Diabolical/Neogenesis/Vicosolum Productions/2013 CD Review

  Diabolical  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  a  technical  and  melodic  form  of  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Neogenesis'  which  was  released  by  Vicosolum  Productions.

  "Into  Oblivion"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  a  choir  and  orchestra  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in  before  getting  fast  along  with  deep  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beats  and  then  going  for  a  more  mid  paced  direction  and  then  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  more  melody  and towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  ''Metamorphosis"  begins  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  heavy,  melodic  and  technical  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  speeding  up  with  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  and  a  few  seconds  later t he  music  slows  down  a  bit  and  then  alternating  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  halfway  through  the  song t here  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  parts  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass guitars.

  "Oracle"  opens  up  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  come  in  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  having  a  melodic  choir  in  the  background.

  "Ex"  which  is  a  short  instrumental  kicks  in  with  keyboards  that  utilize  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  along  with  some  violins.

  "World  of  Silence"  starts  up  with  some  fast  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  blast  beats  from the  drums  before  slowing  down  and  adding  in  growls  along  with  more  technical  and  progressive  elements  and  you  can  hear  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  in  the  background  and  then  the  song  alternates  between  fast  and  slow  parts  and  you  can  also h ear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  "Reincarnation  Of  the  Damned"  kicks  in with  dark  sound  effects  before  adding  in  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  later  they  get  heavier  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  growls  become  a  part  of  the  song  along  with  some  melodic  female  vocals  a  few seconds  later  and  towards  the  end  their  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitar  before  getting  heavy  again  and  adding  in  blast  beats  and  guitar  solos.

  "Fields  Of  Nihil"  comes  in  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  guitar  leads  and  a  few  seconds  alter  growls  become  a  part  of  the  song  along  with  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  you  can  hear  melodic  choirs  in t he  background  and  a  few  seconds  later  a  small  amount  of  clean  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  mix  in  with  the  heavier  elements.

  "Dialogue  With  The  Dead"  hits  it  off  with heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  growls,  technical  elements  and  female  vocals  kick  in  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Wolves'  Choir"  is  introduced  with  synths  and  orchestras  before  adding  in  guitar  leads,  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  and  then  the  music  slows  down  a  bit  and  growls  come  in  before  alternating  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  halfway  through  the  song t here  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  adding  in  avant  garde  parts  with  the  heavier  elements.

  "The  Age  To  Come"  is  brought  in  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  growls  start  to  kick  in  which  also  lead  to  the  guitar  riffing  getting  more  melodic  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  as  we;l  as  a  small  amount  of  violins  in  the  background  before  getting  heavy  again  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams.

  "Humanitas"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  melodic  chanting  and  synths  as  well  as  a  choir  and  orchestra.

  Song  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  on  a  novel  as  well  as  all  of  the  chapters  in  the  book,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Diabolical  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  ""Into  Oblivion"  "Oracle"  "Dialogue  With  The  Dead"  and  "The  Age  To  Come".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

www.diabolical.se/neogenesis

Lyfthrasyr/The Engineered Flesh/2013 CD Review

  Lyfthrasyr  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  along  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  industrail  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "The  Engineered  Flesh".

  "The  New  Era  of  Immortality"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album   opens  up  with  electronic  music  sounds  and  a  few  seconds  later  drums  and  symphonic  keyboards  kick  in  and  also  leads  up  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  and  then  the  black/death  metal  vocals  make  their  presence  known  and  blast  beats  are  also  added  in  and  then  the  song  starts  bringing  extreme  metal  and  electronic  music  together.

    "Soul  Transition  Interface"  begins  with  atmospheric  and  symphonic  sounding  synths  before  adding in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  before  going  for  a  more  mid  paced  symphonic  black  metal  direction  and  adding  in  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  whispers  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  fast  and  mid  paced  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  as  well  as  bringing  in  industrial  and  electronic  music  elements  and  as  time  goes  on  by  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  becoming  a  part  of  the  song.

  "Technological  Singularity"  kicks  in  with  industrial  style  synths  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  whispers  start  coming  in  before  going  more  into  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  guitars  start  utilizing  some  melody.

  "Evolution"  opens  up  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  blast  beats  before  adding  in  industrial  elements  and  death metal  growls  and  as  the  song  moves  on  black  metal  screams  start  to  kick  in  and  then  the  music  starts  utilizing  some  symphonic  synths  and  spoken  word  samples  before  going  back  to  a  more  heavy  and  brutal  sound.

