Omega Point/Isolation/2018 Full Length Review

  Omega  Point  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Isolation".

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  a  symphonic  feeling  at  times  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  that  also  have  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  them.

  Clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  which  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Omega  Point  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  symphonic  and  death  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Omega  Point  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Last  Light"  "Eye  Of  The  Storm"  and  "Isolation".  8  out  of  10.

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Glacial Tomb/Self Titled/Gilead Media/2018 Full Length Review

  Glacial  Tomb  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  which  will  be  released  on  October  26th  by  Gilead  Media.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  some  angry  shouts.  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  has  its  technical  and  dissonant  moments  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them, w hen  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  death  metal  style and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy  and  brutal.

  Glacial  Tomb  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dissonant  black  metal,  brutal  death  metal  and  sludge  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  existential  dread,  misanthropy  and  failure  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Glacial  Tomb  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monolithos"  "Of  Flesh  And  Worship"  and  "Shackled  to  The  Burning  Earth".  8 out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://glacialtomb.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glacialtomb
Web: https://glacialtomb.com

Myopic/Self Titled/Grimoire Records/2018 CD Review

  Myopic  are  a  band  from  Maryland  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post,  black, sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Grimoire  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments  at  times  as  well  as  the  fast  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking. 

  Myopic  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  post  black,  progressive,  sludge  and  doom  metal   and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Myopic  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black,  post,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Earth's  Mantle"  "In  Exile"  and  "Resting  Place".  8  out  of  10.

https://myopicdc.com

https://www.facebook.com/MyopicBand

Misanthropic Aggression Interview

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

This is the latest step in my lifetime of music creation. I am currently 35 years old and this is the seventh band I've written original music and recorded with. People who knew me before this band knew me as a drummer. I only moved to bass and vocals as a way to push myself and after meeting Tyler, who is only 20 years old and drumming at a way higher caliber than I was at his age. When Chris first decided to commit to the band I was playing drums and he was on guitar. Our two song demo from 2017 only features he and I. Chris engineers everything in our practice room, and on that recording I played bass, drums and did the vocals. Chris played guitar and engineered the sessions. When Tyler joined we decided to write an EP and push hard for Boris Records to release it. Chris works for the label, my old band Spewtilator had two releases on BR, and it just seemed like a natural DiY / Independent move. So we worked very hard for seven months on the material and spent another two months tracking it. Now here we are.

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on this recording?

We established a few major ground rules. C tuning so everything we had would be low and heavy. Always black metal shrieks or death metal lows for vocals. Intensity and energy in everything. Other than that there are no rules on metal sub genres. We try to keep it black and I consider us a black metal band. We just add elements of thrash, death, doom and punk. The 80's in Europe were extremely fascinating to me. Between Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Venom, Celtic Frost, Bathory, Sodom, Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Amebix etc. the major bases of Traditional Heavy Metal, First Wave Black Metal and Grind / Crust Punk are all covered.

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

Social unrest, depression, anger, mental illness. I feel like we're living in an age where everyone feels extremely tribalistic and there's a lot of bad attitudes and shitty people who love to mistreat others. I just found myself getting so fucking pissed off every day I needed to express my frustration and rage. I don't feel like I'm alone in feeling fed up, forgotten about, and just generally pissed most of the time. A lot of times my lyrics come from a first person perspective but I'm not writing from my point of view, I'm writing from the point of view of that stupid prick in traffic that just cut you off and gave YOU the finger or the asshole holding up the line on purpose getting lottery when they can tell people are in a hurry. It's the age of anonymous trolling and everyone hates everyone who isn't exactly like them.

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

The rage I feel at hating man kind so much, and the struggle I feel on a daily basis not to assault people and be locked in a cage.

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

I like guns, I have a few guns, but let's be honest America is obsessed with them. It's a man sacrificed to the alter of the gun. It was drawn by Warhead Art out of Eastern Europe. He caught my eye from my old friend Kael from the so-cal war metal band Wearg, Cavemancult from Miami and Berator from Chicago (Richard and Adam are from my hometown and we go back over a decade) and I love his style. he was nice enough to do a commission piece for us and I asked him to move away from his traditional medieval style. It came out really well. Sam Leyja (Boris Owner and founder) did the layout and I'm really pleased with how it came out.

6.Originally the band was a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?

