Amanita Virosa/Original Plague/Inverse Records/2019 CD Review

  Amanita  Virosa  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  a  musical  style  they  describe  as  being  'hospital  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Original  Plague"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  inverse  Records.

  Keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music. Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  A  good  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  maintaining  a  very  modern  take  on  the  genres  they  are  influenced  by.

   During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard and  as  the  album  progresses  one  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  showing  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  hateful  themes

  In  my  opinion  Amanita  Virosa  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  REOCMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Walk  Away"  "Weak,  Strong  &  Wise"  "This  Night"  and  "Longing".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/AmanitaVirosaBand 

https://www.instagram.com/amanitavirosaband

https://spoti.fi/2Lmb0rC 

      

Wallowing/Planet Loss/Sludgelord Records/Black Voodoo Records/2019 CD Review

  Wallowing  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  grindcore  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  Planet  Loss"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  Sludgelord  and  Black  Voodoo  Records.

  A  sci-fi  orientated  prologue  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Harsh  noises  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  elements  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  one  track  also  introduces  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording.

  Wallowing  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  grindcore  and  noise  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  and  the  modern  political  climate  along  with  some  inspirations  from  the  writings  of  George  Orwell.

  In  my  opinion  Wallowing  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  grindcore  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Earthless"  and  "Vessel".  8  out  of  10.

here https://thesludgelord.bandcamp.com/album/planet-loss
 Band info: www.facebook.com/wallowingnoise/



  

Kamikaze Zombie/The Destroyer Of All Things/2019 Full Length Review

  Kamikaze  Zombie  are  a  band  from  Birmingham,  Alabama  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2019  album  "The  Destroyer  Of  All  Things".

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction which  mixes  the  raw  energy  with  the  heaviness  of  thrash  metal.  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  aggressive  screams  and  shouts.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in t he  slower  sections  of  the  music  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  horror  movie  samples  being  added  onto  the  other  tracks and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  movie  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  Kamikaze  Zombie  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  thrash  metal  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Prometheus"  "Devil's  Night"  "The  Cycle  Of  Demons"  and  "Beware  Of  The  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5G2GxgxxKI    

Arsantiqva/Scavengers/Mors Lucerna Records/2018 CD Review

  Arsantiqva  are  a  band  from  Brooklyn,  New  York  that  plays  a  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  black'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Scavengers"  which  was  released  by  Mors  Lucerna  Records.



  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  keyboards  when  they  are  utilized  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling.

  A  decent  amount  of  Norwegian  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Choirs  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  deep  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black'n'roll  elements.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in    decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  female  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  grooves  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  leads.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  dystopian  philosophy  and  post  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arsantiqva  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black'n'roll  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They"  "Dominion"  "Scavengers  Of  Salvation"  and  "Ultra  Black".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/Arsantiqva
https://arsantiqva.bandcamp.com      

Atlas Entity Interview

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

Atlas Entity, a progressive metal band based out of the Tampa Bay Area in Florida, is my solo project that I created after my last band split up around 2015. Since then I’ve released a four-song EP titled Enceladus, and on June 14 I’m releasing my first 8-song full-length album, Beneath the Cosmic Silence. On both releases I play guitars, bass, keys, and do vocals. Each release features different session musicians including Samus Paulicelli on drums (Decrepit Birth, Devin Townsend) and guest solos by Rafael Trujillo (Obscura) and Mark Hawkins (LVM Trio, Devolved). Even if it does take a bit of time between releases, I intend to continue writing new material and featuring talented musicians that I’m inspired by and lucky enough to work with.

2.In June you have a full length coming out, musically how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2015?

Beneath the Cosmic Silence differs from my first EP as it focuses more on composition and atmosphere rather than raw brutality and technicality. Now of course there’s plenty of technical and heavy parts in the full length, but I feel like each song has its own organic flow that tells a story. I would definitely say that the new release is a much more relaxed approach to Atlas Entity and my writing style. Beneath the Cosmic Silence also has lyrics designed around stories originating the western US, ghosts, and a general appreciation of nature, rather than the concept-based space themes of Enceladus.

