Thoreous/Black Crow King/The Grace Of Pettiness/badGod Music/2013 Split Review

   This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Thoreous  and  Black  Crow  King  called  "The  Grace  Of  Pettiness"  which  was  released  by  badGod  music  in  the  year  of  2013  and  we  will  start  of  the r eview  with  Germany's  Thoreous  which  mixes  drone,  doom,  experimental  and  noise  together.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow  to  mid  paced  beats,  while  the  sound  effects  and  synths  bring  elements  of  drone,  experimental  and  noise  to  their  side  of  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

 Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  doom  metal,  drone  and  noise  together  along  with  a  great  amount  of  heavy  distortion  behind  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  distorted  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  weird  vocals,  deep  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  which  brings  a  black  metal/noise  sound  to  the  recording,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Sadistic  and  Perverted  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Thoreous  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  doom  metal,  drone,  noise  and  experimental  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The Genital  Scalps  Of  The  SS  Impressing  Our  Prurient  Lollipop  Balding"  and  "Occult  Masturbation  Wets  The  Sceptre  Of  Darkness  Injected. R ECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Black  Crow  King  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  mixes  black  metal,  drone,  experimental,  doom  and  sludge  together.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  no  fast  playing  or  blast  beats  being  present on  their  side  of  the  recording,  while  the  synths  bring  elements  of  ambient,  drone  and  experimental  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has   a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  drone,  sludge  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  great  amount  of  heavy  distortion  behind  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  deep  and  high  pitched  blackened  death  metal  growls  and  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Crow  King  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Legacy  Of  Dust"  and  "The  Beast  Within". RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel t his  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  to  all  fans  of  black  metal,  drone,  doom,  sludge,  experimental  and  noise.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

The Unconscious Mind Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

1- We're a black/death metal band, or like many say, “blackened death metal”. We come from the South Shore of Montreal, and the band started officially in 2007. TUM is truly a band of old friends, we've all known each other for about 9 years. We started the band to have a good time and to provide a good time to other people. That goal remains, but with a more focused and professional approach.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

2- A maelstrom of black and death metal with a touch of symphony.

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

3- Our new album Where Philosophers Fall is essentially the concept of the free thinking philosopher who devotes his life to truth and knowledge for humanity but at the end of the line becomes unhappy, solitary and insane. Think of certain great ancient philosophers that ended up in mental asylums (Frederich Nietzsche). Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

4- The Unconscious Mind is the source of creation and of dementia. No one really knows how this mysterious part of the brain works. It's also a metaphor about the unconsciousness of humanity as desired by the media, commercial radio and modern society that tries to model our spirit right under our noses. We say that dreams are the language of the unconscious, which is one of the symbolic aspects of our songs. It happens often that I write a song during the night after waking up from a dream and I ask myself where these ideas come from that I did not have the night before. The unconscious is an inner power that we must harness.

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

5- We particularly loved our Montreal show at Le National with The Agonist. We were called upon the day before to replace a band, and it was a big gig on the Domination tour. There were 500 or 600 people there, we weren't on the flyer and more than half of the people had never heard of us. We still got an amazing crowd reaction and our singer even ordered a wall of death. Le National is probably the best venue we've played at.

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

6- We have 4 shows in Quebec in June: Montreal, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saint-Hyacinthe. We also intend to expand to the rest of Canada in cities like Toronto and Ottawa.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

7- We just signed with CDN Records for our physical copies and duplication.

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

8- Very well up to now, but I must say that we just recently started a PR campaign and our physical album is not even out, but I think reviews will start coming in soon thanks to Ricburn Media and CDN Records. We are really proud of the album and we've worked hard for many years to put out something of quality and we hope to get good feedback.

9. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

9- I (Simon Cléroux, guitars) also play in the technical death metal band Derelict. We have 2 albums out and are currently working on a third, as well as going through a competition to play on the Heavy MTL festival which will conclude at the end of May. I also have an instrumental solo project that should see the light of day in 2013 or 2014.

