Monday, December 28, 2020

Hierarchy/Self Titled/2021 Full Length Review

 


  Hierarchy  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death   metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their   self   titled  and  self  released   album  which  will  be  released  in  2021.


  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  death  metal  style.


  Demonic  voices  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  Hierarchy  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  90's  era  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Left  hand  Path,  Occultism,  Blasphemy,  Anti  Christianity  and  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.


  In  my  opinion  Hierarchy  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Light  Ov  the  Morning  Star"  "Ave  Satanas"  "Suicide  Ceremony"  and  "Through  The  Fires  Of  Moloch".  8  out  of  10.


   Watch this video!

Friday, December 25, 2020

Brokdar/The Legend Of Undying Knights/2020 Full Length Review

 


  

 

 Brokdar  are   a  band  from   Russia   that  plays  a  dark  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "The  Legend  Of   Undying  Knights''.


  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going   into  a  heavier   direction   which  also  introduces   black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great   amounts  of  melody  while   the   faster   sections   of  the  songs   also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos   and  leads  are  also  done   in  a  melodic   style.


  Throughout   the  recording   you   can  also  hear   a  decent    mixture   of  slow ,  mid   paced  and  fast  parts  while  death   metal   growls   can  also   be  heard   at  times.  A  great  portion   of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  tremolo  picking   being  added  into  the  faster  sections   of  the  songs  as  well  as  synths  also   being  at  times.  


  Brokdar  plays   a  musical   style   that  takes  the  melodic   forms   of  black,  dark  and  death  metal  and  mixes   them  together   to  create   a  sound  of  their   own.  The   production   sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics   cover  dark   fantasy   themes.


  In  my  opinion  Brokdar  are  a  very  sounding   dark   and  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   The  Legend  Of   Undying  Knights''  "No  Hate  For  Fate''  and  "No  More".  8  out  of  10.  

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Kultika Interview

 

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

Like many other bands we were making touring plans to promote the new album, when this pandemic hit; we were just planning to start the whole production for the live sessions. Unfortunately now everything is frozen and we await proper times to do that.

Having this free time and the work done for the recordings, we concentrated on other musical projects because in Kultika we need a lot more time to develop new ideas and we are kind of drain out at this point after working on “Capricorn Wolves” for so many years, so we need some time before we return to the composition phase, we need to absorb new energies to be able to create something worthily.


2.In 2021 you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

We worked for about six years to complete this full-length, and it wasn’t easy, many times we scraped entire projects, because we didn’t liked the results, so all the emotions in the end are encapsulated in this result.

It contains similar aesthetics to our previous releases like sludge, black and post elements but it has also many new influences, there are three new members in the band and they have a more technical approach and background, they are highly skilled and they know very well to play their instruments. So we could expand this time the environment into a more progressive and 70’s psychedelic direction, resulting a sound very hard to integrate in a certain genre, hermetic in its own ranks.


3.This is also your first full length since 2013, other than an ep and a single can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

We concentrated a lot on playing live, at least until 2016, when we realized we kind of neglected the composition aspect, doing little progress in that direction. We also had various line-up changes based on different reasons, so we had to do many rehearsals to integrate the new comers and also there were some collaborations that didn’t go as planned, resulting in losing a lot of time and frustration.

But since 2017 when we welcomed Sergiu Nadaban on drums and Marcel Iovanov on bass, things progressed a lot faster, even if we didn’t play live as much as we would have wanted, they were very serious on putting out this album, and it was a new energy and progress, Sergiu is also a producer and has his own studio and is musically trained, so with all the ideas and the preproduction we did, it was very helpful for the final results.


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 see an album like Haruki Murakami said in one of his books, as a declaration of art and a way of life, it is a conceptual journey. An album for us means, to stay with the booklet in front of you and to listen the music and read the lyrics, to connect with the whole experience.

With this thing in mind we composed this album also.

The lyrical theme is somehow changed but the background is logically the same, because the authors are the same, so we cannot betray our views.

On “The strange Innerdweller” it was more a narrative story based on questions upon religion and personal experiences. This time we went into a more abstract and philosophical territory, about the  simulation of life, what is tangible and what in eerie, the concept of measuring and relating to time and collective conscience.

The progress in songwriting we see it as a new development without any external scope, on the previous materials we all the time had the live component in mind, to have catchy riffs, to have a certain atmosphere and not to complicate and do too many odd time signatures. This time we had this rather distant approach from the listener and effectively related only on our own tastes and it is made primarily for us. At the end of the process we think the songs have a superior quality and musicianship as a result of this initial relaxed approach, yes maybe it’s an album made more for musicians than the general public, but it is what it is and we are very proud of the general result.


