Scimitar/Shadows Of Man/2019 CD Review

  Scimitar  are  a  band  from  Victoria  B.C,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Shadows  Of  Man".

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Clear  pagan  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  as  the  album  progresses  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  power  metal  screams,  clean  playing,  keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  experiences  and  history  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scimitar  are  a  very great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  black,  death  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "State  of  Nature"  "Flayed  On  The  Birth  Rack"  "Where  Ancient  Spectres  Lie"  and  "Mysterium,  Tremendum  et  Fascinans".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/qG53V8EKH1E  

Castle Of Yester/Echoes From Hobgoblin Ha'/2019 Full Length Review

  Castle  of  Yester  is  a  solo  project  from  new  York  that  plays  a  very  symphonic,  ambient  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  album  "Echoes  From  Hobgoblin  Ha'".

  A  sci-fi  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  which  also  add  in  elements  of  dungeon  synth.  At  times  the  guitar  riffing  also  captures  a  lo-fi  atmosphere  while  also  mixing  symphonic  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  most  of  the  music  goes  back  to  the  90's  demo  era  of  the  symphonic  side  of  the  genre.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  also  start  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody,  out  of  key  power  metal  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  songs  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  avant  garde  and  ambient  elements.

  Castle  of  Yester  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal that  goes  back  to  the  early demo  days  of  the  genre  while  also  mixing  in  some  touches  of  dungeon  synth,  ambient  and  avant  garde  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Scottish  Yester  castle  and  its  beacon  of  sorcerers. 

  In  my  opinion  Castle  Of  Yester  is  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde,  ambient  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Donning  Myself  In  Armor  Most  Spiritual"  "On  The  Infestation  of  Goblins  In  Our  Humble  Village"  and  "Encrumbling".  8  out  of  10.

https://castle-ov-yester.bandcamp.com/releases     

Morast Interview

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



J.: We had been busy with the post production and stuff to finally finish the record. It taught us a great lesson in patience. ;-) In the meantime we played a couple of shows including a small tour with our brethren Vidargängr and Light Of The Morning Star in fall 2018.



2.You have a new album coming out in September, musically how does it differ from the material you have released in the past?



J.: I think we got darker and more obscure in every aspect and became a better band both in songwriting and musicianship. Also the production is fitting our vision much better. Our producer Michael Zech did a great job and helped us a lot to develop this sound.



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



F: Basically I use really sad personal issues from a distance. I sum up my lessons from these issues in a certain way and try to write with a certain "strength of knowledge".

Furthermore my night-time walks inspire some of my lyrics. At least I use one of those for each release.



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



J.: We were searching for a fitting name in the beginning like every other band does and got stuck with that one. A german word which can be translated into "morass" or "mud". That's it.



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



F: The artwork describes the uncertainty and emptiness that life itself can bring.

The longer the path of life is, the more tired you can get and the colder you can feel.

Over the years you lose family members, friendships break up because of quarrels or simply because of the daily routine and you feel more lonely step by step and alone along the journey into the unknown. The title track deals with this topic and the implementation

of the draughtsman "View from the Coffin" has hit this situation perfectly.

We all run into the unknown for the most part and the two rock faces symbolise the blockade of visions of the future. There is a gap, but you have to cross it on your own to see the future.



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



F.: For me: Kassel/Goldgrube/2018, In Flammen Open Air 2017, Raging Death Date/Neustadt a.d.O./2016

I would describe us as bitter, angry and uncontrolled band on stage.



J.:  Pissed, enthusiastic, bored, drugged. Everything is possible.



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



F.: At the moment four more shows are confirmed this year and in spring 2020 we plan to book a tour.



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



J.: We already had the possibility to play a couple of shows outside of Germany including festivals in Lithuania or Denmark for example. Nonetheless we are a small band but in these times of worldwide internet propaganda it's not really difficult to reach people out there who are interested in your band.



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



J.: R. still plays in his long running HC/Punk band, L. is quite busy with his other band, F. has a Black/Thrash project that will release their first record soon and I just started a little BM thing with some friends.





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



F.: Become even darker and more oppressive than now.



J.: Exactly.



11.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?



F.: Celtic Frost, Triptykon, Satyricon, The Cure, Arckanum.



