Downcast Twilight/Wrath of The Anunnaki/Stygian Crypt Productions/2018 CD Review

  Downcast  Twilight  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  band  and  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Wrath  Of  The  Anunnaki"  which  was  released  by  Stygian  Crypt  Productions.

  Middle  eastern  style  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  a  good  amount  of  orchestra  and  symphonic  elements.  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  black  metal  influence.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  folk  music  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clean  playing  is  also added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  aggressive  screams  are  also  added  into  the  music  along  with  one  song  also  bringing  in  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while the lyrics  are  based  upon  the  Epic  Of  Gilgamesh  and  Sumerian  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Downcast  Twilight  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Snarling  Chaos"  "Wrath  Of  The  Anunnaki"  "Elder  Terrors  of The  Deep"  and  "Ereshkigal's  Throne".  8/5out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/downcasttwilight/

Dark Mirror Ov Tragedy/The Lord Of Shadows/Sliptrick Records/2019 CD Review

  Dark  Mirror  Ov  Tragedy  are  a  band  from  South  Korea  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  goth  and  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Lord  Of  Shadows"  which  will  be  released  on  January  22nd  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  A  very  avant g arde  and  classical  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  onto t he  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Operatic  choirs  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some classical  guitars  which  are  also  used  on  later  tracks.

  Vocals  are  mostly  aggressive  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  heavier  riffing  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  into  the  music  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  also  adding  in  a  neo-classical  touch.

  Blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  while  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  violins  also  being  utilized  at  times,  When  female  vocals  are  brought  into t he  music  they  are  done  in  more  of  a  soprano  style  which  also  expands  on  the  classical  influence  of  the  bands  musical  style.

  Elements  of  goth  are  also  added  into  the  music  at  times  while  some  of  the  solos  and  leads  also  adopt  a  more  modern  atmospheric  black  metal  style  in  some  parts  of  the  music.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  heard  briefly.  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  story  of  a  man  who  becomes  the  Lord  Of  Shadows  himself  and  his  journey  to  rule  the  world  of  a  dark  mirror.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Mirror  Ov  Tragedy  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chapter  II.  Possession"  and  "Chapter  V.  I  Am  The  Lord  Of  Shadows".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/user/amorpis/

https://www.facebook.com/darkmirrorovtragedy

  

Sinnrs Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new album?
We have been very busy trying to promote the album. For the time being the album has only been digitally distributed, but we are planning to release it on cd and vinyl as well. Also working on getting  live gigs together. Further, we are already working on new material for the next album.

2. In July you had released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
We wanted a really ”solid" sound on this album, so we decided to work with Hertz studio in Poland, who are top professional and really know how to make a heavy solid sound. We wanted to make a great extreme metal album, with a lot of orchestral parts. So we focus a lot on getting the orchestral tracks match with the guitar/drums etc and vice versa. It took us time to find a good balance for that as its easy to overdo the orchestral parts. Also you can have a great guitar riff and a great orchestral part, but when put together it can sound awful. We really think we managed to find the balance we wanted on this album.

3.You refer to your music as 'dark matter', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
Taken the name from cosmology (not the meaning) it suits our music perfectly. Its a balance between the extreme and the orchestral. However . Can argue that we play metal, but we try to perform with some kind of unique sound. It will only get more darker, harder and more epic. Come and hear for yourself.. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Nero: My lyrics is deranged and utterly dark yet with compassion and erotic vibes. So I feel quite at home when I have completed a song. I draw my inspiration mostly through the occult, and other off world topics. written down and expressed in morbid poetry. Some things made up, some very real.... 
5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sinnrs'?
No purity! “love the sin, embrace transgression”. We all do it.. Also a notion to our nordic roots, by spelling it without an E.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover
Working on several ideas we came across this concept and idea. We had different hands on it, in the working process. The cover depict a picture of an archangel enthroned, forcing his surroundings into submission, with a great beast at his side. It transcends into a profound moment.

7.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?
For the time being we will remain a duo, as it makes it very effective creating new music since be both agree on the musical direction. But if the right person/persons show up, we will be open to expand.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Yes, we would like to be on a label, as a lot of labels have a very good platform for promoting and distributing music. With that said, it has to be a label that works with this genre of music, and know what audience to direct our music to. We contacted a few labels before releasing the album, but they were all busy, so in the end we decided to release it ourselves, as we wanted to get the music out ASAP, and hear people’s feedback.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of symphonic, black and death metal?
Very very positive. We have received great reviews from around the world, and gotten lots of comments and messages from people who gives us very positive feedback. We have been played on some metal radio stations where they were also positively surprised by our album. So all in all, we can definitely not complain about the reaction from people who have listened to our album.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Evolving into even more orchestral mayhem and dark compositions. We have a lot of ideas on how to take our music to a further level. We are constantly making music and again evolving ideas and how to put it all together. Working on new material we´re using, I think 4-6 hours a day on one song. And its been now 2 months. So if we´re not satisfied we begin from the top until it lands in our laps. 

