Hyperion Interview

A Different Shade of Black Metal Interview with Erik Molnar from Hyperion
For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Molnar: Musically, I would say that Hyperion is a band inspired by many different genres within metal and even to some extent by other styles of music as well. The main focus, however has always been to create a forceful, epic and melodic musical landscape over flooded with emotion. Our aim is to create music that is explosive, grandiose and beautiful at the same time.

Recently you recorded a full length album, how would you describe the musical sound that you wish to present on the recording?
Molnar: From a song writing point of view, that aim has already been explained in the answer to your previous question. From a production point of view, however I would say that we obviously wanted the sound to reflect and bring forth the full potential of each and every song. Our music is quite complex in the sense that we tend to have layer upon layer of guitar harmonies, orchestrations at times, complex bass lines and so on, so we wanted every instrument to be heard as much as possible without sacrificing the original atmosphere. We also did not want the album over produced like many modern metal releases, nor did we want something like say the first Bathory album (even though that album is fantastic). We wanted something in between and still have something unique. Epic I suppose is the keyword to the sound we wanted and I believe our mixing/mastering guy Sverker pulled it off.

Originally the band was a melodic death metal band but have started adding in over the years, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?
Molnar: I guess you must be referring to the change we made with the release of the “Blood of the Ancients” demo back in 2010? Well, when we started the band we were quite young. I was 17 at the time and you naturally mature as a musician and include new sources of inspiration as time passes. I started listening to a lot of 90s Black and Death Metal and as a youngster that was incredibly inspiring for me to hear. It was wild, brutal, dark, and sinister but many of the bands still had a very melodic and melancholic touch to their music, which I felt very attracted to. Inevitably, I wanted to include these elements in my own music and my bandmates shared my enthusiasm. It was a step forward in our evolution process.

From 2010 to 2015, there was no new music released. Can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time period?
Molnar: There were a lot of things going on during that particular period. We were writing a lot of material for the album that has now been completed, we played a lot of live shows, we made some small steps forward here and there, but nothing of great significance really happened, so we decided it was time to record our first full length album in the beginning of 2013. It took us almost 3 years to complete, the reason for that being mainly because we faced numerous obstacles along the way. As a band, we basically could not agree on anything at certain points and got into a lot of arguments about everything involving the recording process. I dealt with a lot of personal issues and the stress around the recording sessions made it all even more frustrating and harder to deal with, since all of us kind of lost motivation for a while. There were a million other reasons for the delay, but the tides eventually turned for the better. We now finally have the album ready for release. We are now only waiting for the printing of the album to be completed and then it can be spread across the globe!

