Bolthorn/Across The Human Path/Broken Bones Records/Envenomed Music/2018 Full Length Review

  Bolthorn  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  viking  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Across  the  Human  Path"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Broken  Bones  Records  and  Envenomed  Music.

  Battle  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  nature  sounds  and  epic  sounding  synths  a  few  seconds  later  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  Swedish  influences.

  When  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  pagan  metal  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  melodic  style  along  with  the  screams  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  synths  and  spoken  word  parts  also  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Bolthorn  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking,  black  and  melodic  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  cover  Norse  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bolthorn  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  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sentinel"  "Thor"  and  "The  Lair  of  The  Beast".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/K9gnP7dbhjs

Suffering Souls/In Synergy Obscene/Schwarzdorn Production/2019 CD Review

  Suffering  Souls  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "In  Synergy  Obscene"  which  will  be  released  in  2019 by  Schwarzdorn  Production.

  A  very  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  after  the  intro  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  some  programmed  beats  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  are  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  Back  up  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  of  the  fast  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  growls  can  also  be  heard  and  acoustic  guitars  and  female  vocals  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Suffering  Souls  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  modern  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Anti  Christianity,  Death  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Suffering  Souls  is  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Synergy  Obscene"  "As  The  Truth  Unfolds"  and  "Unseen  Phenomenon".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.facebook.com/SUFFERING-SOULS-Official-155361931188672/

      

Lemuria/The Hysterical Hunt/Massacre Records/2019 CD Review

  Lemuria  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "The  Hysterical  Hunt"  which  will  be  reelased  in  2019  by  Massacre  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  and  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  while  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording along  with  some  symphonic  elements  being  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  heat  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of   female  vocals  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs also introducing  folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  interludes.

  Lemuria  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  epic,  melodic  and  symphonic  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  inspired  inspired  by  true  events  and  involves    a  hunt  for  werewolves  along  with  some  horror  and  occult  elements.

  In  my  opinion  Lemuria  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  "A  Plague  Upon  The  Land" "Of  Winter  ANd  Hell"  and  "Endcame  (The  Impending  Truth)".  8  out  of  10.

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In Shadows And Dust Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording of the new album?
Since the end of te recording in mid-October I’ve been focus and gather material to promote the album and get everything ready for the release day. I also continue to records ideas for the next album and working on a Black Metal project with a French band from Paris.

2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of December, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
“Enlightened by Darkness” is lyrically more focused on the Darkness of my minds, life experiences and what I’ve been through/ On the music side, it’s less fast/grinded than the previous one, there are more mid paced moment but the aggressive sound still remains on each track.

3.Your music is very heavily rooted in the 90's era of Swedish black and death metal, do you feel you stand out as being different form the other bands and musical projects from your home country of France?
In. Fact I was playing this music in 97/98 with my previous bands Pelvic Bones and The Evil One, we had a HM-2 sound. When I started In Shadows and Dust back in 2014, I took my HM-2 and started riffing with it, this sound is how I love music. Its sounds indeed different from what’s happening in France on the Metal side, France is more Black Metal oriented (at least in the underground) but I don’t feel different as I just do what I want to do and not looking around to apply the French Black Metal code.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore on the newer album?
As I mention a bit in a previous question, this is all about Darkness. Darkness of my own mind and my experiences in life. Everyone is going through shit in life and I am no exception, I just use my feeling and hell I’ve been through to build around with lyrics and music. I also use some external stories and past event as in Deathlike Silence (just by the name of the song you’ll guess what it’s about)

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In Shadows And Dust'?
“In Shadows and Dust” comes from Kataklysm song. Kataklysm are a band I really dig because they do music without compromise. They continue to play the music they love and they are true with themselves, that’s what I appreciate with this band.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album?
The artwork is done by Manel-Song Ollé Chin (@woodcvtter_illustration) from Barcelona and drummer for “Expel the Grace” I found very cool his work around the HM-2 / Swedish Chainsaw design, I think it was a good fit for “In Shadows and Dust” HM-2 infused Metal. There are many details on the cover like a HM-2 grave designed and few other items around. I had a vision for this cover, I’ll describe it to Manel-Song and he did the work. He also did past and future t-shirt design for ISAD.