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

10- Our next album will be more collaborative and the writing will be done as a band and not just by one member like on Where Philosophers Fall where it was our keyboardist (Micheal Racine) and I. We want to keep pushing the emotional side for the next one and continue in a more positive direction. Perhaps less technical as well but with added effectiveness.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

11- Personally, I was very inspired by Old Mans Child for the technical and melancholic riffs, as well as by other black metal bands like Dimmu Borgir and Immortal. But I've also always liked the clean and efficient production of modern death metal bands like Decapitated and Meshuggah who probably inspire that modern side of our sound.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

12- Well, drinking beer and seeing people that we love, living it up and being happy. Although we all have jobs or are in school, music remains a constant priority in our lives.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

13- A huge thank you to all of you who support us in this adventure, thanks to you we can do this. We hope to see you at our official launch at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal!

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Forlorn Path Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Yuriy: The album only came out two months ago, so we're working on getting it out there. So far we've seen a lot of great responses and reviews, which is excellent. I'm already having ideas for future material now and then. But the album was a major endeavor that took a lot of energy, and we're taking some time to take care of things outside of the band right now.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?

Yuriy: Black/Doom? Blackened doom? That's how most people seem to describe it, and I'd agree with that. It's a dark album, depressing in a way, but hopeful at the same time. It's meant to be a kind of journey through different emotions, ranging from sadness to despair to hope. Most of the reviews have been pretty spot on in describing the sound, actually, except they do a much better job than I could.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?
Yuriy: Most of them deal with personal loss, grief - as well as the state of the world as a whole. So, as I said - pretty depressing. But I think there's beauty in that, too.

Dave: My biggest lyrical contribution was for "What Lies Beyond". I got the idea for it from an episode of "The Universe" that was talking about "The Death of the Universe" and the 'deep freeze' theory. The lyrics were heavily inspired by that show and theory.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band's name?
Yuriy: It has to do with many concepts...I don't want to get too into this, but one important part of it is the idea of being true to yourself.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Dave: We had a very....peculiar....stage presence with the configuration of our old lineup. Keyboards were in the middle along with the bass and they were flanked by the two guitars. That's definitely not something you see every day in metal!

Yuriy: For future performances, I'd like to make sure we create a proper atmosphere. Lighting, incense...it needs to all fit together to create an experience for the people at the show. I want it to be something special, especially since we don't get to play often these days.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?
Yuriy: I'd really like to, but right now our lives are so unstable that it would be difficult to organize. However, once things calm down a bit, if there's enough of a demand, it's definitely possible. Hell, even if there's only five people in an entire city that would come out to see us, it would still be worth it.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

Yuriy: Well, it would certainly be nice to be signed to something like Profound Lore or Peaceville, but whether we'll be fortunate enough for that to happen remains to be seen. I don't really think about that stuff too much - I just want to keep writing music, and hopefully some people somewhere are able to connect with it. That's all that matters.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of underground metal?
Dave: The bits and pieces that we've been hearing are very positive! It has been absolutely thrilling to hear positive feedback on the CD from so many different people and places.

Yuriy: Yeah, it's a great feeling waking up and seeing that someone over in Germany or Poland or Italy had really enjoyed the album. It's really rewarding to be able to connect with people from all over the world through our music.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
Yuriy: It took us quite a bit of time to find our sound, but I think Man's Last Portrait is a good example of where the band is going, musically. To be honest, I like it far more than our demos, and it also draws more on the influences closest to my heart; the ones I always end up coming back to. Of course, the next release won't be exactly the same - I'd like to incorporate new elements and give people something really unique. But it will still be dark, and likely quite melodic. One thing I can say for sure is I'd like to devote ample time to the songwriting process, and record in an environment that will really get us the perfect sound for the music. It may take quite a bit of time, but I guarantee it will be worth the wait.

10. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
Dave: We're pretty busy in our lives outside of Forlorn Path; I am working on becoming a history teacher and Yuriy is working on a computer science degree, and we both have jobs outside of school as well, so we're always doing stuff!

