Breaths/Though life has turned out nothing like I imagined, it is far better than I could have dreamt/Trepanation Recordings/2022 CD Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Richmond,  Virginia's  Breaths  which  continues  the  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom, alternative  metal,  post  hardcore  and  shoegaze  and  the  album  will  be  released  in  2022  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  called  "Though  life  has  turned  out nothing  like  I  imagined, it  is  far  better  than  I  could  have  dreamt".

  Melodic  riffing  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  album  while  elements  of  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.  Clear  alternative  metal  style  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  some  growls  also  being  used  in  some  part  of  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  the  clean  sections  also add in  touches  of  shoegaze.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  post  hardcore.

  The  music  also  has  its  progressive  and  atmospheric  moments along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths  as  well  as  most  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anxiety  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Breaths  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  doom,  progressive,  alternative  metal,  post  hardcore  and  shoegaze,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Elders"  and  "The  Wayward".  8  out  of  10.

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Breaths/Lined In Silver/Trepanation Recordings/2021CD Review

 

  Breaths  are  a  solo  project  from  Richmond,  Virgiania  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  metal,  post  hardcore  and  shoegaze  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Lined  In  Silver"  which  was  released  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  elements  of  shoegaze  and  post  rock  a  few  seconds  later.  Clear  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  the  slower  and  heavier  riffs  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  prog  and  alternative  metal  touches  at  times.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  also  being  utilized  briefly.  Influences  of  post  hardcore  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  on  some  songs  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  dark  ambient  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anxiety  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Breaths  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom,  alternative  metal,  post  hardcore  and  shoegaze  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Weight  &  The  Bellows"  "In  Nightmares'  and  "In  Repose".  8  out  of  10.

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Huronian Interview

 

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

We formed in early 2020 in the middle of the first pandemic wave. The urge to do something musically fresh during that terrible period has led me and Umberto to put our huge passion for the early nineties swedish melodic Death Metal and Black Metal into Huronian. We released a demo containing two songs plus a Dissection cover during that year and now we are ready for the release of our first full album "As Cold as a Stranger Sunset"!

2.So far you have released one ep and a full length, musically how do they both differ from each other?

Not much actually,  because the demo Ep simply contains tracks that were written for the full length and were eventually included in It. Of course the production of the full length Is a huge step forward, thanks also to Damian Herring's (Horrendous) mastering contribution! Apart from that, the full album has a songwriting  diversity we could not express in a two tracks Ep of course.

3.Most of the music is heavily rooted in the classic and melodic Swedish black/death metal style, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?

We all love the early nineties melodic Death and Black metal records. The problem Is that we hardly find something interesting that was released after 1996/97. So we decided to bring back those atmospheres, while trying to avoid being simple imitators without personality. It's spontaneous after all, we try to create something that we would have liked to hear! 

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

Lyrically I wanted something that could lead the listeners far away, avoiding topics related to society or "daily issues". Most of the inspiration comes from literature, especially the sci-fi and supernatural one. We wrote the material during the First european lockdown, and my mind simply wanted to fly away toward other worlds! There are songs inspired by E.A. Poe and Lovecraft novels, another one by Milton's "Lost Paradise" and a couple reminiscent of Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" saga. 

I think they fit the atmosphere Umberto created with the music very well.

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

It Is inspired by the "Huronian Glaciation", an event that covered earth's surface with ice completely more than 2 billions of years ago. The name alone evoked images of desolation, distance and solitude in my mind. A lot of the band imaginary deals with time...ancient past, distant future, time travels. 

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

I painted the cover in the middle of the songwriting process. Umberto was sending me new material continuously and I didn't want to be less active than him! It depicts a cold, alien world where colors and details are not the one we use to know as humans. The cool thing Is that It Is open to any interpretation. It could represent the earth in an unpredictable, far future, or a completely different Planet.

7.HGas the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

No live shows yet, but a full line up has Just been completed with the addition of Gianluca T. (ex Voids of Vomit) on bass and long time friend and guitar maestro Tommy P. on second guitar. We hope to hit the stage as soon as possible, "As Cold as a Stranger Sunset" deserves a good live promotion.

8.On the ep you also done a 'Dissection' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

We wanted to cover  something that could sum up all the influences and Umberto came up with the idea of "Heaven's Damnation". I immediately agreed, It Is one of Dissection's more Death Metal oriented songs, and represents a killer mix of everything we like in the genre.