  "Mind  Simulator"  starts  up  with  industrial  and  electronic  music  sounds  along  with  some  symphonic  synths  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  then  industrial  style  vocals  start  to  kick  in  and  evolve  into  black  metal  screams  shortly  after  that   as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  getting  a  lot  more  melodic  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  and  also  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars.

  'Preserved  Indentity"  makes  its  way  in  with  heavy,  fast  and  brutal  sounding  death  metal  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  drums,  bass  guitars  and  chants  which  also  leads  up  to  some  growls  and  whispers  as  well  as  throwing  in  blast  beats  and  synths  along  with  a  few  seconds  of  spoken  word  samples  which  also  leads  to  elements  of  industrial  kicking  in  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  melodic  vocals  becoming  a  part  of  the  song.  

  "Wisdom  In  The  Loop"  is  introduced  with  atmospheric  and  industrial  sounds  along  with  some spoken  word  samples  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  also  leads  to  black  and  death  metal  vocals  kicking  in  and  as  time  goes  on  by  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  being  utilized.

  "Life  Overdose"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  industrial  style  sounds  and  synths  and  a  minute  later  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  death  metal  growls  start  to  kick  in  and  a  few  seconds  later  black  metal  screams  and  powerful  bass  guitars  start  to  kick  in  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  as  well  as  the  song  alternating  between  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  Song  lyrics  cover  scientific  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Lyfthrasyr  are  a  very  great  sounding  black/death  metal  band  with  symphonic  and  industrial  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  New  Era  of  Immortality"  "Evolution"  and  "Wisdom  In  The  Loop".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://youtu.be/OX63kYiWrMQ

Norse Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Norse has always had to deal with a lot of changes. It just seems to be something that happens to this band regardless. Recently, the biggest change was losing our singer/guitarist Treelo.  The time came for him to move on and pursue a totally different career path. That takes a fair bit of backbone to turn your life around like this, and I applaud his strength of will to go ahead with it!
It was a shame to see him go, but I was resolved not to do the weak, easy thing and throw my hands up in the air and walk away from it. What doesn't kill you...
The new line up now consists of a new full time member who is handling lyrics and vocals, and a session guitarist, both of whom will be announced with the release of our new EP titled 'PEST'

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and also how does it differ from your previous releases?
The difference between the latest album, All is Mist and Fog vs. Hellstorm is pretty big. With Hellstorm we were still learning. We thought we were able to play what we wrote, but personally for me, it fell short of the mark. It just wasn't up to my expectations. Not due to anyone's fault, but we threw so many ideas at that album. Black metal, some melodic Viking stuff, tried to play some dissonant DM etc. Sure there's some standout moments on Hellstorm, but overall I wasn't 100% happy with it personally.
With All is Mist and Fog, Norse had concentrated from a 4 piece into a duo of like-minded musicians. Treelo and I had the same ideas and concepts, and we worked really hard to make sure we nailed it.
We didn't want a glossy production, we wanted raw, real instruments with no edits or manipulations. We wanted to make an album that balanced on the brink of noise/chaos, but with every listen, you could discern something new. The last thing we wanted was to be easily categorized or put on the shelf along side similar sounding bands. Judging by the reviews and feedback, we created exactly what we set out to achieve.
It isn't an easy album to listen to, and it took a lot of fans by surprise. We sure lost a few along the way, but  for once we released something I was proud to put my name to.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?
Treelo and I both decided with lyrics, we should try and write separately and then combine. What was suprising, was that a very large amount of our ideals matched up and we were able to work them all together to make sense. We have had our lyrics described as 'misanthropic-escape-ism'. However, I believe when lyrics are presented in this semi-abstract form they are open to interpretation.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Norse, and also how would you describe your views on Nordic Mythology?
This question does come up a lot and unfortunately the answer is:  there is no hidden  meaning to our name. We just wanted an easy 1 word name that stuck in your head. If there I was pushed, I would say Norse is acknowledging our ancestors who traveled from the top of the globe all the way to the ends of the earth. If that isn't a trek worth paying homage to, I don't know what is.


