Savaoth 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 ep?

Basically it has been all about promoting the material and working on some new stuff as well. Also working on some guest appearances that will probably happen on the next album.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

It is quite different from Whispers Often Bleat. Less "cyber" and industrial sounding for sure. The music is now more mature and heavy sounding than before, the production is definitely better and the whole atmosphere is more ritualistic at times. Clean vocal work is also part of the music now. I can tell that it has a more progressive touch.

3.This is also your first release with this project in 10 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Yeah it's been a very long time ! So long that most fans don't even know Savaoth still exists ! I've been busy with Word Of Life and Arkhangelsk all this time, which are the main bands I play. I also became member of a newly formed band named Khôra. Some work for the new Savaoth material also took place of course.

4.In the beginning there was a full line up but on the new recording you turned into a solo project, what was the decision behind going into this direction?

The truth is that some former Savaoth members participate now in Word Of Life and Arkhangelsk, so we ended up playing together again after years even if we did our own thing at times ! I wanted to keep Savaoth as a personal project to release my own stuff considering that it is a separate entity not related to the other bands.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the new ep and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over the years?

Mainly philosophical and esoteric stuff. For Neophyte I kept all the lyrics private, as there were lots of lyrics that were written in other languages than English, so most people wouldn't be able to read them. About songwriting, I think that I tend to be more straightforward and minimal now. Less is more !

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

Savaoth is one of the many "nicknames" of the Hebrew god, whose real name was forbidden to be pronounced. It basically means " powerful lord " or " lord of all powers".

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

The artwork is designed by me and it's just some cool black liquid and smoke forming random shapes. When you look at it, it reminds you of something familiar, but you can't really tell what it is. Everyone sees something different, like when you see clouds on the sky and the shapes remind you of something. It might be an alien entity, a god-like form or a dog, who knows. It represents the deeper aspects of the human soul where lots of emotions and feelings develop. Sometimes they are so deep that they are unrecognizable but yet so familiar.

8.When you had a full line up was there any live shows being performed and if so which one stood out the most?

Yeah there were many shows that took place, I can't really pick one ! Maybe the one with the Greek industrial black metal band Nyne. We had a very similar approach in music and the crowd seemed to enjoy a full night of mechanical industrial black metal.


9.The new ep was self released while you have worked with labels in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Savaoth is not a touring band with a full line up, so this is a problem for most labels. If a label is interested in releasing the music despite the limitations then I am open to that !


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

It is too early to make a conclusion, but the feedback is being very positive so far.


11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?

We have 2 complete full lengths with Arkhangelsk and Khôra that are waiting to be released. We are also working on the new Word Of Life full length !


12.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

A new Savaoth full length is being composed as we speak. I expect it to be ready by next year. I hope I'll keep on composing new stuff for many years to come. That's the main goal, to constantly create fresh content.


13.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?

I am listening to lots of modern progressive metal stuff lately. This has had a huge impact on my sound. I also keep an eye on the whole black metal scene, this is my main genre of preference.

14.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

We need a whole interview to cover this one haha ! Well, occultism has certainly become a trend, especially in the black metal scene, but most bands out there have no clue about occultism in reality. They approach occultism in an epidermic and naive manner just for imagery and marketing purposes with no actual knowledge and practicing background. Occultism should be about self improvement and not for showing off. I do not consider Savaoth to be an occult band though, I would prefer to say that I work on esoteric and philosophical / psychological concepts.


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

Thank you very much for this interview. I hope black metal fans out there give Neophyte a shot and I am looking forward to sharing more stuff with you in the future, cheers !

https://www.facebook.com/savaoth/
https://savaoth.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSKDcfnk9A

Les Chants Du Hasard/Livre Second/I, Voidhanger Records/2019 CD Review

  Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  classical  and  orchestra  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Livre  Second"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  A  very  avant  garde  neo-classical  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in a   great  amount  of  symphonic  and  orchestra  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  which  also  sound  very  evil,  tortured  and  cavernous  at  times  as  well  as  the  orchestras  also  capturing  the  aggression  of  extreme  metal.

