Ambient Death Interview

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

We are a blackened death metal band from NYC with 3 record releases under our belt. I incorporate a guitar synthesizer pickup on my guitar to give an additional color and texture to some of the songs. Most of our songs are composed in a chapter-like structure rather than typical verse/chorus style.  Also individually we have been part of the NYC underground scene for more than 15 years and opened up for some of the biggest bands like Behemoth, Arch Enemy, Morbid Angel, etc.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's and a full length album, how would you describe the musical sound of all 3 recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

The first EP Time Eclipse I feel was a blueprint for what I wanted to do with Ambient Death. It has a dark feel to it and it's saturated with reverb. The song Crusades has a very epic feel and people loved it. We recorded the album with our friend Vin Cin who occasionally was Peter Steele's bass tech from Type O Negative.

 Our Second EP Transmigration Of Souls was recorded by Joey Z from Life Of Agony and it was definitely more aggressive from the first one. Nocturnal Mirage sounds like a ton of bricks right out of the gate. The record sounds more dry and more raw in comparison.

The full length Dismembering The Image Of God I believe showcases our sound and vision. The album was produced by Aady Pandit and took us almost a year to record. We achieved an awesome balance of melody and heaviness. I wanted the album to be an audio experience from beginning to the end.     

3.In the 7 years that the band has been together there has only been 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps between recordings?

The main reason is that the last few years were consumed by my studies and my career in Maritime. Also because of our jobs and work schedules it was almost impossible to get something going consistently as far as rehearsals or playing shows. This eventually resulted in some line-up changes which again prolonged things even further. Just like majority of metal bands we do not make a living from this so other things in life have a priority but we play music whenever we can and continue to do so because of our love for it.

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

In one word....death!! lol 

Everything I write revolves around death, the afterlife, the mortuary art and philosophical notions of our existence. I've been fascinated by that since I was a little kid and to me death and existentialism are the roots of our beloved metal subculture.

A lot of new metal I hear I feel the lyrics were written by a 12 year old. There's no substance to it and I laugh when I hear a strong emphasis on word combinations such as darkness of the shadows or 30 year old dude singing about slaying dragons lol

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

To me the name has a dual meaning. One has to do with the music itself and the ambient interludes as well as the guitar synth pick up I use. Two is my fascination with death and metaphysics which reflects in my lyrics.

The word 'ambient' appeared as a name for one of the guitar effects I used when I was writing some of the stuff for the first EP and it just kind of clicked in my head 'ambient death' and I said why the fuck not! lol

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?

We only played a handful of local shows because of previously mentioned issues we had but one of the shows we played with Malignancy was pretty awesome. A lot of the audience seems enchanted by our instrument proficiency especially when they hear my guitar make keyboard sounds.  

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

Yes. We're going to play a few shows here in NY this summer and a few out of state in the late Fall and Winter.

8.According to the fb page the band is looking for a new bass  player, have you had any luck in your search?

Not yet! We went through 3 bass players in the process of working on Dismembering and finally we had the 4th one, Aady Pandit (our record producer) knock it out of the park with amazing bass lines on the record. We also had the 5th bass player, Carlos who appears on our two videos. Since I had to let go of our 3rd bass player two days before the video shoot we had Carlos learn the bass lines on the spot and be our stuntman-bass player for the video. lol

Until we find the right fit Aady is going to fulfill the bass role when we play live.

 9.Can you tell us a little bit more about Silver Harp Publishing?

Silverharp Publishing is my independent publishing entity registered with ASCAP. 

I use it to release our music to the public and collect remainder pennies from our stolen royalties lol

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

I think it's been absolutely amazing. We've had a lot of individuals from all over the globe even from Formentera  (look it up lol) who are not afraid to stand alone behind less known independent bands and do their research for themselves rather than have someone tell them who's cool to follow and who's not. Ultimately it's the greatest pay off for our invested time and money to have someone take their time and reach out to us just to say how much they enjoy our music.     

11.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?

Yes! John is  very much involved in a black metal band from NYC Jotunheim fronted by our friend Arthur who was also Ambient Death's 2nd bass player. lol The NY metal scene is very incestual. lol 

Also Jaimen is currently playing with The Gemini Method.

