Eternal Samhain Interview

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

-Hi everyone, Taliesin speaking! We are a Symphonic black metal band from Verona, Italy. This band exists since 2006 and, even if it starts just as a kid passion, it has become something more serious trough time, until we’ve reached a moment when we told ourselves “Where do we want to get with this project? Let’s get it to another level and see what happens”, so here we are!

2.You have an album coming out during the end of October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

-The sound is very majestic, all the orchestral part of the album has been an hard task to write and compose, but this gave us a great orchestral wall back and this is very important for the band .We’ve tried (and I think we’ve reached our goal) to play symphonic black metal with a lot of influences from classical music, this is what change from the last release, it’s more melodic as well as faster and harder!

3.This is your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

-Unfortunately it’s not easy to find a line-up that works as an ensemble, in the same direction as we are doing now. The past five years went very fast and we changed three band members in order to get to the current line-up, which is where we’ve spent our time, looking for the right guys to play with us and writing down all the stuff for this album.

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

-The lyrics I wrote, tries to talk about different stuff, from religion as a chain for free thinking/ free thinker, to characters that are symbols for this ideology (the track “Cenere” which means “Ash” talks about Giordano Bruno) , and also about ancient pagan rites that have been wrong-seen through time like the night of Samhain and all the wonderful Celtic pagan tradition, that now are wrongly associated to Satanism, evil and stuff like that.


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

-As I told you before, the band started as a teenager band so, when I was 16 (none of the current members were involved when it all started) we were looking for a name that could stand for something really evil, and seems to us that an “eternal night of the dead” could be the right one as meaning. Than we’ve got in touch with Celtic symbology and tradition and the word “Samhain” seemed great, so here we are, “ Eternal Samhain”

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?

-The best shows we’ve played are for sure the support slots for Fleshgod Apocalypse a couple of years ago and the support for Nocturnal Depression at the Eresia Metal Fest last summer. We cannot forget our Show at Padova metal Fest and the gigs at Il Blocco music hall and at Alchemica Music club, that we consider our home.
The Live show we play is very powerful and we try to communicate our energy to the crowd…what else can I say, just come and witness by yourself!

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

-Yes we do. We will be touring Italy this winter to promote the album, there are many things getting ready for this spring but I can’t say anything at the moment…just wait, it will be amazing!

8.Currently you are signed to RNC Music, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

-It’s just great! We never had any experience with a label and RNC’s family hosted us and helped us a lot under every aspect about a release with a label and all the stuff like that.

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

-at the moment the album is not out yet so I don’t know, but I can tell you that the release of the single is going very well, in just 3 weeks we’ve reached more than 70 countries worldwide and the general feedback seems to be very good so far!

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

Hope as far as we can! We are trying so hard to make this project becoming our life’s job, it’s not easy and we know it but we won’t quit so easily! 

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

-Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Dark Funeral, Carach Angren and the Italian pride Fleshgod Apocalypse are the bands that have more influence on us. We listen to a lot of different kinds of music, all metal genres of course, but even folk and classical music are genres that we love to listen to.

12.Does Paganism or Occultism play any role in your music?

-Yes it does but as a cultural matter. We do not believe in a kind of god, nature and ourselves are our gods. we could talk about what we believe or think for several hours of course!


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

-There are so many things we love to do, like sports and other arts, but basically music is our true love and passion.

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

-yes,We would like to thank all those who made this possible!
Starting with our great friend Rian Grigoletto from Orange Studios Verona who always believed in us,  Alberto Rapetti that produced us and Paolo Brentegani for the realization of our videoclip “Ode al Vento”. Nico Spinosa, Ros Manica and Gioia Camposano of RNC MUSIC that guide us through the difficult world of music business and Niccolò Baldari of Devoured Agency for our upcoming gigs and tour.
We would also like to thank our friends, girlfriend and families for their full support, and finally you guys for this interview!

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Endemise/Anathema/2016 Full Length Review

 Endemise  are  a  band  from  Ottawa,  Ontario,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Anathema".