I feel like I'll be playing music until the day I die, and as a drummer you always seem to get chewed up and spit out. Always seem to be getting used to make someone else's dream a reality, but at some point things don't work out and you're no longer in the band that wouldn't have been established without you, and you have very little to show for it. I finally decided I would start my own band no one could ever take away. I hope Chris and Tyler never stop playing with me but if they did I would keep the band going. It was like once I freed myself of the burden of being a team player and decided to be selfish I meet this extremely healthy group with Chris and Tyler and don't have to be selfish. It's working out really well.

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

Probably our Athens, Ga debut with Cloak (more old friends Scott and I go back a decade) it was a huge crowd and a room full of people who have never seen us. We go for intensity and energy live. I go out of my way to head bang and thrash. Black metal is war and even though we aren't a traditional bm band I intended to try to manifest violence, even if it's only against my own body. We have only played 4 shows so far but that is my favorite.

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

Yes we are open to offers. We are close to announcing a Charlotte show and we are networking to try to get a 9 day run up to NYC and Philly next year. We plan to keep this band active as long as we can.

9.On the ep you had also done an S.S.D cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

I love a lot of 80's hardcore, and to me even though that band isn't metal at all, they personified violence and rage on that song. The lyrics feel like something I would write. So at practice one day we were fucking around and tried it in C standard and added a blast beat to the chorus. It sounded violent as fuck so we went for it.

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

I guess like anything some people love us and some think we suck. The punk sound of our music throws a lot of elite black metal guys for a loop. If a dbeat is good enough for Celtic Frost it's good enough for me. If you wanna see me be stupid give me a bottle of whiskey and put on Morbid Tales. I don't think my DNA can allow me to NOT head bang and start single man moshing when Into Crypts of Rays comes on.

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

Now that the EP is done we are not slowing down. I'm already into writing a second song, and Chris and Tyler both have ideas too. We're going to let Inability To Cope run it's course for at least a year, and play as many shows in as many cities as possible. We'll probably wait until Boris has enough money for us to do a legit 12" to record again though. We are open to split or comp offers though and would be interested in recording for them if any offers came in. Musically we plan to progress. we're doing what we're doing now but there's nothing to say we won't go more grim in the future. We also love a lot of Goregrind like Impetigo and Lord Gore / Frightmare / Bloodfreak those Portland guys kill it. So really who knows. No rules, as long as it's heavy as fuck and fast. No bullshit vocals either.

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

Biggest influence on me is Darkthrone. People love to take shots at them because they're the face of black metal, but they have the most dynamic and prolific discography of pretty much anyone. From Soulside Journey to Arctic Thunder those guys just write and do what they want, no matter who thinks or says what. Also Peter Steele and Carnivore / Type O Negative, his sense of black humor was the best. I identify strongly with him. Also Celtic Frost, their first two albums are amazing but Monotheist is one of the most crushing and depressing albums I had ever heard. I guess I wanted this band to be dynamic and not afraid to be unconventional. As much as I love Judas Iscariot I don't guess I would ever want to play "grim" black metal. Not talking any shit at all about the pure black metal bands. I'm kinda rambling now but also Demoncy. Robert is from my hometown and we have a lot of mutual friends, some how I had never seen them live until last year. They played Mass Destruction Metal Fest and they were so fucking heavy. The old shitty recordings they have are great, but live they sounded louder and heavier than a lot of doom bands I've seen. Really inspiring.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I have an almost 5 year old son and wife so a lot of time with them. I'm a PC gaming nerd. You can catch me playing video games a lot more than I should admit. Our song Respite is about how I'm anti social and I don't wanna do anything but sit at home in my basement.

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

Thank you very much for taking to time to check out our stuff and reach out to us. The support is strongly appreciated. - Jake

https://www.facebook.com/MisanthropicAggression/

Night Crowned/Humanity Will Echo Out/Black Lion Records/2018 EP Review

  Night  Crowned  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Humanity  Will  Echo  Out"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  black  Lion  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Night  Crowned  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  of  Swedish  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Night  Crowned  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  TRACK  "Nocturnal  Pulse'.  8  out  of  10.

https://mailchi.mp/e6998aced10c/nightcrowned-single

The Crown/Eternal Death/Dissoance Productions/3028 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Sweden's  The  Crown  which  continues  their melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1997  and  called  "Eternal  Death"  with  the  re-issue  coming  out  on  October  19,  2018  by  Dissoance  Productions.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal   as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  brief  return.

  On  this  recording  The  Crown  remained  true  to  their  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness,  Satanism  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-release.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beautiful  Evil  Soul"  "The  Serpent  Garden"  "Kill  The  Priest"  and  "Death  Of  God".  8  out  of  10.

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The Crown/The Burning/Dissonance Productions/2018 CD Re-Issue Review

  The  Crown  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  played  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1995  album  "The  Burning"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  October  19th,  2018.