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

Not sure! I would definitely like to experiment with some new sounds and new instruments. I always challenge myself in my abilities which helps me grow in my writing and it's very much noticeable if you listen to our albums in chronological order.

13.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?

Lyrically and musically I always admired the work of Dissection, Death, Paradise Lost, old Opeth. My non-metal influence always have been Dead Can Dance, Tom Waits, New Model Army to name a few. Right now I find myself listening to a lot of Septicflesh, Sopor Aeternus, Barren Earth, Arcana, Arcturus, etc.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Definitely water. I work on the water here in NY harbor and I'm very passionate about it just as much as my music.

Jaimen is one of the biggest graffiti artists in NYC and if you're from NYC you probably have seen his work without even knowing.

John has published a book 'From An Ill Mind' (available through Barnes&Noble website) which is a collection of his short poems. Besides writing he likes to spend his time at his local barber shop trimming his perfect beard like a Bonsai tree. lol

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

Sure. I would like to thank you for giving us a voice and everyone who takes their time to read this and enjoys our music. I also would like to encourage everyone to check out our video for Apotheosis Of The Hangman which was shot on the same stage where Albert Einstein made his speech in late 1800's and more recent Colin Powell. We also have a new video for City Of The Silent coming out any day now!

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Oprich/Winds' Heavy Mead/Casus Belli Musica/2014 EP Review

  Oprich  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  an  atmospheric  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Winds'  Heavy  Mead"  which  was  released  by  Casus  Belli  Musica.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  guitars  and  folk  instruments  as  well  as  some  melodic  pagan  vocals  which  leads  to  a  heavier  direction  which  also  sees  blackened  death  metal  growls  becoming  a  part  of  the  music  while  also  keeping  around  the  folk  music  elements  and  adding  melody  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  The  following  tracks  are  also  in  the  heavy  folk  metal  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  fast  parts  at  times  and  they  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts   and  the  3rd track  is  all  acoustic  and  they  close  the  ep  with  a  cover  of  Temnozer's  "Folkstorm  Of  the  Azure  Nights"  which  also  sees  them  adding  in  female  vocals  and  the  song  is  10  minutes  in  length  along  with  small  amounts  of  blast  beats.

  Oprich  remain  true  to  their  atmospheric  folk  metal  sound  sticking  to  the  same  direction  as  the  album they  released a  year  back,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  Russian  folklore  and  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Oprich  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Winds'  Heavy  Mead"  and  "Volga's  Lullaby".  8  out  of  10.  

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In My Embrace/Dead To Dust Descend/Sliptrick Records/2014 EP Review

  In  My  Embrace  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Dead  To  Dust  Descend"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Distorted  guitars  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  blackened  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  also  speeds  up  a  little bit  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  adding  in  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  death  metal  elements  are  added  into  the  music  the  ep  starts  having  a  more  modern  feeling  mixed  into  their  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  thrash  influences  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  an  old  school  melodic  Swedish  death  metal  sound  being  mixed  in  with  black  metal.

  On  a  cople  of  the  later  tracks  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  briefly  before  returning  to  a  more  melodic  black  metal  direction  and  adding  more  blast  beats  into  their  musical  sound  along  with  a  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  and  they  also  add  in  a  small  amounts  of  clean  parts  with  the  heavier  guitars  for  a  few  seconds  on  one  of  the  tracks  and  the  last  2  songs  are  all  acoustical  along  with  a  slight  symphonic  element  on  the  first  of  the  last  2.

  In  My  Embrace  have  a  more  dark  approach  than  most  bands  that  mix  melodic  death  with  black  metal  with  a  sound  that  would  attract  both  both  and  old  school  listeners  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  powerful,  while  the  lyrics  are  written in  a  mixture  of  Swedish  and  English  and  cover  sorrow,  agony,  hatred,  life,  death,  religion,  society  and  existential  matters.

  In  my  opinion  In  My  Embrace  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  To  Dust  Descend"  and  "Diabolical  Masquerade".  8  out  of  10.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/inmyembrace
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Ambient Death/Dismembering The Image Of God/2014 CD Review

   Ambient  Death  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Dismembering  The  Image  Of  God".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  bring  a  black  metal  feeling  to  the  recording  while  the  music  style  from  the  instruments  are  in  a  more  death  metal  direction  and  the  guitar  riffs  and  leads  incorporate  great  amounts  of  melody  into  their  musical  style.