  Nature  sounds  and  atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  and they  also  go  into  more  of  a  symphonic  direction  that  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  songs  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  very  melodic.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  also  mixing  in  the  more  melodic  side  of  death  metal  and  violins  can  also  be  heard in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Endemise  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and   death  metal  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Endemise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  and  death metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anathema"  "Soma"  and  "Fragments  In  Flame".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3NsOpSixQ 

 

Gehenna/Seen Through The Veils Of Darkness(The Second Spell)/Cacophonous/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

 Gehenna  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  around  for  more  than  20  years  and  played  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1995  album  "Seen  Through The Veils  Of  Darkness(The  Second  Spell)"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  November  by  Cacophonous.

  A  very  distorted  guitar  sound  and  spoken  word  parts start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  black  metal  screams,  fast  tremolo  picking  riffs  and  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  they  also  mix  in  symphonic  keyboards  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  very  melodic  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  one  song  brings  in  clean  vocals  which  are  session  work  done  by  Garm  of  Ulver  and  Arcturus  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  clean  playing  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  goth  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chants,  acoustic  guitars  and  whispers.

  Gehenna  played  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recordng  that  was  very  symphonic  while  still  being  very  guitar  driven  as  well  as  having  a  more  grim  approach  to  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Thelema,  Occultism and  Darkness  along  with  one  song  being  written  in  Norwegian.  

  In  my  opinion  Gehenna  played  a  very  great  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  on  this  recording  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lord  Of  Flies"  "A  Witch  Is  Born"  "The  Eyes  Of  The  Sun" and  "A  Myth".  8  out  of  10.

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Sigh/Infidel Art/Cacophonous/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Sigh  are  a  band  from  Japan  that  has  albums  reviewed  by  this  zine  and  played  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  on  this  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 1995  album  "Infidel  Art"  which  will  be  re-issued in  November  by  Cacophonous.

  Heavy  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  80's  metal  style guitar  leads  and  a  few seconds  later  black  metal  screams  become  a  part  of the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  are  also  very  melodic at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  and  progressive  feeling  along  with  touches  of  classical  and  when  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  a  great  portion  of t he tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  songs  also  get  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  culture  and  music  of  Japan  is  also  a  very  huge  influence  on  the  recording  and  on  tracks  brings  in  acoustic  guitars  and  the  bonus  tracks  are  original  versions  of  a  couple  of  songs  that  appeared  on  the  original  version  of  the album..

  Sigh  played  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  original,  experimental,  avant g arde  and  symphonic  for  its  era  and  also  helped  influence  a  lot  of  later  bands  with  this  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Shinto  Mythology,  Occultism,  Suffering,  Insanity  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Sigh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  avant  garde  and  symphonic  styles  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Izuna"  "The  Last  Elegy"  and  "Beyond  Creatures".  8  out  of  10.

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Eternal Samhain/Storyteller Of The Sunset And Dawn/RNC Music/2016 Full Length Review

  Eternal  Samhain  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  gothic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Storyteller  Of  The  Sunset  And  Dawn"  which  will  be  released  at  the  end  of  October  by  RNC  Music.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  ad  symphonic  direction  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  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.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  very  melodic  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  faster  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also get  deep  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  You  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  goth  in  the  bands  musical style  and  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  vocal  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  violins  can  be  heard  on  a  few  songs..

  Eternal  Samhain  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  goth,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Italian  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eternal  Samhain  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cathedral"  "Vespri"  "King  Of  Yourself"  and  "Storyteller  Of  The  Sunset  And  Dawn".  8  out  of  10.   

http://www.rncmusic.it/index.p hp?id=381

False Reality/End Of Eternity/Loud Rage Music/2016 CD Review

  False  Reality  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "End  Of  Eternity"  which  will  be  released  on  October  28th  by  Loud  Rage  Music.