3.This is your first release in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Life has been busy since then! Besides writing and recording music, I help run my family business and I also have a wonderful girlfriend and dog that I love spending time with and traveling with. Writing, recording, designing, and coordinating with companies and other musicians to create a full-length album takes an enormous amount of time, effort and money, especially when handling it on your own. At times it was hard to find the right balance between music, life, work, and everything else but in the end, it worked out and I ended up with a product that I’m truly proud of.

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

As I mentioned above, Beneath the Cosmic Silence has lyrics written about stories originating the western US, ghosts, and a general appreciation of nature. Over the past few years we have been traveling a lot and we’ve seen some amazing places out in the western United States that have really inspired me. I’ve always loved nature and I’m frequently out hiking in local state parks and wildlife preserves, but the towering mountains and plummeting gorges of the natural landscape out there provide such an amazing contrast to the swampy, humid, and relatively flat scenery that Florida provides.

5.On your previous ep you had explored space themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

I’ve always been interested in astronomy and in turn, science fiction. Anything from sci-fi books, comics, terrible B sci-fi movies, I’m all about it. I’m also a firm believer that we’re not alone in the universe – it is wayyy too large for us to be all alone here. I’d say that’s where most of the inspiration for Enceladus came from. Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, has an icy surface that’s about 20 miles thick. Due to its elliptical orbit around Saturn, the gravitational pull squeezes and flexes the moon enough that it can melt some of the ice underneath the surface. This means that there could be a giant sub-surface ocean that has existed there for millions, if not billions of years. If there’s liquid water, I’d bet that there’s some sort of life there.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Atlas Entity'?

So the Atlas Entity is a planet-devouring cosmic being which is first introduced in the Enceladus EP. Enceladus is the first entry of a 3-part concept series about a group of space explorers that land a manned mission on Saturn’s moon Enceladus and (unfortunately) find sentient life below the frozen surface. The first EP scratches the surface of the story and the next two EPs will continue the saga. On the shirts available in our merch shop you can see an awesome depiction of the Atlas Entity.

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

The cover artwork is a photo I took in Grand Canyon National Park – what an experience that was. On the drive in, we’re going through a hot, arid, Arizona desert. Once we get into the park and start gaining elevation, it became colder and colder until we started seeing patches of white on the ground. Soon enough the temperature drops below 30*F and it starts snowing HARD. I couldn’t really feel my hands or my face at this point, but I managed to get a couple good pics before we had to leave. The album cover on Beneath the Cosmic Silence is one of them.

8.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind adding in other members?

The band still is a solo project. I write the majority of the material and then I’ll often work with session musicians to help fill in the gaps for drums and guest solos. I can play drums, but I don’t have the facilities to record at the quality I want, nor do I possess the skill that someone like Samus does.

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

I’ve received some interest from a few smaller labels, but no offers or anything that would meet the needs of Atlas Entity. I wouldn’t say that I’m actively looking for a label, but I’d be glad to entertain any offers that could lend success to the project.

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

So far, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive – especially from overseas fans. Atlas Entity is based in the US, so it’s very interesting to me that the majority of purchases and pre-orders come from other countries like the UK, Canada, Russia, Germany, and Portugal. I absolutely love being able to send the music I make to people all over the world.

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

The writing continues – as it always will! I think next up I’m going to finish up a single or maybe another EP along the same lines as the first EP. I have a couple of new ideas that I’m piecing together but I’m also looking to continue the Enceladus story.

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?

Enceladus was heavily inspired by bands like Between the Buried and Me, The Helix Nebula, Ne Obliviscaris, Arsis, and more. During the writing process of Beneath the Cosmic Silence, I was listening to a lot of black metal/folk metal – especially bands like Falls of Rauros, Agalloch, and Celephaïs. If you haven’t heard Monad by Celephaïs, do yourself a favor and give that a listen through. More recently I’ve been listening to these awesome bands and albums on heavy rotation: Wide Eyes – Paradoxica, The Omnific – The Mind’s Eye, Obscura – Diluvium, Andy James – Arrival, Devin Townsend – Empath, and (wild card, also not new) Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime.