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

The origin is in the book “The sacred and profane” from Mircea Eliade, it was a synthesis made by our initial drummer, Tammuz; in the beginning when we started rehearsing for this project around 2008, we were playing a sludgy raw black metal with some old school 80’s influences, and this name suited very well that environment. But you know in time the name picked all kind of new symbols. I remember amused when we released the first album, people writing on internet that we ripped this name from Cult of Luna, forgetting about our initial EP “Kultika” from 2009, in the style of early Samael, Beherit, early Katatonia mixed with Sodom and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost  worship; it was quite an odd and laughable idea, but we learned to live with everyone’s opinion, it is (still) a free world in some degrees of politically correctness so we don’t have a problem with this, nowadays everyone has an opinion about everything and can write about this online and became an “influencer” in 10 minutes.

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

The artwork it is made by our long time collaborator and friend, Alexandru Das, and depicts the two elements: “Capricorn” as an astral and spiritual part, an annual renewal constellation at the end of time, and the “Wolves” that impersonate the world and society we live in, that dictates everything like in a dystopia: moral conventions, religion, food, technology…altering the ancestral purity of the soul and the primordial freedom of the people, handcuffing in something foreseeable, under order and predictable. It supports the central theme of this album and honestly when we received the printed booklets it looks amazing on paper!

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?

Maybe the best one was when we released “The Strange Innerdweeler”, in most cases the home concerts are the most enjoying ones, you are with your friends, everybody comes to support you, it’s like a big cozy party… it was a memorable night, with special guests and a String Quartet playing with us, we also had a new visual concept, lights…everything connected to one big production, and the results were very professional and it was the first time for us doing that.

Other than that there were other super experiences on some festivals like Rockstadt Extreme Fest and in major clubs from Bucharest… I don’t know why we concentrated over the years to play more in Romania than starting tours abroad, maybe we were comfortable in a gang of friends like Cap de Craniu, Fjord, Negura Bunget, The Thirteenth Sun, Valerinne and played with them most of the time.

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

The first album was very well received getting coverage and good press from prestigious publications like Metal Injection, Hammer, Legacy or Metalsucks, but you know if you don’t support this with investments in buying touring slots with European and US coverage to make a name also for the booking agencies and to be in attention of the major labels, to enter in this environment and to have all the right connections, things move very slowly for a small band from the Eastern Europe…the energy of the fans and great enthusiasm we learned it is not enough, on the long run underground is all you can do, and we are pretty normal individuals with jobs, families, dogs and cats…so we decided to stick in making music only as a hobby, professional one with all the tool but at an amateurish level for our souls then for our pockets; so basically as a review stated once, we are a “hidden treasure buried in the underground” , some find us and enjoy it others don’t.

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

Fulmineos:

– Ordinul Negru (occult black metal): released in 2020 a new EP entitled “Nebuisa”, with great response from the underground community and coming up with a new conceptual EP in 2021.

- Katharos XIII (doom dark jazz): preparing to release a new album for 2021, as a follow up for the highly praised third album “Palindrome” and the expectations are high for this one.

 - Argus Megere (atmospheric black metal): started recording the fifth album, to be completed in 2022.


Jack Popescu

 – moved to France last year and started some collaborations in a new environment but nothing fulfilled until now with new discography.


Sergiu Nadaban 

– Sur Austru (atmospheric folk death metal): to release in 2021 the new album: entitled “Obarsie”.


Marcel Iovanov 

– playes mostly live with some local bands, but in this times when everything is closed his activity shrieked a lot


Marius Muntean:

 – Black Water (synth pop ambient): managed to release a new material in 2020 entitled “Hollow” and even played some shows in these crazy times.

- The Thirteenth Sun (atmospheric progressive metal): started composing a follow up after their highly acclaimed debut album “Stardust” from 2017.


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

Playing live as much as it will possible and in a few years we will start composing new music, but we won’t assault the world with big tours and became famous, because we are quite realistic about the musical environment we live in, we understood many years ago what it takes to be a professional musician and band, and we don’t fit in that category.

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?

We listen very diverse music, but somehow intersect in some points in styles related to the band: Pink Floyd, Steven Wilson, Deafheaven, Opeth, Neurosis, Katatonia,  Mastodon, Intronaut, The Ocean, Karnivool, Devin Townsend, Tesseract or Monuments. 

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

Thank you very much for this opportunity to present our work and all the best!

https://youtu.be/0TKWKjA19z8


Thursday, December 17, 2020

Kultika/Capricorm Wolves/Loud Rage Music/2021CD Review

 


  Kultika  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "The  great  Capricorn" which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  Loud  Rage  Music.


