Rapheumets Well/The Exile/Test Your Metal Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Rapheumets  Well  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  plays  a  symphonic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Exile"  which  was  released  by  Test  Your  Metal  Records.

  Classical  guitar playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  starts  going  into  more  of  a  brutal a nd  fast  symphonic  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  melodies  and  technical  elements  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  start  becoming  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  blackened  death  metal  style  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  operatic  feeling  and  some  of  the  heavier  riffing  also  brings  in  elements  of  prog  metal  while  the  symphonic side  of  the  songs  have  a  classical  music  influence  to  them  while  later  tracks  also  show  them  bringing  in  a  touch  of  ambient  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Rapheumets  Well  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  symphonic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  ad  something  different  to  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  their  own  sci  fi  and  fantasy  creations.

  In  my  opinion  Rapheumets  Well  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Epic  Of  Darmak"  "Witch  of  Dark  Sphere"  and  "Planetry  Cenotaph".  8  out  of  10.   

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Malevolentia/Republique/Epictural Production/2016 CD Review

  Malevolentia  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  orchestral  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Republique"  which  was  released  by  Epictural  Production.

  A  very  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestras  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  black  metal  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  which  they  also  mix  in  with  the  symphonic  elements  and  tthe  solos  and  leads  stick  to  a  melodic  direction.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  choir vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  female  vocals  are  also  used  at  times  and  they  both  give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  at  times  also  brings  in  more  of  a  ritualistic,  metaphysical  and esoteric  atmosphere  and  the  last  track  brings  in  male  vocals  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  goth  feeling.

  Malevolentia  plays  a  style  of  black  metal t at  is  very  aggressive  and  symphonic  while  also  mixing  in  a  touch  of  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in French  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  an  Orwellian  type  of  society  with  deep  politics  and  some  occult  references.

  In  my  opinion  Malevolentia  are  a very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  orchestral  black  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  if you are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Annuit  Coeptis"  "Magus  Frater  Spectat  Te"  "Orbo  ab  Chao"  and  "Eschatos".  8  out  of  10.

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In Twilight's Embrace/Trembling/Arachnophobia Records/2016 EP Review

  In  Twilight's  Embrace  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  started  out  more  in  a  melodic  death  metal  vein  but  have  evolved  into a  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Trembling"  which  will  be  relased  in  May  by  Arachnophobia  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  and  melodic  riffs  are  added  onto  the recording  and  the  it  means  in  more  of  a  Swedish  style  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  heavy  dose  of  melodic  death  metal.

  Solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  fashion  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90'sand  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  there  is  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  the  ep  closes  with  a  cover  of  Armia's  "Opowiesc  Zimowa"  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  pun.

  In  Twilight's  Embrace  expand  on  their  melodic  death  metal  sound  by  adding  in  more  black  metal  elements  this  time  around  to  take  their  music  into  a  different  direction, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  In  Twilight's  Embrace  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "In  the  Mouth  Of  Madness".  8  out  of  10.

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Stortregn Interview

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

Well, the line-up has changed a bit as we quite recently got a new bass player. While working on the new album, we also toured through France and Eastern Europe. To top it all, played at Wacken last summer. Besides that, we are working on a Stortregn beer and composing new songs. We're in a constant composing state of mind.

2. You have a new album coming out in May, 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?
The band is getting more mature. The compositions are more complex and varied than Evocation Of Light, which was more of a traditional melodic black metal style. Singularity is far more personal, more death and technical, with odd time signatures coming up. We payed also more attention to the sound of the album, it is deeper and richer than Evocation of Light.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
A "singularity" in general relativity designates the region at the center of a black hole, where the laws of space and time cannot apply and cannot be measured. A point where the spacetime curvature becomes infinite. This idea of lawlessness is present all time in this album, both musically and lyrically, exploring it's diverse forms and application in life and space.

4. Originally the band was called 'Divine's Smile' and 'Addict Repulsion', what was the cause of the name changes?

In early 2005, when we started to explore darker music, we passed through a lots of line-up changes, and our music evolved very fast. At a certain point, we wanted to have a clean start, that’s why we changed our name and chose something which fits better with the band.

5. I know that the bands name means 'downpour' in Swedish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

The music of Stortregn has this cold and dark feeling that can be associated with this image. It can also be associated to a gloomy and melancholic atmosphere.

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?

Our performances are a mix of blood, ripping riffs and blast insanity. We give our maximum, both mentally and physically. For us, our best experiences where at Wacken 2015, although we had some great shows in France last year and our tour in Eastern Europe. A small club in Romania comes to mind......

