Eight Bells/Legacy Of Ruin/Prophecy Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Eight  Bells  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  experimental  and  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Legacy  Of  Ruin"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Prophecy  Productions.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clear  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length 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  gets  very  progressive  and  experimental  sounding  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Some  of  the  heavier  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  death  metal  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  keyboards  and  violins.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  human  condition,  natural  destruction,  death,  regret,  loss,  malice  and  retribution.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eight  Bells  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  progressive  post  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Well"  and  "The  Crone".  8  out  of  10.

  https://eightbellsband.com/about-us

www.facebook.com/eightbellsband
www.instagram.com/eightbellsband

      

Vinterland/Welcome My Last Chapter/Black Lodge Records/2022 Full Length Re-Issue Review

 

  Vinterland  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1996  album  "Welcome  To  My  Last  Chapter"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  February, 2022  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  which  also  appear  on  later  songs  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  faster  musical  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  influences  from  melodic  Swedish  death  metal.

  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  some  synths  also  being  brought  into  the  music  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  

  Vinterland  plays  a  style  of  melodic  black/death  metal  that  was  very  different  for  the  era  it  was  released.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  night,  nature  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vinterland  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  "Our  Dawn  Of  Glory"  "As  I  Behold  The  Dying  Sun"  and  "Wings  Of  Sorrow".  8  out  of  10.

https://orcd.co/welcome-my-last-chapter-remastered

www.blacklodge.se/artists/vinterland/

  

Everson Poe/The Night Country/Trepanation Recordings/2022 CD Review

 

  Chicago,  Illinois's  solo  project  Everson  Poe  has  returned  with  a  new recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  post  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2022  album  "This  Night  Country"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adds  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  songs  also adding  in  some  synths  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  allegorical  and  universal  nature  of  fairy  tales.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Everson  Poe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Am  The  Maker  Of  My  Own  Evil"  and  "The  Chamber  of  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

https://eversonpoe.bandcamp.com/album/the-night-country-2

  

Son of Seth/De Dor a Odio/Trepanation Recordings/2022 EP Review

 

  Son  of  Seth  are  a  solo  project  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  ritualistic  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal, industrial  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  ep  "De  Dor  a  Odio"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Trepanation  Recordings.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  ep  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  decent  amount  of  ritualistic  and  apocalyptic  soundscapes.  Elements  of  industrial  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  synths  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  haunting  atmosphere.

  Programmed  beats,  noises  and  industrial  sounds  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  deep  yet  demonic  sounding  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  vocals  evolve  into  more  of  an  industrial  metal  style

  Son  of  Seth  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  metal,   industrial,  drone  and  ritual  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a   sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  Son  of  Seth  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  drone  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tortured  Spirit"  and  "Epitome  Of  Silence".  8 out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/Sonofsethdoom

www.instagram.com/sonofseth_/

sonofseth.bandcamp.com/releases 

  

Resurrectionist/Self Titled/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Resurrectionist  are  a  solo  project  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  and  self  titled  2022  album.

  Cello's  and  symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  90's  influences.

  A  lot  of  the  songs  also  mix  in  touches  of  classical  and  soundtrack  music  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  avant  garde  touches,  choirs  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  Dorian  Ingram,  a  doctor  who  discovers  what  may  be  the  secret  to  eternal  life  with  some  touches  of  death,  occultism  and  mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Resurrectionist  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Tale  Painted  Crimson"  "Minotaur"  and  "Abigail".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

     

    

And Harmony Dies/Ballast/Club Inferno Ent./2022 CD Review

 

  And  Harmony  Dies  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  post  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  death,  doom,  thrash  metal  and  influences  from  non  metal  genres  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Ballast"  which  will  be  released  on  January  31st  by  Club  Inferno  Ent..

  Dark  soundscapes  and  electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Some  of  the  songs  also  capture  the  atmosphere  of  a  movie  soundtrack  along  with  the  pianos  also  taking  the  music  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  direction  when  they  are utilized.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clean  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  fast  parts   along  with  synths  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  touches  of  world  music.  

