Culted/ObliqueTo All Paths/Relapse Records/2014 CD Review

  Culted  are  a  band  with  members  from  both  Sweden  and  Canada  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom  metal  with  elements  of  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Oblique  To  All  Paths"  which  was  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  "Brooding  Hex" which  is  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  dark  ambient  drone sounds  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  shortly  after  that  which  also  leads  up  to  grim  black  metal  screams  and  after  awhile  you  can  hear experimental  elements  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavy  parts  and  as  time  goes  on  by  growls  are  added  into  certain sections  of  the  music,  halfway  through  the song  the  bass  guitars  get  more  powerful  sounding  as  well  as  the  music  adding  in  more  melody  and  towards  the  end  the  music  goes  into  a  more  drone/noise  direction.

  "Illuminati"  begins  with  spoken  word  samples  before  adding  in  heavy  doom  metal  guitars  along  with  some  drums  and  black  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  atmospheric  and  drone  elements  are  added  into  the  music  and  towards  the end  experimental  and  noise  elements  are  added  the  music.

  "Intoxicant  Immuration"  opens  up  with  harsh  noise  and  drone  sounds  before  adding  in  drums  and  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  later  spoken  word  samples  are  added  into  the  music  and  after  a  few  minutes  black  metal  screams  are  added  into  the  music  while  also  bringing  back  spoken  word  parts  at  times.  

  "March  Of  The  Wolves"  starts up  with  dark and   heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melody  and  bass  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  towards  the  end  elements  of  drone  are  added  into  the  song.

  "Distortion  Of  The  Nature  Of  Mankind"  kicks  in  with  drone  sounds  along  a  dark  atmosphere
and  a  few  seconds  alter  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  music  and  it  serves  as  an  intro  for  the  next  song.

  'Transmittal"  comes  in  with  heavy  and  dark  sounding guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  guitar  leads  and  bass  guitars  are  added  into the  music,  a  minute  alter  avant  garde  sounds  and  spoken  word  samples  become  a  part  of  the  music  which  also  leads  up  to  black  metal  screams  a  couple  of  minutes  as  well  as  the  music  getting  more  melodic  and  towards  the  end,  the more  experimental  sounding  elements  make  a  return  while  also  remaining  heavy  at  the  same  time.    

  "Jeremiad"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  tribal  style  percussion  beats  which  leads  up  to  some  black  metal  screams  and  clean  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  drums  along  with  some  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  after  awhile  spoken  word  samples  are  added  into  certain  parts  of  the  music  and  towards  the  edn  elements  of  drone  are  added  into  the  music.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  occult  and  Illuminati  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  along  with  most  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Culted  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  "Illuminati"  and  "Transmittal".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

https://www.facebook.com/Culted

Indian/From All Purity/Relapse Records/2014 CD Review

   Indian  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  blackened  form of  doom  metal  with  elements  of  harsh  noise  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "From  All  Purity"  which  was  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  "Rape"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on t he  album  opens  up  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  black  metal  screams  along  with  elements  of  harsh  noise  kick  in  as  well  as  going  into  a  more  slow  doom  metal  direction  and  staying  that  direction  throughout  the  song.

  "The  Impetus  Bleeds"  begins  with  heavy  distorted  noises  before  adding  in  slow  and  dark  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  some  drums  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  sticks  to  the  same  riffs  throughout  the  song.

  "Directional"  opens  up  with  slow,  dark  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  a  few  seconds  alter  elements of  harsh  noise  can  be  heard  in  the  background  before  adding  drums  into  the  music  and  a  minute  later  screams  make  their  presence  known  and  the  song  goes  into  a  blackened  doom  metal  direction.

  "Rhetoric  Of   No"  starts  up  with  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  black  metal  vocals  and  the  music  stays  in  a  slow  direction  during  its  time  and  after  a  awhile  dark  sounding  melodies  make  their  way  into  the  music  as  well  as  elements  of  harsh  noise.