  War  and  spoken word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  along with  the  solos  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

   When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  some  melody  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  2  closing  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  The  Crown  took  the  melodic  style  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixed  them  with  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness  of  anti  religion  themes  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  based  on  the  writings  of  J.R.R.  Tolkien  and  Clive  Barker.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Good  And  Evil"  "The  Lord  Of  The  Rings"  "Neverending  Dream"  and  "Forget  The  Light".  8  out  of  10.

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Necroart/Caino/The Goatmancer Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Necroart  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a   very  progressive  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  goth,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Caino"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  The  Goatmancer  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  avant  garde  elements  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  add  goth  elements  onto  the  recording  will  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  they  also  start  mixing  the  avant  garde  side  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  On  this  recording  Necroart  remains  true  to  their  progressive  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  goth,  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Necroart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  progressive,  goth,  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "An  Invocation  For  The  Horned"  "Caino"  and  "one  Is  All.  All  In  One".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.thegoatmancer.com/
https://www.facebook.com/necroartband/

From Ashes Reborn Interview

FROM ASHES REBORN / Answered by: Thomas / Date Sep 19th 2018

From Ashes Reborn – Interview A Different Shade of Black

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We are still in the promotion phase of our latest release “Existence Exiled” and received overall great feedback so far. We are close to launching the first merchandise pieces and are also evaluating options to play out material live.

2.In April you had released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical styles you went for on this recording?

The album is a mixture of melodic black & death tunes. We are always striving to create music that people will remember, hum along after they listened to the record. The things that we liked so much when we got into metal – catchy riffs, great melodies, grooving drums with accentuated blastbeats – is what characterizes the songwriting the most.

3.Most of the band members where in 'Badoc', what was the decision behind splitting up the band and forming a new one?

Mainly because the BADOC singer quit and we had kind of a hiatus for a while. In that time, our musical favors and songwriting have developed. Finally, we got exposed to our new singer Ronny, who brings a massive voice on top of our instrumental arrangements, which was another driver that changed our musical direction. So, after all, it was our desire to create a new band from scratch, with a new concept and without references to any history. And it turned out as a good decision, as it gives us full creative freedom to do what we want to do.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
There is no general lyrical concept. Generally, the lyrics are treating individual experiences, reflections on life and humanity and other thoughts, that are moving within in our minds. It´s a mix of melancholia but also a positive outlook on our ability to turn things into good. Like a “Black Clouds and Silver linings” theme so to speak.  We are avoiding topics that are very stereotype or cliché, as this would not fit to our individual personalities.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
FROM ASHES REBORN just focused on the release of the debut Existence Exiled, so there were no shows so far. But we are thrilled to bring Existence Exiled on stage and are definitely evaluating options to do so.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the remainder of 2018 and early 2019?
No, there is nothing confirmed yet. It will most likely not be able for us before early 2019. But we are definitely open for any booking offers.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We have made no efforts to get label signed so far. It was our plan to self-release “Existence Exiled” to bring the product very soon to life and to avoid any compromises. We wanted to fully control the music, the production, the design and the promotion. Generally, we are interested to work with partners who help us to grow FROM ASHES REBORN in a sustainable manner. It´s a matter of the exact conditions when we would consider to be signed, but we are open to that option in the future. With “Existence Exiled”, it was important to find our style and musical direction, also production wise.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of melodic and extreme metal?
Very Good. Existence Exiled achieved very positive feedback not only in Germany, but also from US, Canada, Australia & Scandinavia, even Japan, both by press and fans. Also, our followers on social media channels and bandcamp are widely spread across the globe. It´s a great thing to see, that FROM ASHES REBORN is able to satisfy listeners to that style of metal globally.

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

Our style is best describes as Melodic Black / Death Metal with a strong Scandinavian influence. This is not exactly intended, but more an output of our musical preferences and the result of working together in the songwriting process. There is a tendency in our songwriting to work a bit more with acoustic elements, we are experimenting with orchestral arrangements as well. In general, I do not foresee a dramatic change in the musical direction. We are five guys in a classic metal line up and want to make the best out of this and our instruments. This is the way we got tied to this music genre and that’s our ambition.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We have a very diversified mix of influences, ranging from old Dissection, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Kataklysm to more new bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse or Der Weg einer Freiheit. But there also bands like Cannibal Corpse, Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy, Cradle of Filth, Trivium, Kreator or Dark Funeral that are influential for us in a way. We still have an ear on the underground and are permanently listening and digging for new stuff.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Music is primarily the main hobby of the band members, as much as family and main jobs allow. Two of us are also playing in other bands such as HIATUS, DER ROTE MILAN, ICHOR. We have one active motor cycle rider in our band, fitness is another hobby of some. But Metal & Music is still the main thing for us.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the interview and for featuring FROM ASHES REBORN! We are looking forward to stay in touch and hope that there are some maniacs who enjoy Existence Exiled!