7.On the new album you recorded everything by yourself, are you still open to finding a full line up to play the songs live?
I do have friends willing to play with me live but I prefer to focus on writing new stuff for now. We already rehearsed few songs together and it’s pretty bad ass working with other people on “In Shadows and Dust” material. Live might happen, sooner or later.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
It has been great and I’m always surprise when I send music on the other side of the world ! The first people that supported “In Shadows and Dust” are still here and lived the evolution of the music. More and more people are supporting the band by sending messages, sharing music or buying merchandising. I don’t know if they are Black Metal fans or Death Metal fans, what I know it’s the are Metal fans and appreciate the hard work and heart that I put in In Shadows and Dust music.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
First there will be a next ISAD album out the 21st of December 2019, I already recorded stuff since October and I will continue to do so. I’m also working with another band as a singer / drummer on a very very dark Black Metal project, this will be raw and reminded me of the early Mayhem stuffs.

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?
Influences come from the late 90’ with bands like Entombed, Dismember, Necrophobic, Night in Gales, A Canorous Quintet, Ablaze my Sorrow and all the Swedish Death Metal wave.I listen to different favour of Metal and lately I’ve been into Obscenity, the re release of A Canorous Quintet, Unearth, Inert, Nightbearer, Organic and Revel the Flesh for example, but the list would be very long if I had to list everything.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Tits

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for you support and spreading the work around, we are the Metal Underground

Stephane

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Dark Reverence Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Yes, we are a duo. Lord of Horns creates and records all of the music and Legion sings in various styles. We both contribute with lyrics and Legion focuses on our visual marketing.

2.Recently you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
We chose 3 songs that we felt displayed our talents and influences the best. It has a good mix of goth, black metal, ambient, and industrial. We were able to prominently display Legion's vocal capabilities, which is a key factor of our music.

3.You refer to your music as 'savage goth', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
I came up with the term to describe our sound. We are a little too soft for metal and way too hard for traditional goth. I wanted a term that represented our sound as soon as you heard it. Metal in general and especially black metal is known to be savage sounding. Goth is more dreary and slower paced, but we use elements of each to attain our sound. I didn't want to go by 'goth metal' because that's still not exactly what we are doing. I really wanted something that represented our black metal influences, so I chose the word savage.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We have a range of topics that we enjoy writing about. They include, but not limited to, serial killers, dark fantasy/ mysticism, psychological torture, classic horror tropes, etc.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dark Reverence'?
We revere all that is dark, we live in a harsh world and we feel dark themes are more realistic and representative of life. For this project, we wanted to incorporate many different types of dark music that we each are influenced by. Some people like goth, or industrial, or thrash metal. We like it all, so long as it's dark sounding. It's also another take away from our black metal influences. Many bands are Dark this or Dark that. So, the name works well to promote our sound.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
For the time, we are happy with how we work. We would love to share the stage with other musicians, but we don't want to compromise on our craft. I think if we are ever signed by a major record label, studio musicians would work best for us.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
So far we only had one show with a good turn out. We started slow and didn't promote much. Now we are promoting constantly. Our last show was the best, we opened for the Vampirefreak's monthly Cybertron event last month. For being an unknown opening band, we played for about 60 people, half of which we personally sold tickets to. Our stage performance is rather reserved. We wear hoods and have mysterious presences. That's the aesthetic we are going for.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have 2 shows coming up next weekend. One is in Ardmore, PA at the Rusty Nail. That's a metal show. The night after we will be in Mystic Islands, NJ at the last Castle Corridors event. That's a goth dance event. In the summer we just got accepted to perform at Steampunk Fest. Before then, however, we want to do some weekend touring around the northeast region of the US to spread our name. We are thinking that would go from March-May

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are still only 4 months old, so no interest has come to us. We aren't really looking for a label right now. We want to gain exposure first to make ourselves more marketable for bigger labels.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and goth metal?
We received a good amount of positive feedback by fans of those types of music. These are people I am friending on facebook and promoting to all over the world.

11.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We want to do a few more demos first and then focus on getting a record or distribution deal. Once we have that we would be game to do a full length release.

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?
Legion enjoys traditional goth, industrial, and tribal; bands like Depeche Mode, Eisbrecher, Dead Can Dance, are just a few. I like a lot of styles from blues to hard rock, metal of all kinds, punk and goth. We continue to listen to much of the same as we always have.