  There  seems  to  be  a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  elements  in  their  music  at  times  along  with  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  band  also  have  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  their  music  along  with  powerful  sounding  bass  lines  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  utilize  small  amounts  of  acoustic  guitars  which  bring  in  a  post  metal  feeling.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  diverse  with  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  adding  in  symphonic  sounding  synths  and  a  few  instrumentals  with  one  beign  all  acoustic  and  the  title  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  having  the  vocals  make  their  return  as  well  as  adding  in  spoken  word  parts  and  the  last  track  adds  psychedelic  and  prog  sounds  into  their  heavy  and  melodic  musical  style.

  Ambient  Death  have  a  very  diverse  sound  that  combines  melodic  black  and  death  metal  together  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  heaviness,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  anti  religion  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ambient  Death  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Apotheosis  Of  The  Hangman"  "Dismembering  the  Image  of  God"  and  "All  Too  Human".  8  out  of  10.

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Hyperborean/Myths Of The Great Pestilence/2014 CD Review

  Hyperborean  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this zine  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  experimental  style  of  black  metal  and  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2014  album  "Myths  Of  the  Great  Pestilence".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  and  the  band  also  uses  deep  growls  which  bring  a  death  metal  feeling  to  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  guitar  leads  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody,  talent  and  skill  and  the  music  also  utilizes  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Thrash  influences  have  a  good  amount  of  dominance  in  their  music  and  they  also  add  in  technical  parts  at  times  as  well  as  some  really  fast  guitar  picking  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  band  also  starts  adding  psychedelic  elements  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  black  metal  elements  on  this  album  go  for  an  even  more  grim  direction  than  the  recording  I  reviewed  3  years  back.

  Halfway  through t he  album  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  one  track and  they  enhance  the  experimental  qualities  of  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  is  still  on  melodic  black  metal  along  with  a  few  long  and  epic  in  length  tracks  which  also  starts  utilizing  traces  of  classic  rock  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  last  song  is  a  black  metal  version  of  Blue  Oyster  Cult's  "Dont  Fear  the  Ripper".

  Hyperborean  show  a  great  amount  of  growth  with  their  new  album  which  is  still  true  to  melodic  black  metal  direction  but  they  also  add  in  more  diverse  elements  to  make  the  recording  more  original  sounding,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  historical  battles,  war  and  mythology.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hyperborean  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hail  Dystopia"  "The  Slaves  Of  the  World"  "On  The  nature  of  Mankind"  and  "Dont  Fear  The  Ripper".  8  out  of  10.

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Enviktas Interview

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

*Were from Newcastle, Australia. We blend Traditional World Folk Music with contemporary Metal, Mainly Death and Black Metal and Western Classical music.

2.You released in a new ep in March, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical sound?

*We try to experiment with cross cultural music to maximise the emotion required for each particular song. Thats why our music varies quite a lot from song to song. We don't like to limit the music to any particular sub-cultural "standard" etc, otherwise the writing process would be very boring for us. We all come from a wide background of musical styles so its great to be able to fuse all our styles together into something were all happy with.

3.I have noticed that when i listened to the ep, you had a sound that actually puts brutality in that genre and never use clean vocals, are you planning on adding cleaner vocals in the future or do you choose to remain on the heavier side of things?

* We like to play heavy because its such a great feeling. So whatever we write usually comes out fairly heavy. However, our new material delves into the darker sides of jazz and ambient traditional indigenous music from Central Asia and here in Australia. So you can expect to hear some more traditional styles of vocals such as overtone singing and shrill melodic vocalising. Theres some of this in the interlude of Golden Spirit but its not very prominent as there are so many layers.

