Yonder Realm Interview

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

Absolutely.  Yonder Realm is a five piece folk metal band from Long Island, NY that has been active since 2009. We have had the privilege to share the stage with some of the biggest names in folk metal during New York and New Jersey tour dates including Korpiklaani, Turisas, Tyr, Alestorm, Arkona, Blackguard, and many more. We also appeared as the first international act to ever perform on the Semana del Rock festival in Quito, Ecuador 2013. We have just recently signed to Maple Metal Records.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

I would describe the sound of The Old Ways as having a majestic blend of some of the oldest and newest styles of music. It is a very heavy album that is in spirit, defined by the extreme melodic death, thrash, and even black metal punch to it all. It has a fluent Celtic folk tone, with a mix of classical and cinematic elements. On top of all that, an unmistakable influence of many different forms of world music including even Asian and African styles can be heard at parts throughout the album. The bottom layer of the music is seasoned with electronic spacey sounds throughout the albums entirety, which really sets this music apart from our previous work.

3.According to the bands fb page, the band refers to itself as 'cosmic folk metal;, can you tell us a little bit more about this tag?

Cosmic folk metal is basically an attempt to convey all that I would describe the band’s new sound as, in a simplistic term. We are a folk metal band, and what I think differentiates us from others is the spacey/ cosmic overlay of synthesizers, pads, and strings. On top of that, our music is filled with flute and violin melodies, with guitars often complimenting each other in harmonies. These factors are vital to the term “cosmic” put at the beginning of the tag, for they provide the spacey tone added to the folk metal mix.

4.With the new album and single that where released recently there was no new material for 3 years before that, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

Yes, the gap was largely in part to a lot of focus going into playing many shows and getting our name out there before we released new music. We also had a line-up change with acquiring a new bass player, Eddie Carrella, as well as adding keyboardist/ violinist Dana Lengel to the band making us a five piece for the first time ever. This change also altered the music for the new album, with the new members making significant contributions to our sound.

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

Lyrical topics include astronomical phenomenon, nature, anti-theism, mythology, Druidism, animals, spirituality, and anything else that happens to come to mind by any means of inspiration.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Yonder Realm'?

I wouldn’t necessarily say there is meaning behind the name as much as I would say it has a nice ring to it. Inspiration for the name comes from an interest in discovery and exploration of the mind, and the boundaries of fantasy and reality.

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

I think most of us would have to say the best show we ever played was the Semana del Rock festival in Quito, Ecuador during the summer of 2013. It was totally unlike any show we had ever played, with the reaction from the crowd being absolutely amazing. We have been dying to return to South America ever since. We’ve also played a lot of great gigs at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City (they have been known to refer to us as the “house Pagan band” there) which includes our performance at Paganfest 2012 as well as many other folk metal shows. Our stage performance is one that has a lot of elements and happenings such as full intros and outros, fierce energy from the band shown through headbanging and dancing, and even the switching of instruments during songs.

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

Oh yes! Everything is currently in the works, but were working on a US/ Canada tour with our new label Maple Metal Records. On top of that we’ve been confirmed for some summer festivals that will be announced quite soon!

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of both extreme and folk metal?

Better then we could have ever hoped for. Our musical style definitely appeals to more of a European and South American audience so far, but we are warmly welcomed by the US folk metal scenes that do exist in the nooks of the states. The album has gotten really great reviews from webzines worldwide.

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

 Yes our bass player Eddie currently plays for a Long Island, melodic metal band called To the Depths. Other then that though, none at the moment.

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

Yonder Realm will always be musically the folk metal band we set out to be from the very beginning, only through experience and adaption will our music change and take new form with future releases. We are all very happy with the musical direction we’ve taken thus far and are extremely eager to release more of our music.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Speaking for most of us to some degree, a lot of where we gain our metal influence comes from Swedish death metal, and other European melodic metal bands like In Flames (old), Children of Bodom, At the Gates, Soilwork, Wintersun, Dimmu Borgir, etc. On top of that, the band is heavily influenced by movie and video game soundtracks, as well as folk music of all types though mostly Celtic. As of late, my music choices have been artists such as Shpongle, Finntroll, Alice in Chains, the Pogues, Lunasa, Equilibrium, the Doors, Eluveitie, Down, Blood Ceremony, Eyehategod, and the Faceless to name a few.

13.Does Paganism play any role in your music?

