Omrade/Nade/My Kingdom Music/2017 CD Review

  Omrade  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Nade"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Programmed  drum  beats  and  trip  hop  elements  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  yet  aggressive  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  violins  being  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements.

  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  saxophones.

  Throughout  the  recording  the  music  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive,  experimental,  avant  garde  and  post  rock  influences  together  and  on later  tracks  the  vocals  get  more  aggressive  along  with  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  some  of  the  songs  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  whispered and  female  vocals.

  On  this  recording  Omrade  goes  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  and  post  style  of  metal  while  still  keeping  around  some  black  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  mostly  written  in  Swedish  along  with  one  track  being  written  in  English  and  they  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Omrade  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "XII"  "The  Same  For  The  Worst"  and  "Falaich".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/fPxShx4vnyo

 

Dusius Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
The band get started in late 2010 as four friends with the passion for music planned to write few songs for themselves. With some time the project got bigger, with two members more and the first shows. After the EP and the signing with our previous label, we found a new and final member for the completeness of our sound, introducing bagpipes and whistles in the line up.

2.You got a new album coming out this month, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2013?
We started with an idea around the viking/folk metal sound, but, dealing with our different influences, we tried to manage a sound which could contain and harmonize our styles, creating a mark which could define us out of any specific label.
This, however, wasn’t planned on the start, but was a spontaneus evolution, as each member of the group played a part in the writing of both the music and the lyrics.
Basically, the main difference between the two releases is the integration of the new member, and his contribution with typical folkish instruments.

3.The band has been around since 2010 but so far have only released one demo and a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?
At about half 2014 the new member was found, and it took time to integrate him and to rewrite the songs, allowing him to find his place.
The album was almost finished, and we wanted it to be in the higher quality possible; so the recordings were quite expansive and we decided to wait rather than lower the final quality. However, the recordings took place in autumn 2015, and Memory of a Man was just waiting for a label for the whole 2016.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Despite the topics that could be found across the lyrics, our most interest was in the tale itself, in its plot, in its development. Our own stories run through the songs, camouflaged in metaphors and assembled in the life moments of the Man of whom we speak.
His memories are but our feelings and sensations: his anger is our anger; the stories differ.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dusius'?
The name "Dusius" was chosen with inspiration. The term was accidentally found by Manuel Greco in one of his lectures about post-Roman civilizations. He read that the word was in use in some late-medieval gaelic dialect, with a clear latin influence (dusius, dusiī). The exact origin is controversial, but the meaning is confirmed to be "Spirit" or "Monster", or, as that book itself declared, "Spirit of the Wood". The name enchanted us swiftly, as it reflected our folkish purpose.

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 recall every show gladly, but some of them occupy a special place in our memory.
Our first show was amazing for us; we have had the pleasure to play at the party for the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. We were headliners right in the downtown of Parma! The public response was totally unexpected: they were thrilled, and so were we. A superb start, indeed.
The show we had at the Aemilia Folk Fest was another memorable one. This was a folk-metal festival, so the public was focused. The fact is that the stage was declared unsafe during the soundcheck, so that in response we placed our amps on the grass, wired them, and played between trees in a wonderful summer night, with lots of fine folks.
Leaving all together the italian borders was the best experience. Every day of our european tour have been unique and awesome! The shows in Opava and in Prague were the most amazing, the music and the people were very high, and we did our work good and well.
We are as natural as possible onstage, we bring self irony and cheer, 'cause there is always room for laugh! We bring passion nonetheless, and we do our best and we're as professional as the situation needs.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We are currently considering some opportunities. We'll certainly have more shows in Italy, but we heartly hope to come back abroad, having shows throughout Europe.

8.The album is coming out on 'Extreme Metal Music', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
We are new in the label, so that it's pretty hard to have impressions about. Up to now we are feeling cool: they're looking after us with experience and helping us with great attention.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of viking and folk metal?
So far, we had a discrete feedback in the Eastern Europe and in Spain; we are very glad to have had a great appreciation by non-folk/viking fans.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We already have some big project for the future, in which we are giving more space to our folkish side, trying to stay in the never-heard. We are also focusing on different concepts and topics, hoping to bring up something as various as we can for our new works.
We are currently working a lot on the technical side, trying to improve our abilities a

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 different musical tastes, so the answer may sound weird and non-linear. Our influences clearly are what can be heard in the album. To name some, we listen to: Metallica, Tom Waits, Ensiferum, Guccini, Ayreon, Eluveite, Jethro Tull and Pain of Salvation.
Yes, that's just a few, but all of these listening had a weight in the writing of our songs.

12.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
Made an except of a certain common fascination, we have no peculiar vision or interest on Paganism. It is precisely why we decided not to include any specific referring to cultures or religions inside our tale.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
We have interests around literature, theatre, art, cinema, photography, woodcraft, tipography.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
For all those who have always supported us, we want to say that we intend to keep on working hard, and we hope to continue to have so much fun together. Our friendship is very important to us, and we hope that never dies, regardless of the fate of the band itself.
Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity, it was a pleasure to answer your questions.