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

The 20th May in Grenoble, and the 27th May in Geneva are already confirmed. We are working on a tour for the end of the year and some other dates around that period will follow.

8. On the new album you had a few guests, can you tell us who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

The musicians we invited play a big role in our musical influences. They are amazing musicians and great person to work with. Simon (Beyond Creation) and Steffen Kummerer (Obscura, Thulcandra) each play an amazing solo on « Omega Rising » and « Black Moon Silhouette ». Ville Viljanen (Mors Principium Est) and Vladimir Cochet (Mirrorthrone) are doing some great vocal lines on « Vertigo » and « Acosmic Ascendant ».

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

Feedback has been generally positive. We've been very often related to Dissection, which is an honor as well as a huge problem. The honor, of course is to be compared to them. The problem is that we cannot do anything without being labelled as "cover band". Which we are not. Dissection was a true source of inspiration, a starting point. However, we are going our own way.

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

Johan is classically trained, he works as a classical guitar teacher. Romain is part of different death and hardcore local bands. Sam has some jazz, funk and ska projects and Duran has had various projects in the past, though Stortregn is the only one at the moment.

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

More extreme. More technical. More blast beats. The music of Stortregn is constantly evolving, and we're already working on new material, even more intense.

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?
In non-metal, each of us listen to different stuff like Classical or Jazz from 60s to nowadays. In metal, besides those who were invited in the album, we can point to Gorod, Inferi, Animals As Leaders, Tribulation, and so on.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?
Beer brewing, eating, drinking, studying...

14. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks to everyone who has supported Stortregn during all these years. Enjoy the new album and see you on the road bitches!

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Eremite/All Things Merge Into One/Taxi Driver Records/2014 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Italy's  Eremite  which  continues  the  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  mixture  of  the  previous  material  and  the  album  is  called  "All  Things  Merge  into  One"  and  was  released  by  Taxi  Driver  Records.

  Aggressive  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  very  heavy  sound  also  kicking  in  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  melodic  riffs  can  be  heard  giving  the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  feeling  and  atmospheric  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times.

  Elements  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  can be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  long and  epic  in  length  and  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  when  keyboards a re  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  classical  music  while  also  having  a  powerful  presence  on  the  instrumental  tracks  and  one  song  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  clean  singing  is  also  added  onto  the  last  track.

 Eremite  show  a  great  amount  of  progression  on  the  recording  adding  in  shorter  songs  and  also  letting  the  atmospheric  black  and  post  metal  elements  have  more  of  a  powerful  effect  while  the  sludge  and  doom  metal  influences  are  still  a  very  dominant  part  of  the  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eremite  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  enjoy t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Past  Became  My  Future"  and  "Bowing  To  The  Mountain".  8  out  of  10. 

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Eremite/Dragonarius/Taxi Driver Records/2013 Full length Review

  Eremite  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of    post,  black and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Dragonarius"  which  was  released  by  Taxi  Driver  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  distorted  bass  guitar  a  few  seconds  alter  that  slowly  starts  to  evolve  into  a  heavier  sound  which  also  brings  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  onto  the  recording  and  after  a  few  minutes  aggressive  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  bass  guitar  leads.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  very  atmospheric  along  with  some  clean  playing  that  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  post  rock  and  the  riffs and  leads  also  get  very  melodic  at  times  bringing  in  tremolo  picking  that  is  more  more  to  black  metal  and  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  melodic  singing  and  psychedelic  sounds  and  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  on  the  second  song  and  the  album  closes  with  some  tragic  sounding  keyboards.

  Eremite  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  post  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eremite  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Not  Of  This  World".  8  out  of  10.  

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Vesperia/The Iron Temptress/2015 EP Review

  Vesperia  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  Celtic  folk  music  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Inron  Tempests".

  A  very  atmospheric  synth  starts  off  the  ep  before  evolving  into  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  style  which  also  mixes  in  with  a  heavier  sound  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  blast  beat  smaking their  presence  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  use  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  very  melodic  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  clean  playing  and  melodic singing  are  added  into t he  recording  they  add  in  more  of  a  folk  music  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  very  melodic  style  and  on  the  second t racks  choirs  are  used  briefly  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  last  track  is  a  metal  solo  version  of  ''Hall  Of  The  Mountain  King".

 Vesperia  plays  a  style  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very symphonic  while  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  folk  music  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  heroic,  epic,  nature  and  psychological  states.

  In  my  opinion  Vesparia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  blackened  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Iron  Saga".  8 out  of  10. 

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