Welicoruss/Siberian Heathen Horde/El Puerto Records/2020 CD Review

  Welicoruss  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Siberian  heathen  Horde"  which  was  released  by  El  Puerto  Records.

  Wind  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  tribal  style  drums  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  symphonic  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of the  songs.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  done  in  an  angry  yet  deep  style  while  the  music  is  also  mostly  rooted  in  black  metal.  Clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  cover  Philosophy,  Theosophy,  Esoteric,  Heathenism,  Astral  Travels,  Mystery  and  Siberia  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Welicoruss  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  "Speelcaster"  "Metaphysical"  and  "Hymn  Of  Lost  Souls".  8  out  of  10.

BAND:  https://www.facebook.com/welicoruss

Official merchandis: https://welicoruss.bandcamp.com/merch

Instagram:  https://bit.ly/2TyORbd

Follow the band on Spotify:  shorturl.at/egE24    

Inlandsys/Carthago/2018 Full Length Review

  Inlandsys  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Carthago".

   Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  solos and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  A  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  symphonic  moments,  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Inlandsys  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  "Carthago"  "Siege  For  Souls"  and  "Burn  For  Baal".  8  out  of  10.

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Valdrin/Effigy Of Nightmares/Blood Harvest/2020 Full Length Review

  Ohio's  Valdrin  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  continuing  the  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Effigy  of  Nightmares" which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Blood  Harvest.

  A  very  dark  and  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Symphonic  elements  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  have  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Elements  of  melodic  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  whispered  vocals  also  return  briefly,  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  continuing  their  own  mythos  and  story  of   Valdrin  Ausadjur.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdrin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Exsanguination  Tunnels"  and  "Down  The  Oubliette  Of  Maelstrom".  8  out  of  10.

http://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/effigy-of-nightmares    

Creature/Ex Cathedra/I, Voidhanger Records/2020 CD Review

  Creature  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  very  progressive,  symphonic  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Ex  Cathedra"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  Avant  garde  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  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  and  progressive  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  and  classical  music  elements.

  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  sounding black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  deep  death  metal  growls.  Horns  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  more  brutal  parts  of  the  music  at  times  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  having  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  which  they  also  mix  in  with  a  more  modern  style.  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. 

 One  of  the  later  songs  is  also  an  instrumental  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  some  dissonant  structures.  Elements  of  60's  to  80's  French  pop  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  violins,  acoustic  gutiars  and  hip  hop  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  and  cover  poetic,  metaphysical  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Creature  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  avant  garde  and  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fugue  en  Sol  Mineur"  "Note  Anticosmique"  and  "Ethemellement".  8  out  of  10.

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WOWS 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?

Hi there, first of all thanks a lot for your interest in our band! Sice we’re in lockdown since 11 of march, poeple can just listen to our music digitally or buy our merch, unfortunately no live shows. Anyway we feel the new album has been welcomed in the metal scene and we are so glad about it. 

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

It differs quite a lot. We continue our research on atmospheres ut we added more aggressiveness as well as more depth in our music. In 5 years we gew a lot as musiciand and as peolple, our personalities became more complex and more mature, and all this is into Ver Sacrum.

3.This is also your first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

We played a lot. Mainly that but also we met a loto f musician, labels, venues, artists that help us to have different prospectives on music and on how to be a band. Without then our music would have suffered, that’s for sure.

4.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?

We don’t have a message, such as political or ideological, none of that. Our goal is chatarsis, abstraction and detachment from reality. Our lyrics are very poetic, ermetic and surrealistic, we describe deam-like (better nightmare-like) scenarios, it’s like a fairy tale but a very fucked up, dark and disturbing. Ver Sacrum is a celebration of the path that goes from destruction to emptiness, rebirth and than desctruction again, all lyrics are functional to this concept.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'WOWS'?

