Nest Interview

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

NEST was started around 2015. We are a doom two piece, just guitar, vocals and drums. We both started this when we had lulls with our other bands around Lexington Kentucky.
we wanted to start something a lot darker and more experimental than what we were doing at the time.  I (Kyle) grew up playing in bands in the local punk/powerviolence scene and Corey has had a couple hardcore/punk bands, so we talked about starting something that had that punch you in the face feel,  but was rooted in the ethereal doom we had both been playing recently in other bands.  But we both agreed it needed to be the heaviest music we'd ever written.


2.How would you describe the musical sound that has been presented on the recordings you have released so far?

The first release was much more rooted in the aforementioned raw powerviolence/hardcore aspect. I had also been getting back into more math type bands, like Slint (KY band as well), Shellac. etc. so I really started looking at how i could de-volve my guitar playing and look at it in a different way. Once we started down that path its only gotten more experimental in those aspects.

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

Corey writes all the lyrics, and the topics have always been very personal things we just so happened to be going through at the same time. "Metempsychosis" is our first concept album. This past year we both separately went through immense loss and grief in our personal lives. The beginning of the album starts with breathing getting weak and stopping, blending into a recreation of some past auditory DMT experiences, symbolizing the start of death. Then the album explores death and our thoughts of what happens after. It then closes the album with sounds from inside the womb to try and represent re-incarnation.

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

The name NEST is loosely a metaphor for life in this reality, it can feel like home but at the same time is brutal and relentlessly buzzing with life, and all the pain and struggle attached.

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

No plans to add any members, we flow together really well just the two of us.

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

I personally love the house shows we've played, everything is ten times louder and much more intense in a basement. Our stage performance is pretty straightforward, we just let the music speak for itself and play it as loud and heavy as possible.

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

Yes, hopefully trying to get that worked out soon.

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


 The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, we're really grateful for everyone listening.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?

Corey is currently only working on this project at the moment, his last band, They yearn for what they fear is absolutely amazing psych/doom, he's one of the best vocalist/drummers I've had the pleasure to work with. Im playing guitar in a stoner/doom outfit called Sonic Altar. Also playing guitar in a new death/doom project called Rotting Kingdom, with members of  Tombstalker and Arktos.

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

haha not too sure yet, most likely expanding on previous techniques and themes, but I guess we'll see when we get there.

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?

(corey) Honestly I was listening to a lot of 90s grunge/ alternative and screamo at the time. Smashing pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Forn, obviously Thou. What I'm listening to at the moment. A lot of Type O-Negative, Dookie-era Green Day, Nothing, and Pink Floyd.

(Kyle) The obvious ones are Dystopia, early Orchid,  Neurosis, Krallice, also a bunch of black metal, early math and  raw doom, and  I was listening to A LOT of rap at the time. I listen to almost everything, but lately its been a lot of hawkwind, Howlin wolf, Craft's "Fuck the Universe". Just discovered paradise lost (late to the party on that one), and same as Corey a ton of Pink Floyd lately.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Corey)  Watching movies, reading, painting/drawing occasionally, art history, going to museums, traveling
   
(Kyle) Im an abstract painter on the side. Traveling, also pretty much all the stuff Corey just said.

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

 We just wanna thank everyone for their support, we've both been playing music all our lives and really bled a lot into this album. Its an overwhelming feeling that people are getting behind that.

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Karma Violens/Serpent God/Growl Records/2018 CD Review

  Karma  Violens  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Serpent  God"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Growl  Records.

  Middle  Eastern  style  drones  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  melodic  and  atmospheric  fashion  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  faster  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  the  music  also  incorporates  elements  of  modern  thrash  and  hardcore  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  and  Gregorian  chant s can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Karma  Violens  remains  true  to t heir  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  world,  creation  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from Karma  Violens  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  melodic  death,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should c heck  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent  God" "The  Sun  I  Never  Had"  "A  Letter  To  The  Worthless  Chamber"  and  "Eternal  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/imVVWfXu0Jw

  

North Hammer/Stormcaller/2018 Full Length Review

  North  Hammer  are  a  solo  project  from  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album  "Stormcaller"  which  will  be  released  in  March.

  A  very  epic  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with t he  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  screams.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  songs  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  folk  music  elements  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  can  also  be  heard.

  North  Hammer  plays  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  pagan,  viking,  melodic  death  and  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Fantasy  and  Norse  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  North  Hammer  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Avatar"  "Magic  Mead"  "Spellbinder"  and  Lion's  Winter".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/NorthHammerOfficial
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Agrimonia Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the mew album?
Pontus: Since the recording, we haven't done so much musically. We did a few shows and spent time on the artwork and such. It's a limbo-like situation, having the new album recorded but not being able to present it to the world yet!