  Clean  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  drum  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  shows  death  metal  growls  and  synths  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  tracks  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  gets very  symphonic  and  progressive at  times  while  clean  guitars  also  make  a return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  False  Reality  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  nature,  love,  and sadness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  False  Reality  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bewitched"  "Rapture  And  Pain"  and "Dear  Friend".  8  out  of  10.

 https://loudragemusic.bandcamp.com/album/false-reality-end-of-eternity

Jagged Mouth Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Alex:  We basically started at the beginning of 2016. We have all known each other for years. Bon, our guitarist, of course has Lamentations of the Ashen, which is his one-man black metal project with several releases out.  Him and I had bounced around the idea of doing something together, be it a live incarnation of Lamentations or a doom band that we dreamt up several years ago that just never coalesced. Our drummer Roman is one of the main promoters in Albuquerque, where we are from, and so I had known him for awhile because he used to book bands that I was in previously, and I have been on friendly terms with him just from seeing him at the venues that him and I work at.  One night while at some show, I asked him "when are you and Bon and I gonna do something?", and he told me that actually he and Bon had plans to jam the following week, and told me I should come down.   So the next
 week we all met up in a rehearsal space that Bon had downtown, and along with a guy named Ben on bass, we began to work on the songs that would become "Fallen to Incarnadine Loam" and "A Wretched Offering". Roman and Bon already had the riffs somewhat put together, and so after hearing them once I just picked up a mic and did the thing.  Ben didn't last long as the bassist - in fact he was let go after a piss poor performance in the studio while the band was laying down the first three of the five songs that make up the album.   I was still only doing vocals at that time, and so Bon played the bass tracks on those songs. After that first studio session, we played several shows; a couple with a guy named Randy on bass, and one with no bass player at all. After that show it was decided that I should go ahead and play bass, so I camped out in my garage for a couple of weeks learning how to do vocals and play bass at the same time in preparation for more shows that we had booked, and the second studio session in which I played bass.

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording? Alex:  Doom. Sludge.

3.According to the fb page you refer to your music as 'high desert doom', can you tell us a little bit more about this term? 
Well we are based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's a high desert climate, so basically a desert, but at altitude, so thankfully densely wooded forests and superb mountains aren't far away. Doom is a pretty broad spectrum; Celestiial is quite a bit removed in sound from Black Sabbath. Trouble is very different from Mournful Congregation. However all of those bands could be called doom bands and our style fits in there somewhere.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Alex: I wrote the lyrics to all of the songs except "Lingers The Taolith", which were penned by Bon. I would say the overall lyrical theme could be tied to personal tragedy . Not made up shit like "oh, my feelings are betrayed amongst the mire and I just can fathom going on".  More like real life family members being torn apart from each other by someone else's act of betrayal, revenge, etc. Stuff that actually hurts that I can't shake.  That's really just one song, though ("A Wretched Offering"), but it's always the first one that comes to mind when I think about the lyrics that I've written.  In addition, we have songs that touch on esoteric themes, things that pop in my head while I'm driving,  esoteric topics, psychoanalytical themes, and "exchanging slavery for freedom" to pull a quote from "If Hope Conspires Against Us".

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Jagged Mouth'?
Bon: The band name is something I thought up one night when I was listening to metal and riding my bike. It's a description of a scowling gateway through broken glass, into a void.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Alex:  We have had the privilege of opening for Monolord, Goya, Chvrch and some others but for me personally, the highlights so far would be playing with and forming alliances with distances from Albuquerque and The Stalk from El Paso, Texas. Words of encouragement and respect from peers goes a long way with me.
People have come up after our shows and told me that they can tell our music is deeply personal, and it is. It is for the three of us on different levels. Our stage performance is us just plugging in and playing these songs that we've come up with, with whatever occurs doing so naturally. It creates its own vibe that people either walk away from or choose to immerse themselves in.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Alex:  I'm glad to say that we do. We have a 2 week tour lined up for late October and early November with Ol' Dagger from Santa Fe, New Mexico. We will be hitting towns in the western US, and playing with bands that we enjoy and are looking forward to getting to know such as North, Scalafrea, Brume and Catapult The Dead.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Alex:  We are definitely still looking for a label to work with to release CDs and vinyl. A cassette release is imminent on the Evergreen Spires label.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, sludge and doom metal? 
Alex:  We are a very new band, and are honored that people have been purchasing the digital version of "Louring" from many locations around the world.  Absolutely honored. We all listen to music all the time, and I'm sure you and your readers can relate that when you're hanging with friends and you want to show them something new that they haven't been exposed to before, that Jagged Mouth would be a part of that is amazing. Also, sometimes people look for a band or an album that just reaches them on a level that they need at that exact moment in time. If we could do that for someone, that would be a privilege beyond measure.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Alex:  Hard to say. We haven't really discussed it. But we never really discussed any of this.  It just happened. Our future songs will be slow and heavy, that is for sure.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Alex:  I think it's safe to say that we have taken no direct musical influence from any band or group of bands. I listen to a broad spectrum of music, but doom and sludge have always held a special place in my heart, and of course those are the two genres that people affiliate Jagged Mouth with. Bon and Roman listen to a ton of doom and stoner bands, and so the songs that we came up weren't forced by any means. Bon had these riffs and we just added nuances to and came up with the songs. It was relatively easy for us to get the vibe and understand the direction of how things needed to go. You either get it or you don't.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Alex:  Hiking. Camping. Boobs.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Alex:  Thank you for the opportunity. Underground music is usually only propagated through underground channels, and we applaud your effort. Keep it up.

