Spectral Darkwave/Live Fire Exorcise/Occidental Records/2022 Live Album Review

 

  Spectral  Darkwave  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  dark,  doom,  death  and  industrial  metal   and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  live  album  "Live  Fire  Exorcise"  which  will  be  released  on  June  3th  by  Occidental  Records.

  Live  audience  reaction  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  samples  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  show  some  influences  of  dark  and  doom  metal  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  touches.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals,  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Alien  Technology  and  Ancient  Magick  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  great  sounding  recording  from  Spectral  Darkwave  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black,  dark,  doom,  death  and  industrial  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  March  Of  Sses"  "The  Last  Red  Hypergiant"  and  "At  Outher  Dark".  8  out  of  10.

www.spectraldarkwave.com

https://youtu.be/6Rb2wFdJFKY        

Metakosmia Interview

 

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

VASILIS: Hello, we are METAKOSMIA, a metal band from Greece, Athens. The band was created about 2 years ago by two persons -Vasilis Kakafikas and Petros Geromarkakis. The aim was to create music that is both unique and that would represent the concept behind the name of the band: METAKOSMIA.

2.In March you had released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

V: Yes. From the very beginning, what we had in mind when creating our debut album -Aperantos Kosmos, was that musically, the medium through which we would let our artistic selves to unfold, would be that of the metal sound for sure. But with no boundaries. 

We knew that we should use lots of keyboards and sounds, combined with a more harsh directions, to the extend of reaching the death and black metal territory. In every step of the process of creating and recording, we would ask ourselves: Ïs this really METAKOSMIA? Does it give to the listener (us for start) this otherwordly sense? Is it truly a METAKOSMIA sound? Does it take you there? If the answer was "no", we would immediately delete and go for a new start. If the answer was "YES!", we then knew we were on the right track and that we should move forward to that same direction.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover Greek Philosophy, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

V: We have always been interested in philosophy. We consider ourselves to be philosophers as well. Being a friend with wisdom also has a practical side inside the meaning of the word. Philos - Sophia. It is a way of life, not just an empty idea. In the early years reading Plato about Socrates, and then moving to all the rest of the giants of thought. It has been said that everything you can think or imagine, has already been talked about from one or more of our weirdly smart ancestors. Every culture has its own wisdom. At the same Golden times of Greece (500 BC), Chinese philosophy was also at its greatest peak.

The truths are universal.

4.Lyrically you also go into Science and Mysticism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these paths have evolved over the years?

V: Science becomes more and more obscure with every new step it takes. Especially after the "new" quantum physics evolving, new interesting ideas and realizations like the string theory, the multifaceted universes, the discovery of dark matter and dark energy, science has humbly lowered the head and admitted that knows only 5% of what is out there. And this is a stance that science ought's to maintain. Otherwise it may very easily transform into a totalitarian monster, a godlike Authority like -unfortunately- it tends to have  become in some of its aspects, in the past few years, for example in the medicine field... 

So science, by admitting that knows nothing really, and furthermore reassures that the observer IS the observed, opens again the gates for mysticism to pass through and enter the realm, in all its past glory. Magic is again a reality, not just by the future that technology may imply, but by the role of perseptionin the game and how it shapes reality. An ancient knowledge that gets lost and resurrects through the passing of aeons.

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

V: One of the greatest of all times, Epicurus, following the teachings of Democritus, who further built on the system of his teacher Leucippus, who shaped the atomic theory, figured out between other things, that Gods exist, but have nothing to do with the common image of the gods, that the every day man imagines, or had been led to believe as such. Metakosmia are those relatively empty- of ordinary matter- places, vast voids of almost perfect emptiness between the galaxies. There they live and prosper. They have nothing to do with humans and they don't intervene. They are almost indestructible beings. To us, they look Godly-like. Unfortunately, so little of the works of Epicurus has been saved. But do a favor to yourself and read Lucretius' "De rerum natura". It hides inside

more than one book of Epicurus.

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

V: On the top there is a photo I shot, of a sculpture from the archaeological museum of Peiraius in Greece. It is a scene depicting theurgy, part of the Eleusis mysteries. One can see the symbolic gestures, symbolic hand shapes from the high-priest and the high-priestess while they whisper the mystic language of the ancient mysteries. It is well known that the truths were revealed there by gestures, symbolic images, unknown -to the common listener- words, etc. that "worked" with the subconscious mind of the initiate. 

At the lower side of the cover, one can see the sea. And the endless sky. The logo and the title stand in the middle of the picture, in a way that reminds us and increases the feeling of the enormous size of infinite space... Aperantos Kosmos (World without end - infinite cosmos)

7.On the album you worked as a duo, how do both of your styles different from each other and what impact did it have on the musical style?

V: I would say that Petros was more experienced in ambient music and sounds and more on the black metal aesthetic, while I am into a more death metal and melodic expression of feelings. We both like almost every kind of metal in general as well as everything that sounds inspiring, interesting, innovative etc. 

Having myself participated in various musical projects in the past, I think that METAKOSMIA - Aperantos Kosmos is the best one yet.

8.Currently you are unsigned, have you received any label interest?