Your lyrics cover some Occult topics. Can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?
Molnar: We have some minor references to the occult in our lyrics yes, but it is by no means a central theme for the lyrics of Hyperion. It is impossible to play this kind of music without at least touching upon the subject, I suppose…
I used to be quite interested in the occult some time ago and still am to a certain degree. Although it is nothing I practice in my everyday life and I don’t subscribe to any particular religion. Some parts of it resonates with me, other parts are completely illogical in my understanding of it. I do strongly believe however that there are unseen forces beyond humanity’s comprehension that challenge the norm of “conventional thinking”. In short, Hyperion is not a religious band and we don’t support any kind of occult organisation, or activity as a band.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hyperion'?
Molnar: Hyperion was one of the great Titans of ancient Greek mythology. He was the titan of the sun before the Olympian Gods overthrew him fellow deities. The name reflects our music perfectly: It is ancient and it is epic. Some of our lyrics deal with tales from Greek Mythology, so that obviously fits in perfectly as well.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Molnar: There are 2 shows in particular that come to my mind at this very moment. The first one is when we performed at Snövit, a small pub in Stockholm in 2013. The place was packed, the sound was crap, but the atmosphere was fantastic. I believe there were about 70-80 people there that night, which is a lot by Hyperion standards and we were the “headlining act”. The crowd was great and we simply had a fantastic time. The second show was back in 2014 when we opened for my cousins band “Descend”. They has just released their new album. That gig was amazing and I have a lot of fine memories from that gig as well. It was magical.
Our live performances are pretty standard metal shows, I believe. We let the music speak for itself, headbang as much as we possibly can without fucking up our playing and we have a good time. I personally try to immerse myself as much as I possibly in the music. I care little for social norms, or what is considered “correct” when I’m on stage.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Molnar: Yes, we have. We have avoiding playing live to often during the last time, since we believe that we must have something new to promote other than our old demo from 2010. There are a lot of things boiling in the cauldron you could say, but nothing booked quite yet. Time shall tell about that, but we definitely want to promote the new album and gig as much as possible when the album is released.
On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
Molnar: From those that have heard our music, the response has been great as far as I know. We have not gotten out of our way to promote our music that much to be honest since the release of our demo, but things are about to be adjusted… Our new single “Novus Ordo Seclorum” received quite a lot of airplay on metal podcasts around the globe and a lot of people have heard it on YouTube, I believe. The feedback seems to be positive so far and of course it would be nice if it continued that way when our album comes out. It is not that crucial to us, however if people appreciate our music or not. The important thing is that we do what we love and if people like it, it is certainly an immense bonus.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Molnar: We actually have quite a lot of written material lying around. Not much has been completed yet, but I find the direction it is taking quite alluring, although it is far too early to speculate regarding that topic. Time will tell as we eventually complete the writing process for the next record.
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?
Molnar: Oh, there is a lot of stuff that inspires us. Undoubtedly there have been many Black/Death Metal and of course Melodic Death Metal bands that have influenced us, especially from the 90s. Some of the major would be: Dissection, Emperor, Marduk, Ulver, In Flames (their old material), Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates. We are also inspired by some Power and Heavy Metal acts such as Blind Guardian and Iron Maiden. Other genres tend to seep into our music as well, like classical music, gaming soundtracks, movie soundtracks… anything that catches our ears basically. We are experiment and mix influences as we see fit.
At the moment I am listening to a lot of Wintersun, some songs from Old Man’s Child and some good old Ensiferum, but I’m always on the hunt for new music to listen to.
What are some of your non-musical interests?
Molnar: I am quite interested in health, wellbeing and nutrition in particular. I like to take care of myself as much as I possibly can by eating right, getting enough of sleep, exercising as often as I can etc. Currently, I am also studying to become a system software developer, so programming and IT in general plays a significant role in my life. Other than that, I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, having an occasional drink and playing Starcraft II.

 Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Molnar: From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank each and every individual that has supported us thus far. Hyperion is growing slowly, but surely day by day and it feels terrific. I encourage anyone reading this interview to listen to our latest single “Novus Ordo Seclorum” and pick up the album when it comes out! Thank you for showing interest in Hyperion!

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Hooded Eagle/Nightscapes From The Abyssal Plane/Swamp Metal Records/2015 Full length Review

  Hooded  Eagle  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Nightscapes From The Abyssal Plane"  which  was  released  by  Swamp Metal  Records.

  A  very  distorted  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  slow  doom/sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  tinge  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

   When  solos  and  leads are  utilized  they  are  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  post  black  metal  touch  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  death metal  growls  can also  be  heard  at  times  while  some  of  the  slower  riffing  adds  in  touches  of  funeral  doom.

  Clean playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  the  recording and  they  also  bring  in  a  track  that  is all  instrumental  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  slow  and  fast  parts  a  the  album  progresses  almost  bringing  in  a  Cascadian  style  of  black  metal  and  some  riffs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  crust  punk.

  Hooded  Eagle  plays  a  musical style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while also  adding  in  influences  of  atmospheric  and  post  black  metal  to  create  a  sound of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  based  upon  a  man's  journey  into  madness.

  In  my  opinion  Hooded  Eagle  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Have  Dreams"  "The  Path  Of  Eternal  Sorrow"  and  "The  Sleeper  Will  Wake  And  the  World  Will  bleed".  8  out  of  10.

