Oblivion Circle Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band? Joe: we're an American blackened Metal band from dallas/fort worth Texas.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording? Joe: pretty much its an extreme metal recording with some heavy black and death metal influence. Dark melodies with some aggressive parts throughout the release.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?  Joe: The e.p is a concept release, a fictional modern take on the 4 horseman of the apocalypse.  Pretty much how us as a human species destroy the earth. I.e. war, over population and pollution.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Oblivion Circle'? Joe: i believe we as humans blindly follow and repeat ourselves throughout history. Almost like we're programmed to self destruct. So oblivion circle is just a infinite loop of existence.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance? Joe: Since we're a new band, we haven't played a live show yet.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? Joe: we're playing a local fest here in our home state in January. (our debut show)

7.The ep was released on 'Sepulchral Silence Records' are you happy with the support that they have given you so far? Joe: Iam very pleased with the exposure and feedback we have recieved.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal? Joe: we haven't been told we suck or anything yet. Ha, people seem to enjoy it. We've been played on a few podcast radio shows and on air Shows here in TX and one in Arizona.  Seem to get more attention in the U.K, been played on few shows from london and ireland.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you seethe band heading into musically during the future?  Joe: probably going to stick to the blackened death formula, maybe get into a more progressive writing approach, hopefully by next year we will put out a full length, We're currently writing new material.

10.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? Joe: i listen to alot of different bands but iam really influenced by cattle decapitation, Winterfylleth, forgotten tomb and vattnet viskar. Iam currently stuck on "Aborted" (RetroGore) and Regarde les hommes tomber (exile)

11.What are some of your non musical interests?  Joe: video games and craft beer. Ha.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Joe: just huge big thanks to everyone that supports and listens to Oblivion Circle, Cheers!

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Waldensis Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1) We are a 2 pieces band, which play a kind of mixture of Black/Death Metal with some melodic stuff in it. We've had a few changes in our line-up and we're currently looking for a new singer which will also play the rythm guitar, and a bass player. We are 19 and 20 years old, but EP was recorded as we were 17 and 18. We are currently writing a new album, a full LP, which will be pretty daaaaaamm good.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2) It's pretty melodic, we wanted to have a melodic project but with more brutallity (blast beats, fast riffs etc...) as normal melodic death metal bands. Also there was a synth player which give us a kind of symphonic nuances, but she's no longer part of the band, so there won't be any synth in the future for this project.

3.So far all of the music has been instrumental, are you planning on using any vocals in the future?
3) Yes, actually we should have had vocals on the EP but we kicked out the vocalist because of musical divergency, so we removed the vocals, but there will be vocals on our future realeases.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Waldensis'?
4) Waldensis is the ancient name for the region we live, in Switzerland the country is divided in what we call "canton" or "Kanton" in the german parts, and ours is called "Vaud". During the Middle Ages it was called Waldensis, that's why we choose that name.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5) We actually haven't played that many, but the biggest one was at a small metal festival with the bands "Path of Desolation" and "Blasted". But as soon as we'll have a solid line-up we will surely do more of them!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6) Probably concerts plans with other local bands such as our friend from "Unholy Pagoda" and Tripping Tombstone"!

7.The ep was released on 'Sepulchral Silence Records', are you happy with the support that they have given yo so far?
7) Yes it's very good, they are doing everything needed, we couldn't hope more!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic black and death metal?
8) We haven't had a lot of feedacks just because we're not that famous and because we haven't made a lot of advertising for it, but so far, they've been pretty good and thats very motivating!

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9) We are actually writing a new album at the moment, we are looking for some studios possibilities in Switzerland, and would record it next year if possible! It will probably be heavier, and more technicall for the most part !

10.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?
10) For the inspiration mostly:  Belphegor, Dark Funeral, Rose Funeral, Carnifex; what we enjoy listening to:  Beneath the Massacre, Brain Drill, Djent (vildhjarta, textures etc...), Origin, Thy Art Is Murder, Spawn of Possession, Rings of Saturn, Iron Maiden, Fallujah, Decapitated, Animals as leaders and many more!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11) We both study law, we both enjoy video games (Competitive Halo, Competitive Super Smash bros Melee, Pokemon, Zelda etc...) ; and hanging out with friends!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12) Thanks for interviewing us, we really enjoyed it, and stay tuned for our new musical releases!

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Onirism/The Well Of Stars/2016 EP Review

  Onirism  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  recently have  had  an  album  reviewed  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  ep  "The  Well  Of  Stars".

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  also  start  evolving  into  more  of  a symphonic  direction  after a  few  seconds  while  also  having  the  epic  feeling  of  a  fantasy  movie  and  on  the  second  tracks  the  symphonic  elements  get  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sound  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  are d one  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  screams  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  elements of  medieval  folk  music  can  be  heard  in  the music  at  times  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  all  instrumental.