2.You have 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 stuff you have released in the past?
Pontus: It's hard to describe your own music, but to put it simple: I think it's a very good sounding and epic metal album with progressive influences and a crusty backbone. Lots of dynamics and emotions. Words doesn't do it justice, however, as with all good music! Compared to our earlier stuff, I think this is our most fully realized album in terms of songwriting, emotional dynamics, and aural impact.



3.This is your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Christina: I have opened a vegan restaurant with some friends, made songs and played a lot of shows with my other band Contorture. Most of us are busy with other bands when we dont do Agrimonia things.
Pontus: With Agrimonia, we've done a few tours and shows. Then we've been busy with other stuff, both musical and non-musical. The rollercoaster that is life!



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

Christina: I tend to write about injustices in the world, big and small things that happens around me and about things I think is wrong in the world. It can be social issues or mistreatment of the earth and the people living in it.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Agrimonia''?
Christina: Agrimonia is a plant and has a long history of medicinal use. It has been know as an an "all-heal" and has been used to heal everything from wounds to liver problems and also as a witch's cure. When we started Agrimonia we just liked the name and didn´t really have a meaning behind it.





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?
Christina: I get really into the songs when we play so I dont think I have a plan of my stage performance. I just go with the music and the words. I think we all have different ideas of the best shows we played and so much can be included in that question. It is hard to answer! I really like playing places where I have friends in the audience.
Pontus: I enjoyed the release show for the last album, where we played the whole album from start to finish live. To me, a great show is when the energy is shared between us and the audience. As for stage performance, that is something I don't think we've ever thought so much about. For me it's finding that energy and connection to the music.



7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
Christina: We have a release party planned here in Göteborg on March 23:rd.
Pontus: I will be on paternal leave until the fall so we won't tour until then. We'll see what happens!



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, sludge and post metal?
Pontus: It's been good.  We've been fortunate enough to play a lot of places with great receptions. Reviews, especially for this new album, are really nice!



9.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?
Christina: I play bass in a d-beat band called Contorture. We are currentle working on our second full lenght album and we are recoring it at Studio D-takt in Uppsala at the end of March. We are also heading out on a tour of eastern and south eastern Europe in March.
Pontus: Me and Björns other band Miasmal is slowly getting back on track since we got a new bass player a few months ago. Martin is very busy with At the Gates, they just recorded a new album and will probably do a lot of shows this summer when their new album is out.



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

Pontus: I'd like to think we will not stray far from our core sound, but rather evolve it.



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?
Christina: I think that a band that we all can agree on is Bolt Thrower. Personally as a singer my influences has been women who growls in bands, like Agnes from the polish band Lost. I listen a lot to Bolt Thrower, SubRosa, Misantropic, Windhand and JexThoth for example.
Pontus: Bolt Thrower, Sisters of Mercy, Dinosaur Jr, PJ Harvey, Neurosis, early Metallica. Both influences (however subconscious) and recent listening.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Christina: I am so busy with work right now so I do not really have so much spare time. When I am not at work I like to relax with a book or a tv-series, have beers with friends or watch a movie.
Pontus: Books, documentaries, family life and beer.





13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Christina: Thanks for taking the time to interview us!

Pontus: Cheers and thanks! Check out Awaken!

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Ssanahtes/Self Titled/WOOAAARGH/2018 CD Review

  Ssanahtes  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black metal,  sludge  and  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  WOOAAARGH.

  Distorted  amp  noises  along  with  some  heavy  sludge  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  angry  screams  that  also  bring  in  elements  of  black  metal  as  well  as  some  semi  melodic  vocals  also  being  used  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  post  hardcore  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  most of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  elements  are  used  briefly   and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  a  later  track  also  introduces  drones  onto  the  recording,  clean  guitars  are  also  brought  onto  the  closing  song.

  Ssanahtes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  sludge  and  post  hardcore and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ssanahtes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  post  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sad  Song"  and  "To  Seal  Off  A  Breach".  8  out  of  10. 

https://ssanahtes.bandcamp.com/

Grimner/Vanadrottning/Despotz Records/2018 CD Review

  Grimner  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a mixture  of  viking  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Vanadrottning"  which was  released  by Despotz  Records.

  Drum  beats  along  with  some  epic  and  symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast beats  can  also  be  heard  and  clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  used  at  times.

  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  some  songs  also bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  a  lot  more  as  the  album  progresses  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Grimner  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  viking  and  folk metal  along  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Norse  Mythology,  Paganism,  War  and  Drinking  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grimner  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  viking  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vanadrottning"  "Kvallningssang"  "Dodens  Dan"  and  "Freja  Vakar".  8  out  of  10.

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Under Siege Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before,can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Under Siege was born during the summer of 2015 when the first songs were outlined by Paolo Giuliani (Vocals) and Daniele Mosca (Guitars). Immediately the two recognized it as a promising project and soon Under Siege became a complete formation, when Gianluca Fiorentini (Guitars), Livio Calabresi (Bass) and Marzio Monticelli (Drums) joined the band. All of them were already actively involved in the local music scene.