5.What are some of the best  shows that the band ha splayed so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
Out of the mess of memories I have, I think playing alongside Dark Funeral (which was also our album launch for All is Mist and Fog) was a great show. Absu was  good and I love playing with Portal. Amazing band.
Interestingly enough, playing small regional shows is always fun.  People in rural Australia rarely get to see bands, and the response you get is overwhelming from them. Having 100 kids lining up at the merch desk and demanding everything be signed, photos taken etc makes it worthwhile driving out to the middle of nowhere to perform.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are currently finishing vocals to our new EP titled - 'PEST'.  Our new singer is blowing me away with his performance on this release, so im very keen to get back onto the stage to promote.
There will definitely be tours to support PEST, but right now I'm concentrating on mixes, lyric editing and tracking vocals...

7.Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We have received interest from labels but Im really not that interested in handing over my creative control. There isn't a lot record companies can do that I can't if I really get involved. Promotional and distro companies are popping up everywhere nowadays, and the internet gives me all the tools I need to get my band out onto the world market.
People still seem to have the idea that a record company will make you huge. Its totally not true. They lose 80% of business to the internet.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
The feedback for All is Mist and Fog has been FAR better than I imagined...  I was certain people would be unsure, or  not understand what we are doing. However it has been a real surprise to see such positive reviews and respect for the album.
...planning To put a stop to that with the next release.


9.Are there any other musical projects going on these days?
I'm always busy with other projects. I do a lot of session work in the downtime between shows and albums, and I just finished up with Australian band The Amenta this year.  I wish I could play guitar better, but there's not enough hours in the day to practice both instruments unfortunately.
Shayne our guitarist has a lot of his own projects. Murderworld and  Human Forgery to name a few. He is one of those musicians who is always busy as well. Writing or recording inbetween shows.

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
I am keen to continue pushing the boundaries. Be it with composition, production or otherwise. My roots are firmly grounded in extreme metal in general, so there will never be an acoustic album or organ solos.  The biggest drive for me is to create new and exciting atmospheres. Something to make me sit up and listen again. Chasing an impossible goal of recapturing the excitement I had for Mayhem and emperor albums from my teens.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
No bands influence. I don't want to sound like other bands. There are similarities to be found by every listener for sure. I never go into the studio thinking: ''I want to rip off ' De mysteriis dom sathanas'..! ''
as far as music I am listening to these days: Tycho, Burial, Access to Araska, Boards of Canada, Flashbulb, Lorn, Obfusc.

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Nature. Getting away from everyone. I love my job working in  pine forests, as I'm by myself every day.


13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thankful for the great questions!
You can check out Norse here:
http://norsemetal.bandcamp.com/
www.facebook.com/norse.official

The Lions Daughter/Indian Blanket/A Black Sea/Good Die Young Music 2013 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  joint  effort  between  St.  Louis,  Missouri's  The  Lions  Daughter  and  Indian  Blanket  which  is  called  "A  Black  Sea"  and  released  by  Good  Die  Young  Music  and  the music  is  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom,  blues  and  folk.

  "Wolves"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  violins  and  other  folk  music  instruments  and  then  the  drums  and  heavy  guitars  kick  in  as  well  as  the  music  alternating between  soft  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  aggressive  sounding  screams.

  "First  First"  begins  with  some  drone  soundscapes  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  then  going  into  a  cleaner  direction  for  a  few seconds  and  adding  in  violins  which  also  leads  to the  song  alternating  between  heavy  and  soft  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitar  in  the  background  and  after  awhile t he  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  in  along  with  some  aggressive  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  time  goes  on  by  there  is  a  brief  use  of  mandolins  and  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  "Swam"  kicks  in  with  dark  ambient  drone  style  sounds  along  with  violins  and  folk  instruments  and  a  minute  later  fast  black  metal  guitar  riffs  and  blast  beats  from  the  drums  kick  in  along  with  some  aggressive  screams  and  then  the  music  slows  down  for  a  bit  and  then  alternates  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  melodic  vocals  at  times  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  guitar  riffing  starts  getting  more  melodic  which  also  leads  to  the  clean  parts  returning  while  also  remaining  heavy  at  the  same  time.

  "Song  For  The  Devil"  opens  up  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  folk  playing  and  a  few  seconds  later  folk  instruments  and  melodic  vocals  kick  in  and  there  are  no  heavy  guitars  or  aggressive  vocals  present  in  the  song.

  "Timeless  Waters"  starts  up  with  folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  adding  in  some  distorted  parts  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  elements  of  post  rock  are  added  into  the  song  and  the  music  is  all  instrumental.  