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Downcast Twilight Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a bit about band?
First off, greetings! It’s a sincere pleasure to talk to you and to your readers. We really appreciate it! “Downcast Twilight” were formed in late 2015 as a folk / Viking death / black metal project by OG, who is the musical mastermind behind every composition and also handles the rhythm guitars section. Vitold Buznaev is on vocals, Jan Twothousandarrows Tamb is on lead guitars and solos, Chris Zindros on bass and the fretless bass solo in “The Red Queen” track, Shannon Lee Stott-Rigsbee on violin and Marios Koutsoukos tackles all the lyrics. In 2016, we signed with Stygian Crypt Records, in Russia. Very recently, our first album, “Under the wings of the Aquila”, was released in CD. Note that it is also available as an online release on CDbaby.com. It has been a privilege to also cooperate with guest musicians on said album: Hildr Valkyrie did the vocals for “The Red Queen”, Eva Oswald sang in “Death in Alexandria” and we also had additional bass recordings by Jan Banaś.

2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Hopefully, it’s exactly what fans of the folk / Viking metal genre would expect: heavy, pounding, melodic yet with brutal and raw overtones, ideal for headbanging and spilling your beer (or mead) all over the place. OG, the maestro extraordinaire of “Downcast Twilight” handled the mixing and mastering of the album, bringing his professional expertise and years of experience into creating a sound that is solid, full-bodied and, we believe, will satisfy even the most demanding of listeners.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
In this particular album, “Under the wings of the Aquila”, the lyrics deal exclusively with themes from Roman antiquity: some songs are about historical events, such as the final days of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra (“Death in Alexandria”) or an abbreviated history of the exploits of the 6th legio ferrata (“The Ironclad Legion”). Other songs deal with the more religious aspects of Roman times, such as the feast of the Lupercalia (“Orgiastic Lupercalia”), which evolved into modern-day “St. Valentine’s day” or the Roman witch-hunt (“The witches of Anglesay”), which, Pliny assures us, was a thing that Romans actually did in his time and, to put it in his words, “the world owes an immeasurable debt to Rome for purging off the face of the earth the barbarous rites of human sacrifice”. Still, “Under the wings of the Aquila” is not a concept album. It has a uniform cultural theme, yes, but every song is its own separate narrative. Future “Downcast Twilight” albums will deal with totally different cultures and civilizations.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Downcast Twilight'?
Well, we are aware that the band’s name sounds more appropriate for a “goth” or “doom” band than for a folk / Viking death metal band but we didn’t want to go with something that would be too cliché or conjure up any specific cultural image to mind. “Downcast Twilight” reflects, rather, that bitter-sweet melancholy feeling, that vague nostalgia one gets when mentally exploring the pages of history and legend of the human race – its glories and shames, triumphs and tragedies, follies and moments of enlightenment. If you will, it’s also an allegory for the “murky” and faded understanding that modern man has, through scattered and fragmented accounts and findings, about his actual past.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
In truth, we are not so much of a live-gig band as much as we are a studio project. With our members being dispersed all over the globe, getting physically together and rehearsing for a live show is currently out of the question, yet who knows what can happen in the future? Perhaps we’ll man a “touring line-up” or something. Everything is on the table and the sky’s the limit! Therefore there’s no stage performance per se to describe as of yet, but I can let you in on a little secret: I do one hell of an air guitar in my shower.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Alas, due to the restrictions mentioned above and the very nature of “Downcast Twilight”, such plans for the time being have to remain in the sphere of wishful thinking.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk and extreme metal?
Actually, the response of the fans has been overwhelmingly great! We are extremely pleased and, at the same time, grateful to all those people who take the time to leave a comment on our social media pages, sharing their enthusiasm with us and the rest of the world. It’s the most amazing feeling really and it always brings a smile in our faces! So, we would like to take this opportunity and shout out to all of you folks who love and support our music – “You’re the best! You rock!”. We believe that what we do has truly something new to offer to the folk / extreme metal genre and, apparently, discerning fans have picked up on it and are embracing “Downcast Twilight” with an ardor that is honestly moving.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
In truth, all of our band members as well as our guest musicians are veterans of the metal scene and even have a long-standing presence in other forms of artistic expression as well. As a result, everyone is one way or another involved with numerous side projects. OG works as a professional sound engineer with a multitude of bands, both in the UK and worldwide; Jan Twothousandarrows Tamb and Hildr Valkyrie may be known to many of you from the many “Folkearth” and “Folkodia” albums in which they have participated. Vitold Buznaev is also a member of bands such as “Impakt”, “Amederia” and others while you may know of Chris Zindros from other bands he’s involved in, such as “Aenaon” and “Absinthiana”. Shannon Lee Stott-Rigsbee is a classically trained violin player and concert musician. Marios Koutsoukos, apart from his work as lyricist for metal bands like “Folkearth”, “Folkodia”, “Dimlight” and other,  is also a professional author of fiction novels, writing in both English and his native Greek.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
It’s difficult to say with any certainty. I mean, musical evolution is like personal growth: the more you learn, the better equipped you are, the more you change and adapt to an ideal of what is “good” and “beautiful” that is constantly coming more and more into focus. Rest assured, however, that “Downcast Twilight” will remain true to its musical “brand” and you’ll always know what to expect from us. It’ll only get better with each album. We are ever striving towards excellence and cooperation with the best musicians in the scene, so be ready for awesome surprises in the near future!