It definitely does somewhat lyrically with certain themes bearing influence from Pagan mythology and Druidism.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Reading fiction by writers such as Michael Moorcock, J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Terry Goodkind, George R.R. Martin, Hunter S. Thompson, as well as nonfiction by writers such as Sam Harris, Carl Sagan, Terence McKenna, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens to name a few. Other interests of mine include hiking, RPGs such as The Elder Scrolls series, psychedelic research, cats, meditation, and science.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Many thanks for the interview! And to all those reading check out our new album The Old Ways and pick yourself up a copy if you like what you hear! Cheers, and support underground folk metal!

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Aethyr Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the record- ing of the new album?

D - We've got the master of the album in our hands by the end of the summer 2014. Since then we've been doing some gigs & making new tracks, thinking about making a record for the future split or EP. New tracks are very different from the CORPUS! Also we were making video for CVLT single.

W - Also we were drawing a new artwork for the release.


2.You have a new album coming out this year, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

D - Aethyr has started as a duo, but now we are four-piece band. It was a long way from blackened-industrial-drone with only Aleister Crowley on the vocals, to the thing we've recorded for CORPUS.

W - I think that we are still trying to find out our own musical sound. We continue to try new things and mix styles in different proportions.


3.This is to be the first full length since 2010 and the first release since the split since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

D - After the split came out in 2012 we became full four-piece band and started making all the music together, also making live shows. Music became more and more difficult and when we had enough material we went to the studio, but wasn't really ready. So we've re-recorded the album in 3 different studios during 2013 & 2014. During that time Aethyr came stronger as a band & have made some new tracks that we've decided also to record for the album and leave some old (more drone sounded) tracks behind.


4.Your lyrics cover Occultism and Esoteric Disciplines, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?

W – As for me, it all has as metaphysical and as poetic sense. In order to understand the world we think of metaphors and signs. It's a way and attempt to look beyond reality. Staying alone with Abyss and comprehend himself and alone with the absolute.


5.I know that the bands name means the fifth element or spirit in occultism, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

D – Our music – is the Aethyr for this world.

W - All our efforts in band it is a way to understand what is it Aethyr.


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

W - We have not a many gigs during this time. We play usually where coincides with the spirit and atmosphere of the place and other musicians in small clubs. There was also a memorable experience - a concert in the woods, it was the video material for the video of the single "CVLT" (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnhaDGprw_I ).


7. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

D – Supporting Primordial (IRL) is the nearest one. Tour – maybe.

W - We don’t thinking about that, but we open for any offers.


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

W - We are just beginning to assert itself, but nevertheless, thanks for the efforts of our label Cimmerian Shade Recordings - more people know about our music. And there are a few positive reviews already. This is very encouraging.


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

D - Our new tracks sounds more in melodic-black-death style. We speed up more and more)) Though we have one new classic doom-black track. But anyway - we don't want/don't like to make borders. If someone got a great drone/sludge riff - we'll make it, followed by great death riff, etc.


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

D – Oh, there are so many of them…Nihilist, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, Ceremonial Oath, Behemoth, Slayer, Amenra, Celeste, Clint Mansell, Gunter Kallmann Chorus, The Ocean, SepticFlesh, Under Byen – to name a few.

W - There are too many. From bands playing dark ambient and drone to True Norwegian Black Metal. Old and relative new. And it's impossible to select one or two. I suppose it is a mixture of all of them )


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

D – Graphic design & photo, but music is the main interest all the time (with other projects & music styles).

W - We involved in art project http://rottenfantom.com/ together with my beautiful wife Elena. We making a dark and mysterious black and white illustrations. It is a second part of my life on a par with Aethyr.


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

W - Thanks a lot for the interesting questions. Music is an important part of human culture. It is a mixture that unites people across the globe. Listen to the good music and try not to do anything stupid! )

D – Ave A!

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Cruenta Lacrymis/Sweetness And Blasphemy/Metal Scrap Records/2015 CD Review

  Cruenta  Lacrymis  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Sweetness  And  Blasphemy"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  A  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  that  have  a  grim  feeling  to  them  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  grim  screams  that  also  mix  in  with  the  symphonic  elements along  with  all  of  the  tracks  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   A  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  hear  mixed  in  with  the  fast  parts  on  a  regular   basis  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  melody  throughout  the  recording  and  death  metal  growls  mix  in  quite  a  bit  with  black  metal  screams  throughout  the recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  melody,  talent  and  skill.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  thrash  and  modern  prog  metal  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  along  with  a  little  bit  of  violins  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  heavy  and  symphonic  style  of  black/death  metal.