13.What are some of your non-musical interests?

Some of my non-musical interests include (in no particular order): hiking, travel, drawing/painting, photography, video games, doing cool stuff with my girlfriend, playing with my dog, and recently I’ve become really interested in house plants, ha.

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

I’d just like to say thanks again for having me and thanks to everyone who’s purchased or listened to Atlas Entity. Atlas Entity is my labor of love and I while it may take a bit of time between releases, I intend to keep writing and putting new music out there. Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

www.atlasentity.com

atlasentity.bandcamp.com

STREAM Beneath the Cosmic Silence:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gntj_1KyYJY&t=5s

Relinquished/Addictivities (Part I.)/NRT Records/2019 Full Length Review

 Relinquished  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Addictivities  (Part  I.)"  which  was  released  by  NRT  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling  along  with  a  brief  use  of  whispered  vocals.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  emtal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Clean  playing  is  also  utilized  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental  which  also  introduces  synths  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  drug  addict  protagonist  named  Daniel  and  his  struggles  with  addiction.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Relinquished  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Expectations"  "Damaged  For  Good"  and  "Void  Of  My  Ashen  Soul".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVSnl-f96RI&feature=youtu.be

  

Sigil/Demonstration MMXIX/Funeral Trance/2019 Demo Review

  Sigil  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  demo  "Demonstration  MMXIX"  which  will  be  released  on  July  15th  by  Funeral  Trance.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  hardcore  and  sludge  style  as w ell  as  adding  in  a  few  growls  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  guitar  leads  have  more  of  a  dissonant  approach  to  them.

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

  In  my  opinion  Sigil  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  death  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "EEldritch".  8  out  of  10.

http://sigilcalgary.bandcamp.com/album/demonstration-mmxix 

    

Alkhimya/Emergrence/Sleaszy Rider Records/2019 CD Review

  Alkhimya  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Emergence"  which  was  released  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  atmospheric  style  and  the  vocals  are  in  between  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Female  vocals  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  keyboards  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  on  later  songs  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental is  added  onto  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alkhimya  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  atmospheric  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  "Odysse"  "Fallen"  "Dark  Messiah"  and  "New  Era".  8  out  of  10.   

Bandcamp

Facebook

Official website

Needless Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Needless are from Hungary, we play death metal, with a melodic mixture of thrash and black elements. If you like ferocious vocals, ghostly screams and technical riffs along with energetic pace, Needless is for you.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo and ep?
Perhaps we did more experiments with our melodic side. We tried out some ideas which related to genres like melodic or even progressive death metal. We tried to create a strong atmosphere and mood on our new record along with the usual ferocious and aggressive patterns which are our "brand".

3.The band has been around since 2004 but so far have only put out 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the 4 to 6 year gaps in between releases?
In the first ten years Needless was only a home project, did by friend, for our own pleasure. We did not take the whole band seriously until 2014. From that point Needless started to evolve as an active underground formation here in Hungary. We started to do more serious gigs alongside with Nervosa, or Nuclear, and we came up with our first EP called The Dark Spirit of Ages. After it's release the band had several personal swaps, but we manage to outlive that difficult time. The friendship lasted through all these years, and an incredibly talented guitarist joined us. His name is Botond Fogl, and he also was an old friend of the band. So we can tell that Needless is like a huge family right now.