  "Clarity"  begins  with  harsh  noise  loops  and  power  electronics  along  with  some  drones  and  a  few  seconds  alter  high  pitched  screams  are  added  into  the  music  and  there  are  no  guitar  riffs  or  drums  present  on  the  song.

  "Disambiguation"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  distorted  sounds  and  clean  elements  in  the  background  which  also  leads  up  to  drums  kicking  in  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  are  added  into  the  music  and  as  time  goes  on  by  dark  sounding  melodies  are  added  into  the  music..

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes,  while  the  production  gas  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix  as  well  as  most  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Indian  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  doom  metal  band  with  elements  of  sludge  and  harsh  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Impetus  Bleeds"  and  "Disambiguation".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/IndianDoom
http://www.indiandoom.com

          

Def/Light Interview

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

1)      We are preparing to the next creative year.

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

2)      We have made big step to musical and sound senses. The Album has become heavier and more aggressive, but haven`t lost melody. We have work hard, and we hope everybody will enjoy “Transendevil”.

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

3)      The bases of our lyrics anticlericalism, mystic, freedom and human development. For example: Antikrist Tabor is about Taborites(Checzk rebel`s) who rebelled against catholic church in 15-th century.   We have a lot of philosophy in lyrics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Def/Light?

4)      When we have young, we had snobbish and silly name “Defilers of light”. It was childish. We had to change it. We wanted to remain part of old name, but to make it more philosophical and intelligent.  The word “def” is homophone to the “deaf” witch give our name two senses – “Deaf ligt” and “def light”.

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

5)      We have fantastic show in Berdeev, Slovakia and in Zagan, Poland/ there were many fans, whose support of made the show much more extreme and powerful. 
We trying to be active. We have a tradition to make a show with costumes and “corpse paint” Although we are sometimes blamed it is not trendy. Always, we sing our hearts out in 150%.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new release?

6)      Yes, we are planning Ukrainian tour in February or March and European tour in October. We`d like to have shows around the World. We are waiting offers from managers.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of black and death metal?

7)      The album has just become released and we don`t have many comments. But we are happy that they are all positive.

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

8)      I don`t think it`s right to be satisfied 100% the work. We are going to work more with symphonic music but we are not going to lose black/death metal music. Should always try to be even better.

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

9)      We listen to many kinds of different music starting from symphonic music and finishing with experimental grind core. Some musicians of the band enjoy jazz or ethnic. Dimmu Borgir, Hate, Behemoth, Flashgod Apocalypse, Anorexia Nevrosa and match other music have inspired with books, performances and human history.  And life itself prompts some idea to us.

10.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

10)   Sure occultism and mysticism is a part of our creative work. Telematics/θέλημα/outlooks are close to us. It has philosophical and ideological meanings for us. We see the direct connection with rational and scientific ideas.

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

11)   Each musician has his own interests and hobbies. As for me, I am interested in clinical psychology, philosophy and history.  I am really keen of reading and writing. I am a journalist and a psychologist my profession. Generally, I above a Renaissance person who knows everything and could do everything.

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

12)   I face a choice^ to write a book about it or to say just a few words. We would like to express our gratitude to all our fans and everybody who takes interests in our band and music. We want all people to be free and to develop themselves.

93 93 93

VKontakte

Will Of The Ancients/To Our Glorious Dead/PRC Music/2014 CD Review

  Will  Of  the  Ancients  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "To  Our  Glorious  Dead"  which  will  be  released  by  PRC  Music.

  "The  Trapper"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  synths  and  bass  guitars  and  a  few  seconds  alter  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  kick  in  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  music  and  halfway  through  the  music  melodic  clean singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  song.

  "Shield  of  Stone"  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  and  leads  before  adding  in  drums  and  melodic  power  metal  screams  as  well  as  some  synths  and  a  minute  later  black  metal  screams  kick  in  as  well  as  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  growls.

  "Where  Men  Fear  To  Build"  opens  up  with  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before adding  in  synths,  melody  and  black  metal  screams  as w ell  as  slowing  down  and  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  then  the  music  starts  to  alternate  between  fast  and  slow  parts  as  well  as  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  and  you  can  hear  melodic  vocals  for  a  few  seconds  before  adding  in  blast  beats.

