Begat The Nephilim Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Well. We just announced out signing with Unholy Anarchy Records. Getting everything together for the album release our worldwide on June 15th. Have a show in a week or so with the mighty Septicflesh, Dark Funeral and Thy Antichrist. Also just announced New England Metal Fest with Morbid Angel, Dying Fetus, Thy Art Is Murder, Nile, etc. Working on some dates to work our asses off for this album!

2.You have your first full length coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We are heavily influenced by The Black Dahlia Murder, Between The Buried And Me, Behemoth, Cattle Decapitation, Naglefar and a ton of other bands. So it is it's own kind of thing but has parts where you will listen and be like "Hey that reminds me of Dying Fetus" or whoever, without ripping anyone off. It's fast but melodic and has structure. The music tells a story of its own. So it has a bit of something for everyone.

3.The band has been around since 2012 but waited until this year to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?

We never ment to take so long to get the album done. The album has been written even longer. Maybe 2010 or 2011. We were have gone in to record 4 of the songs 3 times before this as an EP but was never really happy with how it came out, so we kept redoing it. All the while touring and trying to build a name through live shows and merchandise.

4.The lyrics on the album have a concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you bring out with your lyrics?

The album tells the tale of the Mother of Blasphemy, an ancient godlike Nephilim, and her rise to power and the resulting consequences facing mankind and the world.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about you interest in the 'Nephilim' and also do you have any other interest in related things like Reptilians, occultism or Conspiracy Theory's?

Honestly at first, the name just kind of sounded cool. We were looking for some kind of cool god or demigod or something to base the name around when we found "Begat The Nephilim" and just had a.. "ohhhhhh" moment. But looking into it more over the last few years, there is alot of crazy shit to it. How they find all these bones and ancient drawings and such of these giants. I love stuff like that. Any kind of mythology, crypto whatever is cool as hell to me. Without going into too much, because I may be alone on alot of this and I don't want to speak for everyone, but a few of us are into aliens and ghosts and such. Our vocalist worked as a paranormal investigator for a bit. Then of course government type things everyone seems to dabble in a little bit. 9/11 and Bilderburg and illuminati and such.

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 have played some crazy shows. Last 4 years of Summer Slaughter, last 4 New England Metal Fests, tons of packed local shows. It's hard to pick a few favorites. But one of them has to be, for me anyways, playing the second stage at a Summer Slaughter a few years back with Cannibal Corpse and having the stage rushed and people moshing and shit on stage. There is a few videos on YouTube of it. Crazy shit.
And for stage presence, we try to put alot of energy in it. Running back and forth and jumping off shit. Dillinger Escape Plan is a big band for all of us, so sometimes it turns into that. Jumping out and moshing with the crowd and such.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released/

We are working on dates now. We definitely have a few New England dates lined up. Westbrook, ME, Manchester, NH, Worcester, MA, Agawam, MA, Rutland, VT. But for full US/ Canada dates, those are in the works. Hopefully have alot soon

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

We did a weekend run with Internal Bleeding and the first thing they said to us was "You boys have to get to Europe. They will fucking eat you up over there" we have had quite a few people around the world who are always hitting us up trying to get us over there. Our kind of music is very accepted there and we can't wait to go over. We have had a few offers, but nothing solid enough to make sense at the time. But soon, we will be ready.

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

Basically a faster version of what we are doing now. Bump up the BPM a little bit and have at it.

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?

Black Dahlia, Behemoth, BTBAM, Cattle Decapitation, Dillinger Escape Plan, we all really have a wide range of music we listen to and in small ways probably influence what we do. I'm a Dream Theater fan, so I have that kind of spin on some of what I do, but in death metal form. We take influence from new and old school death and black metal. From Suffocation to Origin and Emperor to Behemoth.
We all listen to a really wide range of music. In the van, we don't have alot of metal playing because we are around it all the time. So we will mix it up with some Three Six Mafia or Tom Waits or City and Colour or find something funny or dumb to listen to. Bill Burr podcasts and shit.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

A few of us are into video games and nerdout about that. Most of us like site seeing. Going to museums and walking around cities and doing the whole touristy thing. We all have girlfriend's and wives so between the band, work and them, we don't have much time left. Haha

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

We are beyond excited to finally get this album out worldwide June 15th. It would mean the world to us if you could take a look on YouTube, pop up on our page, buy the album, come to a show, but a shirt, etc. This dream of ours is right at the tip of Our fingers and we appreciate all of the support we have gotten from everyone. We can't wait to see you all soon!

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A Cunning Man/To Heal A Broken Body/2018 EP Review

  A  Cunning  Man  are  a  duo  from  Scotland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  folk,  power  and  progressive  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "To  Heal  A  Broken  Body".

  Saxophones  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  clean  vocals  a  few  seconds  alter  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  blast  beats  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  and  progressive  metal  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  influences  from  classical,  jazz  and  post  rock.

  A  Cunning  Man  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Goetia,  Alchemy  and  Western  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Cunning  Man  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  melodic  death,  power  and  progressive  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Picatrix  &  The  Calcine  Alchemist".  8  out  of  10.

https://acunningman.bandcamp.com/

    

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  

  

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/
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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/

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!

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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/