4.The lyrics on the new album cover different myths, philosophies and religions, can you tell us which mythologies, philosophies ore religious views you explore with your music?
I, as a songwriter have different inspirations regarding the lyrical side of Needless. What is important for me the most is the visions and symbolism. I use stories, myths, and legends as symbols to hide a more profane, moral message to the listeners. I use biblical themes (Babel) alongside with characters and gods from african, mesopotamian, and european ancient folklore, and tales. Or sometimes I have thoughts about criticism of religion and other deceptive and harmful human abstract constructions for example religious wars, or inquisition. The lyrics of Sky Burial stands out a little from Heresy. That song tells a tale about transmigration, and would like to capture a man's hopes about a better afterlife (or not).

 5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Needless'?
Needless is a symbol for all of those things and persons who are neglected, unnecessary, expendable, worthless. These are all the lives which are and was victims of human history. The band tells their sad, and nihilistic story and sing about their legacy.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
It was made by a german artist Maximiliam Wagner. He is mostly into black metal. We saw his works in a page regarding And Justice for Art and were completely blown away. The image visually fulfills our music completely. It is infernal, mystical, and otherworldly. Something you can dwell deep into.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our best show so far was before Dew-Scented and Flotsam and Jetsam. It was an awesome show we did 3 years ago. On the stage we try to be as heavy as possible, and we feel honesty as a very important factor in our career, and we try to communicate this on stage as well.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We will hit several stages in Hungary from the beginning of this autumn. We are trying to get contacts from abroad as well, especially from the neighbor countries.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We received a few interests from labels, from smaller ones up to some serious offers. However due to mostly financial reasons, we weren't in a status to accept any of them.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of death, black and thrash metal?
In a nutshell we have positive feedback from all around the world. We got feedbacks and appraisals from countries like Indonesia, USA, Taiwan ect. This is the most surreal and awesome thing what the band experienced so far. We are very happy about Heresy right now.

 11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Right now we cannot wait to hit the road for a smaller tour, and we are collecting the thoughts and ideas for our new record already. Musically? It is hard to tell yet. We would like to go deeper into that cave we mined with Heresy. Perhaps trying out more progressive and epic stuff on our next record, but time will tell.

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?
We have influenced a lot from the extreme metal music of the nineties. Mostly death and thrash metal. We love the millennial era also: the progressive and melodic works from the 2000's. Right now we listen to all kinds of music. And it's always changing from time to time. For example right now I can't stop listening to Deceased... and Vektor, our guitarists however are both into Queen, and who knows what kind of music comes next.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
We all love video games and cold beer.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Go and listen to our latest work Heresy, we hope you'll all enjoy it, and we also hope to meet you folks live. And at last but not least we would like to thank you all your support with this interview. Cheers from Hungary!

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Stozhar/Holodom Bitv V Obyatya Zimy/Stygian Crypt Productions/2019 CD Review

  Stozhar  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2019  album  "Holodom  Bitv  V  Obyatya  Zimy"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  a  brief  use  of  battle  sounds.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  death  metal  style  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  influences.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  female  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  fast  tremolo  picking  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavic  Paganism,  Patriotism  and  Battle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Stozhar  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Yarost"  "Nochi  Horovod"  and  "Pamyat".  8  out  of  10.

http://stozhar-band.ml/   

Needless/Heresy/2019 Full Length Review

  Needless  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Heresy".

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  that  also  introduce  elements  of  black  metal  onto the  recording.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts. 

  At  times  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  as  well  as  having  some  more  modern  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  capture  the  semi  melodic  side  of  thrash.

 As  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  closing  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  different  myths,  philosophies  and  religious  beliefs,  to  show  the  marrow  of  humanity's  true  nature  and  it's  place  in  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Needless  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Babel's  Fall"  "Marked  By  A  Black  Sigil"  and  "Sky  Burial".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/OD2tytLdNfY

https://needlessofficial.bandcamp.com/

Vereor Nox/Self Titled/Earth And Sky Productions/2019 CD Review

  Vereor  Nox  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  played  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  album  which  was  released  by  Earth  And  Sky  Productions.