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

*The songs we wrote early on focused on Scandinavian and Australian Folk-lore. Morning Burns Red is about the Viking Raid on Lindisfarne. In Our Honour is about the escapades of 19th Century Australian
Bushrangers and Golden Spirit tries to give a first person account on the various rebellions that arose during the Christianisaton of Europe. They were ALWAYS written as historical fiction with no political or religious discourse intended. Thats part of the reason we chose not to release the lyrics with the EP as we didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea of what the songs, or us as a band are about. The lyrical content for the new material is more impressionistic with a philosophical basis. The goal is for the lyrics to be open to
interpretation. Therefore the reader can connect with the song in a more personal way.

5.I have noticed in the band's logo you have some of the lesser known and more obscure runes, does the band have a huge interest in Paganism?

*Absolutely. A big part of our philosophy is deeply connected with paganism. But it is not limited to only Nordic or Germanic Paganism. We wanted to use a range of symbols from varying cultures for our album layout for a few reasons. The main reason was to convey the fusion of cultures within the music, as well as our philosophical beliefs which are also very multi-cultural. Much can be learned fromthe ancient teachings, be they religious or philosophical. I contacted a local artist/tattoo artist named Nicolas Lissarrague, who I've
worked with before, to design the cover for us. Nick has a profound understanding of paganism and the beauty of all cultures so he was perfect. I told him our ideas and he painted the cover in water colours which we scanned and fitted to the template with the help of our good friend, Ben Bullivant who designed the layout. Both guys were great to work with and did an amazing job. Much respect!

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Enviktas'?
*When we started we focused on the battle element of folk metal. Turisas and Ensiferum were a big inspiration for this bands formation. We were brainstorming ideas for a name and one of us said "Victus"
latin for "Victory". It was cool, but sounded to short. So to jump on the folk metal band-wagon of band names starting with "EN" we decided to put that in front and change the lettering haha! Not much else to
it.

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

*Some of our best shows have been local Newcastle ones. Theres some amazing sound men operating here at venues such as "The Cambridge" and "The Small Ballroom". We were lucky enough to play with Gloryhammer from the UK last month when they toured here. That was a lot of fun. We try make our shows flow like one big piece of music much the same as an orchestra. We have samples that tie the songs together to help paint a picture to the audience whats about to come in the next song. Also to keep up the momentum. Our live set up is 2x Guitar, Bass,Drums, Violin and orchestral samples so when its all together and mixed
well it can sound pretty huge! Good times!

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

Were currently planning to do a small tour of Melbourne, then follow up with an East coast of Australia tour. After that, wed like to hit up South East Asia and hopefully Japan. If all Goes well, Europe would be the next place. But small steps for now.

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

We haven't received any label interest as of yet. I think it would be a good move if the right company came along and offered a fair deal. A lot can be gained with a good partnership.

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

Its been amazing so far! People seem to really dig it. We put the EP up for free on bandcamp, and I've been contacted by people in Lithuania, Peru, The Philippines, Finland and many more. I hope themusic gets shared to even more places!

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

*We are starting to work on an Album now. We may release an EP with some acoustic covers and a few new songs in between hopefully. Musically i think it will become much more progressive a with regard
to structure/rhythms etc. Also our themes and lyrical content will be much deeper. Ive got a few producers in mind that id like to work with to make it sound more organic. Like i said before, were going to keep
on working at using remote cultural music to mix in with contemporary heavy music. Were looking at getting Indigenous and foreign musicians to collaborate with to make the music as effective as possible.

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?

* When it comes to folk metal, Turisas and Ensiferum were a huge influence. They really opened my ears to this genre and showed the variety you can get from it. These days we are listening to so many different styles and getting inspiration. Post-rock and post-metal Bands like "sleepmakeswaves", "Russian Circles" and "This will destroy you" are doing amazing work with the layers of texture within their music as well as using cutting edge technology to maximise the effectiveness of instrumental music. Behemoth have always been at the
top of the ladder in my opinion. They have a bad arse attitude and always punch out unique music. Their work ethic is very inspirational. Also Fleshgod Apocalypse and Septic Flesh do amazing work to blend
classical music with metal. Were big fans of all these guys.

13.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?

