Oblivion Circle Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? Joe: we're an American blackened Metal band from dallas/fort worth Texas.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording? Joe: pretty much its an extreme metal recording with some heavy black and death metal influence. Dark melodies with some aggressive parts throughout the release.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?  Joe: The e.p is a concept release, a fictional modern take on the 4 horseman of the apocalypse.  Pretty much how us as a human species destroy the earth. I.e. war, over population and pollution.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Oblivion Circle'? Joe: i believe we as humans blindly follow and repeat ourselves throughout history. Almost like we're programmed to self destruct. So oblivion circle is just a infinite loop of existence.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Joe: Since we're a new band, we haven't played a live show yet.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? Joe: we're playing a local fest here in our home state in January. (our debut show)

7.The ep was released on 'Sepulchral Silence Records' are you happy with the support that they have given you so far? Joe: Iam very pleased with the exposure and feedback we have recieved.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal? Joe: we haven't been told we suck or anything yet. Ha, people seem to enjoy it. We've been played on a few podcast radio shows and on air Shows here in TX and one in Arizona.  Seem to get more attention in the U.K, been played on few shows from london and ireland.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you seethe band heading into musically during the future?  Joe: probably going to stick to the blackened death formula, maybe get into a more progressive writing approach, hopefully by next year we will put out a full length, We're currently writing new material.

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? Joe: i listen to alot of different bands but iam really influenced by cattle decapitation, Winterfylleth, forgotten tomb and vattnet viskar. Iam currently stuck on "Aborted" (RetroGore) and Regarde les hommes tomber (exile)

11.What are some of your non musical interests?  Joe: video games and craft beer. Ha.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Joe: just huge big thanks to everyone that supports and listens to Oblivion Circle, Cheers!

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Waldensis Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1) We are a 2 pieces band, which play a kind of mixture of Black/Death Metal with some melodic stuff in it. We've had a few changes in our line-up and we're currently looking for a new singer which will also play the rythm guitar, and a bass player. We are 19 and 20 years old, but EP was recorded as we were 17 and 18. We are currently writing a new album, a full LP, which will be pretty daaaaaamm good.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2) It's pretty melodic, we wanted to have a melodic project but with more brutallity (blast beats, fast riffs etc...) as normal melodic death metal bands. Also there was a synth player which give us a kind of symphonic nuances, but she's no longer part of the band, so there won't be any synth in the future for this project.

3.So far all of the music has been instrumental, are you planning on using any vocals in the future?
3) Yes, actually we should have had vocals on the EP but we kicked out the vocalist because of musical divergency, so we removed the vocals, but there will be vocals on our future realeases.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Waldensis'?
4) Waldensis is the ancient name for the region we live, in Switzerland the country is divided in what we call "canton" or "Kanton" in the german parts, and ours is called "Vaud". During the Middle Ages it was called Waldensis, that's why we choose that name.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5) We actually haven't played that many, but the biggest one was at a small metal festival with the bands "Path of Desolation" and "Blasted". But as soon as we'll have a solid line-up we will surely do more of them!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6) Probably concerts plans with other local bands such as our friend from "Unholy Pagoda" and Tripping Tombstone"!

7.The ep was released on 'Sepulchral Silence Records', are you happy with the support that they have given yo so far?
7) Yes it's very good, they are doing everything needed, we couldn't hope more!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
8) We haven't had a lot of feedacks just because we're not that famous and because we haven't made a lot of advertising for it, but so far, they've been pretty good and thats very motivating!

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9) We are actually writing a new album at the moment, we are looking for some studios possibilities in Switzerland, and would record it next year if possible! It will probably be heavier, and more technicall for the most part !