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Illusions Dead/Celestial Decadence/2016 CD Review

 Illusions  Dead  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  form  of  black  and death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  self  released  2016  album  "Celestial  Decadence" which  will  be  released  in  February.

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  you  can  also  hear  all of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  a  few  seconds  later  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  quite  a  bit throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  a  lot  more  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  melodic  traditions  of  black  and  death  metal  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  on  the  last  song.

  Illusions  Dead  plays a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  blackened  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  anti  religion,  fantasy  and  history  themes.

  In   my  opinion  Illusions  Dead  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  "Devoured  By  Hatred"  "Hour  Of  The  Raven"  and  "the  Way  Of  The  Deceiver".  8  out  of  10.   


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Hyperion/Seraphical Euphony/Black Lion Productions/2015 Full Length Review

  Hyperion  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015 album  "Seraphical  Euphony"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Productions.

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  gets  more  heavy  and  melodic  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  melodic  guitar  leads,  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  make t heir  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  influences  from  both  the  more  melodic  sides  of  the  Swedish  black  and  death  metal  scenes  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  classical  guitars  also  make  their  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  add  in  symphonic  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  on  the  last  track  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into the  music.

  Hyperion  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  together  to  create  some  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  music,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Legends.

  In  my  opinion  Hyperion  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  "Novus  Ordo  Seclorum"  "Moral  Evasion"  and  "Blood  Of  the  Ancients".  8  out  of  10.

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Tranquillizer Interview

INTERVIEWEE: Madelaine Kühn / Tranquillizer

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

Tranquillizer is a mixture of Melodic Death and Black Metal, influenced by diverse other subgenres and partially enriched with the use of a trombone. Founded in 2008, we started playing concerts in eastern Germany.

So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

To be honest, the EP production was quite simple and the quality is not so high. But it was our first small release so I think it´s okay. On the full length album you can listen to Melodic Death and Black Metal sometimes hit by other sub genres.

The band has been around since 2008 and have only released 2 recordings, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

From the beginning we started playing shows. That was our focus. We started two recording sessions before our EP but we had to abort because of leaving members. During the time many musicians leaved. Since three years we have a self confident line up. It's the first time , we feel as a whole band. For that reason we needed time to produce the LP.

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

In general, human being. We have lyrics about war and death, but also about love. All lyrics of our LP are written to show us that all will come to an end. Whatever Life, friendship, the world. Nothing lasts forever.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tranquillizer'?

Some time ago I found the term in a book and while I red the description about it I had to think on my best girlfriend, which once told me, that music is like a tranquillizer. The band especially the singer let´s off steam in place of yourself and this helps to come down. Yeah, that´s why I think tranquillizer is a good fitting name for a metal band, cause who let´s off steam better then a metal band?!

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

I think our shows are energetic. Good shows to let it all out and to mosh. But in every concert you will find time just to listen, for example when the trombone starts to play.
 I remember two great shows: the " Wonnemond Open Air" - Great Festival and one show with Illdisposed from Denmark in our Hometown.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Of course: 2015 we played our " Des Endes Anfang Tour" with some concerts in Germany and Poland and 2016 we will continue the tour with club and festival shows.

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

We have not received any interest. We are looking for a label. We'll see what happens.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death and black metal?

We have not discovered the whole world but we have positive feedback from Poland, England and also some friends in Argentina and Czech Republic.

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

With this line up it's possible to create something really epic! We are just starting!

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 think i can name bands like Dissection or Behemoth but we are also sometimes influenced by sub genres like Metalcore. We are open-minded.

What are some of your non musical interests?

Our Vocalist is a sick motorcycle racetrack rider. In his spear time you will find him with his GSX-R on the track, pushing for lap times. Our guitarist Fabian and our drummer have a fable for computer games and our other guitarist Aleks and myself are the sports fans in our combo. He likes to play soccer. I´m more attracted to volleyball.

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

Go out and support your local metal scene!

