  rougher  style  than  the  re-recording  which  was  released  and  made  the  band  more  popular  in  the  day,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Gothic  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Cradle  Of Filth  lost  in  the  days  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nocturnal  Supremacy"  "A  Gothic  Romance"  "Funeral  In  Carpathia"  and  "The  Haunted  Shoes  Of  Avalon".  8  out  of  10.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Infinitum Obscure/Infernal Dark Force/Death Elite/2016 CD Re-Issue Review


  Infinitum  Obscure  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2006  album  "Infernal  Dark  Force"  which  was  re-issued  in  2016  by  Death  Elite.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  along  with  some  clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the heavier  side  of  the  music  along  with  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  to  speed  up  and  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  when  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  mix  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  together.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  very  melodic  yet  extreme  metal  style  and  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's Swedish  style  of  black  and  death  metal  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Dark  Angel's  "We  Have  Arrived"  and  on  the  last  track  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  Infinitum  Obscure  plays  a  very  heavy,  melodic  and  dark  style  that  takes  the  black  and  death  metal  genres  of  the  90's  and  mixes  them  together to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Infinitum  Obscure  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Death  Winds  Blow"  "A  Quest  For  Vengeance"  and  "Storm  Of  Impious  hatred".  8  out  of  10.   

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Friday, June 10, 2016

Haiku Funeral/Hallucinations/Aesthetic Death Records/2016 CD Review


  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental  black  metal,  doom,  industrial  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Hallucinations"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death  Records.

  Dark  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  bass  guitars  and  the  music  can  also  be  very  experimental  at  times  and  after  awhile  aggressive  industrial  style  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  neo  classical  and  on  the  second  track  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  atmospheric  and drums  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  diversity  present  on  this  recording  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal  while  also  being  very  avant  garde  at  times  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  ethnic  and  death  metal  elements  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length

  Haiku  Funeral  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  industrial,  experimental  and  dark  ambient  while  also  mixing  in  dome  doom  and  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  occultism,  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental  black  metal,  doom,  industrial  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  band,  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hallucinations"  "Suicide  Organ"  "Faiths  Black  Orgasm"  and  "The  last  Hallucination  Of  Christ".  8  out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/user-174429814/haiku-funeral-the-first-amphetamine-kiss/s-3HtdG    

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Gloomy Grim/The Age Of Aquarius/Satanath Records/Murdher Records/2016 CD Review


  Gloomy  Grim  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  around  for  over  20  years  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  horror  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Age  Of  Aquarius"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Murdher  Records.

  A  very  symphonic  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  grim  yet  deep  style  of  black  metal  screams  while  also  getting  high  pitched  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  utilizes  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  classical  guitars  along  with  melodic  chants  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  growls  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  while  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  thrash  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental  keyboard  track.

  Gloomy  Grim  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  was  established  on  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferian,  Thelemea,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gloomy  Grim  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Rise  Of  The  Great  Beast"  "A  Lady  in  White"  "The  Shameful  Kiss"  and  "Light  Of  Lucifer  Shine  On  Me".  8  out  of  10.

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Monday, June 6, 2016

Tephros Interview


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

Tephros is a Venezuelan symphonic black metal band formed in 2007 by Jose M Perez, Deivis Guedez and Luis Manuel Guedez. Currently Tephros is active by the hand of Jose M. Perez (main composer and instrumentist). In "Between Angels & Demons" counted with the collaboration of Deivis Guedez (founder and first singer on the band) in the main voices and some ideas and arrangements.

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 demo you had released in 2011?

There's a huge difference between both releases, principally due to the musical growth and maturity acquired. "Abismo" was inclined to a classic black metal with some symphonic elements, but with an already marked melodic presence. The sound of Tephros now is a mix of various genres: you can hear influences from death metal, thrash metal, gothic, even doom metal, all mixed with both classic and modern black metal immersed in a melodic and symphonic ambience. However, the two songs included in the 2011 demo were rewritten and rearranged to be included in this new album.

3.The project has been around since 2007 but so far had only released one demo and one full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

After the demo released in 2011, the band suffered many lineup changes until we finally splitted at 2014. Then, in mid-2015, I started to rewrite and rearrange all the material done before, adding new melodies and influences to the mix, which resulted in "Between Angels & Demons".