  Dark  sounding  keyboards start  off  the  album  along  with  some  narrative  style  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  a  more  symphonic  style  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  while  the  guitar  riffing  and  keyboards  is  more  in  the  black  metal  vein.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  grim  screams  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  psychology  and  Dark  Souls  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vereor  Nox  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  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  "My  Dear  Sister"  "The  Silence  In  The  Cathedral"  and  "Your  Grave".  8  out  of  10.

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Baradj/Hunnar/2019 Full Length Review

  Baradj  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  an  experimental  form  of  post  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Hunnar".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  vocals  which  also  use  screams  at  times  that  also  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  a  few  seconds  later  as  well as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  folk  instruments  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.

  Clear  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  progressive  feeling.  Elements  of  post  rock  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental  along  with  some  songs  also  showing  influences  of  shoegaze  and  ambient  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals,  one  track  also  introduces  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  and  cover  Tengrism,  Bulgarian  Folklore,  the  history  of  centuries-long  wars  and  the  reign  of  great  leaders  who  had  an  immense  influence  on  the  whole  world.

  In  my  opinion  Baradj  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hunnar"  "Attila"  "Tengri"  and  "Khiyal -  Boiek  Bolgar".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: baradj.bandcamp.com
Instagram: instagram.com/baradj
Youtube: youtube.com/c/Baradj
Facebook: facebook.com/baradjband/
VK: vk.com/baradj
Telegram: t.me/baradj_telegram       

Allone/Allone.../Aesthetic Death/2019 CD Review

  Allone  are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  avant  garde  black,  dark  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Allone..."  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.


  Wood  burning  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  slow,  melodic  and  heavy  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  elements  of  dark  and  doom  metal  onto  the  recording.  Synths  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  all  of  the  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  clean  vocals  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental,  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  isolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Allone  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  avant  garde  black,  dark  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Challenge  To  The  Dark"  and  "Ruins".  8  out  of  10.

https://allone2018.bandcamp.com/releases

Seraph In Travail Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
-We're just three guys trying to write the most powerful songs that we can. There's nothing special about us individually, so we try to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
- Lest They Feed Upon Your Soul is really just a maturation of the sound we've been building for years now. More speed, more tech, more atmosphere, more melody.

3.This is your first album since 2015 can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?
-Most of this album was written and recorded before the end of 2017. I couldn't finish the lyrics to most of the songs even after the music was recorded. Nothing seemed good enough. The rest of the guys jumped in to help me and we finished it. Part of the time we were just obsessing over the mix and master which we did ourselves. We learned a lot in the process and have committed ourselves to releasing something every year from here on out.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?
-The main themes: death, dying, the inevitability of death, and of course, being dead. I've found that to think often and well of death builds a firm and lovely frame in which to view the life held therein.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Seraph In Travail'?
-In highschool my buddy Wes played guitar with me; at a practice he said I sounded like an angel giving birth. The phrase struck a chord with me. Later it went through a thesaurus and came out as Seraph In Travail; it's now more of a mascot name than anything.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
-Ollie Gill is a tattoo artist/composer/guitarist from Ireland. His band is called The Blessing Way. I've been following his art and music online for awhile, and I realized he would probably be able to hear the music and represent it visually. I was right. All I told him is I wanted to see a warrior with his back toward the viewer, facing down a massive evil force.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
-Our best shows have been since Mike Shaw took over on drums in 2016. He's a dyed-in-the-wool death metal drummer who leaves nothing to chance. We've really only ever played locally, but our best shows were at the Whiskey Tango and the Trocadero in Philadelphia, both of which are closed now RIP. We try to use movement and facial expression make the show a convicted communication of the music rather than a recitation.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
-We will continue to play locally for now; further out, if the album is decently well-received, we'll look at options to do our first tour as a buy-on situation rather than book it ourselves.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
-There was some marginal interest from a few newer labels after our first album, nothing since this last album. We're not really out shopping either. If somebody wants to come in and can help us do specific, objective things that we cant do for ourselves we'll consider it, otherwise we'll just keep making music at our pace.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and symphonic metal?
-Hard to gauge from where I stand. Seems like a few diehards are really into it just from what I can see on the comments. It seems like the video for Temptress has alot of views. I'm looking forward to getting some critical reviews.