  "Divinioan  Ascention"  starts  up  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  growls  and  screams  start  to  kick  in  which  also  leads  up  to  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  as  well  as  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars.

  "The  Stars  Like  Dust"  kicks  in  with  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  drums  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  before  adding  in  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  as  well  as  an  orchestra  which  leads  to  growls  and  screams  becoming  a  part  of  the  music  and  then  the  music  starts  to  alternate  between  fast  and  slow  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  music.

  "Trench  Raider"  comes  in  with  fast,  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  leads,  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  alternating  between  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  "To  Our  Glorious  Dead"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  as  well  as  title  track  begins  with acoustic  guitars  that  utilize  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  after  awhile  electric  guitars  are  also  added  in  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  which  also  leads  up  to  drums  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  as  well  as  symphonic  synths  that  also  bring  in  black  metal  screams  with  blast  beats  coming  in  shortly  after  that  briefly  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  song,  which  also  leads  up  to  a  small  use  of  death  metal  growls,  as  time  goes  on  by  melodic  vocals  are  added  in.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  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  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Will  Of  the  Ancients  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Trapper"  "The  Stars  Like  Dust"  and  "To  Our  Glorious  Dead".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

http://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dooms-day-the-devils-eyes
          

Cosmic Infusion/Self Titled/Transcending Obscurity India/2013 EP Review

  Cosmic  Infusion  are  a  band  from  India  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  ep  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  India.

  "Acronycal  Eloge"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  ep  opens  up  with  synths  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song as  well  as  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  shortly  after  that  and  the  music  sticks  mostly  to  a  mid  paced  direction.

  "Burial  of  Thy  Own"  begins  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drums,  black  metal  screams  and  synths  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  make  their  way  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  acoustic  guitars  returning  along with  some  spoken  word  parts.

  "Journey"  opens  up  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  drums  along with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  towards  the  end  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  music.

  "Gothika"  starts  up  with  symphonic  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  blast  beats  from  the  drums  along  with  some  fast  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  kick  in  before  adding  in  screams  and  growls  and  after  awhile  melody  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  music  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a brief  use  of  guitar  leads.

  "Crepheus  -  Bringer  Of the  End'  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  ep  begins  with  dark  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  alter  drums  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  kick  in  as  well  as  going  into  a  faster  direction  after  that  along  with  some  black  metal  vocals  which  also  leads  up  to  some  melody  being  added  into  the  music  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  chanting  and  the  song  closes  with  a  guitar  lead.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  along  with  the  bass  guitars  being  mixed down  low  in  the  mix.

  In  my  opinion  Cosmic  infusion  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burial  of  Thy  Own"  and  "Gothika".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    


https://transcendingobscurityindia.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-infusion
           

  

Barashi Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before? We're a four piece band playing psychedelic metal from Vermont. we formed in 2010 right after we all got out of high school. We really enjoyed making music togethe, so we decided to stick with it. After three years we are very pleased to have just released our first full length album.

2.How would you describe your musical sound? Heavy psychedelic metal. Our sound has changed drastically since the beginning of the band. We were originally an instrumental trio, and added a vocalist after about two years of playing. Our sound got much darker and heavier but still included some of the melodic elements that were present in our earlier work.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? Lyrics are the last part of our songwriting process. We have all contributed to the lyrics on this album. Usually they are about mysticism or little stories that we come up with. We don't really have any sort of topic we always stick. Usually someone will just come up with something that we think is cool and that's what we will use.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Barashi? A Barishi is a shaman in Mongolian and Siberian cultures who practices bone-setting.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band ha splayed so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Our live sound is significantly different from the sound on the album. A large part of this is due to the fact that the album was recorded in E-standard and we play live in C-standard. The down tuning makes the songs heavier while, hopefully retaining the more melodic elements. We like to keep the energy high so our set generally consists of the more aggressive tracks. As far as shows go, its always a blast to play our home town of Brattleboro Vermont. There's a large gothic church downtown that we rent and have shows in. Its a perfect setting and the maniacs in this town are always down to come out and go nuts for a show!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? we would love to set up a larger tour in support of this album. As it is we are just gigging sporadically around the north east. We have quite a few dates lined up for the next couple months which is great. we really just love to play as much as possible.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? I think signing with a label could be very rewarding. It could be really great to team up with a label that would really help further our music.