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?
Well, we’re obviously heavily influenced by the norms of the Viking / death / folk metal genre. Bands like Tyr, Amon Amarth, Thyrfing and Mithotyn are among our favorites yet we do not like to limit ourselves. Each member of “Downcast Twilight” has his or her own special preferences, ranging from hard rock to black metal. Our creative process is like an Athanor, an alchemical furnace, where all these individual influences are smelted together in the refined amalgam of our sound. We listen to pretty much anything nowadays – always depending on the moment and the mood: all sorts of metal genres, from power / progressive to symphonic black metal, then we might even jump to Icelandic folk music, medieval canticles, dark rock crooners, jazz and blues… seriously. Anything. If you had audio access to all our heads it would sound like an asylum for the musically deranged!

11.Does Paganism play any role in your music?
As a band, regardless of the personal beliefs of any of our members, we try to keep it as secular as possible. We are story-tellers, not preachers, after all. Of course, when dealing with themes from antiquity and mythology we do not shy away from approaching Paganism in its historical context. Depending on the theme of the song and its narrative perspective, we may deal with the beauty found in the simplicity of ancient religion or, just as well, with some of its more bizarre and gruesome practices. In order to better understand the “whys” and “hows” of any ancient culture, one must first understand, deeply and without bias, their conception of the divine. Among our members, we have Christians (of various denominations), practicing Pagans and secular thinkers as well. However, “Downcast Twilight”, as a group, does not have a religious agenda and that is why we all get along and have cartloads of fun making music together!

12.What are some of your non-musical interests?
Well, they are as varied as the personal interests of each of our members. But, at the end of the day, we’re normal guys and gals doing normal, boring stuff: underwater archeology, knitting, historical reenactment, occult research at the risk of our sanity (to say nothing of our immortal soul and the off-chance of awakening the Great Old Ones), beer brewing, ESP / super-soldier training, gardening, some rocket science in an attempt to contact the Aldebaran civilization and also cooking on the side. Because it’s the little things that keep you going and give your strength throughout the day, you know?

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for your time; it has been a real pleasure talking to you and we appreciate it. To all the people out there who enjoy our music, we salute you and thank you for your support – it is you who keep “Downcast Twilight” going and make our hard work worth every minute! Stay strong, creative and keep in mind the words of the Roman poet, Propertius: “let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest”.

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A Flourishing Scourge/Self Titled/Begotten Records/2017 Full Length Review

 A   Flourishing  Scourge  are  a  band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  progressive  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2017  album  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Begotten  Records.

  Death  metal  growls  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  fast  riffs  and  blast  beats  while  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Classical  guitars  and  symphonic  sounds  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  elements  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  all  instrumental.

  A  Flourishing  Scourge  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  in  with  a  great  amount  of  progressive  elements  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  A  Flourishing  Scourge  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  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  "Tp  The  Stench  Of  A   Rotting  Corpse"  and  "Solace".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.aflourishingscourge.com/

Downcast Twilight/Under The Wings Of Aquila/Stygian Crypt Productions/2017 CD Review

  Downcast  Twilight  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Under  The  Wings  Of  Aquila"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  utilizing  a  lot  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known.

  When  screams  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  they  also  mix  folk  instruments  in  with  the heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  female  vocals  along  with  clean  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Downcast  Twilight  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  folk  metal  while  mixing  in the  heaviness  of  melodic  death  and  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Downcast  Twilight  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Soldier  Of  Pompeii"  "The  Ides  Of  March"  "The  Ironclad  Legion"  and  "The  Red  Queen".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0UErzTJcL0

Pereplut/V Starodavine Goda/Stygain Crypt Productions/2017 CD Review

  Pereplut  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  pagan,  folk  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2017  album  "V  Starodavine  Goda"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  bring  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording  while  other  folk  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  used  at  times  and  they  also  mix  this  side  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording. 

  Clean  yet  aggressive  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  after  death  metal  along  with  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Pereplut  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  pagan  and  folk  metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness s of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  folk  tales,  paganism,  mysticism,  and  anti  Christian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pereplut  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  pagan,  folk  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rualya"  "Vedmachya  Vecherya"  and  "Zmievyi  Valyi".  8  out  of 10. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkYify_O45M
 

Mudbath/Brine Pool/Grains Of Sand Records/2017 CD Review

  Mudbath  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Brine  Pool"  which  was  released  by  Grain  Of  Sand  Records.

  Clean  guitars  and  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  heavy  yet  melodic  riffs  make  their  presence  known  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  black  metal  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  touches  of  scream  and  post  hardcore  are  also  used  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in a  small  amount  of  doom  growls  and  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  track  is  all  instrumental  and also  adds  in  a  touch  of  ambient  and  drone. 

  Mudbath  creates  another  recording  that remains  true  to  the blackened  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mudbath  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  sludge,  stoner  and  doom, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "End  Of  Cold"  and  "Fire".  8  out  of  10.

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