J.: My biggest influences are classic bands like Neurosis, Black Sabbath, Winter, Bathory, Celtic Frost/Triptykon, Godflesh to name a few. Bands that created their own unique sound and identity. Sadly it's something very rare nowadays. On the other hand I have to say there are still contamporary bands that I like or discover. I really enjoy the development of the "scene" here in Germany, too. Check out older and newer bands like Vidargängr, Secrets Of The Moon, Antlers, Chapel Of Disease, Ultha, Antlers, Dolch, Essenz, I I, Ketzer, Evil Warriors, Sulphur Aeon, The Ruins Of Beverast (in case you don't know them yet).

I also dig good radio friendly music when I'm driving my car. Lots of other shit as well from Delta Blues to Goth to Punk etc.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



F.: I swim a lot and like watching movies.



J.: My kids.



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



F.: Thank you for the interesting interview!



J.: Don't be a sheep. Thanx!

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Doom Rot/Territory Of Solitude/2019 Single Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Russia's  Doom  Rot  which  continues  his  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  single   "Territory  Of  Solitude".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  single  along  with  some  whispered  vocals  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  evolve  into  blackened  screams  once  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  The  music  also  adds  in  elements  of  death,  doom  and  groove  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  second  track  is  a  cover  of  Immortal's  "Tyrants"  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Doom  Rot  remains  true  to  his  melodic  mixture  of   black,  doom,  death  and  groove  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  isolation,  fear,  loss  and  cruelty  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Doom  Rot  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  doom,  death  and  groove  emtal,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Territory  Of  Solitude".  8  out  of  10.

https://vk.com/doomrot 
https://doomrot.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Doom-Rot-1931828376836330/

Doom Rot/Portrait Of A Deadman/2019 Full Length Review

  Doom  Rot  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  album  Portrait  Of  A  Deadman".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  aggressive  blackened  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Elements  of  groove  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  you  can  also  hear  some  doom  metal  influences  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  A  lot of  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  melodic  death  metal   while  the  riffs  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  synths,  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  Doom  Rot  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  melodic  death,  doom  and  groove  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own. The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  isolation,  fear,  lust  and  cruelty  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Doom  Rot  is  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  and  groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Incessant  Loss  Of  Lives"  and  "Wild  Lust  Pt.  2".  8  out  of  10.

https://vk.com/doomrot 
https://doomrot.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Doom-Rot-1931828376836330/
https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/doomrot/portrait-of-a-deadman

  

Anifernyen Interview

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

LUÍS: Anifernyen is a melodic Black/Death metal band from northern Portugal. We are a group of five elements with some musical experience and history in the portuguese underground. In 2008 we released our first work. A 5 track EP, produced by Daniel Cardoso (Anathema) at Ultrasound Studios. After a hiatus of 7 years, we returned in 2017 with a new formation and recorded our debut album in 2018. One year later we are anxious for the release and to get back on the road.

2.In September you have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from the ep you had released in 2008?

LUÍS: A long time has passed between these two records. Augur is a more mature work in every way. We gave it a lot of thought structurally and in terms of concept. The renewed band structure allowed us to improve lyrically and rhythmically. As the guitars continued to work harmoniously together, Daniel brought a more careful approach to the lyrics and his vocals are brutally solid and very dynamic. Hugo is bad ass drummer and, together with Ricardo brought a new life to the rhythm section.

3.The band was broken up for 7 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

DANIEL: The band had not broken up. It really was a hiatus. There were quite a few line-up changes throughout the years and it was around 2013 that I replaced the former singer, Ricky. After that time we had some other line-up changes and we also had to change our rehearsal routines. Fortunately, it all ended up alright, since the core of the band has always remained strong with both Luís and Diogo. And after that much restructuring the band finally found a bit of stability and we were able to focus on our main goal which was to get our debut album out.

4.The lyrics cover apocalyptic and end times themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

DANIEL: I’m not a believer in any folklore, faith or creed, be it considered holy or profane. However, I believe that everything ends. And certain images about the end times that have been transmitted to all of us by the writs of certain religions have this curious appeal. When I was listening to our demos those were the images that our music brought to my mind, those were the places to where my imagination travelled, and somehow it felt fitting to write about these themes of destruction, desolation and death. They marry well with the sound of Anifernyen.

5.I know that the band's name means 'A Cold Hell' in contemporary English, how does this name fit on with the musical style you play?

DANIEL: I think the name Anifernyen is quite fitting for our musical style. Our music can be categorized in the black/death metal genres with some melodic elements to it. I can get all metaphorical and poetic about this and say that it is fast and harsh at times like the blazing flames of Hell, and sometimes it becomes slow and bleak like a wintery frost.But seriously, I guess that when Luís came up with the name for the band was because it was unusual and all quite different from the rest, or the band could have ended up has yet another band with a name that ends in “...ation” or yet another one that associates the adjective “Dark” to any other word. I don’t mean that is wrong. I’m just glad that we are different.