13.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
We embrace occultism. I am a nordic pagan and Legion is spiritual, but unaffiliated with religion.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
We like being out in nature and creating art. We enjoy going out to goth clubs and metal concerts.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
It was a pleasure to take part in this interview and we thank you for taking interest in our project!

https://www.facebook.com/darkreverenceband/

Wolfhorde/Hounds Of Perdition/Inverse Records/2019 CD Review

  Finland's  Wolfhorde  heave  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  black  metal  influenced  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Hounds  Of  Perdition"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Inverse  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  folk  instruments  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  clean  vocals  giving  the  music  more  of  a  pagan  metal  feeling  and  they  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  symphonic  sounding  synths  also  being  used  at  times.

  Blackened  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Wolfhorde  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  black  metal  influenced  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Mythology,  History,  Nature  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wolfhorde  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chimera"  "Towers  Of  Silence"  and "Hounds  Of  Perdition".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/3gDW3NOl_24

In Shadows And Dust/Enlightened By Darkness/Redefining Darkness Records/2018 CD Review

  In  Shadows  And  Dust  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Enlightened  by  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  on  December  21st  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  An  intro  which  rain  and  thunder  sounds  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  also  being  used  briefly  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of   the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  music also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  early  90's  Swedish  era  death  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  some  of  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  raw  aggression  of  grindcore.

  In  Shadows  And  Dust  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  melodic  Swedish  black  and  death  metal  while  also  adding  in  a  more  aggressive  approach  to  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  In  Shadows  And  Dust  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  old  school  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  "Enlightened  By  Darkness"  "Deathlike  Silence"  and  "At  the  Edge  Of  The  World".  8  out  of  10.

https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-shadows-and-dust-enlightened-by-darkness

Arsis/Visitant/Agonia Records/2018 CD Review

  Arsis  are  a  band  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  technical  form  of  blackened  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Visitant"  which  was  released  by  Agonia  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  technical  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  heavier  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  high  pitched  screams  that  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  black  metal.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  more  of  a  technical  death  metal  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times,  elements  of  thrash  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Arsis  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly rooted  in  more  of  a  melodic  and  technical  death  metal  style  while  using  more  of  a  black  metal  vocal  approach  and  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  to  create  a sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  movie  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arsis  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tricking  the  Gods" "Fathoms"  "Death  Vow"  and  "His  Eyes". 8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/mppYdPJLTQc

Dark Reverence/2018 Promo Review

  Dark  Reverence  are  a  duo  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  goth,  ambient  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  promo.

  Heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  promo  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats  as  well  as  the  female  vocals  also  mixing  goth  elements  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  great  amount  of  synths.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  synths  also  adding  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them as  well  as  a brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Dark  Revernece  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  dark  ambient  and  goth  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Reverence  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  dark  ambient  and  goth  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Let  Me  Be  Myself  Again".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/darkreverenceband/
  

Lowered/Self Titled/Throne Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Lowered  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2018  album  which  was  released  by  Throne  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  slow  and  heavy  riffs  which  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  structures.

  Lowered  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lowered  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unreal"  and  "Call  Of  The  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

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N (46)/[BOLT]/(Nameless Release)/Midira Records/2018 Full Length Review

  [BOLT]  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  teams  up  with  Germany's  N (46)    plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  a  nameless  release  that was  released  by  Midira  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  slow  and  heavy  doom  metal  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  being  instrumental  and  the  guitar  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  elements  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  an  improvised  atmosphere  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction.

  [BOLT]  and  team  up  together  and  mixes  black,  drone  and  doom  metal  together  while  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  mixing  their  different  styles  together  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  N (46)  and  [BOLT]  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

https://n-bolt.bandcamp.com/

Haiku Funeral/Decadent Luminosity/Aesthetic Death/2018 Double Album Review

  Haiku  Funeral  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  industrial  and  ritualistic  satanic  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  double  album  "Decadent  Luminosity"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  first  side  of  album  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length   along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  done  in  a  very  grim  black  metal  style  and  synths  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  programmed  and  militant  beats  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  chants  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments,  some  tracks  also  add  in  whispered  style  vocals  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  and  when  percussion  is  utilized  briefly  it  adds  in  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  and  the  closing  track  also  adds  in  elements  of  Indian  ethnic  music.

  Ritualistic  percussion's  start  off  the  second  sound  of  the  album  along  with  some  clear  yet  chanting  vocals   while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  they  also  sound  very  demonic  at  times  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Ambient  style  synths  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  second  half  of  the  album  while  grim  whispers  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental.