4.The lyrics on the new album have a concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

The lyrics are about the history and life of Tephros. There was an extensive research about the character, that allowed to develop the story in 8 important events that defined her life.

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

Based in the Solomon's Testament, Tephros is a half angel / half demon, daughter of the archangel Gabriel and a imperial demon called Odasalia. Tephros is represented as a female angel with a black wing and a white wing. For the band, Tephros represents an image of the aptitude of the people to be able to decide and choose, whatever the roots.

6.With this project you record mostly everything by yourself with some other person helping with the vocals, are you open to turning this project into a full time band?

Well, Tephros started as a full band in 2007 and worked about 7 years this way. The idea when I started to rearrange the songs for the new album was just to record and close this long period and see what happens, and I really enjoyed working solo with this album. At the moment, I'm busy with my other bands with recordings and tours, but I don't close the doors to that option.

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

I'm looking for a label to work in matters of distribution inside and outside Venezuela. I'm starting to contact some and hope to receive feedback soon.

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

It's been awesome.! I've received satisfying comments even outside Venezuela, thanks to some friends who live in other countries and have shared the album.

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

I'm in two more bands right now: Dose (Experimental Death Metal) released its first album "Engineered Devotion" last April; and Pedobear (Slamming Gore Grind) released its first album on August 2015, we are still on tour and we have received offers to play outside Venezuela, and recently started the preproduction of new tracks for the next album.

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

As an artist, I'm totally focused right now with my bands and the albums to come. Last December, I started a recording studio at home called dbStudio, where I've already released 4 productions (Including Tephros), and currently there are 3 more productions in progress, so, as a producer, I have a lot of work to do.

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

It's hard to say, I listen to many styles, metal and non-metal, and my influences are a mix of all of them. A lot of influence for Between Angels & Demons comes from bands like Cradle of Filth, Vesania, Behemoth, Summoning, Immortal, Dark Funeral, among many others.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Technology and comics. I'm an Engineer and work a lot with technology everyday, and I'm also a fervant comic reader.

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

Thanks for listening to the album and take time for the review and the interview. And thanks to everyone for the support and great comments.

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Saturday, June 4, 2016

Tephros/Between Angels & Demons/2016 Full Length Review


  Tephros  are  a  solo project  from  Venezuela  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "Between  Angels &  Demons".

  Church  bell  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  and  they  slowly  evolve  into  more of a symphonic  and  atmospheric direction  and  after  the  intro  they  start  mixing  in  the  symphonic  style  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  the  faster  parts  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos and leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Tephros  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  symphonic  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal and  mixes  it  with  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  religion,  society  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tephros  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  death  metal  and if you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unnatural  Selection"  "Great  Queen  Of  Fire  And Darkness"  "Thou  Shalt  Sacrifice".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3vSymBKDIc
 

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Morthus/Over The Dying Stars/Witching Hour Productions/2016 CD Review


  Morthus  not  to  be  confused  with  the  band  from  Germany  with  the  same  name  who  I  have  also  featured  before  in  this  zine  are  a  band  from  Poland  that plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Over  The  Dying  Stars"  which  was  released  by  Witching  Hour  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  chants  in  the  background  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  dark,  melodic  and  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  last  track  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals.

  Morthus  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  melodic  style  of  Swedish  influenced  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover death,  war,  occult,  mythology,  Satanism, chaos  and  cosmos  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morthus  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unholy  Cult  Of  The  Ancient  One"  "Gospels  For Evil  And  Chaos"  and  "Sons  Of  Black  Fire".  8  out  of  10.

 https://youtu.be/hRxfbozAyVc

 

 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Hipoxia/Si Devs Essset Occidendvs Erit -Monvmentvm ab Khaos I/American Line Productions/2016 CD Review


 Hipoxia  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom,  sludge  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Si  Devs  Essset  Occidendvs  Erit -Monvmentvm  ab  Khaos  I"  which  was  released  by  American  Line  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  drone  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  that  is  done  in  more  of  a  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  melodic  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times.

