Anti Ritual/Expel The Leaches/Indisciplinarian/2021 FUll Length Review

 

  Anti  Ritual  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  sludge  metal,  grind  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2021  album  "Expel  The  Leaches"  which  will  be  released  on  October  29th  by  Indisciplinarian.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  also  in  between  hardcore  style  shouts  and  death  metal  growls  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  most  of t he  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  brings  in  elements  of  black  metal  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Influences  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  On  this  recording  Anti  Ritual  takes  black,  death,  sludge  metal,  grind  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  aggressive  sounding  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  apathy  and  postmodernism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Anti  Ritual  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death,  sludge  metal,  grind  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Expel  The  Leeches"  "Necrocapitalism"  "No  Human  Is  Illegal"  and  "Franchise  Coffee  Bars  &  Internment  Camps".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk17oHSq5tA

Oenos Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new ep?

A few social media things, I'm about to launch a merch store, and now have a batch #1 of Oenos wine I am not licenced to sell. I'm working on a music video too for one of the songs on the EP - and itching to get writing & recording new stuff.

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

I'd say Crno IV is leaning more towards post-metal with some black, doom and sludge elements. Previous release was more on the black metal side with post and sludge. This new EP is a mix of songs I wrote a couple years ago and brand new stuff that seemed to work well together. I hadn't written any lyrics or vocal parts for the older songs so those were borne over the last year.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over the years?

The lyrical themes on the EP are failure, apathy, fear and the poor state of our planet - anxiety, with a glimmer of hope.

I'm ... developing as a songwriter. I don't have an education or similar in music. I find riffs and melodies seem to come to me fairly naturally when I've got the time to properly zone out on it. I get into some sort of a state of flow and things evolve from there on via experimenting. Lyrics I still struggle with and is something I really want to focus on improving. I think my music is overall growing in complexity; there's more layers, soundscaping and smaller things that make the songs more interesting.

On the recording and production side I have gotten much faster as I've familiarised myself with gear & tools and I've learned to listen and balance my mixes better. It has also become easier for me to get what I imagine in my head, a vision of sorts, on record.

But I know nothing. It's a never ending learning journey and there's so much music I haven't explored and touched.

4.I have read that a lot of the song lyrics are inspired by wines, what are some of the wines that you prefer to drink?

All the songs are named after the wine I had when writing. I tend to like full bodied, rich reds and currently drinking a fair few blends. 'Gratitude' 2019 from Boschkloof, Stellenbosch, SA and 'Andreza' 2016 from Douro, Portugal as the most recent highlights.

I do like to explore though so I tend to try all sorts from all around the planet - red, white, natural, berry, all of it.

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

Oenos is an ancient Greek word for wine. I started naming my songs after the wines first, and the name followed. I liked how it sounded and it fit the theme of what I was doing.

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

The original photo was shot by a friend of mine, Livia, at a cemetery close to where I live. It is a depiction of anxiety. I also wanted to incorporate some wine elements on the EP cover so took a bunch of corks with me to the shoot with a rough idea not knowing if it'll work. Worked, and I find the EP theme comes across well.

Check out Livia's photos here https://www.deviantart.com/monochromesofliv.

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

I've so far written and recorded everything by myself, but open to working with other people and generally collaborating. It's not something I have actively pursued though, I quite like working solo as there's only myself I can hold accountable for the results :-)

8.Originally the musical project was based in Finland but now you are located in the United Kingdom, how would you compare the two countries?

There is the obvious language, size and location difference - and also plenty of cultural and historical things that differ. London's been a great base for exploring the world - I love travelling - which was a bit trickier from northern Finland where I used to live.

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

I am not looking for a label.

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

Very positive and the combination seems to resonate with other people than me too. The metal community is strong around the world.

11.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I've got tons of music written for the next full length. It tends to take me a while to get stuff finished so we'll see when I'll actually get it out!

There'll be more experimenting and I've also joined Archierophant on guitars and possibly more vocals (I did vox for a couple of songs previously) so working with other musicians is in flight.

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?

Anything black, post, sludge, doom. Some jazz, folk and ambient stuff too. I've been listening to the latest releases from Rivers of Nihil, LLNN, Lantlos, Kauan and Papangu recently and also seen quite a few modern jazz bands live as well.