  With  this  double  album  Haiku  Funeral  brings  out  2  different  sides  of  their  musical  style  with  the  first  side  being  blackened  industrial  and  the  second  side  ritualistic satanic  ambient,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Eastern/Western  Occultism,  Rituals  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haiku  Funeral  an  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  industrial,  experimental,  ritual  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  double  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scientia  Intra  Satana"  "Dreaming  Kali  In  The  Temple  Of  Fire"  "Lacerate  The  Light"  and  "Endlessly".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/haikufuneral/

  

Yerusalem/The Sublime/Debember Morti Productions/2019 CD Review

  Yerusalem  are  a  duo  from  France  that  consists  of  a  member  of  Blut  Aus  Nord  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  industrial,  post  punk,  new  wave,  electronica,  and  goth  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "The  Sublime"which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Debembur  Morti  Productions.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  programmed  beats  while  the  clean  vocals  gives  the  music  more  of  a  post  punk  feeling  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  at  times  and  the  heavy  riffs  also  add  in  touches  of  early  90's  industrial  metal.

  Elements  of  goth  rock.  psychedelia,  new  wave,  electronica  and  dreamgaze  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  synths  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  structures  of  mid  90's  to  early  2000's  era  experimental  black  metal  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Yerasalem  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  industrial,  new  wave,  electronica,  post  punk,  goth  rock  and  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Yeraalem  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial,  new  wave,  electronica,  post  punk,  goth  rock  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  looking for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Sublime"  "Joyless"  and  "Reverso".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/Yeruselemprojekt/

Goblinsmoker Interview

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



Hey, we’re a black metal influenced doom band from Durham in the North East of England. We look to make music with big riffs while telling a story, creating an atmosphere within the music that complements the story telling element.



2. You have an ep coming out in December, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on this recording?



I’ve seen someone recently describe it’s as ‘the venom of black metal blended with the warm amplifier riff worship of doom.’ Which I feel pretty much nails what we initially set out to do. Classic doom riffs, drowning in fuzz and throwing in the seething bleakness of black metal.



3. The lyrics have a concept involving the Toad King, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?



The concept centres on the story of the Toad King, the discontented ruler of the goblins and their forest home. I’ve always been a big fan of storytelling in music and we’ve had so much fun working on the concept. Also, for whatever reason, I find it much easier to write lyrics that may have emotions personal to me thrown in, but they are hidden amongst the storytelling. As we have fleshed out the concept, it’s aided us writing the music. Kind of like ‘what would you expect a song to sound like that is about a big pissed off toad, sitting in a smoke filled forest.’



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



The name itself really came from the concept. I had basics of the concept and the first song wrote a while before the name was settled on. The name just felt like a natural choice. The Toad King, cast out by his own kind, has found himself on the goblin throne in the forest. The goblins are in awe of him and willingly sacrifice themselves to be smoked by their king. This goblin smoke helping the king escape his resentment. The Toad King is the goblinsmoker.



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



The guy who did the art has done such a good job of capturing what we were after. He’s nailed it. It was important the art set the tone for the concept as it’s the first thing people are likely to see, before they’ve heard the music. As this record is the start of the story and the introduction to the Toad King, we wanted the main guy front and centre smoking those goblin subjects. We’ll be developing the art with the story.



6. Originally the band was a solo project what was the decision behind expanding into a duo?



After a number of years playing in a band that broke down I (Adam – vocals, guitars, bass) decided to set myself a goal of writing a record alone. I can be a bit of a lone wolf and find it easier working alone than with other people, so it felt like a natural thing to do. I can’t play drums for shit and initially was going to pay for a session drum to drum on the tracks. After talking about the concept with Calum (drums) who I’ve known for years, he was really into it. He also happened to play drums and is the nicest, most chilled out guy so it felt totally right to bring him on board.



7. The ep is going to be released through 'Sludgelord Records', how did you get in contact with this label?



Sludgelord Records actually were the only label I contacted about doing the record. I contacted them quite early on with the concept and asked if they’d be up for hearing the music once it’s done. I’d known of Sludgelord for a long time through their steady supply of good music through the blog. Knowing they had a label, it was something I really wanted to release on. Luckily, months later I sent over the finished tracks and they agreed to release it. I was naturally really pleased and proud they’d taken it on, felt like the ideal home for the record.



8. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, sludge and doom metal?



The response has been insane. Like, way over and above what we expected. Sludgelord Records sold out of their allocation of tapes in 24 hours off the back of a 20 second clip of music. A week and a half later we have sold out of all our tapes after one track being released. When I first start writing this, sat in my living room, I never expected it’d get such a reaction. And to think, we were only initially going to do a run of half the amount of tapes we have sold, and were concerned we’d struggle to sell them.