  Cruenta  Lacrymis  plays  a  very  old  school  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  to  update  their  musical  style  for  the  modern  day,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  poetic  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cruenta  Lacrymis  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Steersman's  Course"  "The  Ghost  Of  The  Jew"  "Luxury"  and  "Sound Of  Soul".  8  out  of  10.  

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Yonder Realm/The Old Ways/Maple Metal Records/2015 CD Review

  Yonder  Realm  are  a  band  from  new  York  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "The  old  Ways"  which  was  released  by  Maple  Metal  Records.

  A  very  medieval  folk  music  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  parts  that  kick  in  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  blackened  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  solos and   leads  are  utilized  they  are  in  a  very  melodic  yet  extreme  musical  direction  while  the  synths  also  bring  elements  of  progressive  rock  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  clean  singing  and  traces  of  prog  metal  can  be  heard  in  some  sections  of  the  tracks.

  A  great  amount  of the  heavy  parts  of  the  songs  display  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  nature  samples  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  the  last  song  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Yonder  Realm  play  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  is  a  bit  more  heavier  than  their  European  counterparts  and  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  melodic  black,  death  and  prog  metal  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Goblins,  Beers,  Mysticism,  Paganism,  and  Kingdoms.

  In  my  opinion  Yonder  Realm  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sacrifice  to  The  Old  Stone  Gods"  "The  Old  Ways"  "The  Pillars  of  Creation"  and  "The  Moonbeam  Road".  8  out  of  10.

Sacrifice to the Old Stone Godshttp://youtu.be/sXDvT1RjaDQ 
Under the Rising Moon http://youtu.be/Rp37o3Wg9rw
Crows http://youtu.be/uR7uvh1YHEM
The Old Ways http://youtu.be/NlVJVwVlF4w

    

Stone Circle Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

We've just done a successful album launch show, and now we are booking as many gigs as possible, including a tour with Meta-Stasis in July, and some headline shows leading up to that. We're also working on some more video content to put out as well. Never a dull moment!

2.In December you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

We've had a bit of a gap between the last album and this one, we feel the song writing has matured, and more concise, but remaining diverse. Obviously over this time the recording quality is better, and more assured in how we sound as a band.

3.The band has been around since 2004 but so far has only released a demo, and 2 full length's, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

We have released several EP's under a different name, which were a valid part of our evolution, however we decided we didn't want to re-release them under the new name. This is before the days of Facebook and even Myspace!

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

Mostly dark stories with some mythological themes, with some of our thoughts on religion, society and humanity thrown in for good measure! Easter Island, for example, is about the rise and fall of human life on the island, as a model for human life in general, and how self destructive humans can be.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Stone Circle'?

We are all from Gloucestershire which is in between, both the Avebury Stone Circles, and obviously Stone Henge, and we feel the subject matter of the band connects with nature, mythology and early humans relationship with the earth.

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

We've been lucky enough to play some fantastic shows in our time, including Bloodstock, Download and supporting Fleshgod Apocolypse, Breed 77, Evil Scarecrow (those guys are funny bastards), plus we love a packed out club gigs. We focus on playing well, enjoying the music ourselves, and hopefully transferring that energy to our audience.

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

Yes (As above!), we're very excited to be joining the gruesome Meta-Stasis in July, but we have lots of other bands we want to tour with in the future as well!

8.The new album was released by Terrorizer Magazine, do you feel having this legendary magazine behind you has helped get your music out there a lot more easily heard?

It's certainly been an honour to be on the front cover of such an awesome magazine, and definitely helped us reach a wider audience. We wanted to make this album as easy as possible for people to get their hands on, so this was the best way to do this (along with free bandcamp downloads, soundcloud etc)

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive death metal?

So far, the feedback has been very positive for the new album, especially by fans of progressive death metal. We like to think we've brought together our favourite parts of the metal genre, so there's plenty to appreciate, regardless of your usual preferred sub genre!

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

The band will always evolve, but no matter what changes happen as long as we're enjoying the music and feeling fore filled by what we're written. Hopefully people will want to come along for the ride!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We all have quite a diverse taste in music in general between the four of us, and metal is only one part of it. There's some post-rock influences on the album, as well as classic metal bands like Gojira, Opeth, Meshuggah, Katatonia who are obvious influences. But in terms of song writing, we often take elements from other genres that are less closely related to metal.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

We all have quite different other interests! Joe does Martial Arts, is a coffee connoisseur and travelling. James (Rambo) is very into video/photography, media production and does marketing, and a qualified snowboard instructor! Sams main interest is playing rugby (if you ever see us live, you'll see why!), and enjoys a quiet fishing trip on the lakes of the countryside. Skelly (Tom) is a water sports instructor, and likes getting shitfaced...