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?
10) For the inspiration mostly:  Belphegor, Dark Funeral, Rose Funeral, Carnifex; what we enjoy listening to:  Beneath the Massacre, Brain Drill, Djent (vildhjarta, textures etc...), Origin, Thy Art Is Murder, Spawn of Possession, Rings of Saturn, Iron Maiden, Fallujah, Decapitated, Animals as leaders and many more!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11) We both study law, we both enjoy video games (Competitive Halo, Competitive Super Smash bros Melee, Pokemon, Zelda etc...) ; and hanging out with friends!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12) Thanks for interviewing us, we really enjoyed it, and stay tuned for our new musical releases!

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Onirism/The Well Of Stars/2016 EP Review

  Onirism  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  recently have  had  an  album  reviewed  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  ep  "The  Well  Of  Stars".

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  also  start  evolving  into  more  of  a symphonic  direction  after a  few  seconds  while  also  having  the  epic  feeling  of  a  fantasy  movie  and  on  the  second  tracks  the  symphonic  elements  get  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sound  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  are d one  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  screams  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  elements of  medieval  folk  music  can  be  heard  in  the music  at  times  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  all  instrumental.

  Onirism  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  epic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  he  had  established  on  the  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  lucid  dreams  themes  while  also  having  a  concept  to  them.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Onirism  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Well  Of  Starts  Part  II'  and  "The  Endless  Ride  of  heavens".  8  out  of  10.

http://onirismband.bandcamp.com/album/the-well-of-stars-ep

 

Marsh Dweller/The Weight Of Sunlight/Eihwaz Recordings/2016 CD Review

  Marsh  Dweller  are  a  solo  project  originally  from  Ohio  but  now  re-located  to  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "The  Weight  of  the  Sunlight"  which  will  be  released  by  Eihwaz  Recordings in  August.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  use  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  atmospheric  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  at  times  the  music  also  mixes  both  the  heavy  and  acoustic  parts  together  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  There  is  also  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  style  melodic  death  metal  influences  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a couple  of  instrumentals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  tracks  also  add  in a brief  use  of  melodic  singing  and  the  album  also  contains  a  small  amount  of   session  work  from  members  of  Obsequiae,  Brimstone  Coven  and  Nechochwen.

  Marsh  Dweller  plays  a musical  style  that mixes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  progressive  elements  to  create  a  musical  style  he  refers  to  as  being  'bright  metal',  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  Naturalistic  Pantheism,  Philosophy  and Triumph  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Marsh  Dweller  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  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dull  Earth"  "Monumental  Collapse"  and    "Forks  Of  The  River".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Marsh_Dweller/3540386723 

Stormtide Interview

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



We (STORMTIDE) are a symphonic fantasy/death metal band from a little country known to some as Australia. To others, “Down Under”. Having been hard at work these past three and a bit years on our debut album “Wrath of an Empire” we are finally ready to release through the awesome Metal Hell Records.



2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?



A fusion. We’ve worked tirelessly to blend together our favourite genres combining black, death, symphonic and folk metals to create something entirely new. Or at least we hope that’s what we’ve done!



3.Your lyrics cover a lot of High Fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?



Sure. Everyone in the band is a big fan of Dungeons and Dragons, video games and fantasy literature. In fact, the song “The Green Duck” is based on the tavern in our Dungeons and Dragons campaign.



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



That’s a good question! It came to us after a few failed (and hilarious) attempts at creating a name. It seemed to just fit.



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 try and make each show as important and as exciting as the last. We’ve had the opportunity to play packed capacity venues supporting our favourite bands as well as playing to a few angry football fans at our local. Our stage performance is the same regardless – Cloaked, furious and fun.



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



Can’t say too much to that just yet, let’s just say some things are in the works!



7.The new album is coming out on 'Metal Hell Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



Metal Hell have been really great to work with. They gave us a really great opportunity to promote the kind of music that most mainstream labels wouldn’t take a chance on.



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



Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive these past few years. We have fans all over the world who regularly message us asking for updates, merch and when we’ll be touring to their country!



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

It’s becoming a bit of a cliché to say “heavier and darker” about future music these days. We’re just aiming for “Better”!