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Deathronic Interview

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

Deathronic is a Studio / Solo Project, I composed some tracks few years ago, and wanted to release those songs through an album. Deathronic Project experiments with Symphonic Black Death Metal by combining several influences such as electronic music, oriental…


2.In 2013 you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

I have many influences spanning over various Metal periods, from Old School heavy Metal, to 90’s Death Metal, Modern Black Metal, etc. With “Duality Chaos”, I wanted to express my seamless view of Metal, where all the styles are permitted, without focusing on one specific trend of style. The track Bloody Lust for example, has a heavy metal influence while Kalila Wa Dimna is more symphonic. I also experiment clean vocals in the track Anno 1423 which can be considered more gothic or doom.


Regarding the recording process of “Duality Chaos”, it took place at the Parlour Studios, in Kettering, UK, and it was produced by Neil Haynes. The vocals were recorded at the Audio Sound Art Studio in Berlin and engineered by Laurentx Etxemendi (Former Gojira’s Live Sound Engineer.). "Duality Chaos" was mixed & mastered by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman, the famous Gothenburg Sound!


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

The Concept behind Duality Chaos is human violence. The idea is to denounce how humans are still, today, bestial beings. The unending conflicts and wars are a perfect example of this. Mankind continues to kill for irrational reasons. I think that the origin of that violence is the internal duality of human beings (the struggle between Good and Evil). Many of the worst atrocities are perpetrated in the name of subjective notions of good or bad… A duality that gives birth to chaos…We still see every day, unsupportable choking images of  bloody wars, killed children… that violence cycle is still the cancer of Humanity… and this is not the progress!



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the 'Deathronic'?

Well, The name “Deathronic” is, first of all, an homage to Chuck Schuldiner, an artist who influenced several generations with his masterpiece project « Death ». The other part of the name refers to my electronic music influences, which I wanted to introduce into my compositions.




5.With this musical project you play all the instruments, do you ever plan on expanding the line up or ever doing shows?

I have a side band project “Heavyction” (Industrial Death Trash Metal) and we are currently preparing an EP and also live shows during which we could play, may be, Deathronic’s Songs…

6.The ep was released on Mighty Music, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?


My collaboration with Mighty Music a Danish Label, started after the producing process of the Mini Album. They really realize a good job promoting Duality Chaos!
I would like to thank here all the Mighty Team.

7.The album cover was designed by Seth Siro Anton of Septic Flesh, can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork who brought onto your album?

…Seth Siro Anton is a great artist and he is really supporting debut project like Deathronic. It was an honor for me to have my album’s cover made by him. The Artwork, he created, describes very well the album theme.. and also the atmosphere I wanted to transmit.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the symphonic, melodic and extreme genres of metal?

I was very pleased with the positive feedback and the several encouraging press articles I received… especially with this being my debut release. The songs Kalila wa Dimna & Disharmonia Part II … was nominated in the Independent Music Awards (Metal Song Category). I was really surprised and pleased by this nomination.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see t=yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

Well, I’m currently focusing on my side Project “Heavyction” but I’m also working on next Deathronic’s release, the next album, a full length one. Several songs are ready but I will take the necessary time to release it.



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?

As said before, regarding my influences, it’s spanning over various Metal periods, from Old School heavy Metal (King Diamond) to 90’s Death Metal (Of course Death Chuck Chuldiner’s Masterpiece) until Modern Black Metal, etc… also over some electronic & world music…

Currently I’m listening to some Friends releases. The French scene is really rich with talented bands… For example an awesome new release “Toxic Waste Blues” from the Death Thrash’n Roll Parisian band “Corrosive Elements”. I recommend that great album!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Philosophy (especially Derrida’s Trend of thinking), Economics, Technology (I'm working in the field of Information Technology), History, Ecology… and I use some of those interests to build artistic concepts, for example on ”Anno 1423” Music Video that describes a projection of a post apocalyptic environment …


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

I would like to thank “A Different Shade Of Black” Webzine for supporting Deathronic and emerging projects…

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The Canyon Observer 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 are regrouping and getting our strength back as the release was really intense emotionaly , physically and financially.