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?
Well we could say mostly anything from the 60ties and 70ties, cause almost the best music originate from there, but.. Deeply inspired by some renowned composers of our time, Hans Zimmer Ennio Moricone. Also the written word by (in our opinion) some very talented authors, that also inspire us. 
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks to all who have supported us. To the people who haven't heard the album yet, check it out on bandcamp and let us know what you think. We are very happy for all feedback. And we can´t wait to perform for people so we can show, what we´re made of. Thanks

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Oldd Wvrms/Codex Tenebris/Cursed Monk Records/2019 CD Review

  Oldd  Wvrms  are  a  band  from  Belgium that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Codex  Tenebris"  which  will  ve  released  in  February  by  Cursed Monk  Records.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  and  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  slow  and  heavy  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  capturing  a  psychedelic  atmosphere  at  times.

  All  of  the  music  is  instrumental  with  no  lyrics  or  songwriting  while  their  previous  material  had  more  of  and  this  takes  their  sound  into  a  different  direction  but  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  on  the  closing  song,  You  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  modern  post  metal  elements  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  presence  throughout  the  tracks.

  Modern  atmospheric  black  metal  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music    which  can  be  heard  in  the  dark  and  melodic  riffing  that  band  creates  as  well  as  expanding  on  the  influence  and  making  it  a  more  powerful  part  of  the  sound  than  previous  recordings.  Clean  playing  is  also  utilized  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  diversity  while  guitar  leads  when  they  are  finally  added  into  the  music  are  one  in a  very  melodic  style  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive.  All  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction  while  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Oldd  Wvrms  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental,  black,  doom,  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tenebres"  and  "La  vallee  des  tombes".  8  out  of  10.

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Hecate Enthroned/Embrace Of The Godless Aeon/M-Theory Audio/2019 CD Review

 

  United  Kingdom's  Hecate  Enthroned  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  while  also  keeping  some  of  the  death  metal  elements from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019 album "Embrace Of  the  Godless  Aeon"  which  will  be  released  on  January  25th  by   M-Theiry  Audio.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  horror  movie  style  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  evolves  into  more  of  a  symphonic  direction  after  awhile.  After  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  also  introducing  black  metal  screams  onto  the  album.

  When  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  brought  into  the  music  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  90's  feeling  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  averaging  from  6  to  minutes.  One  track  also  adds  female  vocals  into  the  music  which  also  adds  in  more  of  an  operatic  atmosphere  as  well  as  a  touch  of  goth  metal  while  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  few  seconds  of  clean  male  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. As  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  is  also  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  small  amount  of  spoken  word parts  giving  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere.  The  production  has  a  very  powerful  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Mythology  and  Darkness themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hecate  Enthroned  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  their  previous  albums,  you  should  enjoy  this  release.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Revelations  In  Autumns  Flame"  " Whispers  Of  The  Mountain  Ossuary"  and  "Erebus  And  Terror".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/m8WSg5pcr5I

Dawn Of Ashes/The Crypt Injection II(Non Serviam)/Metropolis Records/2019 CD Review

  Dawn  Of  Ashes  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  mixture of  industrial,  ebm,  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Crypt  injection  II(Non  Serviam)"  which  will  be  released  on  January  18th  by  Metropolis  Records.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  electro  industrial  elements  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  grim  black  metal  screams  and  heavier  guitar  riffs  start  mixing  in  with  the  more  industrial  and  ebm  style  while  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  aggrotech  and  the  music  also  has  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Harsh  industrial  style  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  can also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  most  of  the  music  sticking  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  synths  also  gives  the  music more  of  an  epic  atmosphere.

  Dawn  Of  Ashes  plays  a  musical  style t hat  takes  industrial,  aggrotech,  ebm  and  black  metal  ans  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christianity,  Death,  Torture  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dawn  Of  Ashes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  aggrotech,  ebm,  industrial  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are    fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ahirman"  "The  Serpents  Of  Eden"  "Sitra  Ahra"  and  "Entering  The  Realm  Of  Shadows".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/Dawnofashes/
https://www.dawnofashesband.com
https://twitter.com/dawnofashes666
https://www.instagram.com/dawnofashesofficial/

  

Internal Chronicles Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Internal Chronicles started out as a black/doom project by my friend (and now ex-band mate) Antares and me (NoOne) in 2011. We were really into metal and wanted to write and record our own music, but it was hard to find other musicians who wanted to play this genre so we did everything ourselves. Unfortunately, we didn't have the money nor the knowledge to record a full album back then, so the whole project was put on a hold until 2017. when we finally managed to get all the recording equipment.

