Sunday, February 18, 2018

An Argency/Eternal Legacy/2018 Full Length Review


  An  Argency  are  a  band  from  Minsk,  Belarus  that  plays   a  symphonic, occult  and  blackened  form  of  deathcore  and this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Eternal  Legacy".

  Ritualistic  soundscapes start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  deathcore  direction  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  hardcore  style  shouting  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  music  also  captures  a  sci-fi  atmosphere  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  also  having  their  melodic  moments  briefly  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  is  added  onto t he  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  An  Argency  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  deathcore  and  mixes  it  with  symphonic  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  An  Argency  are  a  very  decent  sounding  symphonic  and  occult  blackened  deathcore  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  different,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Dol"  "Evil  Within"  "Absence  Of  Me"  and  "Dreadrite".  7/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmuWIbR0lbA  

  

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Begat The Nephilim/Begat The Nephilim I: The Surrepititious Prophecy/Mother Of The Blasphemy/Unholy Anarchy Records/2018 CD Review


  Begat  The  Nephilim  are  a  band  from  New  Hampshire  that  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album   "Begat  The  Nephilim  I: T he Surrepititious  Prophecy/Mother  Of  The  Blasphemy"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Unholy  Anarchy.

  Dark  sounding  keyboards  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  keyboards  also  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  and  classical  music  feeling  along  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  while  you  can  also  hear  a  touch of  deathcore  in  some  of  the  riffing  as  well  as  a   brief  use  of  guttural  growls  and  pig  squeals  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  a  couple  of  later  songs.

  Begat  The  Nephilim  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  death  metal and  mixes  it  in  with  some  symphonic  and  deathcore  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  mother  of  blasphemy,  an  ancient  godlike  Nephilim,  her  rise  to  power  and  the  consequences  facing  mankind  and  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Begat  The  Nephilim  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cardboard  Casket"  "Fervor  For  Flesh"  "Grimiore  Of  Cryptid"  and  "Apotheosis  Of  The  Apocalypse  Part  2"  Dawn  of  The  Nephilim  (a  warm  wind  breathes  a  new  despair)".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.begatthenephilim.com/
https://www.facebook.com/btnmetal
https://www.youtube.com/BegatTheNephilim

Friday, February 16, 2018

Krepuskul/Hybrid/Morning Star Heathens Music Group/2018 CD Review



Krepuskul  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  plays  an  experimental  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Hybrid"  which  was  released  by  Morning  Star  Heathens  Music  Group.

  A  sci-fi  orientated  synth starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  angry  shouting  vocals  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  groove  metal  along  with  some  screams  being  utilized  at  times  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats,'

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  back  up  shouts  can  be  heard,

  Krepuskul  plays  a  music  style  that takes  experimental,  melodic  black,  death  and  groove  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hatred,  darkness  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Krepuskul  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "OCD  Let's  Start  A  War" "The  Disciples" "Psychotherapy"  and  "Awake  17".  8  out  of  10.

http://krepuskul.com/

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Battlesoul Interview


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

Answer:

Since recording the new album, time was spent on getting the artwork and other detail for the album sorted.  Time spent together as a band since finishing Sunward and Starward has been mostly spent rehearsing the new material.

2. You have a new album coming out in February, 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?

Answer:

I would say that this album turned out darker. There is still some folk influences and you can still tell it's us playing but overall I think it's more of a metal album then our previous ones.

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?

Answer:

Song writing for what was to become Sunward and Starward started right away after Tir Na Nog was released.  The recording/production process is what really took the most time over the 5 years.  As with our previous albums - this one was self-recorded/mixed/mastered.  This time however, it was a struggle to get it to a point that I was happy with.  Even to the point where we re-recorded the drums three times. This can be the downside of self-producing and why it's not necessarily recommended. I would have preferred this album to be released sooner but we weren’t going to rush it.

4. Your Lyrics cover a lot about Celtic mythology and history, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Answer:

Our singer Jon Doyle solely handles the lyrics.  I must say I think he does a great job and I am always excited to see what he comes up with. I feel like he has a great way of bringing the story out of the song. I personally like Celtic mythology and history because the epic themes that comes along with it.

5. What is the meaning behind the name Battlesoul?

Answer

Mike Grund, who was the founding guitar player, came up with it.  My interpretation is that it’s the warrior spirit found inside of you.  Summon up your Battlesoul!



6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and how would you describe your stage performance?

Answer:

We have fun on stage and we hope that people watching have fun too.

We have been fortunate enough to have played with lots of great bands. Playing with Sabaton and with TYR would definitely be highlights for me.

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

Answer:

Nothing, as of right now.

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

Answer:

For the most part feedback has been positive. Some negative that it's good to hear all sides. It's great reading reviews from all over world. It gives you a sense of how metal really is a worldwide community.

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.

Answer:

I am currently not in another project and am actually not too sure what the other guys are up to with regard to their other projects.

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

Answer:

Not sure really, I can’t say that Battlesoul is heading in any specific direction currently.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays.

Answer:

It's tough to say.  Every member has there owns distinct preference and there are few bands/styles that the members of Battlesoul can agree upon - all our answers would be different. For me, I am always a big fan of film scores and you can definitely here the influence on the album, that and trying to incorporate doom type riffs. This morning I was listening to some Man-O-War and Master of Puppets.



12. What are some of your non-musical interests?

Answer:

I also record bands so most of my time is spent doing music.  However when I do have free time,  I quite enjoy learning about history.

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

Answer:

Thank you for the interview. I would like to thank CDN Records and Black Element for all the work that they are putting into 'Sunward and Starward'.  I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to check out Battlesoul, it is appreciated!

Bandcamp
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Myspace
ReverbNation
Spotify


Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Pavillon Rouge/Dynasteia Klub/Doweet Angency/2018 CD Review


  Pavillon  Rouge  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  industrial  and  new  wave  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Dynasteia  Klub"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Doweet  Agency.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  industrial  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  programmed  beats  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  an  angry  shouting  fashion  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  used  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  mixing  in  elements  of  new  wave  and  one  of  the  songs  also  introduces  clean  vocals  onto  the  recording.

  Pavillon  Rouge  creates  another  recording that  remains  true  to  the  black  metal,  industrial  and  new  wave  mixture  of  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  Beauty,  Innocence,  Purity  and  Ecstasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Pavillon  Rouge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  industrial  and  new  wave,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "L'harmonie  et  la  force"  "Dynasteia  Klub"  "Bodhisattva"  and  "Ad  Augusta".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/LuxDiscipline/

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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Saturday, February 10, 2018

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