* Definitely. Our Drummer is in the Post-Hardcore band "Tired Minds".They're progressive take on modern hardcore is really cool. Brendan our bass player is in the Viking Metal band "Pagans Realm. They're
really rocky and sludgy! Kaden our guitarist plays melodica with the Funk Band "Strangers with Candy". Alex our Violinist is a great Electronic music producer under the name "5peed $nail" and is also co
runner of the label "Murder is not a Crime". And i have an instrumental Post-Rock/Metal project. But we don't have a name as ofyet.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

* Well for me personally, I love playing with my two Dogs. I enjoy studying History, Cosmology, Astro-Physics and various sciences such as Anthropology. Mainly focusing on traditional and early middle age
culture, Philosophy, Tattooing... That sums me up i guess.

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

* Thank you for taking the time to write up these great questions.
They have been a pleasure to answer! Much Respect !
Jordan :)

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Morb/Le Theatre de Satan/Senseless Life Records/2014 CD Review

  Morb  are  a  1  man  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  symphonic  form  of  black/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Le  Theatre  de  Satan"  which  was  released  be  Senseless  Life  Records.

  Folk  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  first  track  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavy  and  starts  going  into  a  folk  metal  direction  along  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  adding  in  black  metal  vocals  along  with  symphonic  elements  and  a  great  amount  of  violins  are  utilized  throughout  the  recording.

  When  the  album  goes  into  some  of  the  other  tracks  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  brought  in  during  some  of  the  faster  parts  of  the  album  which  are  rare  since  the  album  is  mostly  in  a  mid  paced  direction  and  after  awhile  melodic  female  vocals  start  becoming  a  part  of  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  more  pagan  atmosphere.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  male  vocals  also start  adding  in  more  operatic  sounds  while  mostly  remaining  true  to  the  black  metal  style  of  screaming  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length   and  also  have  a  3  part  concept  going  on  with  them  as  well  as  having  more  epic  elements  in  the  songs.

  The  3  song  concept  takes  the  album  into  a  more  symphonic  and  classical  music  genre  while  also  adding  in  more  fast  black  metal  elements  which  where  not  a  part  of  the  first  half  of  the  album  and  the  music  also  starts  incorporating  more  gothic  and  operatic  moments  as  well  as  making  the  3rd  song  in  the  concept  all  instrumental  and  the  album  closes  with  a  symphonic  black  metal  version  of  Celine  Dion's  "My  Heart  Will  Go  On".

  Morb  have  a  very  diverse sound  with  his  music  starting  out  in  a  more  folk/black  metal  direction  and  getting  more  symphonic  and  classical  influenced  as  the  album  progresses,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  and  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  French  and  cover  Satanism  and  Occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morb  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  symphonic  black/folk  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Joker"  "Le  Clochard  en  Costume"  "Terre  Chapiteau"  and  "My  Heart  Will  Go  On".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/M%C3%B6rb/3540371744

Enviktas/Self Titled/2014 EP Review

  Enviktas  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very original  and  diverse  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2014  ep.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  epic  sounds  that  have  a  feeling  or  a  fantasy  movie  or  show  as  well  as  some  folk  instruments  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  yet  folk  metal  sound  and  the  music  starts  having  a  more  pagan  and  atmospheric  feeling  after  the  intro  along  with  a  good  amount  of  melody.

  Black  and  death  metal  style  vocals  are  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  at  time s you  can  hear  some  epic  battle  samples  being  utilized  in  the  background  at  times  as  well  as  the  band  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  fast  black  metal  parts  along  with  some  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  as  the  ep  progresses  you  can  hear  elements  of  ethnic  world  music  being  mixed  in  with  their  sound.

  The  ethnic  elements  really  help  make  the  music  stand  out  as  well  as  the  band  having  a  lot  more  heavier  sound  than  most  folk  metal  bands  and  they  never  use  any  clean  or  pagan  style  singing  and  the  lead  guitars  and  solos  are  very  chaotic  sounding  and  also  heavily  influenced  by  death  metal,  when  acoustic  guitars  are  used  they  really  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  emotion  to  the  songs  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Enviktas  create  a  very  original  style  of  folk  metal  with  their  songs  only  using  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  bringing  in  brutal  elements  and  traces  of  world  music,  ethic  and  classical  to  create  a  sound   of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  sounding  without  the  backing  of  a  label  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  paganism  and  folklore.