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Daedalean Complex/The Rise Of Icarus/PRC Music/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Daedalean Complex  are  a  band  from  Quebec, Canada  that  plays  a  symphonic  and gothic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Rise  Of  Icarus"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  December  by  PRC  Music.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  stuff  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  clean  singing  goth  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  the  recording  at  times.

  Black  metal  screams  along  with  death  metal  growls  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  industrial  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  female  vocals  and  some  of  the  tracks are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while t he  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  guitar  leads a re  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  there  is  also  a brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Daedalean Complex  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  goth  and  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deadalean  Complex  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  gothic  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  "A  Shattered  Icon"  "Chrysalis"  and  "The  Dark  path".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6lFoKcFwyQ

Creatures/Le Noir Vullage/Antiq Label/2016 Full Length Review

  Creatures  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  musical  style  he  describes  as  being  horror  metal  which  mixes  symphonic  black  metal,  death,  doom,  and  ambient  music  together  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Le  Noir  Village"  which  will  be  released  on  October  25th  by  Antiq  Label.

  Nature  sounds  along  with  classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  parts  and  background  female  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  which also start  getting  more  powerful  after  awhile  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  they  also  weird  in  weird  goth  style  keyboards  and  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  death metal growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  the  solos and  leads are  done  in  a  very  melodic  direction  and  clean  singing  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and w hen  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  violins  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  tribal  beats  and  shamanistic  chanting  and  the  keyboards  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  ambient  elements.

  Creatures  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  symphonic  and  ambient  elements  along  with  some  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  influences  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  twelfth  century  countryside  getting  attacked  by  terrifying  monsters.

  In  my  opinion  Creatures  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  project  with  elements  of  doom,  death  metal  and  ambient  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cadavre  Abadonne" and  "Souls  le  Visage  avenent  de  la  Mort".  8  out  of  10.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch? 

Dark Portrait/A Harrowing Atrocity/Xperiments XIII/2016 CD Review

  Dark  Portrait  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  very  melodic,  symphonic  and  gothic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "A  Harrowing  Atrocity"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Xperiment  XIII.

  A  very  dark  sounding  violin  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  keyboards  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  classical  feeling  and  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  songs.

  When t he  music  speeds  up a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  screams  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  goth  in  the  music  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  lads  sticking  to  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Dark  Portrait  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  and  melodic  while  also  adding  in  touches  of  goth,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Portrait  are  a  very  great  sounding symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Incantation  For  Lamia"  "As  I  Die"  "Fiend  Incarnate"  and  "Ocean  Of  Pain".  8  out  of  10. 

Incantation for Lamia: https://youtu.be/0N_PsvklGU0
The Rise of the Anti-Christ (feat. Hliana Tsakiraki): https://youtu.be/-14sBn73EY0

Cwealm Interview

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



Cwealm is a misanthropic one-man melodic black metal project founded by myself in 2014. The purpose from the beginning was twofold: to compose music that touches the inner core of the listener, through beauty and violence alike, and to spread a virulent hatred for mankind.      