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?
New stuff is much more aggressive. We just didn't care what kind of album we are making, genre speaking. We just played from the heart and FVCK is what happened. We experimented with new rhythms, new sound, vocal range and style. We just did what had to be done and this is what happened.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We explore topics like self discovery, sex, BDSM & general mindfucks through the use of psychedelics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Canyon Observer'?
Go on a psychedelic trip in a canyon listening to our music and than tell us.

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 always go all-out during a show. Whether there is 5 people on the show or 500. We like it raw & without a lubricant. Just pure penetration of sound and visuals that give us a braingasm. There were so many great shows that i couldn't even pick just a few. We love it when the folks get into the music and get close to the stage, get close to the sound and participate in the show. It makes us give even more energy and the show is even more fucked up that way.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Nik?
Well, from 19th till 28th of February we are going on a Brutal Winter Fest 2016, which is a tour in Cuba. So that's a big thing for us now and we are really stoked about it.
And we are also playing some summer festivals.
Metal Days being one of them.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with 'KAPA Records'?
Nik?
Jacuzzi and bitches. and also they've helped us a lot with promotion of "FVCK" and many times they've financially backed us up for our tours (also this Cuban one, we couldn't do it without them), CDs, vinyls, you name it! They are really great gals/guys and we are forever grateful to them.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your albums by fans of underground and extreme music?
The feedback was awesome. First VOX offered to co-release the album, the guys from No clean singing premiered our album, we got tons of reviews from abroad and we couldn't be happier with the result. We poured our hearts and souls into this album and the people took it with respect and love. We appreciate all the guys and gals that supported us and hope to see you at a show soon!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Thats a trick question. We believe that if you decide strictly for a genre you can only make something that has already been done. If you think outside of the genre we believe you can still make something special and unique to what the initial idea of the music was. So I don't know. We will see where the music takes us.

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?
We have had so much different influences, from sludge bands up to black metal & noise so we just couldn't go into details what we use and what just flows out. We just go with the flow, the way music should be made.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Cats & drugs.

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

Regards,
Tine

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Nidafjoll/Endir/2015 Full Length Review

  Nidafjoll  are  a  solo  project  from  Iceland  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  pagan/black  metal  with elements  of  folk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2015  album  "Endir".

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk instruments  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  and  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  and  o   the  second  track  the  music  gets  more  heavy,  melodic  and  symphonic  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  some songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  they  also  mix  the  heavy,  symphonic  and  folk  elements  together  quite  a bit  throughout  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  a  couple  of  instrumentals  being  present  on  the recording  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Nidafjoll  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  atmospheric  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  and  pagan  metal  to  create  s  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  tragic  love  story  that  revolves  around  the  Norse  myth  Ragnarok.

  In  my  opinion  Nidafjoll  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  pagan/black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forsja  Frigger"  "Svart  Tar"  and  "Troda  Halir  Helveg".  8  out  of  10.

https://nidafjoll.bandcamp.com/releases

 

Deathcode Society 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?
Arnhwald : Nothing really original or outstanding I fear. We've given our first live performance some weeks ago, we are working on the promotion of our debut, and writing songs for the next album.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
This album is the result of years of hard work. Our music is extreme in every meaning of the terms, fast, powerful, but also richly harmonized, with long and developed melodies, choral sections, counterpoint-written guitar riffs, etc. Many things happen at the same time. Imagine the wedding ceremony of Emperor and Strapping Young Lad in a nuclear powerplant, with a symphonic orchestra playing the march. Here is what we tried to achieve : more brutal, more intense, uncompromising, and smarter. Our music offers a new level of sophistication without being boring or too technical. Too many extreme metal bands just use the same chord progressions, and their music remind me a lot of Dany Elfman scores played with electric guitars and blast-beats. We are not influenced at all by Hoolywood scoring habits


3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
It deals with evil, its promises, its ruses, its seductions.


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

First, it's an hexasyllab, it sounds with solemnity, like our music. Then, it's both "straight in your face" and enigmatic. What does it mean precisely ? I don't know, maybe that we are just five guys trying to explore the darkest and deepest mysteries through music.

