The Magik Way/II Rinato/My Kingdom Music/2020 CD Review

 

  Italy's  The  Magik  Way  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  occult  mixture  of  ambient,  ritual,  experimental,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020 album  "II  Rinato"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later.  Clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal   as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  while  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments.  Some  of  the  songs  are  in  a  more  acoustic  direction  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  drum  beats  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  when  they  get  more  aggressive.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  psychedelic  and  dark  ambient  feeling  at  times  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  introducing  female  vocals  onto  the  album,  most  of  the  music  also  lacks  the  heaviness  of  previous  recordings  but  still  retains  an  occult  and  ritualistic  atmosphere  that  was  presented  on  past  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Occultism  and  Esotericism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Magik  Way  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  ritual,  experimental,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II  Rinato"  "Deforme"  "Le  Vampe"  and  "La  Procwssione".  8  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/themagikway

https://youtu.be/E63ILwfmvUU  

The Dark Believing/The Offering/2020 EP Review

 

  The  Dark  Believing  are  a  duo  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  ep  "The  Offering".

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  atmospheric  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  3  last  songs  being  re-corded  and  remastered  versions  of  their  early  material  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  sticking  mostly  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction,  a  couple  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats and  blast  beats.

  The  Dark  Believing  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  and  melodic  styles  of  Swedish  black  and  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  apocalyptic,  dark  sides  of  nature,  science  fiction  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Dark  Believing  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  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reaving  Shadows"  and  "Dark  Deception".  8  out  of  10.

https://thedarkbelieving.bandcamp.com/album/the-offering  

Novarupta/Marine Snow/Suicide Records/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Novarupta  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black, sludge  and  post  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Marine  Snow"  which  will  be  released  on  November  13th  by  Suicide  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  ocean  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clear  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  progressive  and  post  metal  elements  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  growls  and  black  metal  elements  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  psychedelic  moments  and on  the  closing  track  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  album Novurupta  only  keeps  small  amounts  of  the  blackened  sludge  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  introducers  psychedelic,  progressive  and  post  metal  elements  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the elemental  forces  of  Fire,  Water,  Air  and  Earth.

  On  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Novarupta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  post  and  progressive  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Broken  Blue  Cascades"  and  "No  Constellation".  8  out  of  10.

Listen to new single ‘Broken Blue Cascades’ by Novarupta

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Everson Poe/Rituals/Trepanation Recordings/2020 Full Length Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Chicago,  Illinois's  solo  project  Everson  Poe  which  continues  the  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  from  the  previous  release  and  the  album  will  be  released  on  November  13th  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  called  "Rituals".

  Heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  deep  growling  vocals  that  also  add  in  touches  of  hardcore.  Elements  of  post  rock  can  also  be  heard  in  the  cleaner  sections  of  the  music  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  slow  riffs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  touches  of  post  hardcore  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  blast  beats  and  black  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  along  with  some  of  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  showing  an  influence  of  shoegaze  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  sounding  drones,  clean  vocals,  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  tribal  sounding  drumming can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Shades  Of  Magic  book  series,  the  television  show  Dark,  gruesome  nightmares  and  a  disdain  for  religious  zoolatry. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Everson  Poe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Antari"  and  "Fallow,  Hallowed".  8  out  of  10.

https://eversonpoe.bandcamp.com/album/rituals       

Everson Poe/Monstrous Existence/Trepanation Recordings/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Everson  Poe  are  a  solo  project  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Monstrous  Existence"  which was  released  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  also  being  introduced  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  and  sludge  metal.

  Blackened  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  hardcore.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  along  with  some  touches  of  post  metal  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals,  a  small  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  drones  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Emerson  Poe  brings  in  more  of  a mixture  of  black, sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  some  touches  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  to  create  a  very  heavy  style. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  social  political,  occultism  themes  and  the  writings  of Robert W. Chambers.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Everson  Poe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Belial"  and  "The  Beast".  8  out of  10.

https://eversonpoe.bandcamp.com/album/monstrous-existence-2

  

Oldblood/Arms To The Sky/2020 EP Review

 

  Oldblood  are  a  band  from  the  united  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Arms  To  The  Sky"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  crust  punk  elements,  clean  playing  also  returns  on  a  couple  of  the  later  tracks  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Oldblood  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  post  metal  and  crust  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dropping of  an  atomic  bomb  on  Hiroshima.

  In  my  opinion  Oldblood  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  metal  and crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nuclear  Blues"  and  "Alone".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.weareoldblood.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/weareoldblood
https://www.instagram.com/weareoldblood

https://www.twitter.com/weareoldblood    

Sorrow Enthroned Interview

 

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

As a fan of many different styles and subgenres of metal, when I created Sorrow Enthroned the intention was to mix sounds from all the different bands that I love. It leans mostly into melodic black and brutal death metal territory, however there are many other influences that can be heard here and there. I started it as a form of therapy and release, and the music keeps evolving as I do.

2.So far you have released a couple of full lengths, an ep and a few singles, musically how does each release differ from each other?

The ep I released in 2019 and the full length “The Embrace of Nocturnal Sorrow” both have a strong raw black metal sound, with melody and some deathcore influences. The lyrics are much more grim and the music more abrasive. The experience I gained in these two released pushed me forward into recording a handful of singles and experimenting with other sounds. The latest release still has these styles, yet more spread out, with the gaps being filled with other influences.

3.On the new album you covered some occult, left hand path and Thelema themes with your lyrics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

Occultism saved my life, I was very depressed and recovering from drug addiction, and the left hand path offers a hidden light to those of us who were born of the devil.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

I have explored topics of death and depression previously, occultism currently, maybe ill do a concept album for the next one.

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

Sorrow Enthroned came to me as one of the ageless paradoxes of the human existence, the feelings of exaltation and misery we experience through the years, light and dark and good and evil. This world has much darkness in it, and it is not going anywhere, I think the only choice is to embrace it and exalt the self as it will always be a part of us. There is great and powerful magick there.

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

The artwork is a sigil I created for the idea of will in motion, representing a consciousness moving from one world to the next (which is why the planetary sigils differ from traditional hexagrams). This motion is reminiscent of the Ouroboros, being cyclic, or the Serpent of eden seeking knowledge, or the wandering spirit who lives yet still.

7.Withthis project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

I would love to work with other musicians, I am open to anything.

8.Since 2019 you have released a great amount of music with this project, do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?

Inbetween working and going to school for music, I constantly create simply for the love of it. I feel like there is unheard music around us in the air constantly, and it would be a waste to not create something from it.

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

Yes, I received some label interest on the last album, I am absolutely interested in looking into what is out there and what kind of services they can offer.

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

People seemed to enjoy “the embrace of nocturnal sorrow”, they seem to really enjoy “thelemic grimoires”, the feedback so far has been great. 

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

I would love to work as a sound engineer or session guitarist. Sorrow Enthroned isn’t going anywhere and I will keep evolving the sound. I could see myself playing in a band at some point as well.

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?

As a whole, I take a lot of inspiration from Dark Funeral, Incantation, The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Behemoth, Dying Fetus, Mournful Congregation, Carnifex. This year while working on the album I had the new Incantation record on repeat for a long time, it is incredible. Same with Ulcerate, Defeated Sanity and Inferi, all great releases this year 2020.

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

Thelemic Grimoires is on Bandcamp, Spotify, Itunes and Youtube, also the stoned ape theory is real.

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