2.Recently you have released your first full length album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?



A bit simplified I’d describe it as Swedish black metal in the mid 90’s No Fashion vein. It’s more progressive than that, for sure, since the songs are quite varied and explore a plethora of themes. But still, that’s very much what it sounds like.    



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



The lyrics focus mainly on death. In different ways, of course, and with various occult themes and anti-abrahamitic sentiments thrown in. The extermination of man, and the annihilation of the universe, are topics that run all through the album. 



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



Cwealm is Old English for death, that’s what I usually tell people. In fact Cwealm has many definitions depending on context: slaughter, torment, pestilence, contagion, etc. For example, ”Þurh deáþes cwealm” means ”through pain of death”. ”Ðú wást cwealm hátne in helle”, further, is Old English for ”thou knowest hot torment in hell”.    



5.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?



I record everything by myself except drums. The drums on this album, Odes to No Hereafter were handled (brilliantly I might add!) by Jocke Wallgren, courtesy of Amon Amarth. So I have no problem working with other musicians, but they will be session or guest musicians, not members of the band.



6. The album was released on 'Dusktone', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



Well, it’s an Italian label releasing mainly black metal, doom metal and more experimental stuff. I’m proud to be a part of its roster, with many great acts such as Svartelder, Scuorn and Until Death Overtakes Me.  



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



My album was released a week ago, so it’s hard to say, but the response so far has been very positive. I love the fact that folks from all over the world (from Brazil to Belarus!) has shown interest in Cwealm.



8.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?



I’m going to write and record another album. But I haven’t even started writing yet, so that’s going to take a while. I don’t really plan for the future as a musician, I just let my inspiration take me where it leads me. 



9.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?



Musically, my inspiration has a lot of sources. I’ve been influenced by about 50 per cent metal and 50 per cent other stuff. Bands like Dissection, early At The Gates, the old Norwegian masters etc. are important of course but also old thrash and death metal, like Dark Angel or Gorguts. For non-metal, I can’t name specific bands, but have been listening to flamenco, classical music, folk, circus music, and it all has inspired me.



What I listen to nowadays? I guess the above gives you a decent hint.      



10.How would you describe your views on Occultism?



I have a hard time using words to describe this meaningfully. It depends quite a lot on what you mean by occultism, but Cwealm is a partially occult band. So my advice would be to delve as deep as you can into the music and lyrics of Odes to No Hereafter, and some things will definitely become clear to you.       



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



I’m interested in a wide array of different subjects, e.g. philosophy, psychology and history (which partly explains my BA in the History of Science and Ideas). Other than that I enjoy being with my daughter, working out, and making the world unpleasant for abrahamitic scum.



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



I’d like to thank all of you who have supported Cwealm thus far, and encourage anyone with a dark soul to purchase Odes to No Hereafter from Dusktone. Ubi mors ibi spes!

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Stojar Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1. Stozhar Group welcomes readers' ... and the interviewer! At the moment the band is Stozhar in full combat readiness, rehearsals, preparing new material.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
2. On the new album we tried to make the sound more powerful and dense, worked on the sound, as on the previous album, Ilya Morok and in our opinion the work he coped brilliantly.

3.Your lyrics cover Slavonic Paganism and Patriotism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these subjects?
3. The pagan worldview is our life, we live it, that in fact is reflected in our music and creativity.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Stojar'?
4. The Slavs believed that it rotates around Stozhar Perun Wheel of Time and the Universe. Stozhary - not just the center of the universe of the Milky Way, and even they patronize Russia.

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?
5. Stozhar Group is quite active concert, one of the highlights of the show was held recently Folk Summer Fest.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
6. Of course we have the material for a new album, and we are already closely involved in the preparation of new songs. Most likely we will soon be releasing the single Internet.