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?



Our influences range from old school black metal to epic symphonic metal. Our favourite bands are along the lines of Insomnium, Equilibrium and Wintersun.



11.Does Paganism play any role in your music?



Not so much! We try and avoid any religious overtones in our music.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



Video games, reading, live performance theatre.



13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We look forward to seeing what people say regarding this new album!

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Triplezero/000/Antinomia Records/Binary Sorrow/2016 Full Length Review

  Triplezero  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and black  metal  with  some  elements  of  free  improv,  avant  garde  and  contemporary  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "000"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Antinomia  Records  and  Binary  Sorrow.

  Distorted  noises  along  with  some grim  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  direction  and  the  music  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  demonic  growls  during  the  heavier  sections  of  the songs  and  the  whispers  give  the  tracks  more  of  an  evil  atmosphere.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  melodic  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  experimental  and  psychedelic  elements  along  with  a  great  amount  of  drones  and  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  bring  in  electronic  music  traces   while  also  bringing  in  flutes  and  tablas  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  free  form  jazz  feeling  and  as  the  album  progresses  the music  starts  getting  more  shamanistic  and  tribal  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Triplezero  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  metal  and  ritualistic  dark  ambient  while  also  adding  in  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraft  themes  along  with  the  ritualistic  and  left  hand  path  elements  from  the  writings  of  S.  Ben  Qayin  and  Aseneth  Mason.

  In  my  opinion  Triplezero  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  avant  garde  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "0"  "V"  "18"  and  "000".  8  out  of  10.

https://antinomiarecords.bandcamp.com/album/000

Waldensis/Skies Of Deception/Sepulchral Silence Records/2016 EP Review

  Waldensis  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Skies  Of  Deception"  which  was  released  by  Sepulchral  Silence  Records.

  Night  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  atmospheric  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Both t he  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  get  mixed  together  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  melodies  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  instrumental  while  also  bringing  in  a  perfect  balance  between  black  and  death metal  elements.

  Waldensis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  more  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  without  any  vocals  or  songwriting  while  also  adding  in  some  symphonic  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Waldensis  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  instrumental  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  "Unfounded  Hope"  and  "Skies  Of  Deception".  8  out  of  10.

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Oblivion Circle/Self Titled/Sepulchral Silence Records/2016 EP Review

  Oblivion  Circle  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  metal  and  metalcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016  ep  which  was  released  by  Sepulchral  Silence  Records.

  A very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they are  done  in  a  very  melodic fashion  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  songs  also start  incorporating  more  elements  of  metalcore.

  Oblivion  Circle  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and death  metal  and  also  bring  in  elements  of  metalcore  to  create  a  style  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Oblivion  Circle  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  metal  and  metalcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Whispers  Of  War"  and  "With  Death  Comes  Cleansing".  8  out  of  10. 

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As Light Dies/The Love Album - Volume I/Maa Productions/2014 CD Review

  As  Light  Dies  are a  band  from  Spain  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  with  some  death,  doom  and  gothic  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  Love  Album  -  Volume I"  which  was  released  by  Maa  Productions.

  Avant  garde  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  adding  in  heavier  guitars  and  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard.

  Clean  singing  goth  vocals  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  along  with  some  doom  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  get  very  progressive  at  times  and  a  great  portion  of the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  death  metal growls  and  whispers  can be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  As  Light  Dies  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  more  avant  garde  and  progressive  style  of  black  metal  on  the  recording  while  also  standing  out  a  bit  more  and  adding  in  elements  of  doom,  goth  and  death  metal  which  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  math  and  historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  As  Light  Dies  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  avant  garde  black/doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Orpheus  Morning"  "When  Distance  Becomes  Real"  "No  Pain,  As  Sleep"  and  "Farewell  From  Distant  Shores".  8  out  of  10.

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Drakum/Torches Will Rise Again/2014 CD Review

  Drakum  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Torches  Will  Rise  Again".