  Onirism  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  epic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  he  had  established  on  the  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  lucid  dreams  themes  while  also  having  a  concept  to  them.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Onirism  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Well  Of  Starts  Part  II'  and  "The  Endless  Ride  of  heavens".  8  out  of  10.

http://onirismband.bandcamp.com/album/the-well-of-stars-ep

 

Marsh Dweller/The Weight Of Sunlight/Eihwaz Recordings/2016 CD Review

  Marsh  Dweller  are  a  solo  project  originally  from  Ohio  but  now  re-located  to  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "The  Weight  of  the  Sunlight"  which  will  be  released  by  Eihwaz  Recordings in  August.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  use  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  atmospheric  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  at  times  the  music  also  mixes  both  the  heavy  and  acoustic  parts  together  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  There  is  also  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  style  melodic  death  metal  influences  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a couple  of  instrumentals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  tracks  also  add  in a brief  use  of  melodic  singing  and  the  album  also  contains  a  small  amount  of   session  work  from  members  of  Obsequiae,  Brimstone  Coven  and  Nechochwen.

  Marsh  Dweller  plays  a musical  style  that mixes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  progressive  elements  to  create  a  musical  style  he  refers  to  as  being  'bright  metal',  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  Naturalistic  Pantheism,  Philosophy  and Triumph  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Marsh  Dweller  are  a  very  great  sounding melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dull  Earth"  "Monumental  Collapse"  and    "Forks  Of  The  River".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Marsh_Dweller/3540386723 

Stormtide Interview

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



We (STORMTIDE) are a symphonic fantasy/death metal band from a little country known to some as Australia. To others, “Down Under”. Having been hard at work these past three and a bit years on our debut album “Wrath of an Empire” we are finally ready to release through the awesome Metal Hell Records.



2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?



A fusion. We’ve worked tirelessly to blend together our favourite genres combining black, death, symphonic and folk metals to create something entirely new. Or at least we hope that’s what we’ve done!



3.Your lyrics cover a lot of High Fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?



Sure. Everyone in the band is a big fan of Dungeons and Dragons, video games and fantasy literature. In fact, the song “The Green Duck” is based on the tavern in our Dungeons and Dragons campaign.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Stormtide'?



That’s a good question! It came to us after a few failed (and hilarious) attempts at creating a name. It seemed to just fit.



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



We try and make each show as important and as exciting as the last. We’ve had the opportunity to play packed capacity venues supporting our favourite bands as well as playing to a few angry football fans at our local. Our stage performance is the same regardless – Cloaked, furious and fun.



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



Can’t say too much to that just yet, let’s just say some things are in the works!



7.The new album is coming out on 'Metal Hell Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



Metal Hell have been really great to work with. They gave us a really great opportunity to promote the kind of music that most mainstream labels wouldn’t take a chance on.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?



Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive these past few years. We have fans all over the world who regularly message us asking for updates, merch and when we’ll be touring to their country!



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

It’s becoming a bit of a cliché to say “heavier and darker” about future music these days. We’re just aiming for “Better”!



10.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?



Our influences range from old school black metal to epic symphonic metal. Our favourite bands are along the lines of Insomnium, Equilibrium and Wintersun.



11.Does Paganism play any role in your music?



Not so much! We try and avoid any religious overtones in our music.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



Video games, reading, live performance theatre.



13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We look forward to seeing what people say regarding this new album!

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Triplezero/000/Antinomia Records/Binary Sorrow/2016 Full Length Review

  Triplezero  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and black  metal  with  some  elements  of  free  improv,  avant  garde  and  contemporary  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "000"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Antinomia  Records  and  Binary  Sorrow.

  Distorted  noises  along  with  some grim  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  direction  and  the  music  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  demonic  growls  during  the  heavier  sections  of  the songs  and  the  whispers  give  the  tracks  more  of  an  evil  atmosphere.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  melodic  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  experimental  and  psychedelic  elements  along  with  a  great  amount  of  drones  and  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  bring  in  electronic  music  traces   while  also  bringing  in  flutes  and  tablas  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  free  form  jazz  feeling  and  as  the  album  progresses  the music  starts  getting  more  shamanistic  and  tribal  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Triplezero  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  metal  and  ritualistic  dark  ambient  while  also  adding  in  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraft  themes  along  with  the  ritualistic  and  left  hand  path  elements  from  the  writings  of  S.  Ben  Qayin  and  Aseneth  Mason.

  In  my  opinion  Triplezero  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  ritual,  dark  ambient  and  avant  garde  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "0"  "V"  "18"  and  "000".  8  out  of  10.

https://antinomiarecords.bandcamp.com/album/000

Waldensis/Skies Of Deception/Sepulchral Silence Records/2016 EP Review

  Waldensis  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Skies  Of  Deception"  which  was  released  by  Sepulchral  Silence  Records.

  Night  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  atmospheric  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Both t he  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  get  mixed  together  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  melodies  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  instrumental  while  also  bringing  in  a  perfect  balance  between  black  and  death metal  elements.

  Waldensis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  more  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  without  any  vocals  or  songwriting  while  also  adding  in  some  symphonic  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Waldensis  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  instrumental  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  "Unfounded  Hope"  and  "Skies  Of  Deception".  8  out  of  10.

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