2.In 2019 you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous material?
The first album (Out of Sanity's Reach) was pretty raw and slow-paced. The second album, called Crimson Storm,  coming out in January 2019.Is a little more fast-paced, more melodic (more leads, orchestrations, piano and viola parts) and the quality is better.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have exploredwith the duo?
Out of Sanity's Reach is dealing with the topic of alienation and estrangement that both of us felt at that time (and still feel to some degree). We both always felt that somehow we are different than most
people, so the album explores some aspects of this kind of life-style (which includes being angry and disappointed with the world, but also the problem of loosing people, whether through death or through abandonment).

4.The musical project has been around since 2011 but waited until 2018 to release any music, can you tell us a little it more about the earlier years?
We wrote the first album (guitars and lyrics) in 2011. But couldn't find anyone to play bass and drums nor did we have the money to record the whole thing, so out of frustration and lack of motivation the
whole project was paused. But then, in 2017. I met a friend of ours who was selling his drum kit so he sold the kit to us for cheap (thanks Baco!) and another guy that I knew was selling his bass
guitar. Finally we decided to just buy the recording equipment and do it all ourselves and in 2018. Out of Sanity's Reach saw the light of day.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Internal Chronicles'?
Each album is (and will be) dealing with a certain topic, a certain central emotional state that I'm in at the time. In a sense it is a musical diary of my emotional life. I'm using music as "track record"
of everything that is happening to me, as sort of a chronicle. That is internal... You get it. I'm also using it as a catharsis so that once this emotions are recorded I can psychologically move one. It is a
selfish pursuit I must confess.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The new album is called Crimson Storm, so the artwork is literally that - a storm, that is crimson in color. It is a metaphor for love, so the album deals with all the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of
love, but ends on a positive note. It is dedicated to my one and only. It's not a popular theme in black metal, but it is what I feel so I'm not going to make any compromises just to stay "kvlt". Also, I'm
pretty sure all those angry black metallers also felt love at some point in their life haha.

7.The band started out as a duo but is now a solo project, do you feel it is a lot more easier to get things done better musically this way?
Well, since Antares quit because of lack of motivation and time constraints it is easier. I don't have to wait around for a day when he has the time and motivation to write so I get a lot more done on my
own. On the other hand, I have the final say now so it's hard to stay objective sometimes. Also his creative input was different from mine and that worked great. Because of that he still remains a session member and we still write together sometimes.

8.You also keep your identity a secret, do you feel it is a lot more important to let the music do the talking?
That is exactly right. I felt it didn't matter who I was or what I look like in real life (hence the name "NoOne"), so I created this persona that I use to push my music forward. I really don't care about
looks, live shows, what guitar I'm playing etc. The only thing that matters is the music. It must be true and have a purpose. Everything else is irrelevant.

9.The new album was released on 'Guts And Blood Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Guts and Blood is a small label form South America that releases extreme metal genres. They actually found me and asked if they could release the second album as a Compact Disk. So far, they have been great. They did all the marketing and set the whole thing up for the release while respecting my wishes and my creative freedom.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
It was great. A lot of sites noticed me and I did a few interviews already. The fanbase is steadily growing. I'm satisfied since I didn't expect anyone to even listen to this shit, let alone like it.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I want to continue recording albums (the third album is in the planning stage right now) and working with different artists. On Crimson Storm I managed to bring in Sonia who is a professional viola
player (who also played the piano and other orchestrations), a friend of mine (Djere)  who did a great guitar solo, and Klara who did some speaking vocals and who also did both artworks for both albums. On the third album I'll be working with all of them, but I'm also bringing in a female vocalist (I hope) and a professional violin player (If everything goes as planned).

12.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?
Nowadays I'm listening to almost everything. Most metal genres, jazz, rap, classical music etc. I'm searching for motivation everywhere, but the bands that influenced Internal Chronicles the most are Draconian, My Dying Bride, Dark Tranquility, Wintersun and the Norwegian black metal scene from the 90's. It's a weird mix now that I think about it.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?.
Thanks for the interview and stay tuned for the Crimson Storm in January 2019. And a lot more from Internal Chronicles because I'm just getting started. Cheers!
Cheers

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