Evilon/Leviathan/WormHoleDeath Records/2018 CD Review

  Evilon  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  melodic  folk/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Leviathan"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  WornHoleDeath  Records.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  Celtic  atmosphere  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  mixing  the  folk  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as the  clean  vocals  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  pagan  metal  atmosphere,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  few  tracks.

  Evilon  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Biblical,  Norse,  Celtic  Mythology.  grief,  love,  hate,  hate  and  anger  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Evilon  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  death  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eye  of  the  Storm"  "Souldrainer"  "Welcome  Home"  and  "When  The  Leaves  Are  Falling".  8  out  of  10. 

www.facebook.com/Evilon
soundcloud.com/evilonofficial
www.youtube.com/Evilon 
Spotify.com/Evilon

 



  

Valdrin/Two Carrion Talismans/Blood Harvest Records/Helter Skelter Productions/2018 CD Review

  Valdrin  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Two Carrion  Talismans"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  by  Blood  Harvest  Records  and  Helter  Skelter  Productions.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  synths  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  at  times.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  recording  closing  with  a  track  that  is  all  instrumental.

  Valdrin  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  symphonic  in  the  90's  tradition  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  various  ancient  mythologies  and  occult  practices  seen  through  the  eyes  of  the  protagonist  Valdrin  Ausadjur.

  In  my  opinion  Valdrin  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  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  "Junnatox"  "Funeral  Tides  Of  Orcus"  and  "Crimson  Blades  Valdrin  Ausadjur".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc75OL7SFf4&feature=youtu.be

  

Mystherium Interview

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

Hello, everyone!
Mystherium was formed in 2001 and our newest - 5th album was released in  July 2018. It’s been a very long way  with many different members, who made Mystherium what it is now. I believe, that thanks to the fact, that the lineup remains unchanged since 2011,  “Zagłada” is very mature and is our best recorded release. The reception was pretty good, we’ve received plenty of positive feedback, which gave us energy and motivation to start working on our new material.

2.Recently you have released a new album, what are some of the things you feel you have done differently musically on this recording that you where not able to do on your previous releases?

We’ve entrusted Maciej Rybicki from LSS studio Poznan with mixing and mastering the recordings and it was a really good decision, he did a great job.
.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Miro wrote the lyrics from the very beginning and Aleksandra was the coauthor for the two newest releases - thanks to her, the lyrics are now related to paganism, the bonds between people and nature, transience of life and the self-destructive human nature. They are also referring to Polish history and poetry.

4.Some of your lyrics have covered some Occult and Slavic Paganism topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in both of those areas?

All of the band members are interested in the history of the land we live in. We are reminding our listeners, that people who lived in these territories before they were called Poland, had their own rites and traditions.

5.In the beginning the band had some songs written in English, but the last few releases all of the songs have been written in your native tongue, can you tell us a little bit more about going into this direction?

Cooperation with Aleksandra and Darek gave that possibility, the previous vocalists preferred to sing in English. Polish language is more difficult to scream or growl, but allows for more adequate depiction of our feelings and ideas.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mystherium'?

Our name comes from the latin word “Mysterium”. The band was named after the title of the song from our first album “Uczta demonów”.


7.Most of the band members have been or are currently in some legendary Polish black metal bands, how would you describe the progress of Polish black metal over the last couple of decades?

We are and have been cooperating with a few pagan/black metal bands (Arkona, Graveland, Taran, Horns, Moontower, Warfist....), so we can closely observe, how Polish black metal scene is developing. We have our own ideas and style. It was way more radical in the past. Nowadays bands are being formed and cease to exist, and only the strongest  ones remain.


8.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

It represents the destruction of nature and old beliefs induced by humans and our self-destructive nature. It was created by Maciej Zaborowski from MZproPAGANda and it’s my  fifth cooperation with him (Graveland/Nokturnal Mortum split, Horns-CZERŃ, MYSTHERIUM-Memoriał Nowy Świt, MYSTHERIUM -Zwycięstwo). We are really proud that he agreed to create the artwork for our band.


9.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’ve played different concerts both on various festivals and small club concerts some time ago, but we’ve been focusing on recording albums for the previous few years.

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

We’ve received some offers to play concerts and we’re considering  playing live again someday.

11.According to the Metal Archives page the band is signed to 'Art of The Night Productions', how would you compare working with this label to the other ones you have been a part of?

The previous labels - Lower Silesian Stronghold, Eastside Records, HeidenWut Productions and Werewolf Promotions did a great job in selling our CDs, tapes and vinyls all around the world. Art of The Night Productions was responsible for our newest album - “Zagłada” and placing our previous releases on different internet platforms like Spotify or Deezer.

12.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of black metal?

The reception was pretty good, we’ve received plenty of positive feedback. We’re very pleased to know that people from all around the world are sharing our music.

13.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?