  In  my  opinion  Envikitas  are  a very  great  original  and  brutal  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Morning  Burns  Red"  and  "Golden  Spirit".  8/5  out  of  10.

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Darkest Era Interview

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

This album was actually recorded over a year ago, in February 2013. Since then we’ve had a couple of lineup changes, we have an all new rhythm section now in Cameron Ahslund-Glass on drums and Daniel O’Toole on bass. We’ve spent the last year basically playing shows, festivals and going on a UK tour in the autumn, whilst securing a new deal with Cruz Del Sur to release the album next month.

2.You have a new album coming out on June, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would describe it as the natural step in our musical evolution. It is darker, more visceral, yet more sorrowful in places. I think the songs are more focussed than in the past, there is less meandering in the arrangements. Some of the material pushes the boundaries of our sphere of influence, and other songs are the most straight up heavy metal we’ve done. The band was on the verge of ruination during the conception of the album and as always this has seeped into the tones and themes; it’s a pretty good document of where the band was at that point.

3.I have seen the band labeled as folk metal but I feel that you have a sound that is a little bit closer to being true metal, do you feel you stand out in your musical genre?

Labelling us has always been a problem. We often say we have folk influences but that doesn’t make us folk metal. We incorporate an atmosphere and a certain aesthetic of folk, and there is some musical lineage but really we’re no more folk metal than Solstice are for example. True metal probably isn’t 100% accurate either as our sound is a lot broader than the confines of this subgenre, although there are absolutely lots of true metal influences there. We’re a heavy metal band, let’s say.

4.Your lyrics cover Celtic Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Actually this has been misconstrued slightly. We had a couple of songs written about Celtic Mythology on our demos and first album, plus some aspects of our artwork and aesthetic reference mythology but in general most of our songs don’t, there are no songs on the new record related to mythology for example. I have always had an interest in the topic though, since I was about 16 really. It’s not an area that is really taught in schools so when I discovered books on the subject, and also Irish bands who were influenced by it, I found it fascinating. The stories, characters and themes tend to lend themselves very well to heavy metal lyric writing as well! Since the last album we’ve been writing about other things, but I guess still retaining the kind of imagery and atmosphere of mythological writings.

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

There have been many, but most recently we played Ragnarok Festival in Germany in front of a couple of thousand people, which was our biggest ever show. We played with Primordial for their DVD recording which was quite an occasion. We’ve also played with Slough Feg, who are one of our favourite bands so that was a special show for us. In 2012 we did a UK tour with Alestorm, many of the shows were in pretty large venues that sold out in advance so there were some memorable nights there. A sold out Islington Academy in London being one. Our stage performance I would say is totally complementary to our music. We are energetic and people often say that you can tell we really mean what we do. We don’t go through the motions, there is passion and purpose in every note; it can be quite intense from our point of view.

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

Yes we will be playing a number of special one off launch shows over the summer before embarking on a headline tour of the UK in the autumn, details of which we will be announcing soon. Beyond that we will be returning to Europe but it’s too early to say when just yet. We are very eager to hit the road with this record.

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

Very positive, and our fanbase is steadily growing. Since our first demos, which we recorded while still in school, we received a lot of interest from the European metal underground. So from the beginning, although our sound was very formative, we had interest from many far flung places which was very encouraging. Our first album was very well received and ended up on quite a few end of year lists. Metal fans seem to find our material to be the kind of stuff that reveals it’s true quality after repeated listens, when they’ve had time to get their head around what we do.  

8.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?

Yes we all have several different projects brewing at the minute. Most have not surfaced yet but there is some fairly eclectic stuff being worked on by some of us. Some of it will be of interest to Darkest Era fans for sure so we’ll keep people informed when these side projects come to fruition.

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

I think we will push the boundaries of our sphere of influence even more and open our sound up. We have a fairly clear idea now of what we want Darkest Era to be and our latest album is the perfect step towards that. The main thing is to move forward, we aren’t interested in staying still creatively. ‘Severance’ isn’t even out yet but there is a collective subconscious feeling among us that the next album is what each of us have been working towards since we starting playing.

