Soothsayer/Echoes Of The Earth/Transcending Obscurity Records/2020 CD Review

 

  Soothsayer  are  a  band  from  Ireland  that  plays  an atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Echoes  Of  The  Earth"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts,  percussions,  clean  playing  and  clear  chants  start  off  the  album  while  the music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  The  slower  heavier  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  angry  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  distorted  sounding  melodies.

  Soundscapes  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  different  from  their  previous  releases.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  atmospheric  and  experimental  sounding  at  times  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  tracks  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  frustration,  rage  and  despair.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Soothsayer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Outer  Fringe"  and  "Six  Of  Nothing".  8  out  of  10.

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Paranorm/Empyrean/Redefing Darkness Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Paranorm  are  a  band  form  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Empyrean"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  thrash  metal  influenced  guitar  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  influences  but  keeping  it  very  modern  sounding  at  the  same  time.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  The  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  death  metal  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  z  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  musicians  also  demonstrate  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific,  philosophical  and  violent  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  Paranorm  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Critical  Mass"  "Intelligence  Explosion"  and  "Desolate  Worlds  (Distant  Dimensions)".  8  out  of  10.

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Malice Divine/Self Titled/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Malice  Divine  are  a  solo  project  from  Toronto,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  and  self  released  2021  album  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Classical  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  onto  the  recording.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  can be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  sow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  classical  guitars  also  making  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  some  elements  from  the  more  melodic  and  progressive  side  of  death  metal,  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  personal  struggles.

  In  my  opinion  Malice  Divine  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  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Quantum  Manifestation"  "Into  Subconsciousness  Depths"  and  "The  Transcendence  Of  Isolation".  8  out  of  10.

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Maudiir/La Part Du Diable/2021 EP Review

 

  Maudiir  are  a  solo  project  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  punk  and  traditional  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  ep  "La  Part  Du  Diable"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  medal  influenced  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style.

  Elements  of  traditional  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  progressive  structures.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.

  at  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  solos  and  leads  also  go  into  more  of  a  melodic  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  conspiracy  theories,  the  political  climate  in  the  U.S  and  the  Covid  19  pandemic.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Maudiir  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Slumber"  and  "The  Crowning  Hour".  8  out  of  10.

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Stortregn/Impermanence/The Artisan Era/2021 CD Review

 

  Switzerland's  Stortregn  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Impermanence"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  the  Artisan  Era.

  Synths,  classical  guitars,  rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads.  The  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  as  well  as  acoustic  guitars  also  being  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  along  with  some  influences  form  the  90's  Swedish  era  but  keeping  it  modern  at  the  same  time.  A  decent  amount of  jazz  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  way  the  music  is  being  structured  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording,  tremolo  picking  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  scientific  and  cosmos  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Stortregn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ghosts  Of  The  Past"  "Grand  Nexion  Abyss"  and  "Timeless  Splendor".  8  out  of  10.

Social Media Links http://www.stortregn.com
Instagram: @stortregn_official
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https://youtu.be/DURn6it0P6I

Sinira/The Everlorn/Northern Silence Productions/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Sinira  are  a  solo  project  from  Texas  that  plays  a  90's  Swedish  influenced  style  of  melodic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "The  Everlorn"  which  was  released  by  Northern  Silence  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Most  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Elements  of  melodic  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  one  of  the  songs  also  being  brief  instrumentals,  the  closing  track  also  adds  in  some  pianos.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Spirits,  Transcendence,  Death  and  Chaos.

  In  my  opinion  Sinira  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Starlight  Does  Not  Shine"  "Tear  Ladened  Skies"  and  "Dawnless  Twilight".  8  out  of  10.

    Listen album track "Where Starlight Does Not Shine"

Brokdar Interview

 

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

Loki: If you have never heard of us, you should listen to our new album «The legend of undying knights» first I think. We are here because of music and let our music tell about us!

2.In 2020 you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Loki: I don’t know what especially I can say)), because this staff except band’s founder Ranunk didn’t take a part in last releases. But only one thought comes to my mind that the songs have become mature!

Ryttaren: This is definitely a more thoughtful and conceptual work. The guys put a lot of effort into creating of compositions and sounding in general. Besides, this album has a new vocals in my person.

3.Your lyrics cover dark fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Loki: To be honest, I have read a few fantasy books)), in the beginning (before me) band choose this way of lyric. But for new album almost all lyric was written by me, except “hateful gift ” which was written by Ryttaren. Ranunk who read a plenty of different fantasy books very often told me about his favorite book series “Eleven Legion” written by Russia writer. And once I got inspired with his stories which were told under his great impression)))). I didn’t write lyric based on these books, I made it with my own vision. I wanted to make the conceptual album from the beginning.

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

Loki: As I know this name was taken from a well known computer game Gothic.)))

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

Loki: Nothing more that I saw it in my mind inspired by mix of music and atmosphere of lyric in album. And yes))) I liked Dark Soul concept arts))). Ahhh one interesting thing)))), the artist who made an art read “Eleven Legion” book series too!

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?

Ryttaren: Great performance was in support of Arkona and Tyr. It was very pleasant to share the stage with such professionals, it is memorable. We also had cool performance with Second to Sun band, when they played in our city, we were able to fully convey the energy and dynamics to the audience. Our show can be described as a kind of mixture of ceremony with stage presentation and game with the audience. In the future, I would like to purchase stage equipment for the complete recreation of the mysteries.

7.The new album was self released while the band was on a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Loki: Why not)))

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

Ryttaren: So far we have received positive feedback from both fans of the genre and from random people. We are very glad that our work is warmly received.

Loki: To get correct answer you should ask black and death metal fans))) about their opinion, I think!

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?

Ryttaren: I am recording vocals for one powerful instrumental group, it will be strong. Release is planned by the end of winter or early spring.

Loki: I and bassist Jorr take a part in one power metal project Save My Name. Ranunk has his own one man piano dark ambiance project.

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

Ryttaren: Creation of richer and deeper compositions, as well as a greater twist towards black metal.

Loki: to march along the border of melodic black and death metal))). Music, power and deep atmospheric music!

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?

Ryttaren: I am mainly a big fan of black metal and northern folk music. Interestingly, my favorite composers also belong to the Scandinavian culture, these are Wagner and Grieg. There are a huge number of good bands, so I will single out those that had the strongest influence on me at one time. Watain, Emperor, Falkenbach, Eluveitie, Fejd, Finsterforst, Moonsorrow, Septic Flesh, Type O Negative.

Loki: A lot to enumerate, Scandinavian music what can be better?

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

Ryttaren: Listen to more music and discover something new! Music is a universal language for people, which allows us to communicate not only at a distance, but also through the centuries. And if you haven't heard Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, then listen today. You will not regret

Loki: If the music which you hear doesn’t create images in your mind and doesn’t takes you to another world. it's probably bad music or isn’t art at all!

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