  All  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melodies  at  times  and  there  is  also a   brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they are  done  in   a  very  distorted  and  melodic  fashion  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Hipoxia  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  mes  it  with  sludge,  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  along  with  some  experimental  elements  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hipoxia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  drone,  sludge,  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Oblivion".  8  out  of  10. 

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Thursday, May 26, 2016

Winterhymn/Blood & Shadow/Soundage Productions/2016 CD Review


  Winterhymn  are  a  band  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio  that  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2016  album  "Blood  &  Shadow"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Soundage  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  yet  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album along  with  some  violins  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  are  added  onto  the recording  which  also  use  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  at  times  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  folk  music  elements.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  flutes  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  traditional  folk  song  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  melodic  style  and  a  couple  of the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length.

  Winterhymn  plays  a style  of  folk  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  epic  sounding  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  nature,  battles  and  tales  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Winterhymn  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dream  Of  Might"  "The  Summoning"  "In  Shadow  We  Ride"  and  "The  Chosen  End".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPAQ4el7OQk

Deathillusion/Sitra Ahra/2016 EP Review


  Deathillusion  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Sitra  Ahra".

  A  very  hard  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  small  amount of  clean  yet  distorted  playing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  style.

  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  as  well  as  a  few  seconds  of  avant  garde  elements  and  they  also  bring  in  a  Dissection  cover  as  a  bonus  track  if  you  buy  the  download  version.

  Deathillusion  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  black  and  death  metal  of  previous  material,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anticosmic  Satanism/Luciferianism,  Temple  Of  The  Black  Light,  Liber  Azerate,  and  Liber  Falxifer  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deathillusion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Invocation  of  Qalmana".  8  out  of  10.

https://deathillusion.bandcamp.com/

 

Monday, May 23, 2016

Malevolentia Interview


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

JcReiss: After the departure of lots of members for various personal reason, rest Spleen on vocals and Dies, Principle composer , orchestration and guitar, the band is reformed with three new members, Raido on guitar ,Robin (basse) and me at the drums. We worked on our new album “République” since 4 years about. It was a hard work to compose, and especially very long, but we are rather happy with the result.


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?

JcReiss: We like to call our music Extreme Metal Orchestral, because of the relatively permanent presence of orchestration. I can say that the old albums had a little less of orchestrations than “République”. We wanted something more symphonic, but keeping the spirit of the band. Also some will call our music “Black\Death metal” or simply “Black metal symphonic”.



3.The new recording is a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrics?

JcReiss: “République” is a criticism of the french deep politics, from fondation of the republic to the actually. We talk about reasons, in our sense, which started like an idea of peace by the people, gradually switched to an oligarchy of banks and powerful, like in many states. Through the text, we trying to address, identify the actors, causes and consequences of these that we feel do not serve the people and the state, and destroying all democratic protocol. The songs of the albums are successive, starting with analyzes of ancient civilizations to the current chaos, this totalitarian and capitalist oligarchy, which destroy all the peoples.


4.The band has been around for 13 years but so far has only released 3 albums and a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

JcReiss: Malevolentia is a band exacting with himself and I think we like take the time . Lot of time is required for composition, lyrics and even more for orchestrations. The band changed several times of musicians too.


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

Dies: "Malevolentia" summed up perfectly the perspective of the group has its beginnings. It's meaning "malice, jealousy, hatred." There are several possible translations and i like to play with the polysemic side of our name.



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

Dies: Malevolentia has not done much concerts together. Already for reasons of unstable line up, but also because it is quite complicated to implement as much orchestrations on stage . Obviously these are sampled and not a real orchestra. But this requires a perfect synchronization with the sample and to have well-prepared musicians. the frequent change of line up were not allowed to play on stage as much as we would

have liked.




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

JcReiss: For now, we haven’t scheduled release tour. The album took longer than expected, and so we have not prepared performances. But probably within a year...

Dies: We'll start with a break of a few months since Spleen expecting a happy event for this fall. We will see that later in 2017.




