Nidhoeggr/Arise/Art gates Records/2021 CD Review

 

    Nidhoeggr  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Arise"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Art  gates  Records.

  A  battle  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  keyboards  onto  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  folk  music  elements  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clear  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  album  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  

  Nidhoegger  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vikings  and  socio-critical  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Nodhoeggr  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journey"  "Scorched  Earth"  "Good  of  Lies"  and  "Arise".  8  out  of  10.

www.nidhoeggr.ch
https://www.facebook.com/NidhoeggrMetal
https://twitter.com/NidhoeggrMetal

https://www.instagram.com/nidhoeggrmetal/

https://youtu.be/-PcNXMwIRJ0  

Hand Of Kalliach/Samhainn/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Hand  Of  Kalliach  are  a  duo  from  Scotland  that  has  been  featured  before  in this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  Celtic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2021  album  "Samhainn"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Clean  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  Keyboards  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very melodic  style.  Elements  of  Celtic  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  this  recording  Hand  Of  Kalliach  remain  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  Celtic  metal  that  they  had  establish  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  history,  mythology,  land  and  seascapes  of  the  Scottish  islands.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hand  of  Kalliach  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Celtic  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beneath  Starlight  Waters"  "Roil"  "Ascendent"  and  "Return  To  Stone".  8  out  of  10.

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Deathcvlt/Self Titled/My Kingdom Music/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Deathcvlt  are  a  band  from Italy  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2021  album  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a   mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  old  school  Swedish  style  melodies.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths.

 Some  of  the  riffs  also  show  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  along  with  some  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  yet  ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Death  Worship,  Occultism,  Dark  Mother  Kali  Ma,  Santa  Muerte  and  Darkness  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Deathcvlt  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  "Santa  Muerte"  "Dust  Of  Sacred  Soul  (Dark  mother  Kali-Ma)"  and  "Blackened  Kiss".  8/3  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/deathcvltofficial  

https://youtu.be/uqNCIeo-sH8

8 Hour Animal Interview

 

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

It’s just a place for me to go nuts. It’s as  rageful and fried as I want to get. No rules other than it’s just me doing everything . Right now I’m doing as much analogue gear as possible and that seems to work. It’s definitely manic so ii gotta keep an eye on how much time I spend everyday on it for my own well being… 

2.So far this year you have released 2 albums, musically how do they both differ from each other?

I think there will be a total of 4  releases in  2021 for this project.The project has two sides, the more song oriented industrial stuff Resigner and longer experimental  pieces that I am happy to release in very small runs  on rad labels with minimal digital access.  There is something great about limiting how many people hear certain works. 

 

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

Mostly alienation and mental illness. Figuring out what is  the inside crazy and what is the outside crazy. I realized how horrible, cruel and insincere people could be  when I was very young and have been trying to figure out why I even give a shit for 40 years. Weird music Marxism and  living in nature saved me.  Finding the right psych meds didn’t hurt either. 

4.hat is the meaning and inspiration behind the name '8 Hour Animal'?

It is for when I feel like digital trash in a capitalist shit machine.

 

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

I asked Paul (Van Trigt) to do something that makes you feel bad when you look it at it but you’re not sure exactly why. Paul does really top notch collage / xerox art for a ton of great noise bands.  

6.So far very little is known about the musical project with you only having a bandcamp and instragram page, are you planning on expanding your presence in the future or do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

I am too old to  truly value  being  cool or popular.  When those urges do flare up I try to remind myself how grossly unsatisfying it is to join the art star rat race.  It would be nice to play for appreciative audiences at some point…. so that requires some exposure. Music needs an audience that’s part of the deal. However t he whole process has been bastardized  by the sadly predictable exploitive bloodsucking bullshit you see in every aspect of our world.

 

7.the new album was released on 'Sentient Ruin Laboratories', how did you get in contact with this label?

I was listening to the first decoherence and thought - this is weird and unclassifiable and SR does a decent amount of releases that straddle metal, noise etc. I sent a few songs to MA and he got back to me quickly and we agreed to do the LP.  It just worked out, you really can’t force these things.

8.on a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal, harsh noise and industrial?

It is hard to gauge but I am satisfied to see that some people dig it. The idea with Resigner was to push everything all the way. Make ugly music that people who like ugly music get excited by.  8HA lives in the middle zone between multiple musical worlds and that will always limit theaudience. People like a clear scene to associate an act with. That’s just not something I’ve ever been able to do.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

Currently  I have a strict noise project called Father Fister and working on the industrial follow up to Resigner . The nosie is great because it is very fast / intuitive and I do it all to 4 track- no computers. The industrial music, while I try to limit laptop use,  it just takes forever to get it to the point where  it feels done.

 

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?