  "Sea  Of  Trees"  makes  it  way  in  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  deep  sludge  style  growls  and  then  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  guitar  leads  while  also  focusing  more  on  a  mid  paced  direction  and  after  awhile  melodic  vocals  are  also  added  in

  "That  Place"  is  introduced  with  soft  folk  rock  style  acoustic  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  later  violins  along  with  other  folk  instruments  are  added  in  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  song  and  halfway  through  the  song  drum  beats  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  are  added  in.

  "Moonshiner"  which  is  also the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  time  moves  on  by  blues  style  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  along  with  violins  and  folk  instruments.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  apocalyptic  and  alcohol  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong, heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  joint  effort  between  The  Lions  Daughter  and  Indian  Blanket  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  doom,  sludge,  and  folk  music,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wolves"  "Swam"  and  "Sea  Of  Trees".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

https://thelionsdaughter.bandcamp.com/album/a-black-sea       

Fuoco Fatuo/2 EP's In One Tape/Caligari Records/2013 Cassette Compilation Review

  Fuoco  Fatuo  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  cassette  compilation  "2  EP"s  In  One  Tape"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  "Alpha"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  compilation  opens  up  with  sound  effects  and  spoken  word  parts  and  is  used  as  an  intro  for  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  and  noise  effects.

  "Vuoto  Nero"  begins  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  music  goes  into  a  blackened  doom  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  "L'Abisso"  kicks  in  with  drum  beats  and  psychedelic  style  sound  effects  before  adding  in  some  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  a  minute  later  the  music  gets  heavier  along  with  some  black  metal screams  which  also  leads  to  some  deep  doom/death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  as  well  as  adding  in  evil  sounding  organs.

  "33  Colpi  Di  Schizophrenia"  opens  up  with  black  metal  screams  and  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  also  leads  to  some  deep  growls  as  well  as  adding  in  some  evil  sounding  synths  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  the  guitar  riffing  also  utilizes  some  melody.

  "Omega"  which  is  an  instrumental  starts  out  with  some  classical  guitars  and  synths  in  the  background  and  the  song  is  under  a  minute.

  "Dentro  L'Inferno"  starts  up  with  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  before  adding  in  deep  death  metal  growls  and  after  awhile  black  metal  vocals  and  powerful  bass  guitars  start  to  kick  in  and  you  can  also  hear  sludge  and  stoner  rock  elements  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  early  70's  rock/metal  guitar  leads  as  well  as  some  early  90's  death  metal  style  melodies.

  "Ley  Nera"  makes  its  way  in  with  drums,  doom  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  as  well  as  some growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  the  guitars  start  utilizing  some  melody  and  halfway  through  the  song  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  as  the  song  moves  on  it  goes  into  a  faster  direction  for  a  few  seconds  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  slowing  down  again.

  "Creatura"  is  an  avant  garde  noise  instrumental  that  is  under  a  minute.

  "Celeste"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  compilation  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  after  awhile  deep  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  kick  in  along  with  some  psychedelic  effects  before  speeding  up  a  bit  in  certain  sections  as  well  as  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized..

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Latin  and  cover  esoteric  themes,  while  the production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Fuoco  Fatuo  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alpha"  "Dentro  L'Inferno"  and  "Celeste".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

 http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/2-eps-in-one-tape 

    

Desolation Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
Sure – thanks for giving us the opportunity to spread the word about DESOLATION! Well, we've been around since 1994 and so far we've recorded three albums that have established us as a fairly well-known underground act in the northern part of Germany. In 2014 we celebrate our 20th anniversary and hope to make yet some more new friends and fans.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
That is always a difficult thing to do if your music doesn't fit the common categories easily. We've mostly been described as a melodic death- black metal act. Somebody recently pointed out that we have an urban feel to the music, and I guess that fits our new album DESORIENTED quite well.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our new album deals with questions of belonging and the idea of home – where is our place in this world and which values do we navigate by? This may sound rather theoretical, but in the songs there's always a certain perspective that explores these concepts, for example in "Dorothy" I imagined how it would have been if the little girl from Kansas had not returned home but ended up a cheap whore who breathes her last in a seedy hotel, which itself is a metaphor for this world where we never quite belong... I guess some of the lyrics may seem a bit strange at first, but there's certainly plenty to explore.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Desolation?
To be quite honest - we were fifteen, sixteen when we formed the band and wanted a cool-sounding, simple name that somehow would help to describe our sound. One of us idly flicked through his LP collection and pulled out a Morbid Angel record: Abominations of Desolation – and there it was. Apart from the fact that now there are a few other bands by that name in the US and GB, we're still very happy with it.