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



We are aiming to do what we have been jokingly calling ‘The Toad Tape Trilogy’. Basically telling the story of the Toad King over three tape releases. We have this first release that kind of introduces the setting with the first song and the final track, ‘Time to Ride’, having the King learn of an upcoming war and his need to ride into battle. This will be where the second release picks up. We want to do three different colour tapes across the three parts of the story, having the artwork develop and the main colours of the art match the tapes. As you’d be able to see the main colour theme of this one being green. Once the three are done, we’d like to release them all as set, either in a presentation box together, or possibly even on vinyl if we are in a position to do so.

We also have our first shows slotted in for next year, so we are currently on bringing a bassist into the fold, so we can replicate the records sound live.



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



As we’ve previously mentioned, doom and black metal has been a big influence on our sound and what we are trying to do. Not that our musical interests are limited to that. I (Adam) am a big fan of Rush and feel some of their harder riffs are a big influence, along with their story telling. In terms of records that have come out this year, there have been some great albums, probably my personal favourite being Transcanadian Anger by Dopethrone.



11. What are some of your non musical interests?



We are both really into good beer from micro breweries. We are in a pretty good spot for it up here, with breweries like Wylam, so we have invested plenty of time indulging the love good ale while developing the concept. I guess the dream is to get into a position where we have someone brew us a Goblinsmoker ale.



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



Toad King, worship him.

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Fordomth Interview

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

The band was born in 2013 from the need to create a project around and inside the concept of  damnation, which the first concrete manifestation is I.N.D.N.S.L.E..
The main idea came from the mind of Gianluca, which plays bass on the full length and now the guitar with the current line-up. Following this idea few specific musician, also friends, already into extreme music scene, were recruited to make Fordomth real. In these past years the band had quite a singular background concerning line-up changes. Long story short Gianluca and Gabriele are the only former members still in the band, which consist in a four pieces now.

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

The common ground for the six former members was the same, consisting in Doom Metal and all its shades. In particular Funeral Doom Metal influenced by such bands as Catacombs, Ahab, Evoken, Thergothon and Longing for Dawn, to name few, were the foundation for I.N.D.N.S.L.E.. The many personal influences turned out in a very textural approach to the composition, making the result unique and even more precious thanks to the special featuring of Federica's violin in 'Interlude' and Salvatore's voice in the title-track.

3.The band has been around since 2013 but you waited until 2018 to play live shows or release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?

Concerning the gestation of Fordomth started in 2013, as we already mentioned, the past years were full of events, which were the reasons for the many line-up changes, not allowing the band to play live until now. Only in 2018 the line-up were consolidated to four members and for this reason our first release I.N.D.N.S.L.E. is, for now, not intended to be played live, still, we have many releases we're working on at the moment, which are also our current live sets.
About I.N.D.N.S.L.E. we're very pleased how the album turned out, so we decided it was due to release it in spite of everything.

4.The lyrics on the recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you bring onto the album?

The theme is the Eternal Damnation, under its satanic and spiritual point of view.
The concept album follows the story of Lucifer’s damnation, from his fall from the heavens to his enthronement in hell. The very specific point of view consist in a first person empathy with Lucifer, who starts his path as bringer of light to culminate both in damnation and in bringing that aforementioned light into himself.

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

Fordomt means condemned in Norwegian language, so this word bears into itself the complete concept which around the band was born. We choose a Norwegian word both as a tribute to this country Black Metal scene, which always influenced us, also because we think Norway has an historical background that is closely bounded to the concept we want to express with the word Fordomt.


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

All the artworks were developed by View From The Coffin who perfectly caught from the first moment our spirit, so he provided an essential aspect to I.N.D.N.S.L.E. cover art, which mainly consist in the band logo, so the listener attention can be channeled more into 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?

By now we decided to not play live very often to focus on the studio production, still our first live exhibition, Jettasangu Fest vol.1, was very significative for us, because both started the series of event branded by Tifone Crew, a D.I.Y. booking and promoting agency for extreme music which every member of the current line-up is involved into, also because it was the first and only live show played in a five pieces line-up. The extra member was Riccardo, guitarist and former member of Fordomth. He had to move to Budapest the day after the show, so it was a goodbye to our friend.

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

No. We do not plan to play I.N.D.N.S.L.E. live at the moment.
Still we are planning to play several gigs and perhaps an Italian tour with our new current set.