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  album  also  adds  in  touches  of  thrash  metal  and  as  the  recording  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  tracks,  one  song  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album  and  towards  the  end  acoustic  guitars  are  also  utilized.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  issues  related  to  the  soul  of  a  human  being.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  And  Harmony  Dies  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alhena's  Chief  In  The  Golden  Spiral"  "Leave  Now"  and  "How  To  Lighten  Daily  Weights".  8  out  of  10.

http://facebook.com/AndHarmonyDies

  

  

  

      

Destillat Interview

 

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

Destillat is a Death/Black Metal band from Leipzig, Germany. The current line-up of the band is together since 2015. We’ve put out two EP’s in 2018 and 2019 and just released our first full length album in December of 2021.

 

2.A few months back you also released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep's?

For us, the two EP’s were a way for us to establish the current line up and also to find out how we can utilize the strength of each member and put them into our songwriting and playing. With the full-length we were able to make use of the learnings we earned from these previous two EP’s, which helped us to become better songwriters and also to sharpen the musical style that we’re going for.

 

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

What we try to do with our lyrics is to use stories, that happened in the past and put them into a context that makes them relevant today. This is really the part in which we put our personalities as well. We feel like that our society is at a point where we tend to repeat mistakes we’ve already made in the past. So we want to create an opportunity to actually learn from these mistakes and reflect our own actions by telling these stories. On the album we tried to structure this in a way where start things off with a realization (Broken Chalice), through stories of genocide (Black 47), loss (The Forgotten sons Pt. II), corruption (The Forgotten Sons Pt. I), abuse (Black Horizons) until we finally write our „Last Chapter“. The last song though is an ode to what could make live on this planet so precious and valuable for all of us. Something that is soon to be lost but still holds a glimmer of hope. Something that is worth fighting for. The „Lost Chapter“.

 

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

To be completely honest, there is really no deeper meaning behind the name. Just a general excitement for booze :D

 

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

The artwork was painted by our friend and tattoo artist Marie-Luise Thurm (Tomasdottir Artworks). The cover painting is an interpretation of the album name “Under Black Horizons”. It shows how threatening and even at times overwhelming live and the current state of our world can be. For us it also holds the meaning of darkness and death that’s going to come to all of us if we’re not able to change the way we life and treat our environment.

The additional artworks for the songs were painted by our guitarist Nick.

 

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

We personally really love the small venues, that barely have any separation between stage and audience and when the whole show is just about the energy between the band and the crowd.

 

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

We kind of see that record as the first release that really carries the identity of our band. So right now for us it’s all about finding out what people think of the record and also to make the most out of it. Introducing our music to labels is definitely a part of this, but we see that more as an opportunity for future releases and not the current album.

 

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

Reactions have been pretty overwhelming so far. Not just to the music but also to our video for “Broken Chalice” and the documentary we did companying the recording process. Also getting coverage for the band outside of Germany and getting to know people worldwide, who care about the band, is really exciting and something we never expected to happen.

 

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

The goal is to expand the sound of the band and bring in different musical styles and genres we haven’t tried before. We’re always excited about trying new things and fusing different elements into songs that we find exciting to listen to. Another thing we’d love to continue in the future is working with guest musicians who can bring new elements to the music.

 

10.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?

We take a lot of inspiration from bands that carry a storytelling approach in their songs, both musically and lyrically. To name a few, this could be bands like Opeth, Primordial or Eluveitie. But we also value a lot of music outside the metal genre, since we feel like there are many shades that can add to a feeling of depressions, melancholy or darkness.

 

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We really value the community within and around the band like a family. That’s why we spend a lot of time together outside of playing music or “working” for the band as well. This could be things like having nice barbecues, planning our own vegetable gardens or nerding out on American football.

 

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

We really appreciate you for taking the time and giving us the opportunity to do this interview. It’s great to see that people care and that the record is doing so well. This album has also been a great opportunity for us to build a community of creative and caring people around our band and we’d like to thank all of them for their contributions and support. Spread the love and be nice to each other.

Bandcamp: https://destillat.bandcamp. com/album/under-black-horizons

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ destillat666

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ channel/ UCQG2L7cNGmGsLydnHdy7LXg

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ album/22bgHo6UHqwiXo9qWy1WOB

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

Other: https://linktr.ee/destillat