Yuriy: That sums it up. Absolutely no time for other projects right now. I barely even have time to make it out to a local show anymore. I'm just looking forward to being done with this degree so that I can have time to devote to music again.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Dave: I grew up on New Wave of British Heavy Metal and honestly didn't really get into black/doom metal until I met Yuriy in college. I'll listen to choral music one day and punk rock the next; I'm one of those people. My most recent obsession was dubstep, but I think I'm finally getting out of that phase now...

Yuriy: A lot of people have been noticing influences like Agalloch and Swallow the Sun in our music, and that's definitely accurate. I've been listening to them for many years. A few other doom metal bands - I've been listening to Woods of Ypres quite a bit lately. A lot of quiet stuff, too - Tenhi, Ulver, various classical/new age pianists and such.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Dave: I'm really into politics/current events, follow science news pretty closely, love video games and doing stuff outside.

Yuriy: Hiking, reading, and red wine. Mostly low key stuff. I play videogames on the rare occasion something I would enjoy comes out. The Witcher was great.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Live long and prosper.

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Burial Vault/Incedium/Apostasy Records/2013 CD Review

  Burial Vault  are  a  band  from  that  plays  a   mixture  of  brutal  death  and  melodic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Incedium"  which  was  released  by  Apostasy  Records.

  Drums  range  from s low,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  that  give  the  music  a  black  metal  feeling,  while  the  synths  which  are  only  briefly  give  the  music  a  dark  and  atmospheric  sound,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very   strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  and  progressive  sounding  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  technical  and  brutal  death  metal  with  melodic  black  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are very  technical  and  melodic  sounding  death/black  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  add  some  progressive  moments  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls  to  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  clean  singing  and  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  are  divided  into  4  different  parts  and  cover  the  metamorphosis  of  a  human  in  an  inconvenient  future,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Burial  Vault  are  a  very  great  sounding  of  death  and  melodic death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Blind  Follower  And  A  Watchful  Hound"  "Fatal  Accident"  "Moment  Of  Truth"  and  "Catharsis".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Gukurahundi Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

LN- Basically we are an underground band that wants to bring a fresh new take on blackened death metal. We explore the ethereal and horrors of the world and just enjoy writing and producing songs. Right now we are just a studio project and try to experiment with different sounds and aspects of the music we enjoy playing.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

LN- We use a lot of black metal key structures and use the whole ambience feel of the genre, but we do it in a melodic way and definitely utilize groove death metal into our songs as well. At times the music can get that thrashy black metal vibe and we even throw in some blues and rock elements. I try not to limit myself in what music will come out and basically the band is always experimenting in sound, trying to evolve and progress.

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

LN- I usually come up with a title that represents the feeling or mood of the music and Pete will approach it with his own style and view on the songs. I hope to incorporate more African themes to the songs in the future but it all depends on the the music itself.

PC- Usually Lawrence will give me the name of the song along with the track so from the get go so I will have a rough understanding of what he's feeling in the music and how to approach the lyrics. For this band I mainly try to write lyrics that straddle the line between fantasy and reality. I attempt to visualize the scenario presented in the music and capture what I see down to the most grotesque detail. 

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

LN- Its the name given to a genocide which happened In Zimbabwe during the 80s. It portrays the ruthlessness of Africa and the aftermath of colonialism. The bands name is very personal to me as I grew up in Zimbabwe and have been witness to some pretty horrendous acts.

5. Currently the band members are in 2 different states, how do you organize the recording process?

LN- (Laughs) Yeah at times it can be a little difficult but we manage. Of course we would both rather be living in the same state a tleast but other commitments in our lives have made it tough. So far things have been rather smooth and everything has worked out. Maybe in the future as the band grows we could work in person and with other musicians.

PC- You would think communication would be difficult, especially with the 3 hour time difference but we are pretty good about working things out and being patient. For example, the song 'Dethroned' was probably our best test of team work, the song went through at least 3 different evolutions before both sides were completely happy.. in the end I think the results have been pretty amazing. 

6. The new release came out of Manicidic Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so

LN- Right now the band is in its early stages of development and being with a large label wouldn't really be the best thing. Manicidic is perfect for where we are right now and Pete has done well in promoting and organizing releases for the band.

PC- I've owned and operated the label since its inception in 2005. 'An Apparition In Nocturnal Splendor' is the 30th release to date. Being a part-time label run by only myself, signing and committing to more than 2 or 3 projects at a time is difficult both financially and emotionally. I like to think that a small roster comprised of friends and personal projects can never fail. 

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been so  far by fans of melodic black and death metal?

LN- Better than what i thought actually. We have received alot of positive remarks from the material that we have released so far and the support has been much appreciated by both Pete and I. We dont know what the future holds but right now it does like promising

PC- So far so good! Of the reviews, comments and blurbs I've read so far every one of them has been positive. I'm astounded how many downloads our links have generated in just about 2 weeks of being live. Hopefully more will follow. 

8. Are there any other musical projects besides this band?

LN- Well right now I have alot of other commitments in my life and its even difficult to find time for Gukurahundi but as things slow down I want to focus on the band more. I do have another project I am working on but things are still in the early stages of development.

PC- I'm forever staying busy with music. I'm currently finishing up an EP to be released this summer with a grindcore band named Danny Tanner, also currently recording an EP with an OSDM/thrash band named Psionics to be released in the Fall as well as recording a demo with an international technical death metal band named Arcain. 

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

LN- Once the release of the EP is done we will begin writing for the full length. We already have a couple of songs done and the direction is more ambient in a way. Right now the band could be taken in any direction and we will just have to see what happens musically. I do, however, know that the next album will be more progressive and a lot darker.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

LN- I basically listen to anything really. It all depends on if I feel a connection to the music. My major influences are Decapitated, Arch Enemy, Cult of Luna, Naglfar, Akercocke, Behemoth and Opeth because that is the stuff I grew up on but I do like to incorporate more obscure music into my style. Lately I have been jamming out to Goatwhore, Abigail Williams, and The Atlas Moth. I recently became a fan of Ghost, I think they bring something unique and fresh to the world of metal.

PC- I'm a huge music nerd, I have a collection of almost 4000 cds. I was raised on NJ hardcore and old school death metal. Recently, I've been stuck on obscure death metal albums and demos from 1989-1994 (Autopsy, Asphyx, Depravity, etc) and 90's black metal (Ulver, Dark Funeral, Abazagorath, etc). I love the resurgence of OSDM happening recently, bands like Horrendous, Vorum, Disma and Krypts have released some very punishing material as of late.  

11. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

LN- I think that they do. I am not religious but I connect to the darkness and mysticism of this world. To me its all about the energy we feel and how we interact with it. There is alot of torment and despair in the world of late and black metal is the perfect channel for its release. I am not trying to invoke or praise anything in my music, only trying to create a musical representation of my thoughts and feelings.

PC- Occultism is honestly a big part in most of the music and bands I've been apart of. Not necessarily from any kind of religious stand point but more so in the general themes, beliefs and the thought provoking in which they cause. I like to think that there is so much in which we have yet to understand, thoughts like that drive me study and write about what they could be. 

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

LN- Family and Music are basically my main interests. If i get spare time I enjoy hiking and just being out in the natural world. The geeky side of me is into physics and spiritualism. Nothing too exciting really (laughs)

PC- Beer, Wine and Spirits. I'm a certified WSET and Cicerone. Booze pays my bills hahaha. 

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

LN- Would like to thank everyone for the amazing support for the EP release. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it \m/

PC- I hope your readers like the EP, thanks for doing this.

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Mayak Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are a 4 piece hailing from Bielefeld/Germany founded in spring 2012. Jonas (Bass), André (Drums) and me (Mark/Vocals) already knew each other from a project we’ve had before. That project found its end after 2 or 3 months of sludgy rock’n’roll but some time later there was this new band called Mayak with Philipp playing guitars and Jonas having moved to bass – but they didn’t have a shouter, so they asked me to fill that spot. It’s my first shouting experience, I used to play bass and guitar in other bands before. After some time it worked pretty well so, yeah, here we are!