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Stormcast/The Ghost Eater/2018 Full Length Review

  Stormcast  are  a  band  originally from  Cyprus  but  now  resides  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "The  Ghost  Eater"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  clean  playing  is  also  utilized  at times  along  with  melodic  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording.

  Stormcast  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  and  atmospheric  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  feelings,  corruption,  nature  and  anger  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stormcast  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "Resonance"  and  "Lushai  Hills".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/stormcastband/

Norilsk/Weepers Of The Land/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2018 CD Review

  Norilsk  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Weepers  Of  The  Land"  which  will  be  released  on  October  12  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals a re  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples,  elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  clean  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Norilsk  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  French  and  cover  History  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Norilsk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Sacred  Ground"  and  "Weepers  Of  The  Land".  8  out  of  10. 

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i Helvete/Pimeyden ytimessa/Umpikuja/2018 EP Review

  i  Helvete  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Pimeyden  ytimessa/Umpikuja".

  Melodic  yet  heavy  riffing  starts  of  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  elements  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  both  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  spoken  word  parts.

  i  Helvete  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  i  Helvete  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Pimeyden  ytimessa".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01G7984-H1w

Cor Serpenti Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1)   Sure ! first let me thank you for the opportunity to describe the band and this first album which, we hope, will appreciated by metalheads of all kinds.
Cor Serpentii is a black/death project that is just about to release its first album, 10 tracks of rather agressive and dark sound altogether. The project got created upon the ashes of Insain, together with the great contribution of Frederic Gervais, the founder, bassist and singer of the French avantgarde band Orakle. I think this mix of different profiles and styles was exactly what Cor Serpentii needed : to intend taking the best from each extreme style and propose our own blend, materialized in this fully blown album as a starter.

2.Recently you have released your first full length can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on this recording?

2)   As you can surely guess, the album has a tendency to step onto Black metal and Death metal paths. It is quite interesting to hear about the feedbacks from listeners as most of them describe the album as rather original, with even some Heavy Metal sounds and atmospheres sometimes. I think this comes from the creation process in which i create the guitar tracks, which are then enriched by Bono and Sangli, and finally magnified by Fred. We all have different influences and all ideas are welcome, the only sacred way being turbulent, dark sound.

3.The band formed out of the ashes of 'Insain', what was the decision behind the split and forming a new band?
3)   Insain members decided to part ways due to internal issues that i will not develop here. 3 former members decided to work together on a brand new project that is Cor Serpentii. What came as a proposal from me as an experience trial soon became a solid project. This is how it started, with a strong willingness to create and explore new sounds and atmospheres, taking advantage of the fact that each members have great ideas to tackle. The project took a whole new level after we got in touch with Frederic and Studio Henosis.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores on the album?
4) A good part of the lyrics were inspired by Bergen Grey’s first book, « Frénésie picturale » with a painter slowing declining and getting invaded by loops of « tentacular » insanity. « Ubik » was obviously inspired by the Book from K Dick. Overall, i would say that science-fiction, human decadence and twisted atmospheres form a good basis for our lyrics. We will most probably continue getting inspiration from literature moving forward.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cor Serpentii'?
5) Cor Serpentii is the name of a star. The idea of an entity yet to be explored attracted us. The image of the serpent often viewed as sitting at the origins of mankind resonated pretty well with the title of the first album as well.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
6) This artwork was created by 3mmi Design (Pierre-Alain Durand). We got amazed by the first draft, that we slowly helped to shape up until the final result was here. The contrast between a static body and the stellar immensity was an interesting outcome for us. This turns out to be a great support for our music.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
7) Cor Serpentii will release its first album at the end of october 2018. It will remain a studio project with other albums to come as we for sure enjoyed the experience of Phenomankind, but there are no plans for gigs at the moment.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
8) Cor Serpentii has no plans for gigs at the moment.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
9) Phenomankind has been released as a self production. I am very happy with the process and the amazing work that Studio Henosis was able to do on this album. We have been looking for a label, but it seems that a 10 tracks album as a first release is not a risk that everybody wants to take. All we want now is focusing on launching this album properly. The rest does not really matter.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10) We will be able to tell when the album will have been released officially but i can tell you that the journalists feedbacks are all very positive !