  Nature  and  war  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  epic  sounding  keyboards  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into a   heavier  musical  direction  while  also  adding  folk  instruments  onto the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  semi  growl  direction  which  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  death  metal.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  very melodic  while  back  up  gang  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  is  added  on  some  songs  along  with  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

  Drakum  plays  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  can  be  symphonic  at  times  while  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  mythology,  alcohol,  fantasy  and  paganism  themes,

  In  my  opinion  Drakum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Around  The  Oak"  "The  Wanderer"  and  "Torches  Will  Rise  Once  Again".  8  out  of  10.

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Teorma/Self Titled/Via Nocturna/2016 CD Review

  Teorema  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  doom  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  album  which  will  be  released  on  July  29th  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Clean  guitars  and  drums  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  introduces  melodies  onto  the  recording  while  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them a long  with  some  noise  rock elements.

  Vocals  are  mostly  screaming  style  vocals  that  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  black  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  folk  music  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  one  track  adds  in  a  touch  of  punk  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  all instrumental  and  the  last  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Teorema  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  as   well  as  adding  in  touches  of  drone,  ambient  and  folk  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Teorema  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Karma"  and  "Times  Of  Sin".  8  out  of  10.

http://doomedandstoned.com/tagged/Teorema

Stormtide/Wrath Of An Empire/Metal Hell Productions/2016 CD Review

  Stormtide  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  folk,  death  and black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Wrath  Of  An  Empire"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Metal  Hell  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  choir  vocals  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  while the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  folk  music  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  the  synths  bring  in  elements  of  prog  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  a  later  song  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting.

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

  In  my  opinion  Stormtide  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wrath  Of  An  Empire"  "Conquer  the  Straits"  "Ride  To  Ruin"  and  "The  Green  Duck".  8  out  of  10. 

Official Website:
http://stormtidemetal.com

Official Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/Stormtideaustralia

Curse The Flesh Interview

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

Well we're a blackened death metal band, from Mobile AL, the heart of the bible belt. We are basically a group of people who got together because we were all dissatisfied with the horde of bullshit "southern metal" bands infesting the scene for the past ten years or so in our area. Too many people trying and failing to be Pantera had diluted the scene to the point that no one could take it seriously. No one gives a shit that you're southern, so we wanted to give our scene an alternative to that style. Over the past few years more and more amazing bands have been popping up on the Gulf Coast that share our vision of bringing our local music scene up to date with the rest of the world. We're happy fucking campers at the moment.

2.So far you have released one album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We had this idea of combining the structure and flow of pop music with the extreme metal that we all love. Huge choruses, melodic flow, and the atmoshpere thats prevalent in European black metal. Basically trying to combine the best of both worlds to trick the ear.

3.Your lyrics do cover some occult and anti religion topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?

The lyrics dont directly reflect the views of the guys involved, though as a whole we fucking despise all forms of organised religion and have an appreciation for any attack against it. With that said each song is written from the perspective of a fictional character. What we do lyrically could be thought of as short horror vignettes. Think Tales from the Crypt with a splash of occultism.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Curse The Flesh'?

It sounded cool. We didnt realize it was actually a Morbid Angel song until later. By the time we realized that we'd spent too much on branding to change it. Still sounds cool though.

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

Our home town shows have been badass. We like to get as theatrical as possible and the people that come to our shows lose their shit in the pit. We've played with bigger groups like Abigail Williams, Michael Graves, Vital Remains etc etc but the local shows have been just as if not more crazy.

