Aztlan 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?

We stopped activities due to the pandemic, but we have been composing new music, and recording new videos that will be released soon.

2.Earlier this year you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous release?

This album has a heavier sound than the previous one, and brings more mariachi elements such as the trumpet, a new element that we are incorporating.

3.The band's name and some of the lyrics come from Aztec and pre-Hispanic Mythology and History, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

We really like mythology from all over the world, and in metal there are few bands that mix that Aztec mythology, that's why he encouraged us to do this project.

4.You also cover 'Mexican pride' with your lyrics, can you tell us a little bit more about what this means to you?

In Mexico people are very pessimistic, they do not believe in themselves, and they are mired in corruption, the only thing we try to do with our lyrics is to give a little encouragement to people who live in misery, we talk above all about the freedom of expression, against racism, and we speak faith union as the human race that we all are.

5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

We also speak against oppression, authoritarianism, the repression exercised by the government.

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

There is a codex called Mendoza, in this painting the founding of Tenochtitlán the capital of the Aztec Empire is reflected, with the eagle on a cactus in the middle of a lake, the legend says that this was the signal to found their city, if they found the eagle over the lake there they must have settled, this vision is of Lord Huitzilopochtli who was one of the main deities of the Aztecs.

In the beak of the bird it has a kind of braid, it is a duality of water and fire called Atl-Tlachinolli in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs means water burning, conceptualizing two elements allusive to war and that was placed in the mouths and feet of the characters as a scroll, symbolizing a call or allegory of the sacred war. It is also interpreted as "The war cry".

The conjunction of the eagle and the duality of water and fire is called "Teocalli of the sacred war". the word Teocalli means "Temple", which is known as pyramids. The Teocalli stone is the only archaeological piece that has the symbol of the founding of Tenochtitlan engraved: the eagle perched on the nopal. There is a character called "Copil" and he has a fight with Lord "Huitzilipochtli", he kills "Copil" and his heart is thrown in the middle of the lake, and from the heart of "Copil" the "tunal" will grow, which is where the nopal will grow where the eagle pose. The eagle is the solar symbol, which means the victory of the sun.

In the painting "Copil" it is the skull that has its mouth open and from there comes the root of the nopal.

On the sides of the cover the Aztec past is represented with weapons such as arrows, and on the right side are bullets and rifles that represent the time of the Mexican revolution that occurred in 1910.

below the left side is a Jaguar Warrior, representing the Aztec militia, and on the right side a skull with a balaclava representing the "Zapatista" movement, which is an armed movement of the indigenous people of southern Mexico against the current government.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We have not been able to play live yet due to the pandemic, when our first album came out, months later the pandemic arrived, so we decided to release a second album to compensate for the fact that we will not be able to play for a long time.

8.Both of your albums have been released on 'Metal inside Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It's the record label of an old metal friend. He was the first who was interested in releasing the first material on physical disc and it was great for us, since we only had thought about releasing the discs online. Metal Inside Records is a young record label and they have been very supportive and we thank them for everything they have done for us.

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

The response of the people has been very good and we appreciate it a lot, all the support gives us energy to continue producing more material.

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

The band goes into a deeper exploration, with folk rhythms from both Mexico and Latin America.

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?

What influences our music is the exploration of folk music from around the world, we have influences from Santana to Cannibal Corpse for example, we are music lovers. From the music we've been listening to lately are bands like DrakhaBrakha from Ukraine, Heilung from Germany, Tlen Huicani from Mexico; Inti Illimani, Los Jaivas de Chile, and much more music

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

We thank you for the space on your page, and we also send a big greeting to all the people who support us.

Website: www.aztlan-official.com
Bandcamp: https://aztlanofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AztlanOfficialBand/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbfcrHyRkFKQGdv3YDpFI_A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JO1ShiUsRZ2emtk2uRecI?si=20eNF9-GTi2nsRgEXak35Q&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aztlan_official/

Pulsa DiNura/If it Bleeds, We Can Kill It/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Pulsa  DiNura  are  a  duo  from  Kentucky  that  plays  a  mixture  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  industrial  and  dungeon  synth  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "If  it  Bleeds,  We  Can  Kill  It".