8.Are there any other musical projects besides this band or is this a full time line up? Its definitely a full-time line up. We've been working on this for over three years now and it has become a huge part of all of our lives.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive and extreme metal? The album was just released, we don't even have physical copies yet, so we haven't gotten that many reviews. The ones we have received though have been resoundingly positive. We're grateful that people are willing to take time to listen to our album, and its great that it seems to be resonating with some people. Its really just great to be able to release an album after putting in so much time and hard work.

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? Who knows. When something strikes us we just go for it. Since the formation our sound has gradually gotten heavier and more aggressive, so we may delve deeper into some darker territory. New songs are already in the works and we are performing some of them live.

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? We draw inspiration from a wide range of music. Mastodon and Opeth, as well as bands such as My Bloody Valentine and the Cure have had significant impact on our work. As far as what we listen to, its an incredibly eclectic mix. Collectively we listen to everything ranging from jazz, metal, hip-hop, rock, you name it. None of us are all that crazy about this new alt-folk pop movement though.

12.How would you describe the metal scene in your home state of Vermont? There is some real talent hiding out in the hills here. Nectars Nightclub in Burlington has metal nights where you can see a variety of Vermont metal acts alongside touring bands. One of our favorite bands, Vaporizer is from the Burlington area. Those guys fucking tear it up!

13.Outside of music what are some of your interests? Partying and racket sports!!! Sascha our singer is a crazy rollerblader and is usually doing backflips in a halfpipe somewhere when we are not playing.

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

Thanks so much for the interview!

Check out our album on bandcamp: http://barishi.bandcamp.com/album/barishi

and our Facebook page for updated events and info: https://www.facebook.com/barishiband

Barishi/Self Titled/2013 CD Review

  Barishi  are  a  band  from  Vermont  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  metal  with  elements  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2013  album.

  "Sky  Burial"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  sound  effects  along  with  some  saxophones  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  song  is  an  instrumental  intro  with  no  vocals  or  other  instruments  being  utilized.

  "Holy  Mountain"  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  progressive  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  which  also  leads  up  to  saxophones  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  then  melodic  clean singing  vocals  kick  in  before  evolving  more  into  aggressive  screams  and  then  guitar  leads  and  solos  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "The  Rider"  opens  up,  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  black  metal  screams  and  after  awhile  death  metal  influences  and  progressive  rock  style  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  song  along  with  some  hardcore  style  screams.

  "Exhibiche"  starts  up  with  nature  sounds  and  spoken  word  samples  and  a  few  seconds  later  bass  guitars  kick  in  along  with  some  clean  guitars  before  adding  in  drums  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Through  Mountains,  Through  Plains"  kicks  in  with  melodic  clean singing  vocals,  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  you  can  also  hear  bass  guitars in  the  background  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  music  gets  more  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  which  also  leads  up  to  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "The  Waters"  comes in  with  drums  and  heavy,  melodic  and  progressive  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  black  metal  influenced  screams  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.  

  "A  Place  That  Swallows  All  Rivers"  hits  it  off  with  distorted  and  clean  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  bass  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  there  are  no  vocals  present  on  the  song  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental.

  "Jaguar  Scarification  Ritual"  which  was  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  drums  and  bass  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  heavy  guitar  riffs that  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  clean  guitars  which  also  leads  up  to  clean  singing  vocals  which  later  evolve  into  some  aggressive  sounding  screams  as  well  as  guitar  leads.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  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  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Barishi  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  metal  band  with  elements  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Rider"  "Through  Mountains,  Through  Plains"  and  "Jaguar  Scarification  Ritual".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://barishi.bandcamp.com/