Torri/Self Titled/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Torii  are  a  solo  project  from  Arkansas  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a mixture  of  post  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  and  self  titled  2021  album.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  dark  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  post  metal.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  musical  direction  and  synths  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks. 

  On  this  recording  Torii  takes  the  atmospheric  style  of  post  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  to  create  a  very  dark  sounding  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  apocalyptic  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Torii  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Synthetic  Dust"  "Grey  Expanse"  and  "Torii".  8  out  of  10.

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[BOLT]/Aidan Baker/dunk!records/A Thousand Arms/Church Road Records/Bird's Robe Records/New Noise China/2021 Collaboration Album Review

 

  Germany's  [BOLT]  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  where  they  team  up  with  Canada's  Aidan  Baker  to  create  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2021  collaboration  album  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  A  Thousand  Arms,  dunk!  Church  Road,  Bird's  Robe  Records  and  New  Noise  China.

  Drone  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  the  bell's  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  bass  guitars  when t hey  are utilized  show  some  influences  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal.  

  Guitar  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumental.  Elements  of  noise  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  also being  improvised  along  with  the  synth  also  adding  in  touches  of  ambient  when  they  are  utilized  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  percussion  can  also b e  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  [BOLT]  team  up  with  Aidan  baker  to  create  a  recording  that  is  less  metal  influenced  than  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  noise,  experimental,  ambient  and  drone  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  [BOLT]  and  Aidan  Baker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   black,  doom,  sludge  metal,  ambient,  experimental,  drone  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  (35)/Clover".  8 out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://wearebolt.bandcamp.com/album/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/34dcI9jNYaCGKuvrEaYu4U?si=VoONTkCcRZm7zlu5N2Tbwg
Order: https://dunkrecords.com/collections/all-releases/products/b-o-l-t-aidan-baker

Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaLuWtndD1o       

Crowen/Prophecy/Inverse Records/2021 EP Review

 

  Crowen  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  folk  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  ep  "Prophecy"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  Dark  yet  epic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  screams  and  blackened  screams.  Black  metal  style  tremolo  picking can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  a  good  balance  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  folk  metal  elements  but  focusing  more  on  the  heavier  side  of  the  genre,  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Crowen  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  dark  and  fantasy  orientated  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Crowen  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  folk  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seer's  Prophecy"  and  "Black". 8  out  of  10.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrowenOfficial 

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

Bandcamp: https://crowen.bandcamp.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Crowen86924114

https://youtu.be/dKwe-9jcTGw

        

  

XCIII/Void/My Kingdom Music/2022 CD Review

 

  France's  XCIII  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  moving  even  more  further  from  their  black  and  extreme  metal  roots  and  focuses  on  more  of  a  mixture  of  avant  garde,  post  rock,  coldwave  and  electronic  dark  music  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  album  "Void"  which  will b e  released  in  2022  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Keyboards  and  programmed  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  clean  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  are  more  rooted  in  a  post  rock  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  coldwave  elements.  Female  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  making  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  Touches  of  trip  hop  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  heavier  riffing  also  showing  an  influence  of  metal,  one  song  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Romanticism  and  Human  Nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  XCIII  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  newer  stuff  from  Ulver,  Anathema,  trip  hop  and  post  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Lights"  "Rosemary"  and  "Tapeworm".  8  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/XCIIIspleen

https://youtu.be/fvSZulLzz30 

  

Hellfrost/Dark Ages/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Hellfrost  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "Dark  Ages".

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  metal  style.  Some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  some  80's  and  90's  influences  in  with  a  more  modern  style  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Hellfrost  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  mixes  it  with  old  school  death  metal  as  well  as  some  touches  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover conflicts,  nature  and  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hellfrost  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Ages"  "Behind  The  Wall"  "The  Descent"  and  "Final  Kill".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Hellfrostband

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/ UCfm5Oal1W0ljZkMLNoNoKEA

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ album/2MJtuo29zwPc2RjoiMyuba? si=l29DmIN9Sle16-UaQK5QQg& fbclid=IwAR390NL9-ou5Ho_ aA8fz4pZcxjnd3gtJUHo7HrAd25qBH EU-sLE0FfsPYT0&nd=1

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

Tik tok: Hellfrostband

VK: https://vk.com/artist/ hellfrost    

Tenebral Rift/Umbra/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Tenebral  Rift  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "Umbra".

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Water  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  tortured  sounding  whispers  being  added  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a decent  amount  of  spoken  word  parts

  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  post  metal  style  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dark  and  uncharted  territories  of  the  mind.

  In  my  opinion  Tenebral  Rift  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "Vale  Of  Shadows"  and  "Lingering  Wound".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/8sRLjr7mnE8

https://open.spotify.com/album/741NSedHGoImGKlwETBFvU

https://tenebralrift.bandcamp.com/

Shadu-Nar-Mattaru Interview

 

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

CLAY - It's a continuation of what we've been doing over the last 32 years - extreme metal.