V: We are currently in contact with a few labels. There is a great possibility that there is going to be an agreement. We have to be a little patient for the moment. We would to see the album released in double vinyl and cassette tape formats.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal and the more experimental and ambient musical genres? 

V: The truth is that from the 2-3 reviews that are on the net and from the 2-3 youtube channels that it has been on, the feedback has so far been very positive. 

People seem to appreciate and understand the concept of the album. Back when we were creating the songs, we wanted the album to be an experience, not just another listen. I believe we have succeeded in this, it is an emotional journey, an initiation almost to another world.

10.With the death of the other member of the project what affect does this have on the future of the musical project?

V: Although the album was ready, it took me about a year after the passing of my good friend and bandmate, to release it. My first thoughts was that, that was it, there was going to be nothing more, after this one album. After some more thought, a few days ago to be honest, I decided that METAKOSMIA are here to stay.

I feel I ought it to Petros too. Alone or with the help of others, METAKOSMIA will continue to be and create unique music in every step. A never-ending journey in a never-ending world...

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?

V: So many bands that one can mention. The classics from the swedish melodic death, like: Dark tranquillity and the gallery, In flames wth the jester race, Edge of sanity etc. Heavy metal bands like Manowar or judas priest. Celtic frost, Arcturus, Pan thy monium, Diana Ankudinova, Babymetal, Dark millenium, Perfect bliss, Terrasound with abstract portrait and more...

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

V: Thank you for this interesting questions and thanks for the nice review of Aperantos Kosmos, I wish you and all your readers, the best.

Bandcamp: https://metakosmia1.bandcamp.com/album/aperantos-kosmos
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBc5TTJs5oxT4YcVjTqD4hw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Hy5rQ3E5SFiF0WqVbTd2o
Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/metakosmia/aperantos-kosmos

Meresin/Black Messiah/Via Nocturna/2022 CD Review

 

  Meresin  are  a  duo  from  Poland  that  plays  an  industrial  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Black  Messiah"  which  was  released  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Industrial  style  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  keyboards  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  growls  onto  the  recording,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  

  Meresin  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  industrial  and  mixes  it  with  symphonic  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Meresin  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial  and  symphonic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Messiah"  "Salvation  By  Flesh"  "Hate  You!  and  "Fanatic  Slaves".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube | Spotify  

  

Grimorium Verum/REALL/Symbol Of Dominion Productions/2022 CD Review

 

  Russia's  Grimorium  Verum  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "REALL"  which  was  released  by  Symbol  Of  Dominion  Productions.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Symphonic  elements  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  influences  of  death  and  doom  metal  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  being  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grimorium  Verum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Through  The  Labyrinth  Of  Times"  "Last  Ritual"  and  "A  Slave  Of  The  Lamp".  8  out  of  10.

https://symbolofdomination.bandcamp.com/album/sodp150-grimorium-verum-reall-2022   

Nazgul Rising/Cycles Of Primal Chaos/2022 Full Length Review

 

   Nazgul  Rising  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Cycles  Of  Primal  Chaos".  

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  modern  and  old  school  influences.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Mysticism,  Occultism,  Paganism  and  Darkness  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Nazgul  Rising  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seed  Of  The  Serpent"  "Visions  Of  The  Nightside"  "Father  of  Les"  and  "From  The  Depths  Of  Hades".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/K6p7gIe4q3g

https://open.spotify.com/album/56yP0V4wcBcEiw1GSQqMNH

https://www.facebook.com/nazgulrising/

https://www.instagram.com/nazgulrising/

https://nazgulrising.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/nazgulrising 

  

Metakosmia/Aperantos Kosmos/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Metakosmia  are  a  duo  from  Greece  that  an  experimental  and  ambient  form  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Aperantos  Kosmos".

  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  elements  of  space  music  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  clean  singing  which  also adds  in  an  avant  garde  touch  and  grim  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding.

  The  album  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  along  with  some spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  one  one  song  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals. Melodies  are  also added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  As  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  fast  tremolo  picking   are  also  added  on  the  recording  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  lyrics  cover  Greek  Philosophy,  Space,  Science  and  Mysticism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Metakosmia  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  ambient  symphonic  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Entropy"  "Astronomikos  Kanon"  "Tetrapharmakos"  and  "The  Absence  of  Suffering".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://metakosmia1.bandcamp.com/album/aperantos-kosmos
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBc5TTJs5oxT4YcVjTqD4hw
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Hy5rQ3E5SFiF0WqVbTd2o

Other: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/metakosmia/aperantos-kosmos   

Deos/Furor Belli/WormHoleDeath Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Deos  are  a  band  from  France  that  moves  away  from  the  symphonic  style  of  their  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  an  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  on  this  recording    and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Furir Belli"  which  will b e  released  on  May  27th  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  epic  and  war  orientated  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  tribal  orientated  beats  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.   

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.

   

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  symphonic  touches  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  and a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Roman  Empire  and  Ancient  Rome  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deos  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  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  "Decimatio"  "Morturi  Te  Salutant"  "Germanicus"  and  "Venenum  Rex".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/deos.legio

https://www.instagram.com/deos_official

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_5rDncTgyMdgrtl4Ow_SVw

\deos-official.bandcamp.com/releases