5.The music is heavily rooted in the symphonic black metal style, a few years ago the elitists attacked the genre and these days are now attacking post black metal instead, do you feel this genre will one day be as big as it was 10 or more years ago?
I don't know if it even got really big one day. Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir have become big, but the remaining rest of the herd came back to nothing, or almost. To be honest, we don't care about "symphonic black metal". A couple of bands we like are labelled this way, or were, for sure, but the "symphonic" element never was the crucial factor. Were called "symphonic" every single band using cheesy synths layers to spice up basic guitar riffs. What makes a genre big or cool is not the genre itself, but the quality of the bands.
Our music is heavily rooted in the scandinavian black metal genre, it's true, but the symphonic element is not the center of our music, it is used as an arrangement. In bands like Septic Flesh or Dimmu Borgir, or even Carach Angren, the music is built around the orchestra. All our songs are built upon the guitars and the drums. The orchestra comes when everything, or almost everything, has been written. There is one exception I think, the song "NooS", in which I wrote a lot of symphonic and choral stuff before the guitars. I really suggest people to visit our webpage and to download the scores of our songs, they're available for free. They will see that the guitars and bass parts are the MAIN elements of our music.

6.How would you describe your stage performance?
Solemn and petrifying. At last this is what we wish.

7.Are you working on getting a tour for the new album?
We are working on getting a couple of good partnerships (bookers for example) to be able to play under the best conditions. Little by little, opportunities happen. We have a couple of gigs to perform this year. We also hope to play at several summer festivals.

8.The album was released on Osmose Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about the contract you have signed the label?
It's a basic licence contracr. Osmose productions is an established label and we like their attitude. We are free to do whatever we want. For now, the relationship is good.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?
The reactions are good, some of them are really amazing. We clearly saw that the best reviews were written by people who took the time to listen with attention. Ignorance is something you can't hide.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I'm letting the music flow. But we will forge ahead. We are already working on the next album. We've found the title, the concept, everything - but the music ahahah.

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?

Our roots are to be found in metal and late romantic/expressionnist orchestral or vocal music. Our influences are easy to guess, we talked about scandinavian black metal, Emperor, Kvist, Dissection immediately come to mind, among others, Abigor, Anorexia Nervosa (which are not scandinavian). We also could mention the good old classic bands from the 80s, we owe them much ! Today, I still listen to metal and I spend long hours trying to discover new bands - I'm a passionate. A couple of names can be dropped : Xanthochroid, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Lychgate, Aenaon, Immanifest, Glaciation, Nordjevel ... I also listen to a lot of "classical" music. The old austrian master Anton Bruckner fascinates me.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Music is the center of my life, and all the things I enjoy tend to be connected with it.


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

Thank you for your review and interview. Hope you'll enjoy "Eschatonizer" for a long, long time.

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A Thousand Sufferings/Burden/Satanath Records/2015 CD Review

  A  Thousand  Sufferings  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  stoner  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Burden"  which  was  released  by  Satanath  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  drone  starts  off  the  album   along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  a  touch  of  ambient  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  stoner/sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  making  their  presence  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  in  both  the  riffs  and  guitar  leads  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  modern  black  metal  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction  that  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  a  couple  of  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  spoken  words  and  some  of  the  leads  also  bring  in  post  metal  elements  and  the  last  song  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats.

  A  Thousand  Sufferings  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  vocals  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  to  create  a sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes  along with  all  of  the  songs  adding  in  names  of  colors.

  In  my  opinion  A  Thousand  Sufferings  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and stoner  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band,  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Is  Redemption  (Bloodletting)"  and  "Blue  Is...(Remembering  Treasures)".  8  out  of  10.

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Deathcode Society/Eschatonizer/Osmore Productions/2015 CD Review

  Deathcode  Society  are  a  band from  France  that  plays a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album "Eschatonizer"  which  was  released  by Osmose  Productions.

  Symphonic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  start  mixing  in  with  a  heavier  sound  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  the  guitars  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  both  the  riffs  and  solos  and  the  vocals  are  in  a  more  high  pitched  black  metal  direction.

 Clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  they also  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  felling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  a  few  seconds  of  growls  and  they  close  the  album  with  covers  of  Judas  Priest's  "Metal  Meltdown"  and  "Emperor's  "With  Strength  I  Burn".

  Deathcode  Society  plays  a  style  of black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  and  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  while  still  sounding  very  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathcode  Society  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Mark  Of  Cain"  "Seraphic  Requiem"  and  "With  Strength  I  Burn".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdXlNgHyVgks0Sy8ekTwBAw

Deathronic/Duality Chaos/Mighty Music/2013 EP Review

  Deathronic  are  a  solo  project  from France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2013  ep  "Duality  Chaos"  which  was  released  by  Mighty  Music.

  Symphonic  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  male  and  female  operatic  choirs and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  heavy  sound  along  with  some  melodic guitar  leads  and  riffs  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  as  well  as  well  as  adding  in  blackened  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  traditional  metal  elements  in  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  the  music also  brings  in  a  touch  of  industrial  at  times  and  they  also  mix  in  oriental  folk  music  influences  at  times  while  some  of  the  slow  yet  heavy  riffs  are  very  heavily influenced  by  early  90's  doom/death  metal  and  there  are  also  a  few  instrumental  tracks.

  Deathronic  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  symphonic  side  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  melodic  death,  goth,  doom  metal,  and  a  touch  of  electronic  and  oriental  music  to  create  a  musical  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathronic  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black,  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloody  Lust"  and  "Anno  1423".  8  out  of  10.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0alyn4TgWw
 

Dead To A Dying World/Litany/Tofu Carnage/Gilead Media/Alerta Antifascista/2015 CD Review

  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom,  crust  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Litany"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Tofu  Carnage,  Gilead  Media,  and  Alerta  Antifascista.

  Atmospheric  sounding  violins  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  black  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  slows  down  a  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  and  they  also  bring  in  clean  singing  vocals  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  clean  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  a  very  progressive  feeling.

  Female  vocals  are  brought  into  the  music  at  times  and  the  growls  also  add  a  touch  of  crust  and  death  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  a  variety  of  many  different  string  instruments  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses more elements  of  sludge  and  post  rock  are  added  into  the  music  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  sludge,  doom,  crust  and  post  rock  and  mixes  it  in  with  stringed  instruments  to  create  an  original  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  epic  scenes  of  pain  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  To  A  Dying  World  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom, crust,  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hunt  Eternal"  and  "Narcissus".  8  out  of  10.    

http://www.deadtoadyingworld.com

http://www.facebook.com/DeadToADyingWorld

http://www.deadtoadyingworld.bandcamp.com

Wolfhorde Interview

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



Wolfhorde is a Folk Metal band from Finland with a couple of self-released EP’s and a new upcoming debut album Towards The Gates of North. Mostly our music is combination of acoustic and electric instruments with intention to create atmospheric, but heavy soundscapes based on mythological and symbolic themes.



2.In 2016 you have a new album coming out, 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?



As a new element on the debut album we have introduced quite massive orchestras, which are not dominative in the sound, but rather in the background. Also the music does not solely rely on any particular instrument. It is more a combination of a lot of different sounds forming a huge stage of sound. As always, we wanted to have quite an organic sound to the album and I think we succeeded in this very well. Maybe it doesn’t sound as heavy and processed as modern metal nowadays, but atleast it sounds real. Also we are proud of the production on this one. None of the instruments were recorded in a real recording studio. Everything is still self-produced, but only better in every possible way.



3.This is going to be the first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?



We have been making this debut album during many years. Personally I (Werihukka) started doing the demos of these songs already in 2012. A lot of time went into making orchestral arrangements for these songs. Then we wanted to rehearse every song at the rehearsals together. The evolution of these songs at the rehearsing stage was the most important part of the process. In every occasion, we tried different things, drum arrangements, improved the groove and feel of the songs. This is important because the music only comes alive after it is actually played by a band and not intented to be played by drum machines and so on.