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

I think as we progress we’re looking outward less and less for musical influence and looking more inward. We’re still into the same bands that got us into heavy metal in the first place; Iron Maiden, Bathory, Thin Lizzy, Dio, along with a ton of others. I would still list these bands as influences. In terms of current musical tastes, personally the current crop of heavy metal bands (many associated with Cruz Del Sur) such as Argus, Atlantean Kodex, Slough Feg are occupying my decks quite a bit. Actually myself and Sarah have been listening to a lot of a band called Skalmold lately as well. I approach new music with caution as there is so much stuff out there you have to be choosy, there aren’t enough hours in the day otherwise. But having said that my morning til night playlist could be as diverse as Destroyer 666, Heavy Load, Tom Waits, Blind Guardian, Depeche Mode, Fleetwood Mac. The other guys in the band have a taste as broad as that too or even moreso.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

The usual shit; books, film, travel, craft beer and quality wine appreciation. Mostly it’s just stuff to colour in the gaps between music and heavy metal. I like to think I’m a not-so-stereotypical metalhead with many different cultural interests and pastimes.. but I pretty much get out of bed each morning with my fist already raised and ready to rock J

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

Check us out at darkestera.net and facebook.com/darkestera  Never yield, never compromise, vae victis!  

Embrace Of Disharmony Interview

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

Well, not too much, since the production was finished just a few months ago! We had a brief pause, and now we are focused on preparing ourselves for promoting the album with a proper live activity.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from your previous ep and demo?

With the album we kept walking the path sketched with the previous recordings, from which we have taken four songs out of nine. This time we improved performance and production to a professional level, and for what concerns the sound we have added a touch of theatricality. The arrangements on the album often feature the presence of a full orchestra, which was absent in the previous ep and demo.

3.This is the first release since 2010, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on with the band in the last 4 years?

Things moved rather slow. At first we had some serious lineup problems. In 2011 Emiliano Cantiano (Shores of Null, Noumeno) joined the band on drums and we started rehearsing the new songs. Then in late 2012 we started the production of the new album which took a whole year, mainly for reasons not depending upon us.

4.The new album has a concept, can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrics the band has on the new recording?
It’s not a concept album “tout court”, but there’s an underlying theme that permeates it and characterizes the mood of the entire work starting from its title. In ancient Greek mythology Ananke was the personification of fate and every song in our album is about human beings facing their destiny, palely surrendering to it or trying to change its course. Some of our lyrics are about fictional characters like Elric of Melniboné or the main character of Poe’s short story “A descent into the Maelstrom”, some others are not related to a specific figure but totally tied to this leitmotif.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Embrace Of Disharmony'?
It has been a hard decision to make: we wanted a name that could recall both the vocal interweaves that characterize our music and the progressive and sometimes disharmonic streak of it.

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?

We played as opening act for Haggard (December 16, 2012) and Orphaned Land (October 22, 2013). In both cases it has been an honour to play our songs with such bands that, in addition to be internationally known, are extremely important in our cultural background.

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

Not yet, but we will surely try to boost our live activity as much as possible in order to promote the album and the band at our best!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme, progressive and avant garde metal?

Without a full length and a label, things that we have only now, it is difficult to be exposed to a high number of people, so this question will have a complete answer in some months. Up to now feedbacks from reviews and live reports around the internet were positive, with some peak of appreciation, hence we can consider ourselves to be satisfied.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?

Our drummer Emiliano is involved with many other bands: Noumeno, an instrumental Prog Metal band, which have just completed its second album, and Shores of Null, a Gothic/Doom band which have just released its debut album. Leonardo, our bass player, has recently joined a newborn Djent band called Alien Red.

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

Well, no one can tell, and that's the beautiful part of it! By making too much plans or having expectations things can come out contrived. For the present day, after finishing the parts for the album, there is slightly more attention in exploring electronical sounds rather than orchestral ones, but things may change quickly. It's just about being spontaneous and write the music that comes out from you.