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

Ha Final Thought is the last track on the album... We hope you enjoy the album and if you like it, share it!

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Mortals/Repellers/Broken Limbs/2015 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  New  York's  Mortals  and  Pennsylvania's  Repellers  and  we  will start  off  the  review  with  Mortals  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  crust.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts out  with  horror  movie  samples  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  sludge/doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  post  metal  in  their  musical  style  and  you  can  hear  the  crust  influence  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  the  lyrics  are  very  dark  along  with  a  powerful  sounding  production  on  their  8  minute  long  track.

  In  my  opinion  Mortals  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

  Next  up  is  Repellers  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some clean  playing  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  direction  while  also  having  melodic  riffs  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  grim  screams  that  also  gives  the  music  a  black  metal  influence,  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  you  can  hear  some  d  beats  and  the  songs  at  times  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  on  the  last  tack  clean  playing  makes  a  brief  return,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Repellers  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust  and  grind  with  black  metal  style  vocals  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band  and  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "False  Solace".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black  metal,  sludge,  crust  and  grind.  8  out  of  10.  

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Sabhankra Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Hey guys ! We had a very fun recording session and finally we have released Seers Memoir prior to christmas time. For the moment we are very busy with getting prepared for our upcoming shows and writing materials for next album. (Yeah, there is no end for creation)

2.In December you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Well, everything is different than before now. Before recording this album we had to fullfill our military services and it was quite dark and boring. So this album is result of a military service in -20 C. The sound is dark and cold in comparision with our old releases. Genre is much closer to black metal but also still not that evil to call it black metal for me. Guitar sound is as raw as this music can handle, since we hate this modern extremely compressed ENGL/MESA sound. People criticize this a lot but this is the sound that we like. More than that, now we do a "guitar music". We no more have a keyboard player and we write much more guitar melodies. Still there are some keyboard parts but we use samples for that when it comes to live shows.

3.This is the first album to be released in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?

This is a very ugly answer to give, "military service"

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

We always wrote about wars, legends, power and hate. And this time we poured a bit blasphemy on it.

5.The band was originally known as 'Constantinopolis' what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sabhankra'?

Constantinopolis was my music project. I released 1 demo and 1 album with it. Then when it came to live shows, we decided to start SABHANKRA. It doesnt have a meaning, except the music we do.

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

For stage performance all i can say is "we love headbang". Just check youtube :) Our best shows were with Amorphis (2010) and Necrophagist (2006-2010) I guess. We had nice time with funny people.

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

Of course ; we plan a turkey tour and Russia and Balkan (i wish so) tour.

8.The new album was released on Haarbn productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Haarbn is a sub-label of russian Metalism Records. They deserve some salutes with being so interested in our music from the beginning. They usually work with black/folk bands.

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

Response is very good. The first press is almost sold-out. The feedback we got is mostly positive. (As I mentioned, some guys are so much in love with compressed guitar sounds. There is no need for every band to sound like Rammstein )

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?

Indeed. I played with so many bands in past from very different genres. Our bass player now also playing with Crimson Hill. Our lead guitarist is obssesed with 80's rock and plays mostly glam when he is not with us. Drummer Mehmet earns his living as a drum-tech. Touring with famous turkish rock bands as a drummer and sometimes as a technician.

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

I dont think that we will go back to that era which we used to use those turkish folk instruments. At least not in near future. This epic real metal music that we do was our target since a long time. We are really happy with what we did in "seers memoir".

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Mithotyn, Thyrfing, Lost Horizon, Wintersun and Istapp. We used to listen King diamond, Death and Iced Earth for a very long time. But not the latest albums (at least for iced earth)

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I am a gamer. I play Starcraft a lot. Also addicted to Final Fantasy and Resident Evil series. Süha spends most of his time with painting war vehicle and machine figures and plays paintball too. He has enough gun and rifle in his room to start a war :) And we all have a common hobby called "BEER"

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

Buy cd's, get the smell of a booklet hold it in your hands, support and feed the bands you like and give birth and faith to new ones. Thanks for nice question and for your interest. Good luck guys !

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