Also a lot of time went with completely other things during the making of this album. Unfortunately not all the time can be spend to making music.



4.Your lyrics cover a lot of Pagan topics, can you tell us a little bitmore about your interest in Paganism?



Norse mythology has been interesting subject for a long time for many of us in the band and also common travels to go hiking in the mountains of Norway brings closer to these landscapes. Pagan subjects are mostly sources of inspiration, not so much to do with religion. Imagination is a powerful tool of making art, but no one should base their believes in imaginery things.



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



Wolfhorde as a name comes from a long forgotten song of ours. After deciding the name, the style of music has become something more suited to this name. Wolves have always been one of many powerful sources of inspiration. They are strong and independent animals, yet able to form even stronger one as a united pack. That is what the band is all about as well.



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



So far no live shows. We have only done this as a studio project, but most certainly it would be nice to perform these songs live in the future.



7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the deal you have signed with Inverse Records?



We were already making this album and Inverse contacted us to make deal with them about the release, distribution and promotion of this album. We were very pleased about their offer and we still are.



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



The feedback has been surprisingly positive all the time. Even the earliest releases received very good impressions a long time ago. I think our music has changed a little bit since those times, but the band is definitely still the same.



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



Nothing is certain, but personally I would like to experiment with more simplistic approach next time and concentrate more on band and sit less at the computer doing orchestras and sorts of things. Something heavier and darker will definitely be on the way at sometime in the future.



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 too many bands to mention, but some of the bands that we would consider influential are Moonsorrow, Finntroll, Eluveitie, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Amorphis, Kiuas, Korpiklaani and so on. Not all the influence comes from folk metal or metal bands at all. And of course we just try to sound like Wolfhorde.



We listen to all good music without restrictions.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



Mythology and nature.



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



Hopefully you will like our new album coming in 22nd of January 2016.  Prepare yourselves for journey Towards The Gates of North.


Best regards,

- Werihukka

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Abaton/We Are Certainly Not Made Of Flesh/DrownWithin Records/Unquiet Records/Martire/2015 CD Review

 Abaton  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  post  metal,  doom  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "We  Are  Certainly Not  Made  Of  Flesh"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Drown  Within  Records,  Unquiet Records,  and  Martire.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  sludge/post  metal  direction  along  with  some high  pitched  screams  that  are  influenced  by  black  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  in  the  solos  and  leads.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  and  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  influences  of  hardcore  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also  mix  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  spoken  word parts  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  there  are  also  a  few  tracks  that are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  alos one  song  that  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals.

  Abaton  takers  the  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  mixture  of  previous  recordings  and  also  mixes  in  more  melody,  post metal  and  hardcore  influences  to  expand their  musical  style  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abaton  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ananta"  "Nadi"  and  "Echo".  8  out  of  10.

https://drownwithinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-certainly-not-made-of-flesh  

Wolfhorde/Towards The Gate Of North/Inverse Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Wolfhorde  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  folk  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Towards  The  Gate  Of  North"  which  will  be  released  in  2016 by  Inverse  Records.

  Classical  guitars  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  when  keyboards  are  added onto  the  recording  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  on  the  second  track  tribal  beats  find  their  way  onto  the  album  and  they  bring  in  a  shamanistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  folk  metal  feeling  to  the  songs   and  the  vocals  bring  in  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  guitar  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  the  tracks.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  the  clean  vocals  bring  in  elements  of  pagan  metal  and  the  music  at  times  also  brings  in  a  medieval  atmosphere  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Wolfhorde  plays  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  symphonic  sounding  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Finnish  and  cover  Viking  heritage and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolfhorde are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuimbulvter"  "The  Retribution"  and  "The  Gates  Of  North".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.wolfhorde.com
https://www.facebook.com/WolfhordeBandOfficial/

https://twitter.com/wolfhordeband
https://wolfhorde.bandcamp.com/
https://shop.spreadshirt.fi/wolfhorde
https://www.youtube.com/user/wolfhordeofficial