2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. Well, although our music can be roughly described as melodic death metal, spiced with glaring folk elements, our sound is quite heterogeneous. It becomes evident for anyone listening to our first album: we like to mix different influences in our songs. You can easily find power, viking, symphonic and atmospherical hints.  Our efforts are focused on building aggressive, solid and imposing sound, without thinking too much about genres and schemes.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Lyrics are one of the things we care the most. It recently became easy to lighly talk about blood, battles or swords, especially for some kind of metal music. But we are not telling fairytales in our songs. We are not fantasizing about dragons, magic or random violent "vikingish" stuff. Battles, invasions, violence and revenge: these are things all of us must face everyday! Even if they assume more subtle forms nowadays. Of course we use metaphors, and evoking images fom a long-lost and distant world... but our call to arms, our cry for courage and pride: they are absolutely real.

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


4. As we already said, we hide metaphorical meanings in almost everything we write. We are all "under siege" one way or another. Our life is under siege. And our values, our future as well. Modern society deprived us of so much: it offers distorted models, and synthetic, empty ideals. We all need to become aware of this attack. But on the other hand, we are called to strike back! We are called to besiege the very enemies that threaten us and fight for what we do believe is right. We must be ready to fall for the very things we consider worth to live for. This is our battle. This is the real siege!

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. Every show is different. We like to play near Rome, because we can feel the heat and the enthusiasm of our friends and our people (those dear bastards). But when we have the occasion to play somewhere far from home, and if we can catch the attention and the ears of new folks: that is absolutely awesome! Nothing repays your efforts as a metal band more than looking at complete strangers headbanging, body-slamming and getting absolutely wasted with your music.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. We have a couple of good upcoming dates. In March we will open for Skyforger, here in Rome, in the second  edition of Mister Folk Fest, a quite special metal event for this city. But generally speaking playing live is becoming increasingly hard in Italy. Live clubs prefer to host cover-bands, (mostly classic rock bands) because they grant them more visibility than emerging bands. So you can find dozens of "Metallica-tribute" or "Pink Floyd Jam" nights... while good original musicians struggle to play for 50 minutes. Some bands sadly hit the bottom: we know guys that actually paid to play before more notorious bands. It is just disgusting. We hope things work differently abroad. And we are actively searching for shows out of our borders.


7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

7. We received some proposals: none satisfying. Some were just absurd attempts to take our money. One of us defined them "wolves and vultures of the music business", ahah! We would be glad to work with a serious and professional label. Hopefully we'll find one. Well... hopefully they'll find us.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk and melodic death metal?
8. Most people were shocked because they didn't expect from Italian guys to play Scottish bagpipes or use Gaelic dialect!  Ahah! But overall the feedback has been more than satisfying so far. The album has been self produced and self-published so we are twice as prideful of the results: far above our expectations. We love to find out that people enjoy our music.

9.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?
9. One of our guitar men, Gianluca, is carrying on his other symphonic black metal project: Nazgul Rising. The first album, released in 2014, has been a discrete success, and the second one will be released by the end of this year. The bass player, Livio sings and plays the keyboards in a dark-wave duo: "Raziel, the blacksmiler". They recently begun to perform live. Our drummer, Marzio, has begun to have rehearsal with an hard rock formation: "Hardrunk". Paolo and Daniele are fully engaged in Under Siege


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Who knows what tomorrow brings! We hope to spread our message and our music as far as we can. Even in this digital era of social networks, web promotion and digital distribution... we still think that the most important thing about music should be playing it live! And of course we want to start  thinking about a second album as soon as we can!


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?

11. Influences from Amon Amarth, Ensiferum, early Turisas, just to name a few, are clearly recognizable in our music. On the other side, when it comes to our individual tastes, we listen to every kind of music, sometimes choosing unexpected genres like progressive metal, blues, traditional celtic music, punk, hard rock. Even classical music sometimes. The way we keep ourselves open-minded helps us composing better songs.

12.Does Paganism play any role in your music?
12. Nice question. Let's just say we find something fascinating in pagan traditions and beliefs. Even if we are not involved in paganism in a religious sense, we recognize in it a spiritual dimension free of any hypocrisy or paradox, that puts in first place the most important thing of all, our mother nature. Paganism is pure, sincere and proud. It is an ancestral voice calling, and sometimes you can hear it clearly even in these modern era. It's hard to explain: it's just in our blood. In all of us.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?
13. We are quite “normal” guys. Some of us are interested in sports and martial arts; some others in informatics and videogames and we also have two bikers in our band. We all love to go out, drinking, feasting and being loud. We like to eat well and we all have a strong relationship to beer, wine and whiskey!

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

14. We hope that everyone who listens to our music will enjoy it and maybe raise a toast to us. Cheers guys! Thank you so much for this interview. Stay metal and keep the siege strong!

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