9.The new album was released on 'Endless Winter Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Endless Winter Records was immediately interested in releasing I.N.D.N.S.L.E..
Gennady's great enthusiasm and professionalism were great resources for us from the first approach. We planned together how and when to release the album and everything was very fast and efficient. We are deeply honored to be part of the Endless Winter roster.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black. sludge and funeral doom metal?

By now we received great approvals and support by everyone who listened to the album, especially from the ones who are into this musical panorama. This support made us even more motivated to keep up the good work and we're doing our best for the next releases.

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

First it’s appropriate to talk about what happened until now to better understand what will be in the future. The Funeral Doom style have been mixed with Sludge Doom and Black Metal by now, sometimes this last influence one is more prominent then the other ones, sometimes it’s the opposite. Still, during the composition process, we always want to stay true to our funereal intents. About the future, we will see.

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?

Despite some slight differences in music preferences and previous band experiences, we spontaneously found a synergy between us, also thanks to our common grounds which are bands like Primitive Man, Mgła, Wiegedood, Catacombs, Vermin Womb, Sargeist to name few.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

We live our lives with the consciousness to follow our very own natures, that’s it.

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

We are deeply thankful to everyone out there supporting us and for those who keep their eyes peeled we’ll deliver some exciting news soon, thank you.

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Goblinsmoker/Toad King/Sludgelord Records/2018 EP Review

  Goblinsmoker  are  a  band  from  the United Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep 'Toad  King"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Sludgelord  Records.

  Guitar  amp  noises  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  some  slow  and  heavy  riffs  that  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  stoner  metal  edge  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  sticking  to  a  very  slow  direction  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Goblinsmoker  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  The  Toad  King.

  In  my  opinion  Goblinsmoker  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Time  To  Ride".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Goblinsmoker/

https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/album/toad-king

  

Absence Betrayal Interview

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

ENG: The project Absence Betrayal was formed after my main group Escadaia suspended its activities. I (Andrey Baranov - the Author of the project) decided to finish my musical activity and do something else, but after some time the desire to write music took over and I began to compose songs just to throw out my energy. After recording the first song (When the sun goes out), I showed it to a few people who were impressed with my work and convinced me not to give up and release the
album. Absence Betrayal is a solo project of one person.

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

ENG: In writing music, I never rely on a particular genre, so each composition may differ in its style from the others. The style of this album I call Extreme Metal, I think it is a mistake to say that it is
specifically Death or Black style, I can get a hard song, and lyrical, and maybe even epic.

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

ENG: For the most part this is a philosophical and life themes, but not always.

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

ENG: I was just looking for a beautiful phrase that starts with the letters A and B since these are my initials. Picking up the words for the name of the project I liked the phrase Absence Betrayal, as its
meaning has a great meaning for me.

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

ENG: On the cover is used silhouette of my face.

6.Originally the band was supposed to be a solo project, what was the decision behind adding other members?

ENG: Project as it was solo, so solo and stayed. The composition was recruited once for live performance, but later on I left my old friend and colleague in the Escadaia group, Nikolai Sokolov on the guitar, he will take part in the next concerts and upcoming studio work.

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

ENG: Presentation of the album in the city of Irkutsk.

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

ENG: I have plans to tour Russia to present the album in the first half of 2019. We would also like to present the album in other countries, but it remains only in dreams.

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

ENG: The debut album Emotions was released on the independent Russian label Metal Renaissance. I would like to try to publish the next release on another label that could give substantial support. So yeah, I'm looking for a label.

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

ENG: Globally, at the moment, there are not very many people who have heard my music, but those who have heard have left positive reviews.

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

ENG: Work on the second album has already begun and there are even a few recorded songs that will begin to come out in the form of singles in the 1st quarter of 2019. For the most part, the style remains the same Extreme Metal because it is not possible to specify the style, also on the album there will be several experimental compositions.

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?

ENG: I don't want to answer that question, sorry.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

ENG: Creating games for computers and phones. This is not my main activity, but I love doing it very much.

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

ENG: Thanks to all those who read this interview! Be always adequate
people!

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Sulphur Aeon/The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos/Van Records/2018 CD Review

  Germany's  Sulphur  Aeon  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  blackened  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Scythe  of  Cosmic  Chaos"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Van  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Sulphur  Aeon  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  melodic  blackened  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sulphur  Aeon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cult  of  Starry  Wisdom""Sinister  Sea  Sabbath"  and  "Liungs  into  Gills".  8  out  of  10. 

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