8.The new album came out on Epictural production, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Dies: Originally Epictural was not a label but a grouping of musicians / composers of epic music (hence the name). I used this structure already to produce Ex Oblivion and negotiating distribution agreements. Over time this are added other groups like Einsicht, and soon Heimsgard Karne and an other band . In a few days we will also propose a distribution catalog that will be in by the time this interview is published online on www.epictural.fr






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

JcReiss: I have the impression that we are rather well welcomed by fans of the genre, even if the symphonic black is not a new style today. Fans of "true black" don't necessarily like our music but I think we can touch another public too.. Also, Symphonic Black band are not many in the world for me, and I hope we can touch people in other country.




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

JcReiss: We all have parallels bands and project in MALEVOLENTIA.Spleen and Dies have a side project called EINSICHT. It’s a “Dark Metal” band relatively insane. Dies play bass on this one.

Raido is also guitarist of the black metal band KARNE,and he have a side project called HEIMSGARD. He composed all his new album “Ordrag”, play guitar and sing on his album. It’s a kind of “Melodic Viking Metal” with Robin on bass too.

Robin have a parallel band called DOG’N’STYLE .who play “Heavy Rock’n’Roll”, and a “Death Metal Melodic” band called OBSIDIUM, in which he play bass.

For me, I play also in a “Brutal Death Metal” band, DAWOHL and we work on a new album. I have a Black Metal band called AU DELA too and we will begin to record our first album. Otherwise, I play drums in a Black Metal band SEARING SKULL.




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

JcReiss: We want to quickly begin to compose a new album. I think the future album will keep this kind of sound, but with other thematics certainly less politic. We don't want to compose futures albums with the same theme , mybe less serious... or not. I can’t say more for the moment. For sure, orchestrations will remain.


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?

JcReiss: The first names that come to me are EMPEROR or ANOREXIA NERVOSA. I can say too original soundtrack from motion pictures . At home, I listen preferably Black Metal like Bathory , Aura Noir, Mayhem and many more or Death metal bands.



13.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

Dies: It's not really a topic adressed in Malevolentia. Each has its own spirituality but this is not an issue that we tackle in our songs. I am very critical about of the use of secularism. Really more than about christianism and religions generaly. But I'm not very religious. I find it hard to take seriously the question of occultism. Personaly I consider it more like a Newage fashion than a spirituality.



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

JcReiss: Thank you to those who follow Malevolentia . I hope you'll be interested by the lyrics and you will like "République". Bye

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Sunday, May 22, 2016

Beldam Interview

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



We're a group of committed musicians who take our craft very seriously. Even though we all have busy lives outside of the band, we don't see this as a fly-by-night thing or a hobby to screw around with. We believe 100% in this project, in making crushing music and playing brutal shows, and as far as we're concerned, the sky is the limit.



2.You have your first full length coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2015?



Most of the songs from the demo are all on the full-length, but the album's production is a lot cleaner and the song structures have been tightened up a bit. The earliest material we created together was much more full-on doom: painfully slow, lots of minor scales and tritones and pummeling primitive drumming. Later we started incorporating more sludge, with a greater number of mid-tempo and fast bits, pentatonic stuff, and more hardcore influence overall. If you listen to the demo and then to the album you can sort of hear that progression.



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



Each song on the album tells a story dealing with death in some fashion. The stories are told in the first person, from the point of view of the killers, the killed, or somebody who has lost a loved one. Using an economy of words, the lyrics delve into the psychology of grief, madness and despair. It's pretty dark stuff.



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



The inspiration of the band name came after much research.  We ran through a number of options but they all sounded derivative.  We really like the idea of having witch in the band name but every permutation imaginable has been used so I started doing research on the origins of the actual word witch.  In my reading I found the word Beldame and thought it had a great unique sound to it.  So, I pitched it to the band and we all dug it so it stuck.  We ended up dropping the “e” at the end and hence we are Beldam



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



We played a metal showcase in Charlottesville, VA at Champion Brewing recently with Ramming Speed and Ruby the Hatchet.  It was magical and crowd response was extremely positive.  We also were able to open for Witch Mountain at Strange Matter in Richmond, VA a while back, which was a great experience because we have been big fans of theirs for a long time.



Our stage performance is extremely intense.  We leave nothing on the table by the end of our set.  We do everything to make it a complete performance particularly sonically.  Doom requires a lot of volume to fill up the spaces and we do everything possible to fill the room with sound.  We want our live shows to be as cathartic for the audience as it is for us.



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



We are putting together a string of shows this summer from June to August to support the album. Not everything is solidified yet and new dates are getting added all the time, so keep checking our social media channels for updates!



7. Your album is going to be released by Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?



Mike Juliano and HPGD Productions are a dream come true for Beldam.  He only wants success for the band and has been completely supportive of us.  Everything has been completely transparent and above-board.  It feels like a true team with someone who fully invests himself in the bands on his roster.  Beldam is extremely excited about our future with HPGD.



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



Beldam has been receiving some very positive feedback.  Our original demo, which was released digitally by Hota Rex in early 2016, had some of its songs featured on compilations and internet radio in the US, UK and Italy.  We also received some great reviews, particularly from The Stoner Sound.



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



I doubt the basic sludge/doom backbone of our music will change, but I wouldn't be surprised if we started throwing more ingredients into the cauldron. We have some upcoming material that's more in a stoner direction with super-heavy blues riffs, and we've also got some faster stuff. But fear not! Whatever happens we'll always keep it low, slow and dirty for you.



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?



Some huge influences for us have been EYEHATEGOD, Graves at Sea, High on Fire, The Melvins, Black Sabbath, Weedeater, Primitive Man and there are so many more I could list.  Lately, I have been listening to a wide range of stuff.  In the last few weeks, I’ve had Dinosaur Jr., Brujeria, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Husker Du and John Coltrane on heavy rotation in my truck.



11. What are some of your non musical interests?



Outside of music, I am a craft beer enthusiast. I try to find the local breweries in every city we hit for a beer. I hope one day we will be able to do a collaboration beer with a brewery. One of the guys in the band is a huge horror enthusiast, another is a gaming nut . . . we pretty much have all your geek bases covered.



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



Thanks so much for taking an interest in our music and reaching out to us. We appreciate the time.

 http://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/store/hpgd129.html

https://www.facebook.com/BeldamOfficial

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Beldam/Still The Wretched Linger/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2016 CD Review


  Beldam  are  a  band  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Still  The  Wretched  Linger"  which  will  be  released in  June  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of the  songs.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  some songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  elements  of  stoner  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Beldam  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom metal  while  also  having  more  of  a  black  metal  vocal  approach  and  a  touch  of  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  despair,  and  decadence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Beldam  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Needles"  "From  Cradle  To  Grave"  and  "Beauty's  martyr".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/BeldamOfficial

https://twitter.com/beldamofficial

Friday, May 13, 2016

Behind The Shadows/Raising Hell/Visionaire Records/2016 EP Review


  Behind  The  Shadows  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Raising  Hell"  which  will  be  released  on  May  18th  by  Visionaire  Records.

  Clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  along  with  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  lot  of  melody  and  also  adds  more  of  a  traditional  metal  style  to  the  recording  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times.

  When  spoken  word  parts are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  adding  in  more  melodic  death  metal  elements  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  when  keyboards  are  finally  added  onto  the  recording  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other.

  Behind  The  Shadows  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  power  metal  and  mixes  it  with  black,  melodic  death  metal  and  some  symphonic  elements  to  create  something  very  original  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Behind The  Shadows  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of power,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Give  Me  Your  Soul"  and  "Bloody  paradise".  8  out  of  10.

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Perihelion/Hold/Apathia Records/2016 EP Review


  Perihelion  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Hold"  which  was  released  by  Apathia  Records.

  Atmospheric  synths  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitars  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  elements  of  post  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  some  influences  from  some  of  the  mid  90's  Norwegain  avant  garde  black  metal  bands  while  not  using  any  aggressive  vocals  from  that  era  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  onto  the  recording  they  bring  in  even  more of  a  melodic  style  to  the  bands  musical  sound  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  while  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musicla  direction  and  they  close  the  ep  with  a  cover  of  Twin  Peaks  "Scyamore  Trees".

  Perihelion  focus  less  on  the  black  metal  elements  this  time  around  and  focuses  more  on  an  avant  garde  style  of  post  metal  on  this  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Hungarian  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Perihelion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Feneketlen"  and  "Hold".  8  out  of  10.

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