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

That’s a hard one. Everyone of us has many different preferences. Philipp is more that grunge/stoner guy, André and Jonas did more crust stuff in the past and I’m the metalhead somehow, haha. So I think our music is a mixture of mainly metal and hardcore but with many influences like stoner rock, sludge, punk and so on. We mix black metal blastbeats with offbeats and switch from stonerriffage to punkish singalong parts. Just listen to it, I’m not that good in analyzing music (is there a need for that anyway?). Our sound is very raw and loud.

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

Most of the lyrics are reflecting my view on different things like politics, lifestyles, the fucked up world we live in, life in general… but we even have lyrics about meth smoking swamp monsters trying to kill your family. We all think it’s very important to be not too serious. Sometimes. At least.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Originally Mayak is a Russian nuclear facility complex that’s part of the Russian nuclear weapon program but it’s also the Russian word for light tower. As you might suggest, nothing of that has a meaning for us. We just like that name. It sounds cool, and its order of letters is pretty nice for a logo, haha.

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

 Playing live is the reason we do this. All of us played in other bands before or still are members of other bands (Ruins, Hyena, Samara, Playbot, to mention a few) so it’s not a new thing to us. I think our liveshows are pretty energetic and headbangable. We try to carry that energy to the people that visit our concerts. Until now, we shared stages with more like locally known bands but this thursday we’re going to support Victor Griffins (Pentagram) new band In Graved. It’s an honour for us sharing stage with such a doom/stoner legend like him!

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

Touring for a longer time is not possible these days because most of us are hard working people. But we’re planning a larger tour this autumn and until then, the weekend trips are working pretty well for us. We’re playing anywhere for food, booze and a place to sleep. It’s all about the good times for us.

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so, what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

The first EP was a DIY-release, available on CD, tape and digital on our homepage. We hope to record our first full length release this winter. We haven’t done that many considerations about a label until now, but if you read this and you have one, just contact us! Personally a large part of bands I love are on Deathwish, Southern Lord and Relapse but I think this is wishful thinking. Yet.

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

Feedback after seeing us live or listening to our EP has always been positive. People from places we’ve never been send us messages telling they really dig our music or buy our tapes and shirts. These might be the pros of social media nowadays. We’re deeply grateful for everyone checking out our stuff.

9. Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

Jonas is swinging the axe in a crustcore band called Ruins (check them out, pretty dark stuff) but like I said before, most of us have full time jobs or study, so it’s a little bit too early to speak of a full time project. Of course we would like to be something like that someday!

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

The more recent songs are more thrashy than our first EP.  There’s more doublebass drumming, faster guitars and more blastbeats. But there still are some more positive vibes like in songs like “Another Day Will Rise” and “Cut The Ropes”.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Like I said before, we all have slightly different musical preferences and backgrounds but we all like stuff like Kvelertak, Kyuss, Doomriders, Deadbird, Overthrow, Entombed and Thou just to mention a few more famous names.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Nothing worth mentioning (sports, etc) – most of our interests are music related. Making music, listening to music, going to shows… Jonas is also hosting shows in our hometown.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Yeah, thanks to the visitors for reading this and checking us out onfacebook.com/iheartmayak or mayakband.de. You can download our first EP for free! Thanks to you for the interview and for supporting us!!!

Mayak/Demo 2012/2012 Review

  Mayak  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  doom,  stoner,  hardcore  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  demo.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  hardcore,  stoner  and  sludge  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  which  are  only  used  briefly  are  very  old  school  sounding  hardcore  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  they  are  only  used  on  the  last  song  and  they  use  finger  picking,  full  chords  and  guitar  slides  to  add  more  variety  to  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blues  rock  sounding harmonicas.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  deep  death  metal  growls  and  hardcore  style  shouting,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  the  last  song  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Mayak  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  black  metal,  hardcore, s toner  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cut  The  Ropes"  and  "Dead  Man  Telling  Tales".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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