I generally listen to a lot of the music that inspires what I am working on at the time and put on classical music when my ears are fried. So write now it’s industrial music Moral Order Anenzephalia semi-abstract stuff like that.  Winter is more black metal of course.   Some current bands I like are Carved Cross, Revenant Marquis, God Is War, Human Failure and Decoherence and lot of other stuff  on Sentient ruin, Caligula 031, All the lake shark tapes,  Kommodus, Burier Cerebral Rot nd always a ton of classical music . From Stockhausen to Penderecki to fucking Chopin and Schubert  I love it all. 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Learning Slavic language, nature, political action, psychology (my profession !)  and books. …. Music is generally 60 percent of what I think about 

12. If you are young listen to older music if you are not listen to more current music,

https://youtu.be/VR0KlFhfWTk

Creature/Eloge De L 'Ombre/I, Voidhanger Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Creature  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  progressive,  symphonic  and  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Eloge  De  L  'Ombre"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  i,  Voidhanger  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  prog  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  avant  garde  style  synths  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  one  track  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  clean  vocals  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  touches  of  progressive  rock  at  times.

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  trumpets,  spoken  words  and  hip  hop  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Creature  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive,  symphonic  and  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conscience  Mecanique"  "L'Empire  Des  Singes"  "Les  Fragements"  and  "Retrograde".  8  out  of  10.

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/eloge-de-lombre      

Aexylium Interview

 

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

Two singles have already been released, the third official videoclip will be released on October 29th, the day of the album's release.

We recently played at Feffarkhorn festival with Atlas Pain and Furor Gallico, and now we are planning the release party. We can’t wait!

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

Compared to the previous album, 'The Fifth Season' is more focused on orchestrations and the symphonic part, which is also emphasized by the presence of the vocal ensemble. In addition, the guitar riffs are more aggressive and elaborate, increasing the metal component in the songs

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Celtic and Norse Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

We are very fascinated by Norse Mythology, especially me and Steven (the singer). He read several books about it, and we also believe that this theme can blend well with this musical genre, that’s why we often draw inspiration from it.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?

In addition to Norse and Celtic mythology, our lyrics also speak of other topics, even different from each other.

'Mountains', for example, talks about the majesty and beauty of the peaks, 'Immortal Blood' instead is inspired by a videogame (Skyrim – The Elder Scrolls), 'The Fifth Season' instead talks about more current topics, such as a hypothetical semi extinction of humanity due to the consequences of man’s wicked choices.

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

'Aexylium' comes from the Latin word 'exilium' (exile) and in our imagination, it is an ancient and now abandoned place, where the worst criminals were locked up for life

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

The artwork is made by the talented artist Jan Yrlund (Darkgrove Design) who has worked with several important bands, such as Manowar and Korpiklaani. 

We asked him to draw inspiration from the lyric of 'The Fifth Season' which, as mentioned above, speaks of a hypothetical semi-extinction, and then of hope of rebirth.

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

Surely when we play at festivals the show is always memorable, because people are more excited and inclined to dance. 

One of the shows that we remember with more pleasure is certainly Montelago Celtic Festival in 2018, the audience sang with us at the top of their lungs and at the end of the performance kept asking for an encore.

8.A couple of years ago you had done a cover of the 'Games Of Thrones' theme, what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?

We were fans of the TV series and we believe that fantasy themes can often blend perfectly with our musical genre. When we play it live, the audience really appreciates it. 

We also made our own version of the main theme of 'Vikings', and it’s really appreciated on Youtube.

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

The first album helped us to make ourselves known for the first time in Italy and abroad. Now, with 'The Fifth Season', we want to try to make our mark in this musical genre, forging our own sound. 

The reaction to the first two singles was absolutely positive, and we hope that it will be even more with the next single and all the other songs on the album.

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

I think the sound we experienced on this album may be our definitive sound. We also had a female voice as a guest in a couple of songs, it is not to be excluded that in the future a female singer may join the band permanently.

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?

If we talk about folk metal, the bands that most influence our songwriting are probably Eluveitie, Alestorm and Falconer.

But we don’t draw inspiration only from them, in fact, I believe it is precisely the musical variety that each of us listens to lead us to be creative without imposing limits.

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

Thanks for the interview and we hope you enjoy our album!

https://youtu.be/uL0YN1JIyVc 

Huronian/As Cold As A Stranger Sunset/Dolerem Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Huronian  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "As  Cold  As  A  Stranger  Sunset"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Dolerem  Records.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  operatic  vocals  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  angry  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  style  melodies.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Huronian  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  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  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Huronian  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  "Portals  To  The  Unspeakable"  "Birds  Among  Insects"  and  "Shadow  Cast  by  Eternal  Sails".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD-Qqaj68Tg