CHRIS - There were some periods of inactivity with us during that time with a few efforts to get back at it and in 2019 all the planets aligned.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep's?

CLAY - I put my heart and soul into this album and a little bit of my life, too.  This album is a natural progression from the eps.

CHRIS - As Clay put it, the album is a natural progression.  The main difference is some of the song writing elements i.e. structure, energy and whatnot.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover the writings of H.P Lovecraft and Weird Fiction, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these writings?

CLAY - All my life I've had an interest in weird fiction and Lovecraft, etc.  I have always loved the dark side so it is natural that I write about it.

CHRIS - Lovecraft and many other writers in that vein all deal with the unknown, metaphysics, occultism, which is interesting to write about and think about.  The unknown is very thought provoking in general.

4.You also have some satanic and occult themes in some of your lyrics, do you have an interest in Occultism?

CLAY - I write the so-called 'satanic' lyrics.  I am not a devil worshipper.  I am anti-establishment.  I hate organized religion.  Religion and satanism is fantasy to Shadu-Nar-Mattaru.  The occult is fictional as well.  My interests come from my inner self but are fictional as well.

CHRIS - I touched on that in the previous question.  Satanic lyrics are kind of an old metal thing.  It's nothing serious.  I'd say we touched on those themes more as a nod to the old days on this album.  I don't really see us elaborating further on it for future efforts, though.

5.Both of the band members where previously a part of 'Morbid Darkness', what was the decision behind splitting up your previous band and forming this newer project?

CHRIS - Back in 1996 when Morbid Darkness originally dissolved, we were both young and in the midst of our own separate problems.  Unfortunately, those problems affected the band and we had to call it quits.  Like I said earlier, our hiatus was a lengthy one, but because we each felt we were destined to make music together we eventually decided to make it happen again, back in early 2019.  It's been a constantly blazing fire ever since.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Shadu-Nar-Mattaru'?

CLAY - In English it means 'mountains of the abyss'.  That's the meaning.

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

CHRIS - The image is a photo originally created by Elti Meshau and was reworked to add even darker elements.  Basically, it represents the journey of one in the throes of sorrow.

8.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

CLAY - We have always been a duo and always will be a duo.  We will not corrupt ourselves with other members.  It has always been just the two of us.

CHRIS - Yeah, we've established a dynamic as a duo since the beginning.  We've no plans to expand the line-up in order to play shows or anything...we are a studio band, simple as that.

9.Since 2019 you also have released a great amount of ep's, do the band members spend a great amount of time, writing and creating music?

CLAY - Yes.  We are like a treadmill.  With Shadu the creativity is ever flowing.

CHRIS - We've got a really great system for creative process which allows for very prolific output.

10.On the album you've also done a Slaughter cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

CLAY - I first heard Slaughter in 1986.  They are a favourite.  I always wanted to be in a band like Slaughter so it is only natural that we cover Slaughter now.  In fact, this is the second time we have covered a Slaughter song in Shadu.

CHRIS - When we first heard the song on the 'Surrender or Die' demo, back in 1992, we both agreed that someday we would cover it.

11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of underground?

CLAY - It has been okay, but it could be better.  The main thing is what it means to us.

CHRIS - There has been limited interaction with fans aside from locals who dig our stuff, but this is really a problem of limited exposure.  The small feedback we have received has been quite positive.

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

CHRIS - I've always got some other musical projects cooking in the background.  Shadu is the main focus, obviously, but I can say there may be a new Vhod album in the near future and few other smaller things.

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

CLAY - We are presently working on our epic 'Nocturnal Winter III' saga, then comes the new year and we're headed into the unknown.  All I can say is that it will be heavy as hell and it will be Shadu.

CHRIS - Yeah.  Basically, as it sits, we plan to do more eps and perhaps a second full length next fall.

14.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?

CLAY - With me, it's mainly still what I've been listening to for the last 35-40 years.  I haven't changed much since the 80s.  Those days influence me and that's what I'm still listening to nowadays.

CHRIS - Obviously I'm not going to list them all, but back in the day, all the good metal of the 80s and early 90s was key - a few musicians that really got me going were Mike Scaccia of Rigor Mortis and Mantas of Venom...Quorthon, too.  These days hold just as many influences for me personally.  Bands such as Revocation, Watain, Humanity's Last Breath, Bulletbelt, Rosy Finch...these are heavy influences for me.

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

CLAY - I really appreciate the interview and the support and I thank anyone out there who has checked out Shadu.  Thanks a million and stay heavy.

CHRIS - Yeah, we appreciate it and look out for new Shadu stuff real fucking soon.  Cheers!

Bandcamp:https://shadu-nar-mattaru. bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ people/Shadu-Nar-Mattaru/ 100073984778040/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/ UCmrzOavOhlit38QiGpsPk9A

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ artist/4pcZC55m6rKuZO5buGCtuk

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaduNarMattaru