Relinquished/Onward Anguishes/Noisehead Records/2012 CD Review

  Relinquished  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form of  black/death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Onward  Anguished"  which  was  released  by  Noisehead  Records.

  "Authority"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums  and  after  a  few  seconds  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  come  into  the  song  while  also  keeping  around  the  guitar  leads  and  then  the  bass  guitars  come  in  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  sections  before  getting  heavy  again  and  adding  in some clean male  and  female  singing  as  well  as  switching  back  and  forth  between  clean  and  heavy  parts.  

  "Loss  Delusion"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars,  drums  and  growls  as  well  as  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  then a  few  seconds  later  bass  guitars  and  clean  male  singing  start  making  their  way  into  the  song  before  getting  alot  heavier  which  also  leads  to the  song  switching  back  and  forth  between acoustic  and  electric  guitars  as  well  as  adding  in  some  guitar  leads  in  certain  sections  of  the song  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  male  and  female  vocals  and  towards  the  end  of  the  song  the  vocals  start  utilizing  some  black  metal  elements.

  "Logical  Step'  begins  with  some  heavy  progressive  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  and  deep  growls  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  make  their way  into the  song  and  as  time  goes  on  by  there  is  a  brie f use  of  clean singing  being utilized  as  well  as  some classical guitars  before  getting heavy  again.

  "To Whom  I  Can  Relate"  begins  with  a  heavy  guitar  riff  before  going  into acoustic  and  bass  guitars  as  well  as  some  clean  singing  and  a  few  seconds  later  whispers  are  added  into  the  song  before  the  music  gets  heavy  again  and  adds  in some  drums,  screams  and  growls  while  also  keeping  around  the  melodic  vocals  and  switching  back and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts.which  also  leads  to some  guitar  solos  and  leads  coming  in and  out  of  the  song.

  "No  Virtue  Unatoned"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  bass  and  drums  and  then t he  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  some  growls  along  with  some  clean  singing  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  prog  metal  elements  are  brought  into  the  song  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.    

  "Surrender  And  Distance"  begins  with  some  technical,  melodic  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  growls  and  after  a  couple  of  minute  acoustic  guitars  are  brought  into the  song that  also  bring  in  some  progressive  elements    along  with  some  whispers  and  then  the  song  returns  to  its  heavier  riffs  but  also  bring  in some  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  before  making  switches  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts.

  "Another  Lightsource  Going  Out"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  both  full  chords  and  finger  picking  and  a  minute  later  the  song  adds  in some  flutes  along  with  some  programmed  beats  later  on  on  then  the  song  starts  adding  in  some  heavy  guitar  riffs.

  "A  World  Of  Constant  Suffer"  begins  with  some  heavy,  melodic  and  progressive  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  bass  and  drums  before  adding  in  some  clean  parts  which  then  leads  to  the  music  getting  alot  heavier  and  adding in  some  growls  while  also  remaining  melodic  all  at  the  same  time  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  while  also  adding  in  some  whispers  and   guitar  leads  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  the  vocals  also  utilize  some  black  metal  elements.

  "Beyond  Anguishes"  begins  with  some  slow  and  heavy  doom  metal  style  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  deep growls  which  also  leads  to  some  melodic  riffing  and  black  metal  style  vocals  and  then it  goes  into  a  softer  direction  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars,  whispers  and  clean  singing  which  also  leads  to  some  guitar  leads  coming  in and  out  of  the  song  before   getting  heavy  again  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  will  as  bringing  in  some  female  vocals.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  dark,  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  Relinquished  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic and  progressive  black/death metal band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Authority"  "To Whom  I  Can  Relate"  and  "A  World  Of  Constant  Suffer".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Grai/Warmrot The Bitter Grass/Vic Records/2013 CD Re-Issue Review

  Grai  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being pagan/folk  metal  with  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2009  album  "Warmrot  The  Bitter  Grass"  which  was  re-issued  by  Vic  Records  in the  year  of  2013.

  "Meet  the  Summer,  Red"  begins  with  some  folk  music  instruments  which  then  lead  to  some  melodic , guitar  leads,  bass  guitars  and  drums  along with  some  melodic  clean  singing  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  heavy  rhythm  guitar  riffs  and  then  the  vocals  start  adding  in  some  black  metal  screams  and  growls  but  also  keeping  around  the  more  melodic  parts  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  guitar  riffing starts  getting  more  diverse.

  "Winds"  begins  with  some  sound  effects,  synths  and  folk  instruments  which  then  leads  to  some  bass  guitars,  drums  and  spoken  word  parts  that  also  set  up  the  mood  for  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  as  well  as  bringing  in  some  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blackened  death  metal  growls  being  utilized.

  "I  Will  Go  Into  the  Field"  begins  with  some  folk  instruments,  bass  guitar  and  melodic  vocals  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  then  then  leads  to  some  drums  and  heavy  guitar riffs  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back and  forth  between  the  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  some  melodic  guitar  leads.

  "Song  Of  Grief  And  The  Feet"  begins with  some  synths  and  folk  instruments  which  then leads  to  some  melodic  guitar  leads,  bass  and  drums  as  well  as  some  melodic  vocals  and  then  getting  heavy  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  while  also  keeping  around  the  guitar  leads  and  female  vocals  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  melodic  male  clean  singing  vocals  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds  as  well as  some  black  metal  elements  getting  added  to  the  vocals  and  the  song  closes  in  a  cleaner  direction.

  "Drunkard  -  Hellbenders"  begins  with  some  spoken  word  parts,  folk  instruments,  bass,  drums  and  melodic  guitar  leads  and  then  the  music  starts  getting  heavier  while  also  keeping  around  the  folk  instruments  and  then  the melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  then  the  music  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts.

  "Memory  And  Woe"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  synths,  bass,  drums  and  deep  death  metal  growls  which  then  lead  to  the  folk  instruments  kicking  in  and  a  few  seconds  later  black  metal screams  become  a  part  of  the  song  which  leads  to some  melodic  male  and  vocals  making  their  presence  known  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  from  folk  and  metal.

  "Winter"  begins  with  some  folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  and  then  the  bass  guitars  and  drums  start  kicking  in  which  leads  to  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  melodic  female  vocals  kicking  in  and  then  the  music  starts  switching  back  and  forth  from t he  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads.    

  "A  Birch"  begins  with  some  bass  guitar  leads  and  synths  and  then  the  melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  which  leads  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  while  also keeping  around the female  vocals  and  switching back and  forth  between  the  folk  and  metal  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  some  melodic  guitar leads  and  solos.

  "Volga,  The  River  And  Leyl"  begins  with  some  folk  instruments  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  then t he  bass,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  as  time  goes  by  synths  start  making  their way  into  the  song  and  then  the  music  starts  making  switches  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized..

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavic  Paganism  and  History,  while  the  production  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  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grai  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan/folk  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Meet  the  Summer,  Red"  "I  Will  Go  Into  the  Field"  "Winter"  and  "Volga,  The  River  And  Leyl".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Eternium/Repelling A Solar Giant/Blast Head Records/2013 CD Review

  Eternium  are  a  band  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Repelling  A  Solar  Giant"  which  was  released  by  Blast  Head  Records.

  "Aura  Titan:  Obsidian  Dressed  His  Eyelids"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  before  going  into  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  which  then  lead  to  some  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  black  metal  vocals  and  then  the  music  slows  down  and  adds  in  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  keyboards  and  after  awhile  the  music  comes  down  for  a  bit  before  returning  with  some  fast  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  before  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  which  lead  to  the  song  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  mid  paced  direction  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  towards  the  end  the  music  gets  fast  again  and  adds  in  more  blast  beats  but  closes  with  some  acoustic  guitars.

  "Aura  Infernum:  The  Flight  Over  Massless  Soul"  begins  keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  which  then  lead  to  some  drums  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  then  the  black  metal  screams  start  kicking  in  before  going  back  to  a  cleaner  direction  and  during  that  time  deep  death  metal  growls  become  a  part  of  the  song  and  the  music  starts  getting  heavy  again  and  then t he  music  stops  the  vocals  get  more  evil  as  well  as  the  acoustic  guitars  making  their  return  which  also  leads  to  the  song  reverting  back  to  its  heavy  and  melodic  roots  and  adding  blast  beats  in  certain  sections  which  also  leads  to  the  song  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts.

  "Aura  Amethyst:  Her  Gaze  Cast  Obsidian  Death"  begins  with  with  fast  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  after  a  few  seconds  deep  death  metal  growls  and  shouting  becomes  a  part  of  the  song  and  a  minute  later  the  music  slows  down  a  bit  and  adds  in  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  but  returns  to  blast  beats  after  awhile  but  keeping  the  rest  of  the  music  slow  but  the  guitars  do  start  speeding  up  again  after  awhile.

  "Aura  Sentium:  Concord  Of  Ember  And  Zephyr"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  violins  which  lead  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls,  blast  beats  and  fast  guitar  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  while  also  adding  in  black  metal  vocals,  slow  parts  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  then  the  music  goes  into  sound  effects  which  lead  to  some  classical  music  style  keyboards  which  lead  to  the  music  getting  heavier  again  while  also  adding  in  more  melody  this  time  around  as  well  a s switching  back  and  forth  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  also  mixing  in  blast  beats  in  certain  sections  and  towards  the  end  it  returns  to  acoustic  guitars  for  a  few  seconds  and  then  returning  to  the  heavier  elements  which  also  close  the  song.

  "Aura  Rubicon:  Apotheosis  Of  Solar  Flares"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  keyboards  along  with  some  black  metal  vocals,  heavy,  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kicking  in  shortly  after  that  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  deep  death  metal  growls  are  added  to  the  song  and  then  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  while  also  adding  in  some  blast  beats  which  leads  to  the  music  going  into  a  slower  yet  heavy  direction  and  then  going  back  to  its  softer  roots  and  after  awhile  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  heavy  and  soft  parts  and  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  being  utilized  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  "Aura  Noir:  Repelling  A  Solar  Giant"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  whispers  and  then  bring  in  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  black  metal  vocals  as  well  as  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  then  going  into  a  faster  direction  and  adding  in  some  brutal  blast  beats  and  then  slowing  down  and  adding  in  some  keyboards  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  while  also  bringing  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  before  going  into  a  cleaner  direction  and  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars.

  Song  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  on  aura's,  and  pagan  dieties,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  even  though the  bass  guitars  are  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix,  in  addition  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Eternium  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aura  Amethyst:  Her  Gaze  Cast  Obsidian  Death"  and  "Aura  Rubicon:  Apotheosis  Of  Solar  Flares".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

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Black Crown Initiate/Song Of The Crippled Bull/PRC Music/2013 CD Review

  Black  Crown  Initiate  are  a  band  from  The United States  that  plays  a  very  heavy,  brutal  and  melodic  form  of  progressive  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Song  Of  The  Crippled  Bull"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  "Stench  Of  The  Iron  Age"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  utilizes  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  which  then  lead  to  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  drums  along  with  some  melodic  clean  singing  and  after  awhile  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  deep  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  along  with  some  black  metal  style  vocals,  melodic  and  progressive  guitar  riffs  which  also  lead  to  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  song  starts  mixing  in  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  the  melodic  vocals  into  the  heavier  parts  and  bringing  in  some  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Ghost  She  Sends"  starts  of  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffs,  leads  and  drums   and  after  awhile  the  riffing  starts  getting  alot  heavier  and  starts  adding  in  black/death  metal  vocals  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  song  goes  into  a  softer  direction  with  some  acoustic  guitars  which  bring  in  some  progressive  elements  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  then  returning  back  to  its  heavier  roots  and  mixing  in  some  melodic  clean  singing  and  bringing  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  which  only  appear  briefly.

  "The  Mountain  Top"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  brutal  death  metal  guitar  riffs,  blast  beats  and  deep  growls  and  then  goes  into  a  more  slow  and  melodic  direction  and  starts  adding  in  some  clean  singing  before  getting  brutal  again  and  then  switching  back  and  forth  from  melodic  and  brutal  parts  and  bringing  in  some  black  metal  style  screams  in  certain  sections.

  "Song  Of  The  Crippled  Bull"  begins  with  a  powerful  bass  guitar  lead  along  with  some  drums  kicking  in  a  few  seconds  later  which  lead  to  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs for  a  few  seconds  and  then  going  into  a  softer  direction  and  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars  which  lead  to  the  music  getting  heavy  again  and  bringing  in  some  clean  singing  and  a  melodic  guitar  lead  which  is  only  used  briefly.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  album  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Crown  Initiate  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy,  brutal,  melodic,  progressive  black/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stench  Of  The  Iron  Age"  and  "The  Mountain  Top".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/black-crown-initiate-song-of-the-crippled-bull-cd

Fausttophel/Thirst Of Oblivion/Metal Scrap Records/2013 CD Review

  Fausttophel  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Thirst  Of  Oblivion"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  "Feather_Hanjar"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  and  spoken  word  parts  and  serves  as  an  intro  for  the  album.

  "Looking  For  Lights"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  synths  which  lead  to  some  blackened  vocals  that  utilize  some  screams  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  slows  down  and  starts  adding  in  guitar  solos  and  leads  briefly  and  then  goes  into  a  softer  direction  along  with  some  experimental  synths  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  heavy  again  and  bringing  in  some  melodic  female  vocals.

  "Spell"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  leads  to  some  blast  beats  from  the  drums  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs,  synths  and  deep  death  metal  growls  which  also  start  utilizing  some  black  metal  elements  as  the  song  moves  on  as  well  as  bringing  more  blast  beats  and  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  briefly.

  "Part  Of  You"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  then  going  into  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  synths  and  after  awhile  the  song  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blackened  metal  growls  and  screams  and  then  slowing  down  and  adding  melody  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  guitar  solos  and  leads.before  returning  to  a  softer  direction  with  the  acoustic   guitars  briefly  and  going  back  to  being  heavy  again  as  well  as  bringing  back  some  leads  and  closing  in  a  softer  direction.

  "Thoughts"  which  is  a  Kollaps  cover  begins  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  a  minute  later  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  synths  make  their  presence  known    before  going  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats and  black  metal  screams  and  you  can  hear  some  melody  coming  out  of  the  guitar  riffs  which  leads  to  the  song  slowing  down  and  then  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "Thirst  Of  Oblivion"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitars  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums,   prog  keyboards  and  deep  death  metal  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  faster  and  the  vocals  start  utilizing  some  black  metal  influences  before  switching  back  and  forth  between  slow   and  fast  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  that  come  in  and  out  and  spoken  word  parts  before  going  back  to  the  acoustic  guitars  and  bringing  in  some  female  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  heavy  again  and  the  song  closes  with  an  opera  sound.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix  and  the  last  song  is  very long  and  epic  in  length

  In  my  opinion  Fausttophel  are  a  very  great  sounding hybrid  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Looking  For  Lights"  and  "Parts Of  You".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

VKontakte

Caladmor Interview

 answered by: Babs Brawand (vocals) & Maede Baumann (vocals/drums/synths)

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

Babs: These days are quite busy and exciting as well, as some days ago our second full-length album 'Of Stones and Stars' finally came out! We worked hard on it the past two years, so now we're of course quite curious about what the audience will say  - I hope theywill like it! :)

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

Babs: In typical Caladmor manner we just tried very different styles and genres on our album, so every song is in one way quite different from the other, but still you can hear Caladmor in every of them. That really was our aim: To do what we want to but without losing our typical trade mark. And in my opinion we succeeded. :)
Compared to 'Midwinter', our first full-length album, we worked even more with choirs in order to make the sound more epic. On 'Of Stones and Stars' you can also clearly hear the improvement of every musician of the band, especially of the female vocals.

Maede: The new Album is also harder and faster in some aspects, we have more agressive guitar riffings. But none the less, it's more epic!

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

Babs: I'd say the main topic of the album is enlightment and wisdom. To follow these subjects we wove a lot of different myths and legends in our songs, such as the greek tale of the odyssey ('Curse of the Gods') as well as the one of Promethee (Helios Sky); old northern european myths such as the story of Alvíss (who has to prove his wisdom to Thor) and about Yggdrasil (Mimirs Born) as well as Ragnarök/Doom's Day (Heralds of Doom). As the name is saying, 'Laudine's Lament' is telling the wailing of Hartmann von Aue's Laudine crying about her dead husband. In 'A Nymph's Lure' you'll find a cursed and lonely mermaid tearing a sailor down to the seabed; 'Taberna Trollis' is the safe place for travellers not being eaten by some hungry spirits of the forest :) While 'The Raid' is telling about a mercenary's dilemma, 'Dawn of the Deceiver' is in some way lirically different from all the others, as it deals with greed, egoists and too big manager salaries.

4. I know that the band started out as Pale, what was the decision behind the name change and also how do you feel the music has evolved since them?

Babs: Indeed the band started 2001 under the name Pale and compared to the sound of Caladmor today we were in the beginning more dedicated to our "Grungey side of life" and thus made some kind of 'Alternative Metal' much influenced by Nirvana, Hole, Pearl Jam and more great bands like that. During the years our sound grew heavier and darker and so more and more moved on to Metal. In 2008 when we decided to make our first album 'Midwinter' we also wanted to leave the past behind and have a new beginning with a first full-length album and a new name, expressing more what our sound is like - Caladmor means "dark light" and this is exactly the paradox that can be found in our music.

Maede: "Caladmor" is Sindarin language from Tolkiens Lord of the Rings by the way.. :)

5. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Caladmor?

please see above

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

Babs: The best shows have always been those on which the audience and Caladmor has fully melted together to one piece - sounding a bit strange so far, this is really it: To me, it's like the best drug ever to feel that the audience in front of us is totally with us and our music. It's only then when I lose my fear of doing or saying something stupid actually ;) Luckily we quite often have awesome crowds on our concert and thus had already a lot of great shows - just recently our CD release show for example!
Our stage performance could be described as wild, very spontaneous - sometimes even a bit weird though and always not too serious, but always a hell of party! :)

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

Babs: As we were quite busy with the album release the past half year, we couldn't make any definitive plans so far, but the idea is to get around with the album a little bit. We'd love touring our neighbour's countries and visiting all the nice people outside our country :) This of course is a question of money and unfortunately we first have to check our possibilities before being able to take any decisions :) But we're defenitely looking forward to realize our ideas!

8. On the new recording,  you have some quest appearances  from  Chrigel  Glanzmann  of  Eluveite, how did you get in contact with this musician and also where you satisfied with the final results?

Babs: Maede and me met Chrigel and Anna Murphy several times some years ago - I think it was shortly before Eluveitie's third album 'Slania' came out - in a pub in Zurich and had some drinks together. And so throughout the years Maede and Chrigel kept in touch. After Maede had completed the composing of 'Dawn of the Deceiver' we all at once knew that there could only be one who would be able to play the whistles the way Maede wanted them to sound: Chrigel! So Maede asked him and Chrigel immediately agreed to help us with some whistles and bagpipes - it was his idea actually to therefore use the beautiful Uilleann Pipes on 'Dawn of the Deceiver'and 'Heralds of Doom'. And the result is just mind blowing I'd say!

Maede: We have actually seen Eluveitie long time ago at their release shows of the first two Albums! :)

9.For the new album you are unsigned, are you planning on having a label release the album in the future?

Babs: Thanks to wonderful Markus Eck from metalmessage.de we get along quite good with the album release so far, even when being unsigned. As you may know, we've made our experience with our former label Twilight Records. The bankruptcy of them made us a bit sensitive on that subject. But we'd love to have a label though that would help us especially with touring/booking and the distribution of our CD outside Switzerland. So yes, we're still looking for a label, but it depends what deal they are offering.

10. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of folk metal?

Babs: The first echos have just been more than overwhelming so far! Our audience seem to like that we put in our album very different types of metal, somehow this seems to be very appreciated - meaning the audience is very open minded and cool! Thank you all for that!

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

Maede: I have written a few new song ideas already, there is a very nice drinking humpa song and some epic and melodic death metal songs (rough ideas and demos).Babs: As both our releases showed such great diversity regarding style and genre, this is really difficult to say. Surely there will be more stuff like the songs 'Midwinter' and 'Alvíssmál' - heavy, mystical riffs with a dark depth in it, but as usual we'll just see what's growing during the writing sessions; anything can happen! :)

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

Babs: Well, some influences certainly audible are bands like Moonsorrow, Amon Amarth, Ensiferum, Amorphis and of course Eluveitie. Especially Maede loves to listen to all these bands and as he has written almost the whole new album it is no wonder that these bands can be heard... Besides, our bass player is listening to stuff like Primus who have influenced his bass play a lot - our guitarist Nick is more influenced by classic rock and other old stuff such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, but also by some Black Metal Bands. The other guitarist Mäsi is more into Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum and Devildriver - and last but not least we all adore good Celtic Folk Music! My main influence are bands like The Gathering and Amorphis as well as Loreena McKennitt.

13.How would you describe your views on Paganism?

Babs: It's a very interesting movement with a lot of different facets and characteristics, but I'd see myself outside this movement as I simply don't know enough about it. What I definitely like about some pagan views is the aspect of honour "mother nature" and of taking care about other beings. And of course I love especially old greek and german myths and stories and tales, which is also somehow related to Paganism I guess.

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

Babs: I still have to finish my studies at the University in german, history and philosophy, so this is taking a lot of time beside Caladmor and all the other musical projects - but if still there is some little time left, I love to invite friends, to sew my own stage dresses, to paint a little bit and to read.

Maede: As u can see from our lyrics, we are interested in philosophy and ethics. :)
And by the way: I'm brewing mead and beer, and I will soon open a webshop!

Babs: ... the best thing about Maede's special interest: Me and the guys from the band are always to first to have a taste of Maede's new beer and mead creations :D

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

Babs: Well first of all: Thank you very much for this interview! It was really a pleasure to us.
Of course all you readers out there are welcome to drop by on our website www.caladmor.ch or facebook sitewww.facebook.com/caladmor and have a look&ear on our new album Of Stones and Stars! Looking forward to meeting you one day!

Caladmor/Of Stones And Stars/2013 CD Review

  Caladmor  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  gothic/folk  metal  with  black  and  death  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Of  Stones  And  Stars".

  "Curse  Of  The  Gods"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  kicking  into  some  black  metal  screams  and  melodic  guitar  leads  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  male  and  female  vocals  which  mix  in  with  the  screams  and  growls  along  with  the  song  adding  in  some  folk  melodies  with  the  metal  riffing  and  the  song  keeps  around  the  leads  and  towards  the  end  you  can  hear  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitar  playing.

  "The  Raid" begins  with  some  heavy  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  death  metal  growls  and  melodic  guitar  leads  while  keeping  around  the  rhythms  and  adding  in    female  melodic  vocals  which  mix  in  with  the  growls  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  guitars  get  cleaner  and  mix  in  some  violins  as  well  as  some  powerful  bass  lines,  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  heavy  again  and  adding  in  spoken  word  parts  briefly  before  adding  in  a  black  metal  scream  which  leads  to  the  return  of  the  growls  and  female  vocals.