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

My EP Crno IV is out now and you can find it on Bandcamp, Spotify and similar streaming services. Pick up a t-shirt or a tote bag from my merch store if you fancy supporting my musical adventures in other ways. I like reading your thoughts and getting feedback so don't be shy getting in touch via the usual socials (@oenosmusic) and email. Oh and any wine recommendations are always extremely welcome!

I would like to make more of my own wine. Know any good vineyards?

Thanks,

Sami / Oenos 

https://www.instagram.com/oenosmusic https://www.facebook.com/oenosmusic https://twitter.com/oenosmusic   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aYSv2Rey28IvFv0vmOKmg

Devour Every Star/Antiquity/Blue Bedroom Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Devour  Every  Star  are  a  solo  project  from  Madison,  Wisconsin  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black  emtal  and  trip  hop  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  20231  album  "Antiquity"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Blue  Bedroom  Records.

  Synths  and  trip  hop  influenced  beats  start  off  the  album  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  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  and  avant  garde  moments.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  field  recordings  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  

  Devour  Every  Star  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  trip  hop  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  her  own  as  well  as  keeping  most  of  the  music  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Devour  Every  Star  is  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  black  metal  and  trip  hop  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Possessed  By  The  Saintly  Euphoric"  "Fractured  Starlight  Trepanation"  "The  Punishment"  and  "Peace  Eternal".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/devoureverystar/

https://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antiquity

      

Anima Hereticae/Ov Behest/My Fate Music/2021 EP Review

 

  Anima  Hereticae  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their    2021  ep  "Ov  Behest"  which  was  released  by  my  Fate  Music. 

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  some  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  symphonic  moments  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  clean  playing  is  also  added  on  the  closing  track  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  Anima  Hereticae  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  old  school  symphonic  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  exploration  of  the  human  psyche  and  it's  relegation  to  nature.  

  In  my  opinion  Anima  Hereticae  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Constellation  Of  Capricorn".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.animahereticae.com/
https://www.facebook.com/animahereticaeofficial
https://www.instagram.com/animahereticae/

https://animahereticae.bandcamp.com/  

Nidhoeggr/Arise/Art gates Records/2021 CD Review

 

    Nidhoeggr  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Arise"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Art  gates  Records.

  A  battle  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  keyboards  onto  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  folk  music  elements  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clear  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  album  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  

  Nidhoegger  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  melodic  sides  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vikings  and  socio-critical  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Nodhoeggr  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Journey"  "Scorched  Earth"  "Good  of  Lies"  and  "Arise".  8  out  of  10.

www.nidhoeggr.ch
https://www.facebook.com/NidhoeggrMetal
https://twitter.com/NidhoeggrMetal

https://www.instagram.com/nidhoeggrmetal/

https://youtu.be/-PcNXMwIRJ0  

Hand Of Kalliach/Samhainn/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Hand  Of  Kalliach  are  a  duo  from  Scotland  that  has  been  featured  before  in this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  Celtic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2021  album  "Samhainn"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Clean  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  Keyboards  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very melodic  style.  Elements  of  Celtic  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  this  recording  Hand  Of  Kalliach  remain  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  Celtic  metal  that  they  had  establish  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  history,  mythology,  land  and  seascapes  of  the  Scottish  islands.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hand  of  Kalliach  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Celtic  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beneath  Starlight  Waters"  "Roil"  "Ascendent"  and  "Return  To  Stone".  8  out  of  10.

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Deathcvlt/Self Titled/My Kingdom Music/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Deathcvlt  are  a  band  from Italy  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2021  album  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a   mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  old  school  Swedish  style  melodies.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  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  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths.

 Some  of  the  riffs  also  show  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  along  with  some  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  and  as  the  recording  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  yet  ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Death  Worship,  Occultism,  Dark  Mother  Kali  Ma,  Santa  Muerte  and  Darkness  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Deathcvlt  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  "Santa  Muerte"  "Dust  Of  Sacred  Soul  (Dark  mother  Kali-Ma)"  and  "Blackened  Kiss".  8/3  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/deathcvltofficial  

https://youtu.be/uqNCIeo-sH8