7.The new album was released on 'Stygian Crypt Productions, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
7. All of our albums come out, come out, and I hope will come out on Stygian Crupt prod. We like to work with this label, I want to emphasize the high level of professionalism of people who work there, for which they thank you very much.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of pagan and folk metal?
8. The new album, the audience perceived well, also quite high ratings given the resources that have made a review of the new album.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. What concerns the future of the group, we are not going to stop there, a lot of plans and we will bring them to life.

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. Groups that have affected our work a lot, both Russian and foreign, but we tried not to be like no one of them, and to develop his own style. As for the groups that we are listening to right now they are also very much, mostly Russian metal scene.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. Well, in fact, many members of the group have families and children, and free time is not much, so the main one hobby is music, many are involved in sports by music.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. And finally I want to say, listen to metal, go to concerts, and support your favorite team.

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Cwealm/Odes To No Hereafter/Dusktone/2016 CD Review

  Cwealm  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  his  2016  album  "Odes  To  No  Hereafter"  which  was  released  by  Dusktone.

  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  at  times  and  blast  beats  are  used  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  in  the  fast  riffs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  also  bring  in  middle  eastern  style  scales  briefly  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals.

  The  music  is  very heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  incorporated  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  and  keyboards  also  make  a  return  later  on  during  the  recording  and  one  of t he  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length..

  Cwealm  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  90's  Swedish  styles  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  misanthropy,  occultism,  and  annihilation  themes.

  In  my opinion  Cwealm  are  a  very  great  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  "Pale  Maleficence"  "Serpent  Of  Rebirth"  and  "Kadavret".  8  out  of  10.

www.cwealm.com

www.facebook.com/cwealm

www.twitter.com/cwealmlegion

 

Netherbird/The Grander Voyage/Black Lodge Records/2016 CD Review

  Sweden's  Netherbird  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  melodic  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Grander  Voyage"  which  will  be  released  by  Black  Lodge  Records  on  October  28th.

  Water  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar leads  and  grim  black  metal  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have a   very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  faster  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  Netherbird  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  black  metal  style  of  previous  releases  while  also  moving  away from  the  symphonic  style  and  adding  in  touches  of  doom  metal  to  take  their  style  to  another  level,  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  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hinterlands" "Pillars Of  The  Sky"  and  "Emerald  Crossroads".  8  out  of 10.

https://netherbird.bandcamp.com/track/windwards-2

 

IceThurS/Unlocked Door/Bud Metal Records/2016 CD Review

'

  IceThurS  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  pagan/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Unlocked  Door"  which  was  released  by  Bud  Metal  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  riffs  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  as  well  as  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  after  awhile  grim  screams a re  added onto  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  an  influence  of  black metal  into  the  music  while  death  metal  influences  and  back  up  chants  can  be  heard  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  female  vocals  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and when  guitar  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  synths a re  utilized  they  bring  in  touches  of  electronic  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  thrash  influences  along  with  some  blast  beats  are  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  IceThurS  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly rooted  in  pagan/folk metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal  along  with a  touch  of  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in a  mixture  of  Russian  and English  and  cover  Nature,  Norse  and  Slavic  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  IceThurS  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gift"  "Loki"  "War"  and  "Vengeance  Of  Veles".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36EjfJ3-UzE



 

Vorgrum Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a Pagan/Folk Metal band from Argentina. Our music goes from the rawest Black Metal; to the most Humpa Folk you can hear. We like to say that we are a hybrid of the genre, we don’t search to be or more blackers or more folker. We mix the thing to be delightful for everyone who likes both genres.

2.So far you have released one ep and one full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

Our first release; The Awakening, was released on 2011, this EP could be described most like a Troll Metal album. Are 4 songs with lot of Humpa screeching rhythms guitars and accordions, and a really characteristic sharpie voices.
The album, Last Domain, is an evolution of all our music. The different kinds of rhythms and different folklores are noticed on this album. Making these release a huge evolution of the band.

3.The band has been around since 2009 but so far there has only been 2 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between recordings?

The first album was recorded for the original members, Folter, Olek and Kryz. It was released for have some material and also the search of musicians to play this genre. The time lapses between The Awakening and Last Domain, 5 years, was because lot of members leaved the band, and was hard to have a regular formation. After many time, Folter, Kryz, Patrick and Olek recorded the album.