  "Of  Stones  And  Stars"  begins  with  some  folk  music  style  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  before  kicking  into  heavy  riffs,  drums,  melodic leads  and  screams  which  lead  to  the  male  and  female  vocals  coming  out  while  also  keeping  the  screams  around  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  some  more  melodic  solos  at  times,  after  a  few  minutes  the  music  goes  back  to  its  folk  roots  briefly  before  returning  to  the  heavier  elements.

  "Dawn  Of  The  Deciever"  begins  with  some  some  heavy  rhythm  guitars,  melodic  leads  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  folk  instruments  getting  added  in  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  melodic  male  and  female  vocals  along  with  the  death  metal  growls  coming  in  briefly  after  that  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  growls  start  adding  in  some  more  blackened  elements  as  well  as  the  bass  playing  getting  more  stronger  which  also  leads  to  some  melodic  solos  before  going  into  acoustic  guitars  and  whispers  but  keeping  around  the  melodic  vocals  before  returning  to  its  heavier  roots.

  "Alvissmal"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  in  return  leads  to  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  pagan/black  metal  screams  which  also  mix  in  death  metal  elements  before  going  into  a  jews  harp,  violins,  male  and  female  vocals  and  the  song  stays  in  the  same  direction  for  a  few  minutes  before  going  into  a  more  folk  music  direction  with  the  acoustic  guitars  briefly  before  returning  to  its  heavier  roots  and  mixing  in  viking  chants  and  synths.

  "Laudine's  Lament"  begins  with  some  soft  acoustic  guitars  which  utilize  both  finger  picking  and  full  chords  before  bringing  in  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  violins  and  female  vocals  along  with  some  powerful  bass  playing  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  guitars  starting  getting  more  melodic  sounding  along  with  some  leads which  leads  to  some  male  vocals  mixing  with  the  female  singing.

  "Mimirs  Born"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs,  melodic  leads,  drums  and  powerful  bass playing  which  leads  to  some  grim  screams  and  as  the  song  moves  on  the  male  and  female  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  gets  more  diverse  along  with  some  more  melodic  guitar  solos.

  "A  Nymph's  Lure"  begins  with  nature  sounds  before  heading  into  a  melodic  guitar  lead  which  leads  to  some  heavy  guitar  rhythms  and  drums  setting  up  the  mood  for  some  female  vocals  as  well  as  the  riffing  getting  more  melodic  and  as  the  song  moves  on  black/death  metal  vocals  make  their  presence  known  along  with  some  background  synths  while  also  keeping  around  the  melodic  vocals  and  towards  the  end  their  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  solos  before  closing  with  nature  sounds.

  "Heralds  Of  Doom"  begins  with  animal  sounds  before  going  into  a  heavy  viking  metal  guitar  riff  along  with  some  drums  before  going  soft  for  a  second  and  adding  in  male  vocals  which  leads  to t he  music  getting  heavy  again  and  bringing  in  the  female  parts  which  also  lead  to  some  death  metal  vocals  making t heir  presence  known  and  as  the  song  moves  in  it  goes  more  into  folk  instruments  and  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Taberna  Trollis"  begins  with  nature  and  walking  sounds  before  going   into  some  folk  instruments  which  leads  to  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums,  aggressive  and  melodic  vocals  which  lead  to  a  brief  use  of  pagan  chants  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  as  the  song  moves  on  you  can  hear  some  powerful  bass  playing.

  "Helios  Sky"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums  which  lead  to  some  female  vocals  while  also  keeping  the  leads  around  and  mixing  in  some  rhythm  guitars  along  with  the  leads  which  also  leads  to  some  male  and  female  vocals  joining  forces  together.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Mythology  and  Fantasy  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all   of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  album.

  In  my  opinion  Caladmor  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic/folk  metal  band  with  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Curse  Of  The  Gods"  "Dawn  Of  The  Deciever"  "Mimirs  Born"  and  "Heralds  Of  Doom".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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