  At  times  the  songs  goes  for  more  of  a  clam  classical  music  approach  while  choir  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  Gregorian  chants  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  black  metal,  cello  and  classical  music.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Les  Chants  Du  Hasard  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  classical  and  orchestra  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Bossu"  "La  Course"  and  "La  Defiate".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/leschantsduhasard/      

Epta Astera Interview

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

Epta Astera is a way to explore transcendence in music. Despite the wildly different timbres, atmospheric metal and polyphonic chant are both trying to evoke the same sort of feeling in the listener. In that respect, the fusion of the two is quite natural. Being able to anchor atmospheric metal in a tradition much older than it, and to bring polyphonic chant forward into a new medium, has been very rewarding, and fertile enough to keep my interest as a musician for 12 years now.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The main difference is that Feste Burg doesn't make compromises. In previous work I'd made a point of spending essentially no money. Everything through 2013's Semper Reformanda was recorded on the internal microphone of my 2007 laptop, for example, and most of my instruments were things I'd picked up for free at one point or another. Considering those limitations, it turned out pretty well. But for Feste Burg, I wanted to see how far I could get without those constraints. I invested in new instruments, new mics, new software – and all of these investments didn't just improve the sound quality; they also gave me the freedom to write and record more ambitious material than would have been feasible before, and to really envelop the listener in the Gregorian chant. I've also been able this time to mostly avoid the use of synths, which is a compromise that I'd been dissatisfied with on previous releases.

3.This is also your first album since 2013, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Besides honing the sound of Epta Astera, I started and finished a PhD in that time, so I've had to really take my time finishing Feste Burg. In a lot of ways that's been good: it's allowed me to be more thoughtful in the songwriting, to go through multiple revisions of older songs, and to put more polish on the sound overall. I believe the end result justifies the long wait, and I hope listeners will agree.

4.You label your music as being 'Gregorian Folk Metal', can you tell us a little bit more about that term?

I've talked already about the Gregorian and the Metal parts, so the Folk part is justified partly from convenience (these are the instruments I had to work with initially), and partly from principle (I rarely find the bare guitar/bass/drums ensemble compelling on its own).
The various folk instruments I use are useful tools besides the chanting to set the stage and transport the listener to another time and place.

5.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you covered with your songwriting/

This is an album I've wanted to write since the beginning of the project. I find Martin Luther personally compelling as someone who bore the weight of a civilizational tumult on his own shoulders without cracking or compromising. The first half of the album is about his journey to that point. And at the climax, he was able to maintain his integrity in the face of both tremendous opposition (the subject of "Exsurge Domine" and "Ich Kann Nicht Anders") and supposed allies who wanted to take his ideas too far (the subject of "Die Mordischen und Reubischen Rotten der Bawren"). In our era of populism and polarization, striking this balance – resisting the pull of both friends and enemies – is enormously difficult, but also crucial.

I'm also interested in the Reformation as a turning point in the history of Western Civilization. On the one hand, the break from medieval modes of thought and a rationalistic approach to religion made possible the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and eventually almost everything that we enjoy about the modern world. On the other hand, critics point to the iconoclasm of the Reformation as the ultimate source of things like populism today, where the primacy of conscience turns into kind of an anti-intellectualism. Both of these are true: much of what's worth celebrating about Western Civilization can be traced to the Reformation, and also the fruit of the Reformation might contain the seeds of its self-destruction. That ambiguous legacy is the subject of "Augsburg". Even if Luther himself had the strength and integrity to navigate the path between stagnant conservatism on the one side and suicidal radicalism on the other, the rest of us might not.

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

Epta Astera means "seven stars" in Greek, coming from Revelation 1:20. Unfortunately I mis-conjugated, and by the time I realized, it was too late to change the name. So with apologies to my Greek listeners, I've stuck with it.

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

First of all, the architectural theme reflects the title of the album. "Feste Burg" means "Mighty Fortress", which – along with the stone chamber on the cover – suggests something permanent and immovable.

Second, the oculus on the cover reflects Luther's own agony in arriving at his convictions (the subject of "Noche Oscura" and "Metanoia"), both physically (going through it in a chamber at his monastery) and emotionally (the torment of being able to see a light that remains unattainable).

Third, returning to the ambiguous legacy of the Reformation I mentioned earlier, it suggests our own striving for an unattainable light. We've seen over the past 500 years just what human society can be; how much people can do when their creative energies are channeled into value creation. This is a blinding and intoxicating light. And we're just starting to wake up to the possibility that it may turn out to have been a historical aberration. A civilization based on Reformation ideals burns brightly, but it may burn out, and that light may slip back out of our grasp forever.

8.On the recording you record most of the music by yourself , would you be open to expanding the line up on future releases?

For sure. In fact the guitar solo in the middle of "Noche Oscura" was played by a very talented friend of mine. I'm happy to draw on the talents of others for Epta Astera, though if creative control were to be shared, it would be the start of a different project.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground metal?