  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  goin  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  High  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  shouts  and  growls  along  with  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.


  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Clean  vocals  can  also  be heard  in  some  parts  of  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  70's progressive  and  psychedelic  rock  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.    


  Kultika  plays a musical style  that  takes  black,  sludge and  post  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  touches  of  psychedelic  and  70's  progressive  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover darkness  and  mythological  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Kultika  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  black, sludge  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres, you  should  check  out this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Building  Nothingness  inside  Faith"  and  "A  Fixed  Reality  For  Prometheus' Identity".  8 out  of  10.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TKWKjA19z8      


Monday, December 14, 2020

Tragedy In Hope/Sleep Paralysis/2021 Full Length Review

 


  Tragedy  In  Hope  are  a  duo  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  album  "Sleep  Paralysis"  which  will  be  released  in  2021.


  Clean  playing  and  symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  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.


  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  as  well  as  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  90's  era  Cradle  of  Filth,  touches  of  classical  music  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dreams  and  nightmare  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Tragedy  In  Hope  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lucid  Dream"  "Winter  Wedding  Ceremony"  and  "Sleep  Paralysis".  8  out  of  10.




https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Paf36CCoAXpgDrpdhjYeA


https://youtu.be/Kfi1z6ZiWms     

Sunday, December 13, 2020

Awrizis Interview

 

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


 


After finishing recording of previous album Dreadful Reflection, we have been mostly on the road to support this album. But all this time we had plan return to studio in spring of 2020. The corona virus pandemic appeared, and we had to change our plans little bit. So whole album Gears of Fear was recorded during quarantine and our plans for touring are postponed to 2021.


This time we are focused on activities around new album, rehearsing and preparing live show. Also, every week we have live stream on our Facebook page so you can already hear songs and important news


 


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


 


The fact that whole album was produced during quarantine affected sound and overall vibe for new album. It is more aggressive yet dark and melodic. Even in this weird situation whole process was very inspiring and unique.


 


3.You refer to your music as being 'hybrid metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?


 


We are not orthodox metal listeners and musicians, so our music is influenced in many ways. You can hear elements of melodic death and Black metal but also some doom or heavy metal vibes. Our music is for open minded people with wide range of taste.


 


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


 


We are constantly writing new material and we had no pause or break in 10 years because we are still evolving in our craft. As I said whole pandemic situation affected everything including our lyrics. Dealing with nowadays situations was cathartic through the lyrics of new album.


 


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


 


It’s combination of anti-religious and anti-corporate symbolism because these influences are not good for mankind and their negative aspects were fully discovered during pandemic crisis. Red color represents blood and warning.


 


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


 


Live performance is for us very important. Small clubs or even big festivals every gig is unique and different. We have played lot of shows and we always trying to do our best without theatrical gestures. One of our favorite times were for example on Czech Death Fest or supporting Batushka.


 


7.The new album is going to be released on 'Slovak Metal Army', how would you compare working with this label to your previous labels 'MetalGate' and 'Parax Magizine' and 'DeFox Records'?


 


We are still searching for new label to promote our music to new fans. To evaluate cooperation with SMA is still early, we will see fruits of our cooperation after year.


 


8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction bene to your music by fans of extreme metal?


 


We are grateful for positive abroad response for new album and even for older ones. Hope that we will be able to arrange some European tour in near future.


 


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


 


POSTCARDS FROM ARKHAM is our very close band. Check out their music videos and the latest album Oakvyl. More atmospheric side of heavy music.


 


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


 


Preproduction of new album already begun but we want to take time and improve our skills, explore more territories and try new approaches for production. We don’t have specific plans, just what comes naturally.


 www.myspace.com/awrizis 

www.bandzone.cz/awrizis 
www.facebook.com/awrizis 
www.youtube.com/user/thefrodys 

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Demon King/The Final Tyranny/The Artisan Era/2021 EP Review

 


  Demon  King  are  a  band  from  Nashville,  Tennessee  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "The  Final  Tyranny"  which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  The  Artisan  Era.


  Heavy  riffing  and  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  ep  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  The  riffs  also  get  very  technical  and  melodic  at times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.


  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  faster  riffing  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  When  guitar  solos  and  leas  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  technical  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  symphonic  touch  and  the  songs  also  incorporate  a  great  amount  of  melodic  death  metal  elements.


  Demon  King  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal and  mixes  them  together  with  some  technical  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  end  times  and  eschatology  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Demon  King  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic and  technical  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  "Invoking  the  Spirit  of  Chaos"  and  "The  Watcher,  Wreathed  in  Flame".  8 out  of  10.


 https://demonking.bandcamp.com/album/the-final-tyranny


https://www.facebook.com/kingovdemons/