VĀMĀCĀRA/Cosmic Fires: The Enlightenment Reversed/MDD Records/2022 CD Review

 

  VĀMĀCĀRA  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  stoner  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Cosmic  Fires:  The  Enlightenment  Reversed"  which  will  be  released  on  April  29th  by  MDD  Records.

  &0's  influenced  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  psychedelic  elements  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  touches  of  stoner  rock,  oriental  and  western  music  into  certain  sections  of  the  album.  Clear  vocals  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks,  whispers  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English,  Greek,  Polish  and  Turkish  and  cover  Left  hand  Philosophy  and  Illumination  themes.

  In  my  opinion  VĀMĀCĀRA  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alchemical  Symbolism"  and  "Brought  Up  By  The  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Neon Noodle Interview

 

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

Neon Noodle is an outsider art project led by one person from Ann Arbor. I create various videos on my YouTube channel, usually doomer versions of the songs that I love, or completely experimental cursed-reversed or slowed down versions of full albums. There are also some heavily edited cartoons there. But I also create my own music. It all can be checked here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCim7EaxPh6HBynxNnf3AXPw

2.Since 2021 you have released a great amount of material, musically how do most of your releases differ from each other?

Usually, as much as they can. Neon Noodle is conceived as a project of complete chaos and I work constantly. One album can be just noise, one can be almost "normal" rock music, others can be electronica or vaporwave. But I do have a tendency towards doom metal and generally darker genres of music. One thing is for certain, I don't want any direction.

3.You have worked with a variety of musical styles so far, can you tell us a little bit more about the genres you bring into your music?

It is mostly influenced by the music I listened to throughout my life, but I also like to spoil everything you know. It irritates me when something sounds normal, so I take some synth or guitar part and ruin it intentionally. I find great pleasure in destroying something that could pass as an electro-pop song or acoustic piece. Spectrum is quite huge, I have released 15 albums by far and you can check them here:

https://neonnoodle.bandcamp.com

4.Some of your lyrics cover occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

They always haunt me. In my dreams, in my life. I see Neon Noodle as a somewhat occult project, with no boundaries.

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

Usually negative stuff, personal problems and some emotional breakdowns that keep coming back. Neon Noodle is my way of handling diagnosed depression actually. 

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Neon Noodle'?

It is a cartoon character from "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" Daffy Duck episode. I liked him immediately, because he is the only one that survived Daffy's bullets.

7.In the last year you have released a good amount of material, do you spend most of your time writing and creating music?

Yes. I create those videos for YouTube, with almost no rules or modern trends. And then out of nowhere I just start to record a new album. Sometimes, it is a classic DAW process, layering tracks, mixing etc. Sometimes it's just one wave that I intentionally completely ruin. I enjoy the freedom.

8.With this project you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

Yes, if they like to keep it underground and without sucking up to the masses.

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

I had received interest from one label, but I turned them down because I like the control and anonymity that Neon Noodle has.

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

If you get their attention, they love it. But the internet is such a sea of music, people cannot easily dive into something new and different, you know.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I have absolutely no idea, and I thrive on that.

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?

These days I listen to my version of Sonic Youth Sister album, which I named "cursed" version. It's a special recipe, that besides reversing the tracks includes some other stuff and mixing. Sonic Youth shared my version of this album on their official fb page and I am grateful to them because I am a huge fan.

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

Keep your ears free as much as you can because art knows no boundaries. And thank you for your attention.

The Spirit/Of Clarity And Galactic Structures/AOP Records/2022 CD Review

 

  The  Spirit  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Of  Clarity  And  Galactic  Structures"  which  will  be  released  on  April  29th  by  AOP  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  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  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  the  interlude  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction,  synths  can  also b e  heard  on  the  closing  track  which  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Misanthropy  and  Cosmic  Metaphor  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Spirit  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Clarity  And  Galactic  Structures"  "Celestial  Fire"  and  "Arcane  Wanderer".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/thespiritband/

https://www.instagram.com/thespirit_band    

Neon Noodle/Opiate Rebel/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Neon  Noodle  are  a  solo  project  form  Michigan  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2022  album  "Opiate  Rebel".

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  onto  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  cavernous  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  dark  yet  apocalyptic  and  melodic  style.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times.  Elements  of  black  metal  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  being  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction. 

  Neon  Noodle  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Neon  Noodle  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Prince  Of  The  Broken  Empire"  "Thorn  of  Demons"  and  "Overdose".  8  out  of  10.

https://neonnoodle.bandcamp.com/album/opiate-rebel

Bog Body/Cryonic Crevasse Cult/Profound Lore Records/2022 CD Review

 

   Bog  Body  are  a  duo  from  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Cryonic  Crevasse  Cult"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Profound  Lore  Records.

  Field  recordings  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  lo-fi  musical  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  bass  guitar  being  a  lead  instrument  and  there  are  no  use  of  any  6  string  guitars  on  the  album.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  A  lot  of  the  music  also  shows  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  along  with  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  psychedelic  soundscapes  can  also  be  heard  briefly. 

  Bog  Body  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology,  religion,  sacrifice  and  death  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Bog  Body  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Paralytic  Pit  Of  Swallowed  Graves"  "Ice  Stained  Kurgan"  and  "The  Graveyard Of  Dead  Cratons".  8  out  of  10.

https://infernomerchstore.com/collections/bog-body

https://www.instagram.com/bog_body

https://www.facebook.com/bogbodyofficial

https://bog-body.bandcamp.com

Geisterfaust/Servile Mirrors Of Animosity/Morbid And Miserable Records/Altstadtwolf Records/2022 EP Review

 

  Geisterfaust  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "Servile  Mirrors  Of  Anomosity"  which  will  be  released  on  April  29th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Morbid  And  Miserable  and  Altstadtwolf  Records.

  A  very  clean  yet  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  introducing  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Growls  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  dark  sounding  melodies  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Geisterfaust  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  sludge  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  being  recorded  live  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  afflictions  and  unrestrained  turmoil  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Geisterfaust  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Infinite  Dream"  and  "Doorless  Doorway".  8  out  of  10.

  https://morbidandmiserable.bandcamp.com/album/servile-mirrors-of-animosity  

Cadaveria/Emptiness/Time To Kill Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Italy's  Cadaveria  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  horror  orientated  mixture  of  black,  dark  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album    "Emptiness"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Time  TO  Kill  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  clean  vocals  also  bring  in  elements  of  gothic  metal  into  the  music  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  dark,  death  and  traditional  metal  touches  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  album  also  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  whispers  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  the  album  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Deine  Lakaien's  "Return".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Horror  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cadaveria  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  dark  and  gothic  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Great  Journey"  "The  Woman  Who  Fell  To  The  Earth"  "Live  After"  and  "Return".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/cadaveria

https://www.instagram.com/cadaveriaofficial/

https://twitter.com/_Cadaveria

https://www.cadaveria.com/