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

We are gearing up for the 4th annual Communion of Darkness black metal festival in South Carolina. We'll be rolling with Lustravi from Panama City, Florida and Sytherium from New Orleans, Louisiana. These are bands we feel are on the cutting edge of extreme metal on the Gulf Coast.We're planning a trip up the east coast of the US at the beginning of next year with Lustravi, and hope to hit the west coast by the end of the year

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

If the time comes that we receive an offer for something we are not capable of accomplishing ourselves, then we would consider it. However, at the moment we have an amazing team that fulfills most of the things that a record label would offer. Our killer publicist in Zoheb at Qabar-Extreme Music PR. Those guys are fucking awesome. The majority of our art is done by the extremely talented Nate the Knife aka Nathan Britton, our unnoficial "tour manager/chauffer" Jabba, our merch girl Kayla Dahmer, the list goes on. We've been really lucky in the amount of support we've received from people who believe in what we're doing as strongly as we do. So in short, no.

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

Russia appears to have a healthy interest in us seeing as how we've had more illegal downloads of our album there than anywhere else. We keep track of that shit and document a carefully detailed "Fuck/Kill" list. We know where you live. Seriously though, we've been shocked by the response we've received in the UK, Middle East, the Netherlands as well as on our home terf. To see people so far away appreciating what we're doing when we are only a small fish in a large pond inspires us to keep pushing ourselves and continue to fight the good fight.

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

We definitely have a certain sound that we established with the first album. Since then we have undergone a heavy lineup change and while we want to stick to what we do, we have new musicians from different musical backgrounds that open up new possibilities for us to do more.

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 to list. Each member has completely different musical tastes and backgrounds. Collectively I dont think we could find one band that we could all agree on to be "inspirational" to us. And we like that because thats what makes us what we are.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We like to give back to our community. For instance: giving makeovers to the homeless to make them appear more hirable, getting bags of ice from the local gas station taking them the the harbor and releasing them back into the wild, ensuring our local bars, liqour stores and drug dealers have a steady income, shit like that.


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

We really want to get our music out to as many people as possible. So we'd like everyone to know that our album Black Majesty is available at every online music retailer and is available for streaming on Spotify and Bandcamp. Add that shit to your playlist, come to our shows, buy a T-shirt do something so that we dont have to whore out our guitarists anymore. And to those already doing so, we truly love you guys and cant wait to bring you more.


LINEUP:

Vocals: Jeremy Dahmer
Guitars: Arron Guy
 Guitars: Duel Guess
 Bass: Sam Barnette
 Drums: Jacob Hines



Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Cursethefleshmetal/
Bandcamp
https://cursethefleshofficial.bandcamp.com/releases

Quinta Essentia/Initiates Of The Great Work/Deathgasm Records/2016 CD Review

  Quinta  Essentia  are  a  band  from  Alabama  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2016  album  "Initiates  Of  The  Great  Work"  which  will  be  released  on  September  29th  by  Deathgasm  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also bring  in  clean  singing  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  traditional  metal  feeling  and  synths  along  with  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  while  some  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  influences  from  thrash  and  death  metal  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  Quinta  Essentia  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  style  of  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  heavy,  thrash  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  alchemy  and  Hermetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Quinta  Essentia  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  "The  Stone  As  A  Key"  "Mystical  Union"  and  "Iniates  Of  The  Great  Work".  8  out  of  10.   

http://www.facebook.com/quintaessentiaofficial

http://www.quintaessentia.net

Mumincunt/Visor Fran Muminskogarnas Morker/Heathen Tribes Records/2016 Cassette Review

  Mumincunt  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Visor  Fran  Muminskogarnas  Morker"  which  will  be  released  on  cassette  in  September  by  Heathen  Tribes  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  epic  synths  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  grim  vocals  that  also  use  growls  and  clean  singing  while  the  riffs  also use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  folk  music  vibe  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  synths  also  make  a  return  briefly  as  the  album  progresses  and  you  can  hear  some  elements  of  doom  metal  in the  slower  guitar  riffing and  some  of  the  tracks  are very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Mumincunt  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  that  is  more  different  than  most  bands  of  this  genre  and  they  are  not  afraid  to  be  experimental  and  also  bring  back  some  of  the  doom  metal  elements  of  the  genre  that  have  been  missing  since  the  days  of  Ophthalamia,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mumincunt  are  a  very  great sounding  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  "Knullad  Av  En  Mumin"  "Mumintrollets  Dod"  "Hemeluns  Bekannelse"  and  "Kuken  I  Kottvarnen".  8  out  of  10.

