Netherbird/The Ghost Collector/Black Lodge Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Netherbird  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  a  decent  amount  of  material reviewed  before  by  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  played  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2008  album  "The  Ghost  Collector"  which  was  re-issued  in  2017  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into a   heavier  and  more  melodic  direction  as  well  as  mixing  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  together  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their presence  known.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  elements  of  goth  and  doom  metal  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  when the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard,

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  while  classical  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  rain  and  thunder  sounds  and  some  of  the  songs  are  instrumentals  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  clean  male  vocals. 

  Netherbird  played  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  melodic  and  symphonic  while  the  death,  doom  and  goth  metal  elements  made  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Netherbird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Blackest  Breed"  "Lighthouse  Eternal  (Laterna  Magika)"  "Forever  Mournful"  and  "Boulevard  Black".  8  out  of  10.

https://netherbird.bandcamp.com/album/the-ghost-collector-2?utm_source=Promo%2BList&utm_campaign=d2ad4c8b6c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b7d3bffdfc-d2ad4c8b6c-159719745
   

Synkvervet/Mistborn/2017 Full Length Review

  Synkvervet  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  pagan/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Mistborn"  which  will  be  released  at  the  end  of  May.

  Rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  alter  as  well  as  some  drum  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  as  well  as  adding  in  growls  and  grim  black  metal screams  and  they  also  mix  the  heavy  and  symphonic  styles  together.

  Clean  male  vocals a re  also  used  at  times  while  both  the  riffs  and  solos  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  grim  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  folk  elements  and  a  more  pagan  atmosphere a re  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  of  the  fast  riffing  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking. 

  Synkvervet  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  pagan/black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nordic  Paganism,  Mythology,  Folklore,  Mysticism  and  Nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Synkvervet  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anthems  To  The  North"  "Through  The  Eyes  Of  The  Demon"  "Alone  In  Eternity"  and  "I  Den  Svarte  Solens  Rik".  8  out  of  10.

synkvervet@synkvervet.com

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Selcouth/Heart Is The Star Of Chaos/I, Voidhanger Records/2017 CD Review

  Selcouth  are  a  international  band  with  members  from  France,  Finland,  Spain  and  Argentina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  avant  garde  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Heart  Id  The  Star  Of  Chaos"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

   Operatic  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  grim  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  guitars  and  ambient  style  synths  are  added  into  the  recording  along  with  the  music  getting  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a small  amount  of  blast  beats  while    and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  jazz  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Some  songs  also  add  in  touches  of  post  rock while  also  mixing  in  some  influences  from t he  90's  Norwegian  era  of  avant  garde  black  metal  and  also  mixing  in  a great  amount  of  keyboards  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  introduces  touches  of  classical  music  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Selcouth  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  rooted  in  the  90's  Norwegian  style  of  avant  garde  black  metal  while  mostly  avoiding  the  more  harsh  vocals  and  adding  in  elements  of  jazz,  progressive  and  post  rock  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  poems  of  Jukka  Ylisuvanto. 

  In  my  opinion  Selcouth  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Strange  Before  The  Calm"  "Querencia"  and  "Rusticus".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/selcouthconglomerate/

Les Chants Du Hasard/Self Titled/I, Voidhanger Records/2017 CD Review

  Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  orchestra,  and  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  album  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  Avant  garde  stlye  classical  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestra  elements  and  after  awhile  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  a  few  deep  growls  while  the  music  avoids  any  use  of  traditional  metal  instruments.

  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  drum  beats  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  martial  and  militant  atmosphere  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  stringed  instruments  and  symphonic  elements.

 Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  takes  an  avant  garde  style  of  classical  and  orchestra  music  and  mixes  it  in  with  black  metal  style  vocals  to  create  something  very  different  while  also  having  its  roots  and  influences  from  80's  era  Arcturus  and  Elend,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  universal  and  existential  themes  along  with  some  inspirations  from  the  writings  of  Comte  de  Lautreamont.

  In  my  opinion  Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  classical,  and  orchestra  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Soliel"  and  "Le  Deiu".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/leschantsduhasard/

Pereplut Interview

For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi. Well, Pereplut is folk-metal band from Siberian town called Tomsk, Russia. The band was founded in 2011. We play brutal and in the same time cheerful folk-metal. At the moment we have released one mini-album and one full-length album.

How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
Our sound is formed by electric instruments, such as guitar and bass, and acoustic folk instruments, such as bagpipes, flute, violin, hurdy-gurdy, cello and others. We try to balance between different styles of metal, first of all thrash metal and heavy metal mixed with folk tunes and melodies.