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11) Cor Serpentii will most probably remain a dark and agressive metal project. We will include other influences in upcoming tracks, always trying to put atmospheres and harmonies forward. This recipe we have achieved with Phenomankind is a good call for further exploration in the future.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on the music of 'Cor Serpentii'?
12) There are so many bands that have fostered our sound. Talking about the guitar creation, i can say Emperor, Zyklon, Morbid Angel, Arkaik, Unholy Matrimony, Blut Aus Nord, Deathspell Omega and more. But i also like to cultivate atmospheres the way totally different bands do, with the likes of Skinny Puppy, Dead Can Dance, Ulver and so on. I think all members of the band have different influences. What really counts is a catchy and original outcome.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13) Thanks for reading this interview. Go and listen to « Phenomankind », our first album, and give us feedbacks !

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Skalmold/Sorgir/Napalm Records/2018 CD Review

  Skalmold  are  a  band  from  Iceland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  viking  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Sorgir"  which  will  be  released  on  October  13th  by  Napalm  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  a  vocal  style  that  is  done  in  a  semi  growl  style  and  clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  used  at  times.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  fast  riffs  also  showing  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  as  well  as  a  few  blast  beats  and you  can  also  hear  elements  of  folk  metal  but  done  in  a  heavier  style,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Skalmold  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  folk  and  viking  metal  together  while  focusing  more  on  a  heavier  and  guitar  driven  approach  to  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Icelandic  and  cover  Battles,  Norse  Mythology  and  Icelandic  Poetry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Skalmold  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  viking  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ljosid"  "Barnid"  and  "Mara".  8  out  of  10.

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Cor Serpenti/Phenomankind/2018 CD Review

  Cor  Serpenti  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Phenomankind"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are mostly  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  clear  singing, whispers and  death  metal  growls  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly,  clean  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  introduced  on  later  tracks  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  technical  moments.

  Cor  Serpenti  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  technical  and  melodic  styles  of  black  and death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  touch  of  power  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  scientific  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cor  Serpenti  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  "Retrieval"  "Sand  Storm"  "Reversed  Evolution"  and  "Ubik".  8  out  of  10.

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

https://youtu.be/k1RYoW_U9sg

Upon Ruins/Legacy Of Desolation/PRC Music/2018 CD Review

  Upon  Ruins  are  a  band  from  Nova  Scotia,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  viking  and  melodic  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Legacy  Of  Desolation"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  Heavy  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  viking  battle  sounds  in  the  background  briefly  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  clean  vocals  adding  in  touches  of  pagan  metal  as  well  as  the  screams  showing  an  influence  of  black  metal  when  they  are  utilized  and  the  music  is  also  is  very  heavy  influenced  by  the  90's  era  Swedish  style.

  The  riffs  also  mix  in  elements  of  thrash  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  a  later  song  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Upon  Ruins  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking  and  melodic  black/death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of   their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  ruinous  legacy  and  inevitable  path  to  desolation.

  In  my  opinion  Upon  Ruins  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  viking  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Mountains  Collide"  "Of  Distant  Shores"  and  "A  Cold  Empty  Throne".  8  out  of  10.

https://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/upon-ruins-legacy-of-desolation-cd

Mongol/The Return/Sliptrick Records/2018 CD Review

  Mongol  are  a  band  from  Alberta,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Return"  which will  be  released  in  October  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Mongolian  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  epic  sounding  synths  and  throat  singing  a  few  seconds  later  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  they  also  mix  the  folk  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Black  metals creams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  used  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Mongol  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a Mongolian  Prophecy  on  Genghis  Khan  making  a  return  from  the  grave  to  conquer  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mongol  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Return"  "Amongst  The  Dead"  "The  Mountain  Weeps"  and  "Warband".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/MongolCanada/

Iomair/Self Titled/Infamous Butcher Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Iomair  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays a  mixture  of  progressive,  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  Latin  and  funk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2018  album  which  was  released  by  Infamous  Butcher  Records.

  Stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  black  metal  screams  also  being  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  progressive  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  acoustic  guitars.

  Throughout the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  elements  of  Latin  and  fink  music  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  brings  piano's  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  Iomair  plays  a  musical  style  that  progressive,  folk,  black,  melodic  death  metal,  Latin  and  funk  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Iomair  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  progressive,  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  "Cast  Away"  "Embodiment  Of  Emptiness"  "Yearning"  and  "Forever  travelling  Within".  8  out of  10.

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