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

In the latest years there has been one name above all: the Norwegian Avantgarde scene, so experimental bands like Arcturus, Winds, Borknagar, Solefald and so on. This musical scene has been a big influence on our approach, which met the other major reference, Progressive Metal.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Matteo: is writing music a non-musical interest? Hmm, maybe not. I guess the same would apply to playing guitar and collect and painstackingly listen to metal cds. So what's left? Eating fatty food, watch some movie at times, and above all making lots of dumb things with friends.
Leonardo: I enjoy passing my time in front of a computer screen and trying to make things work (rarely achieving this goal). In my spare time I work as a physicist.
Emiliano: Studying and teaching drums could be a non-musical interest? Ahahahah, ok seriously... i love reading and watching movies at the cinema whenever i can.
Gloria: I am a compulsive reader with a strong interest for videogames, crosswords and make-up artistry (although this strange mixture of hobbies apparently doesn’t make any sense).

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

We hope that you people can find some time and patience to listen to this album, and maybe also enjoy it. There is a very part of our souls in it.

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Mirzadeh/Desired Mythic Pride/Inverse Records/2014 CD Review

  Mirzadeh  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  gothic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Desired  Mythic  Pride"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavier  gothic  and  symphonic  gothic  metal  direction  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  utilizes  a  melodic  edge  in  both  the  riffing  and  solos  as  well  as  incorporating  death  metal  growls  and  some  of  the  slower  sections  have  a  doom  metal  feeling  to  them.

  The  music  on  this  album  is  very  90's  orientated  and  goes  back  to  the  melodic,  symphonic  and  gothic  side  of  black  metal  that  was  released  in  that  era  and  they  also  use  a  good  amount  of  clean  playing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  you  can  easily  hear  that  band  is  heavily  influenced  by  the  black  and  doom  metal  bands  of  their  home  country.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  they  also  add  in  elements  of  traditional  Finnish  folk  music  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  in  the  heavier  and  faster  parts  of  the  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  songs  get  more  diverse  in  sound  while  you  can  also  tell  that  it  is  the  same  band  on  all  of  the  tracks  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  which  gives  the  album  a  more  progressive  feeling  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  before  returning  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Mirzadeh  show  a  great  amount  of  diversity  with  their  music,  their  sound  is  firmly  rooted  in  the  symphonic,  gothic  and  melodic  sides  of  black  metal  put  they  also  have  a  good  amount  of  pagan,  doom  and  death  metal  element s in  their  sound,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  Ancient  Finnish  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  Mirzadeh  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic,  gothic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Secrets'  "Rain  Of  Blood"  "Demented  Visions  Of  Madness"  and  "Rise  With  Norther  Witchcraft".  8/5  out  of  10.

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Darkest Era/Severance/Cruz Del Sur Music/2014 CD Review

  Darkest  Era  are  a  band  from the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  Celtic  folk  and  traditional  metal  with  blackened  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Severance"  which  will  be  released  by  Cruz  Del  Sur  Music.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  they  bring  a  medieval  folk  music  feeling  to t he  music  before  going  into  a  more  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  a  small  amounts  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  which  adds  in  more  blackened  sounds  and  then  slowing  down  and  adding  in  clean  singing  vocals.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  this  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  very  melodic  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  mixture  of  both  acoustic  and  heavy  parts  and  the  songs  sound  very  diverse  while  remaining  mostly  in  a  melodic  direction.

  While  the  music  is  mostly  in  a  mid  paced  and  melodic  direction  the  band  also  doe s bring  back  the  faster  parts  and  blast  beats  at  times  and  while  those  elements  have  a  black  metal  influence  the  vocals  always  reaming  in  a  melodic  clean  singing  direction  and  the  band  also  use s more  traditonal  metal  sounds  than  folk  music  elements  and  some  of  the  slower  sections  have  an  epic  doom  metal  feeling  to  them.

  Darkest  Era  have  a  very  interesting  sound  with  their  music  taking  folk  music  elements  and  using  them  on  all  guitars  as  well  as  adding  a  more  traditional  metal  approach  to  the  folk  metal  genre  as  well  as  having  a  small  amount  of  blackened  blast  beats,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  the  darker  side  of  Celtic  Mythology  and  Paganism  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Darkest  Era  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  traditional  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Songs  of  God  And  Man"  "Beyond  the  Grey  Veil"  "The  Scavenger"  and  "Blood,  Sand  ANd  Stone".  8  out  of  10.

http://youtu.be/L7SdlW2SfAM