The name was supposed to be an acronym for War On Wall Street, but then the name WOWS claimed his own life, so we lose the dots and keept it that way. We like it for the sound, nothing to do with the exclamation “wow!”. We also discover that wows is a parameter on old analog delays, a weird effect generated by the tape, and yeah we kind of feel like a weird sound effect I guess.

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

The front artwork is a oil on canvas painting by Paolo Girardi. It’s the second cover that Paolo painted for us, for Ver Sacrum he took inspiration from the earthquakes that shook Italy and caused a loto f death and pain. So you can see the destroyed structures and the smoke in the sky, a perfect representation of destruction, such as the very beginning of the path we celebrate in Ver Sacrum.

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?

Well I have to say we enjoy almost every gig we had. We played Rottura del Silenzio and Krakatoa fest, amazing venues with amazing bands, but we also remember gladly our first tours with Postvorta and Zolfo, of our gigs in our hometown Verona at Colorificio Kroen or at The Factory. I would describe our performances as deep, heavy, loud, ritualistic and atmospheric, but it’s really up to everybody else to confirm that.

8.The new album was also released through a good amount of labels, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you worked with on the new album?

Sure! Dio Drone was the first label who showed interest in our new album and we are really happy for this, we look up to every artist in the label and we love the dark and atmospheric attitude they have, we feel very close to their vision of music and art. Shove records is a historic DIY label on Italy, an istitution for the hardcore and estreme scene in Italy as well as mailorder of pretty unique titles, we are so glad to e a part of it! They also recently loaded all releases on bandcamp, i strongly suggest to look it up! We came across Coypu Records and Hellbones Records in the processo of looking for a label, we liked each other and we decide to collaorate. We are very happy of our labels, we like DIY scene, it’s full of passion and love for music. Coypu Records in particolar is not a metal label, they just put out what they like, so we are even more happy to be a part of it alongside great artist like Soviet Soviet, even if the musical genere is diferent; we love this attitude, pure passion!

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, doom, post metal and hardcore?

Reviews are going nicely, we get a lot of appreciation, for sure more than the previous release, I hope we’ll have the same interest also in live shows, when it will be possible of course.

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

We have some ideas, surely we won’t follow any mainstream line, but we could say it only when we actually have new music I think.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We are six people so I would say a lot. I speak for myself, I like graphical arts and in this lockdown I started drawin a lot. If you wanna know more I’m afraid you have to buy us each a beer.

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

Thanks to everyone interested in our music, thanks to everybody who helped us to realize Ver Scarum, you know who you are!

https://www.facebook.com/thewows/  - https://thewows.bandcamp.com/

Helioss/Devenir Le Soleil/Satanath Records/Mourning Light Records/2020 CD Review

  Helioss  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays a  very  melodic,  progressive  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Devenir  Le  Soliel"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Mourning  Light  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while symphonic  elements  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well  as the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  prog  metal  elements  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  track  also  introduces  stringed  instruments  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  being  programmed.  A  lot  of  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  touches  of  the  neo-classical  and  shred  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  melodic  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  synths  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  influences  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  dark  and  scientific  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  form  Helioss  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  melodic,  symphonic  and  progressive  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Wall  Of  Certainity"  "Singularity"  "La  Lepre  Des  Hommes"  and  "Now...Shine!".  8  out  of  10.

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Vitam Et Mortem/El Rio De La Muerte/Satanath Records/Exhumed Records/2020 CD Review

  Vitam  Et  Mortem  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "El  Rio  De  La  Muerte"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Exhumed  Records.

  Symphonic  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  female  vocals  can  also  be heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  death  metal  growls  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  and  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  and  folk  music  elements  also  being  used  briefly.  as  the  problem  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  the  closing  track  is  also  a  Masacre  cover.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  death,  war,  chaos,  history  and  ancient  culture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Vitam  Et  Mortem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Los  cuerpos  en  el  rio"  "El  animero"  "Plegaria  a  los  muertos"  and  "Rito  de  muerte".  8  out  of  10.

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