We’re being very active, we play and record a lot! Arkona (Darek), Horns (Miro, Zbychu) are working on their new albums. Darek is going to play 9 concerts in Poland on a tour with Arkona. Horns are planning 3 concerts in Poland, Taran (Darek, Zbychu) is going to play 4 concerts in France and Aleksandra will perform in USA/New York. There’s a lot going on recently!

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

We want to grow and get more recognisable. We are considering adding hurdy-gurdy.


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

We like  black metal, pagan metal and folk music. My playlist currently includes Angrrsth, Duch Czerni, Funeral Mist, Immortal, Laboratorium Pieśni, Sound of Triglav, Summoning, Surya.


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

Support underground metal bands - thanks to your support we can release new material and play concerts. Sława!


http://www.facebook.com/mystheriumofficial
https://mystherium.bandcamp.com/music

Bast/Nanoangstrom/Black Bow Records/2018 CD Review

  Bast  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Nanpangstrom"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Black  Bow  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  heavy  riffs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  vocals  bring  in  grim  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a sludge  style  approach  to  growling  and  shouting  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  slow  riffs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also be  heard  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  elements  can  also  be  heard.

  Bast  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  and  the  human  conditions  of  loss,  isolation  and  change  in  the  wake  of  time's  passage.

  In  my  opinion  Bast  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Far  Horizons"  and  "The  Ghosts  Which  Haunth  The  Space  between  The  Stars".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yHHs7dIAWg

Hesperian Death Horse/Ziv/2018 Full Length Review

  Hesperian  Death  Horse  are  a  band  from  Croatia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  and  avant  garde  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Ziv".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  avant  garde  elements  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  vocals  and  spoken word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  slow  and  heavy  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  along  with  some  psychedelic  sounds  also  being  used  in  some  parts  of  the  music  and  the  songs  also  incorporate  post  black  metal  influences  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  Hesperian  Death  Horse  expand  on  their  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  by  adding  in  more  avant  garde  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nihilistic  poetry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hesperian  Death  horse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  post,  sludge  and  avant  garde  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Elu  (Part  2:  Voda)"  and  "Liv(Part  4:  Horde)".  8  out  of  10.

https://hesperiandeathhorse.ba ndcamp.com

Tartharia/HellVue/2018 Compilation Album Review

  Tartharia  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  compilation  album  "HellVue".

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  while t he  faster  sections  of t he  songs  also  bring  in a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams    as  well  as  some  synths  being  utilized  quite   a  bit  throughout  the  compilation.

  Melodic  riffing  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  clean  male  and  female  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  symphonic  moments,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Tartharia  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  melodic  black  and  death  metal  together  along  with  some  symphonic  and  goth  metal  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tartharia  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  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  "Satisfactory  Suffocation"  "Never  Ground  Me"  "Music=Me"  and  "Never  Too  Late".  8  out  of  10.

 https://tarthariaofficial. bandcamp.com/album/hellvue-xv

Flood Peak Interview

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

We are three friends who get together to enjoy music. We come from different musical backgrounds - Flood Peak is the product of it all.

2.In February you had recorded your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Bleak, hopeless, ominous, dark, tired, and angry.

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

Religious beliefs and how they can be blinding. Hopelessness of living life while blindfolded.

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

One of our members, Peter, lived through some flood peaks growing up in Portland, OR. This made an impression on him, and he felt it was a good name for the project.

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

Our second show (with Old Iron, Year of the Coyote, and Berator) was really fun. Our stage performance is heavy, energetic, and loud.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We’ve talked about it with friends from Lament Cityscape and Sól, but nothing is set in stone at this time.

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

We’d love to have a label to support us in the future. So far we haven’t been contacted by any labels, so DIY is where it’s at until further notice.

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

90-95% of the feedback has been positive. Two reviews were negative - one reviewer actually said our music taste sucked. Regardless of their words, I appreciate that they listened to Plagued By Sufferers and wrote about it.

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Dylan (drummer) plays in Sól (post-metal).

I (Pierre; bassist) have my own solo project (Juracán; modern composition; ambient) and play bass for Vohké (post-rock, progressive rock).

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

It’s hard to tell. It really comes down to the writing process: members involved, flexibility, and openness to experimentation.

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?

Amenra, Yautja, Celeste, and Mare are bands we respect greatly.

I (Pierre) am all over the olace: from Nils Frahm to Mare; from This Will Destroy You to Juan Luis Guerra.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I (Pierre) love anime, video games, downhill skateboarding, photography, videography, playing soccer, and hanging out with my pets.

Peter loves hockey, video games, his cats, and beer.

Dylan loves comics, camping, video games, his dog, and sports (hockey for sure... but football too, maybe?)

We all love hanging out with family and good food.

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

I’d like to end by saying that music has been a part of our lives since we were teenagers. It doesn’t matter where we play music - our practice space, a recording studio, or a venue - we always have a good time.

If you catch us live, we will do our best to transmit the same energy and feel we put into our record.

Thanks for reading!

www.facebook.com/floodpeakband
www.instagram.com/floodpeakband
www.twitter.com/floodpeakband
floodpeak.bandcamp.com