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

DANIEL: The cover art, as all the art in the booklet was created by the extraordinary Credo Quia Absurdum which deserve a big shout out for their excellent work that exceeded our expectations. We knew that when we contacted them for the job that we would get a superb end result, but what we got was beyond that. And it shows. We gave them the guidelines about the themes and the aesthetics of the album and they followed through. The cover art is but the tip of the iceberg. The figure in the center represents the herald of the end times, here to take us all, and if you flip through the CD booklet you'll find so much more amazing artwork.

LUÍS: The impressive thing about the artwork is that everything is connected with the lyrical content. We were very thorough with our briefing and passed on all the lyrics as well as a summary of the meanings for each song. Luckily I think we found in CQA a lot of common interests that made our communication somewhat facilitated. A lot of the concepts referred in the lyrics were well known to them. This way we managed to construct an imaginary that illustrates almost each song. The level of detail is very high and is interesting to find the similarities between the writings and the illustrations.

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

DANIEL: The band had a lot of amazing gigs when the EP “Pledge of Chaos” was released. But by that time I wasn’t in the band yet. For me, in particular, one of the best shows so far was when we played Vimaranes Metallum Festival in 2017. It happened just at the right time, when we felt that we were ready for a live performance. The venue was great, the bands that played with us were amazing, and we felt very comfortable, which led to a great performance. In every performance we try to stay true to what our music. Kind of a stoic presence in between songs, but aggressive and fierce when we perform. Our shows can grow into something more visually spectacular given the chance, but right now that’s not one of our main concerns. We want to sound good and we want the audience to understand our music. Everything else that may be an accessory for the stage performance will come later.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

LUÍS: We're getting in contact with venues, promoters and festivals to establish a schedule for the end of the year and next year. We're also working with ESW Booking agency. We expect some results very soon. Next gig will be with Lucifer's Child(GR), Humanart(PT) and Akouphenom(ES) at Hard Club in the 14th of September.

9.The new album is going to be released on 'Ethereal Sound Works', can you tell us a little bit about this label?

DANIEL: Even though ESW is an independent label, they are very interested in the projects they sign. I worked with the label before, with my other band, and one thing is for sure, they are motivated in representing the bands in their roster in the best way possible, and we are sure it’s going to work in the same way with Anifernyen.

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

LUÍS: In 2008, when we released "The Pledge of Chaos" we've got very good reviews from national press as well as international, but most of our contacts were made by standard mail and social networking was not as developed as is today. We hope to increase a lot the spectrum this time. The research was much wider and we have a label behind us. We are starting to get very nice reviews from across the world by now and we hope to get much more after the official release in September.

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

LUÍS: It's going to evolve for certain. Not really sure where yet. I feel that during the production of Augur a lot of growth was achieved in terms of sound production knowledge which will certainly help us in composition as well. There's also a will to try new techniques and perhaps try something new in terms of sound.. Who knows.

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?

LUÍS: As individuals we have musical preferences that resemble and others that not. I think the common ground between us is mainly black, death and doom metal. Bands like Immortal, Funeral Mist, Behemoth, Mgla, Svartidaudi, Ascension, Deicide, Carcass, Paradise Lost, Shape of Despair, Paradise Lost, to name a few..

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

DANIEL: Nothing out of the ordinary, i guess. And once again, I speak for myself, of course. Reading, watching movies and TV shows, listening to music, playing videogames. We all have normal lives outside the band. We all have jobs and families and the band, even though we take it very seriously, is escapism from all the other stuff.

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

LUÍS: We would like to thank everyone who spend some time reading this interview. Is very difficult to cultivate any kind of interest in people nowadays. If you are reading this please pass by our Facebook account and give us a shout. We are simple guys and gladly exchange some words with anyone. Tell us what you liked and what you did not for that matter.
The end is nigh!

https://www.facebook.com/anifernyen/

https://anifernyen.bandcamp.com/

Netherbird/Into The Vast Uncharted/Eisenwald/2019 CD Review

  Sweden's  Netherbird have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Into  The  Vast  Uncharted"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Eisenwald.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and struggle  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Netherbird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Saturnine  Ancestry"   "Lunar  Pendulum"  and  "Nexus  of  Unlight".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/Q4ZsJt_sGns