11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
- Dan is working on a solo project which is mainly finalizing unfinished material from his last band. He's considered doing it as a Seraph album. Mike has done fill-in tours with Grave Gnosis and session drums with Nakhiel, hes also studying for a degree in music so he's playing all the time. I filled in with Malphas for a few months until they got a full time bassist.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? -Were working on two things now, one is probably going to be an EP full of covers of classical music in tech death style: Bach, Vivaldi, etc. The other is a concept album on which we're trying to create a more soundtrack feel and sharpen our rhythmic edge.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? Obviously classical music is a big player for us. My greatest phobia is plagiarism, so if I hear a great song I try not to listen to it often. That said, I've recently listened to Abiotic, the Kennedy Veil, Angelseed, Since The Fire, and Erciyes Fragment (!) ...do yourself a favor.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
-Science and math. I used to love sci-fi, but the -fi part just got boring. So I'm back in school. Every day is like the one good part in a movie where they explain the hypothetical ideas or drop words you want to look up.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-We appreciate the opportunity to do these questions. To the reader, thanks for giving our music a chance. If it means something to you please give it to someone else.

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Tovarish/If The War Comes Tomorrow/Argonauta Records/2019 CD Review

Tovarish  are  a  band  from  Providence,  Rhode  Island  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  noise,  drone,  dark  ambient, black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "If  the  War  Comes  Tomorrow"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Argonauta  Records.



  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  A  touch  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  screams  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.



  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  harsh  noises  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.  Spoken  word  samples  are  also  brought  onto  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of field  recordings,  female  vocals  and  demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard,  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Soviet  era  Communism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tovarish  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  noise,  drone,  dark  ambient, black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "They  Know"  "Silver  And  Lead"  From  Trench  To  Triumph"  and  "If  The  War  COmes  Tomorrow".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Tovarishband

https://tovarish.bandcamp.com

Seraph In Travail/Lest They Feed Upon Your Soul/2019 Full Length Review

  Seraph  In  Travail  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Lest  They  Feed  Upon  Your  Soul".

  Choirs  and  symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  elements  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  female  vocals  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Seraph  In  Travail  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "At  The  Stormed  Shore  Of  Heaven"  "In  Frostbitten  Moonlight"  and  "The  Tide  I  Could  Not  Turn".  8  out  of  10.

https://seraphintravail.bandcamp.com/album/lest-they-feed-upon-your-soul

  

Anticosm/The Call Of The Void/Hell Kill Destroy Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Anticosm  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  traditional  metal  and  thrash'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Call  Of  The  Void"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Hell  Kill  Destroy  Records.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  The  solos  and  leads  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of   the  music  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  thrash ,  traditional  metal  and  rock  music.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  track  also  introduces  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  death  emtal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  On  this  recording  Anticosm  takes  the  black  emtal  side  of  their  music  into  more  of  a  melodic  direction  while  also  keeping  elements  of  thrash,  traditional  metal  and  rock  music  that  where  present  on  their  previous  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Anticosm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  thrash,  heavy  metal  and  rock  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viral"  "Call  Of  the  Void"  "Behold  the  Venom  Crystals"  and  "Never  Enough".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/anticosmnj

anticosm.bandcamp.com

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Tenebra Arcana/Martiri dell 'odio/Vacula Productions/2019 Full Length Review

  Tenebra  Arcana  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Martini  dell  'odio"  which  was  released  by  Vacula  Productions.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  evolving  into  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  The  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  the  keyboards  also  bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  darkness,  apocalypse,  gloom  and  melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tenebra  Arcana  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  "Martini  dell  'odio"  "Santa  Morte"  and  "Dolor  Aeternum".  8  out  of  10.

https://tenebraarcana.bandcamp.com/ 

 https://www.facebook.com/tenebra.arcana/

 https://www.instagram.com/tenebraarcana/