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

In our lyrics we talk about Vorgrum world and how they want to prevent the advance of human race which want to destroy all the forest and nature from the World to build all they builds and etc. Vorgrum job is to prevent that.
We transmit a message of preserve nature and roots of each one, but this message is talked from the point of view of this creature. Which also likes to drink and dance in the forest till pass out.


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

To search a name for this particular creature, an ancient creature..

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?

I (Iti) think that our best show was the show with Skiltron for the anniversary of “The Clans Have United”. The venue was full, and we player right before Skiltron, a lot of moshpits, sings of approval and a lot of fun, of course.
We describe our show as a party. We want to give people something else besides music. Is not only the execution of the instruments at the hour of give a show. You have to give something “extra” to the audience. We dance a lot, we have fun, and we make jokes to the public and between us. We think that if you want to hear only music, stay in your home and listen to the album, but if you want to have a lot of fun and drink with us, come to a show, and enjoy the party.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We’ll be touring around Europe on October.

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

At worldwide level, we have a lot of feedback. People from lot of parts of the world write on our fb page, or Instagram. Most of the reviews of the album comes from European countries, and there a lot of bandcamps sells from different parts of the world.

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

More Albums, more tours, more mature musicians


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

We listen to all kinds of Metal, but we enjoy other types of music and we use them for Vorgrum, too.

11.How would you describe your views on paganism?

We in some kind are attracted to paganism. We don’t practice it. But we like the theme and we use it as philosophy of life, not belief. Of course, or songs had a lot of paganism and etc. But is not a concrete one, like Odinism, Wicca, or druidic. We use philosophies for all of them, and mix with magical creatures of folklores from Europe and rest of the world

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
That is a personal question. Respect me, I like to read a lot, videogames, and spend time with my dogs.
A group level, I have to said hang out for a beers or make asado (Argentinian Barbeque)

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

First of all, thanks for taking you time for sending this questions. We liked to answer them. Also, to all European Folks, we’ll be touring on October over Europe. So if you want to see a show, join us! We’ll be glad to know to every one of you, and meet new places.
Follow our tour at: https://www.facebook.com/vorgrum or https://www.instagram.com/vorgrumfolk
THANKS!

Okkultokrati/Raspberry Dawn/Southern Lord/2016 CD Review

  Norway's  Okkultokrati  have  returned  with  a  new  recording that  keeps  the  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  punk  elements  of  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  goth,  psychedelia  and  70's  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Raspberry  Dawn"  which  will  be  released  on  September  30th  by  Southern  Lord.

  Distorted  drones  along  with  some  old  school  punk  rock  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  vocals  that  have  a  first  wave  black  metal  vibe  to  them  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffs.

      Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  more  old  school  hardcore  punk  style  and  the  vocals  also  adopt  a  punk  rock  style  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  goth  rock  style  clean  singing  and  female  vocals  while  some  tracks  bring  in  elements  of  old  school  metal,  70's  rock  and  psychedelia.

  Okkultokrati  makes  a  huge  change  on  this  recording  while  the  black  metal  and  punk  elements  can  be  heard  they  also  start  mixing  in  goth,  synth  pop,  70's  rock  and  psychedelia  to  take  their  music  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

 In my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Okkultokrati  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  punk,  goth  and  psychedelic  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "World  Peace"  "Suspension"  "Future  War"  and  "Agic  People".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.facebook.com/okkultokrati

http://www.okkultokrati.bandcamp.com

http://www.okkultokrati.blogspot.com

     

Jagged Mouth/Louring/2016 Full Length Review

  Jagged  Mouth  are  a  band  from  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Louring"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  which  also  uses  a decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  and  angry  hardcore  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  more  elements  of  stoner  metal  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  musical  direction  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  onto  the  last  track.

  Jagged  Mouth  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  sludge  and  stoner  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds very  powerful  for  being  a  self released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Jagged  Mouth  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Wretched  Offering"  and  "Lingers  The  Taolith".  8  out  of  10.

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