      3. Your lyrics cover folk tales, paganism, mysticism, and anti Christian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
We are really interested in Slavonic folklore and history, because it’s very important to know your roots, we think. Also we don’t’ like the Christian lie that there was not any culture before the baptism among the Slavs, their hypocrisy and greed which aren’t inconsistent with their religion, and their attempts to cancel some metal gigs in Russia. Also there are a lot of plots in traditional Russian folk tales connected with amoral behavior of pops. So that’s why we use these themes in our songs.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pereplut'?
Pereplut is a god from the pantheon of the Slavs. There is no a lot information about Pereplut in the annals. We know exactly that people praised Pereplut with round dances, as people at our concerts do.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We gave a lot of concerts. The best ones were our performances at Horned Folk Fest and Metal Hail Fest.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes. This summer we are going for some regional fests. Then in autumn we want to go on a small tour in support of the released album. Then we would like to release a single, and closer to the summer of next year we are going to release the second full-length album.

Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
At the moment we are unsigned, but we are going to send our demos to major labels to be signed.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk metal?
We got the feedback from different countries, France, Brazil, Ukraine, USA, Serbia, Japan.
Some of these people buy our album from BandCamp, some of them order our СD by post, our fan from Serbia even makes fan videos on YouTube. We are really grateful to all of them.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Perhaps we will expand the arsenal of folk instruments. We will also use some elements from different styles of metal.

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?
All of us were influenced by classical rock, punk and metal bands. In these latter days we listen bands playing in the genre related to our music such as folk metal, pagan metal, black metal.

What are some of your no nmusical interests?
We don’t have a lot of time for nonmusical hobbies or interests. Most of us have jobs and families. If talk about every single member: our guitarist Eugene is interested in European history and folklore and goes to the gym. Dmitry (flutes) likes PC games, also he had been engaged in airsoft before he came to the band. Vyacheslav (bass) is engaged in wood carving. Alexander (vocals) is also interested in history and folklore, before he came to the band he had been a football fan. Ivan (drums) is interested in politics. Also Eugene, Alexander and Ivan play in heathen metal band Lutowrat.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the exciting questions and interest to our band. We hope to see your readers at our concerts)

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Nocte Obducta/Totholz (Ein Raunen aus dem Klammwlad)/MDD Records/2017 CD Review

  Nocte  Obducta  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Totholz  (Ein  Raunen  aus  dem Klammwlad)"  which  will  be  released  on  May  26th  by  MDD Records.

 Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  an  atmospheric  background  starts  off  the  album  along  with  drum  beats  and  heavy  yet  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  they  also  mix  in  avant  garde  elements  into  the  heavier  side  of  the  material  while the  fast  sections  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  van  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  at e utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing   can  also  be heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Keyboards  are  utilized  in  the  music  at  times  and  also  give  the  songs  a  more  symphonic  and  psychedelic  edge  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  the  Norwegian  black'n'roll  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic   in  length  and  the  last  track  is  very  experimental  and  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  guitar slides.

  Nocte  Obducta  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  more  in  the  avant  garde  side  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  Dark  Poetry,  Nature,  and  Depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nocte  Obducta  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Die  Kirche  der  wachenden  Kinder"  "Totholz"  and  "Wiederganger  Blues".  8  out  of  10.

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The Magik Way/Ananke/Sad Sun Music/2017 DVD Review

  The  Magik  Way  are a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  ritualistic  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  dvd  "Ananke"  which  was  released  by  Sad  Sun  Music  and  consists  of  live  performances,  experimentalism  and  documentary  elements.

 A  spoken  and  ritualistic  intro  starts  off  the  dvd  before  going  into  a  live  performance  which  starts  out  with  violins  and  an  introduction  which  also  shows  the  band  practicing  in  a  rehearsal  room  and  the  song  starts  out  with  an  avant  garde  vibe  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  drum beats.

  Clean  guitars  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  dvd  mixing  in  a  video  and  the  dvd  also  brings  in  live  performances  along  with  the  music  also  having  a  psychedelic  and  experimental  vibe  at  times  and  the  clean  vocals  also  have  a  very  avant  garde  vibe  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  live  rituals  are  also  performed  at  times  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their presence  known  and  the  video  also  shows  a  Qabalistic  and  Hermetic  approach  to  rituals  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  video  from  The  Magic  Way  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic  and  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  dvd.  8/5  out  of  10.

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