5.What are some of the best show that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
We've enjoyed sharing the stage with such fine bands as God Dethroned, Disillusion or Malevolent Creation. Currently we're playing some gigs with our good friends in Bloodwork. Our gigs tend to surprise fans who only know our CDs, as we have a much more brutal live sound while at the same time preserving the melodious aspects of the songs.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future/
As I said, 2014 will see our 20th anniversary and we'd like to play a couple of special shows to celebrate, but so far we haven't really made any definite plans.

7.Currently , you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We are currently affiliated with Rebellion records, a small German label that supported us in our search for a distribution solution. We're very happy with the current arrangement, but if an interesting metal label were willing to back our work with a somewhat larger budget (i.e. larger than our own...), that would be a great opportunity.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Worldwide? Wow – that’s a bit hard to tell from where I’m sitting J. Judging by the reviews we’ve received, people have responded well to the fact that our music is far from boring – that there are worlds within the songs that want to be explored. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) it’s not music for the masses, yet at the same time it’s not only music for the die-hard death metal fan, but other people can relate to the more melodic or experimental parts. So we’re very glad that there are always listeners who give the CDs the couple of run-throughs they need before you get hooked.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
That’s impossible to say. We certainly will not part with any of our trademarks. DESOLATION without prominent keyboards would not be DESOLATION, no matter how much some people whine about the fact that we use them. And we’ve always liked to experiment, so I guess there will be lots of experiments in the future. However, our music has always come from the heart, not the head, so we won’t turn into a math metal band all of a sudden.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your msuic and also what are you listening to nowadays?
That is as diverse as the six people we have in our band. Our drummer and main songwriter is head over heels into progressive rock, while I listen to early nineties European death metal exclusively. The one band we can all agree on is Samael, so there may be some influence from that side…

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Again, this is quite different for all of us. Felix is a passionate downhill biker, whereas to me bliss means a good bottle of wine and a fine piece of literature. The band and extreme metal is our common denominator and the basis of a fine friendship that has lasted almost twenty years. Job and family commitments allowing, we spend a lot of time with each other, so everything beyond that pretty much has to play second fiddle…

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
First of all thank you for taking an interest in DESOLATION. We love what we do and we’d love others to enjoy our particular kind of metal. If you’re the least bit curious now, go to www.desmetal.de to find out more and have a good listen.
Please go out and support your local underground – wherever that may be. Go to concerts, buy CDs and shirts, talk to the bands and keep the metal alive. HELL YEAH!

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Serpent Eater/Hyena/Alerta Antifacista Records/ CD Review

  Serpent  Eater  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their    album  "Hyena"  which  was  released  by  Alerta  Antifacista  Records.

  "Ebola"  which  is  also  the  first song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs along  with  drums  and  deep  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  the  song  also  alternates  between  mid  paced  and  slow  parts.

  "Last  Cold  Word"  begins  with  black  metal  style  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  drums,  bass  guitars  and  high  pitched  screams  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  before  slowing  down  again  and  adding  some  melody  to t he  guitar  riffing  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  "In  The  Wall"  starts  up  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  screams,  bass  guitars  heavier  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and a   minute  later growls  are  thrown  into  the  music  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  gets  a  little  bit  faster  along  with  some  blast  beats  before  slowing  down  again.

  "Hyena"  opens  up with  blast  beats  from  the  drums,  black  metal  screams  and  fast  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  melody  and  then  it  slows  down  and  adds  in  death  metal  growls  which  also  leads  to  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  along  with  heavy  bass  guitars  before  returning  to  a  heavier  direction.

  "Lietmotif"  kicks  with  some  mid  paced  crust  crust  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  high  pitched  screams  before  adding  in  some  deep  growls  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  goes  into  a  faster direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  then  slowing  down  again.

  "Trepanation  Nation"  which  is  also  the  last  song  begins  with  heavy  black  metal  guitar  riffs  before  adding  in  bass,  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  and  then  slowing  down  and  adding  in  melodic  crust  elements  as  well  as  alternating  between  fast,  mid  paced  and  slow  parts.  

  Song  lyrics  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  and  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  Serpent  Eater  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  crust and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Last  Cold  Word"  and  "Trepanation  Nation".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://alertaantifascistarecords.bandcamp.com/album/aa95-serpent-eater-hyena-lp