From the beginning Epta Astera has been distributed almost entirely online, so the audience has been small, but global. The reaction has been especially positive in Latin America, which I didn't expect from the outset. I speculate that the chant aspect resonates in an area where most people are still raised Catholic. It's also an area that's been deeply shaped by that double pull of conservatism and radicalism. But it may also be that there's a stronger culture of underground metal in Latin America. Either way I won't complain!

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

The releases to date have mostly explored historical themes. The next release, I think, will explore more current themes, especially as they relate to the double pull I mentioned earlier. I'd also like to expand the black metal aspect to make it as intense of an experience as possible.

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?

My original three inspirations were Tenhi, Orplid, and Subway To Sally. Later on I was heavily influenced by Agalloch. Since I started in 2007, however, there's been a big renaissance in both atmospheric metal (I've been enjoying recent and upcoming releases from Alcest, The Great Old Ones, and Latitudes) well as atmospheric folk (like Wardruna or Heilung). The market for this kind of enveloping and transcendent sound seems a lot thicker now than it was at the outset, when I had to cobble it together from disparate influences.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

My day job is as an economist; I'm interested in how money facilitates humans organizing themselves to accomplish big things without necessarily intending to do so, and how norms, institutions, and beliefs evolve over time. You probably picked up on some of the latter in my earlier answer about the Reformation. My approach there, like my approach to music, is eclectic. I enjoy being able to make connections that no one else has made before; to take disparate approaches and show how they can be used together to shine new light on a problem. Besides that, I also enjoy spending meditative time outdoors, hiking or kayaking.


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


Thanks for the thoughtful questions and for taking the time to do the interview. I'll just close by emphasizing the importance of transcendence. It's something that's crucial to a rich life, but it has to be pursued intentionally today. We don't get it automatically anymore, in part because of Reformation attitudes. Epta Astera is my small contribution to filling that void, and I hope others will take up the work as well.

1. eptaastera.com
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Immanifest/Macrobial/The Artisan Era/2019 Full Length Review

  Immanifest  ate  a  band  from  Tampa,  Florida  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Macrobial" which  will  be  released  in  November  by  The  Artisan  Era.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  also  add  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.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  showing  an  influence  of  prog  metal  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  consciousness,  death,  astral  travel  advanced,  and  sequestered  technology,  and  it's  westernization  through  global war  as  a  sacrificial  blood  ritual. 

  In  my  opinion  Immanifest  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  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  "Ultraterrestrial  Creation"  Jahbulon's  Labyrinth"  and  "Spirits  Of  Old".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ImmanifestOfficial/

https://immanifest.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/immanifest/

https://youtu.be/_l2UOJdrmH4

 

  

Nachtterror/Judgement/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Nachtterror  are  a  band  from  Regina,  Saskatchewan,  Canada  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2019  album  "Judgement"  which  will  be  released  on  October  10th,  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  on  a  few  tracks.  Clear  vocals  are  also  used  on  a  couple  of  tracks  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  symphonic  elements  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  parts  of  the  tracks.

  High  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  music  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style   along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Nactterror  are  a  very  great  original  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sea  of  Dread"  "The  Beauty  Of  The  Withering  Flower"  and  "Upon  Ashen  Shores".  8  out  of  10.

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Cradle Of Filth/Cruelty And The Beast/Music For Nations/2019 Re-Issue Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Cradle  Of  Filth  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  gothic  black  metal  direction  and  the  album was  originally  released  in  1998  and  called  "Cruelty  And  The  Beast"  and  the  re-issued  and  re-mastered  version  will  be  released  in  November  of  2019  by  Music  For  Nations.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  having  its  symphonic  moments  and  also  bringing in  the  haunting  atmosphere  of  a   horror  movie  soundtrack.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  and  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.  Elements  of  gothic  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit throughout  the  recording  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Iron  Maiden's  "Hallowed  Be  Thy  Name".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  Elizabeth  Bathory.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Cradle  Of  Filth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thirteen  Autumns  And  A  Widow"  "The  Twisted  Nails  Of  Faith"  and  "Portrait  Of  A  Dead  Countess".  8  out  of  10.

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Savaoth/Neophyte/2019 EP Review

  Savaoth  are  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  plays  a  very  experimental  form  of  industrial  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2019  ep  "Neophyte".

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  and  throat  singing  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  some  synths  and  industrial  elements.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  tracks  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  death  metal  growls  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Savaoth  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  modern  sounding  while  the  experimental  and  industrial  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult,  metaphysical  and  psychological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Savaoth  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  industrial  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eleusis"  and  "Gnosis".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/savaoth/
https://savaoth.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LSKDcfnk9A