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

It a bit early but so far a lot of people seemed to appreciate the material. Many of them said that there Is not much similar stuff around nowadays and I'm really pleased to hear It. We have to wait the release of the full album to have a more precise idea of the reaction, but I'm definitely optimistic!

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

We will continue to develop our style but we would not change the concept, both musically and lyrically. We don't want to re-invent the wheel, our aim Is writing the best music possible within our stylistic margins. There are still tons of blast beats, melodies to deliver and weird, obscure stories to tell!

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?

Early Gothenburg scene was definitely an influence, as well as early/mid nineties 

Blackened Death Metal. Svensson era At the Gates, skydancer era Dark Tranquillity, Eucharist, first In Flames album and, on the other side, Dissection, Sacramentum, Unanimated, Necrophobic. But of course our songwriting Is not a scientific formula. Marcello drumming for example carries some very aggressive american Death Metal influences to the table. It's a mix of different sensitivities.

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

Thanks for the interesting  interview! Follow Huronian at www.facebook.com/huronianofficial

and www.instagram.com/huronian_deathmetal

Morgul Blade/Fell Sorcery Abounds/No Remorse Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Morgul  Blade  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  an  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Fell  Sorcery  Abounds"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  No  Remorse  Records.

  Epic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  era  traditional  metal  elements  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams.  

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  black  metal  side  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  era.  Clear  traditional  metal  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody   as  well  as  a  later  song  also  being  a  ballad  as  the  album  progresses,  stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  and  a  later  track  is  also  an  instruemntal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  J.R.R  Tolkien's  Middle  Earth,   History,  Folklore,  Magick  and  Might  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Morgul  Blade  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Last  Waltz  Of  Gevaudan"  "The  Five  Will Ride  At  Dawn"  and  "Fell  Sorcery  Abounds".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/S-cOPiwlEKg 

Haiku Funeral/Drown Their Moons In Blood/Aesthetic Death/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Bulgaria/U.S.A  duo  Haiku  Funeral  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  ritualistic  mixture  of  blackened  industrial  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Drown  Their  Moons  In  Blood"  which  will b e  released  on  Halloween  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  while  the  percussion  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  it  is  introduced  onto  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Whispered  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  electronics.  Guitar  sounds  can  also b e  heard  in  some  parts  of t he  recording  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  touches  of  ethnic  music  as  well a s  the  vocals  also  getting  more  deep  and  demonic  at  times.

  Elements  of  industrial are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording along  with  the  bass  guitars  also  sounding  very  powerful  when  they  are  utilized.  Asian  style  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  as  well  as  some  chants  and  throat  singing  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Luciferian  Consciousness     and  Shiva  roaming  a  post  apocalyptic  planet.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haiku  Funeral  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritualistic  blackened  industrial  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Universe  murders  itself"  "The  Earth  burns  And  Burns"  and  "Drown  Their  moons  in  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

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1914/Where Fear And Weapons Meet/Naplam Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Ukraine's  1914  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  continuing  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  emtal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Where  Fear  And  Weapons  Meet"  which  will b e  released  on  October  22nd  by  Napalm  Records.

  World  War  I  era  music  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  synths  can  also  be  heard on  a  couple  of  songs  and  also  brings  in  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  atmosphere.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  war  samples  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  a  later  track  also  adding  in  folk  music  touches, acoustic  guitars,  stringed  instruments  and  clean  vocals  before  returning  back  to a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  The  History  of  World  War  1.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  1914  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vimy  Ridge  (In  Memory  of  Flip  Konowal)"  "Coward"  and  "The  Green  Fields  Of  France".  8  out  of  10.

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Churchburn/Genocidal Rite/Translation Loss Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Churchburn  are  a  band  from  Rhode  Island  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom,  sludge  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Genocidal  Rite"  which  will b e  released  in  November  by  translation  Loss  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  harsh  noises  and  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along with  some  death  metal growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  style  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies,  on  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  closing  song  also  adds  in  some  session  work  from  John  McEntee  of  Incantation  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  suffering  and  agony  themes

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Churchburn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Genocidal  Rite"  and  "Scarred".  8  out  of  10.

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