https://mumincunt.bandcamp.com/track/hattifnattarnas-massiva-bukake-sprut  

  

Curse The Flesh/Black Majesty/2015 Full Length Review

  Curse  The  Flesh  are  a  band  from  Mobil,  Alabama  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2015  album  "Black  Majesty".

  Distorted  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a  heavier  musical  direction  that  also  uses  a  great  mixture  of  death  metla  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  a  lot  of  the  riffing  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  European  and  American  black  and  death  metal  influences  and  some  songs  also bring  in  a  small  amount  of  atmospheric  synths which  also  gives  the  music  a  symphonic  touch  without  taking  away  from  the  brutality.

  Curse  The  Flesh  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  European  style  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  American  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  blasphemous  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my opinion  Curse  The  Flesh  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  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blasphemy  Hymn"  "The  Shroud"  and  "I Call  Down  Horrors".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBVEXyadh7c

Creinium/Hallucinosis/Inverse Records/2016 CD Review

  Creinium  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Hallucinosis"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Inverse  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start off  the  album  which  also  gives  the  music  a  symphonic  and  atmospheric  feeling  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitars  start  mixing  in  with  the  keyboards  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  prog  elements.

  Death  metal  growls  along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount of  black  metal  elements  and  clean  playing  can  be  heard  at  times.

  Some  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  while  other  tracks  show  the  music  getting  more  technical  and  also  mixing  in  influences  from  jazz,  folk,  electronic  music and  industrial.

  Creinium  plays  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  melodic  styles  of  black,doom  and  death  metal  while  also  mixing  in  influences  from  many  different  musical  genres  throughout  the  recording  to  create  something  original,  then  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Creinium  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  more  symphonic  and  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seams"  "Vigilance"  "The  Diminished  Perception'  and  "God  Monument".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/creinium
www.youtube.com/creinium
www.soundcloud.com/creinium
www.twitter.com/creinium
www.bandpage.com/creinium
www.reverbnation.com/creinium

Netherbird/Windwards/Black Lodge Records/2016 Single Review

  Netherbird  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  single  "Windwards"  which  will  be  released  in  July by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  single  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  when  the  music  slows  down  a  bit  symphonic  elements  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  both  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  while t he  vocals  are  high  pitched  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  first  track  is  very  long  and epic  in  length  and  both  of  the  songs  can  also  get  very  atmospheric  at  times  while  also  mixing  in  influences  from  doom,  death  and  post  metal.

  Netherbird  creates  2  songs  that  remain  true  to  the  melodic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  was  established  on  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness and  struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Netherbird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  single.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Windwards".  8  out  of  10. 

https://netherbird.bandcamp.com/album/windwards-single

 

Siegelord/Ascent Of The Fallen/2016 Full Length Review

  Siegelord  are  a  band  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  dark  ambient  and  symphonic  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Ascent  Of  The  Fallen".

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  a  symphonic  and  heavy  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the musical  instruments on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  are  also  some  angry  shouts  being  utilized  at  time.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  amount  of  modern  metal  elements  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  influences  of  power  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  they  are  mixed  in  with  the  guitar  riffs while  the  vocals  are all done  in  either  a  spoken  or  aggressive  direction  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  along  with  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  and  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  the  last  track.

  Siegelord  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  symphonic  and  dark  ambient  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  fantasy  stories  of  their  own  creations.

  In  my  opinion  Siegelord  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  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  "Fractured  Pantheon"  "Unkillable"  "Totem'  and  "Ascent  Of  The  Fallen".  8  out  of  10.

Siegelord.Bandcamp.com