  Industrial  style  beats  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  while  the  synths  also  add  in  a  touch  of  dungeon  synth  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  Programmed  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  most  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  a  mid  tempo  direction,  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.

  Pulsa  DiNura  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black  metal,  industrial  and  dungeon  synth  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion   Pulsa  DiNura  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  industrial  and  dungeon  synth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Evolution  Of  American  Filth"  "No  Exit"  and  "Slanted  Stairs  to  Salvation".  8  out  of  10.

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Havamal/The Shadow Chapter/Art Gates Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Havamal  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  VIking,  folk,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "The  Shadow  Chapter"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Art  Gates  Records.

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  and  folk  music  elements  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  choirs  and  symphonic  structures  at  times  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  melodic  death  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  few  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  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  some  of  the  melodic  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  power  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  faster  riffing  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Havamal  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  Viking,  folk,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fenris"  "Empire  Of  The  Ashen  Sun"  and  "The  Curse  Of  Grendal".  8  out  of  10.

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Aztlan/Legion Mexica/Metal Inside Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Aztlan  are  a  band  form  Mexico  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Legion  Mexica"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Inside  Records.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  music  also  adds  in  elements  of  pre-Hispanic  and  Aztec  music.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  use  of  percussion's  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  tribal  and  ritualistic  feeling.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  The  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Spanish  guitars  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  a  later  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album,  a  later  track  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Mexican  Pride,  Folklore,  Pre-Hispanic  themes,  Social  Unrest  and  History.

  In  my  opinion  Aztlan  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sangre  por  Sangre"  "Ritual"  and  "Mictlan".  8  out  of  10.

Website: www.aztlan-official.com
Bandcamp: https://aztlanofficial.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AztlanOfficialBand/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbfcrHyRkFKQGdv3YDpFI_A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5JO1ShiUsRZ2emtk2uRecI?si=20eNF9-GTi2nsRgEXak35Q&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aztlan_official/ 

Sylvatica/Ashes And Snow/Satanath Records/Pest Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Sylvatica  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Ashes  And  Snow"  which  was  released  as  a  join  effort  between  Satanath  and  Pest  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  stringed  instruments  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  folk  music  elements.

  Clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  science,  mythology,  cosmology  and  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Sylvatica  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death,  pagan  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ashes  And  Snow"  "Cosmic  Strings"  and  "Halls  Of  Extinction".  8  out  of  10.

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Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi/Futurista/Devoted Art Propaganda/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Poland's  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi  have  returned  with  a new  recording  which  shows  the  music  continuing  to  move  away  from  the  experimental  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  going  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  experimental  and post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Futurista"   which  will  be  released  on  April  23rd  by  Devoted  Art  Propaganda.

  A  very  dark  and  electronic  oriented  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  post  punk  style  synths  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later.  The  clean  vocals  also  show  an  influence  of  goth  rock  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  at  times  and  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed.

  Guitar  riffs  and  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  touches  of  synthpop  and  new  wave  along  with  a  later  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi   avoids  the  use  of  any  metal  influences  that  where  a  huge  part  of  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  experimental  and  post  rock.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  futuristic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wedrowcy-Tulacze-Zbiegi   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  post  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I'  "IV"  and  "VII".  8  out  of  10.

https://wedrowcy-tulacze-zbiegi.bandcamp.com/album/futurista             

Lord Vampyr/The Vampire's Legacy/Sleaszy Rider Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Lord  Vampyr  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  returns  back  to  a  more  gothic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "The  Vampire's  legacy"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Sleaszy  Rider  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  while  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  that  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  blast  beats  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  clean  vocals  also  showing  some  influences  of  goth  and  traditional  metal. 

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  symphonic  moments.  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  back  up  shouts  onto  the  album,  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vampirism,  Occultism,  Satanism,  Blood,  Tales,  Legends  and  Religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lord  Vampyr  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  gothic  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Vampire's  Legacy"  "Mircalla"  "Blood  ballad"  and  "Inno  A  Dracula".  8  out  of  10.

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