ZeTA/Binary Enigma/2022 Full length Review

 

  ZeTA  are  a  band  from  the  United  States  that  plays  an  experimental  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Binary  Enigma"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  A  very  dark  sounding  and  sci-fi  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  faster  and  heavier  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  moments.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  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  dark y et  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as a  couple  of  songs also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths,  the  music  also  takes  the  melody  of  the  Swedish  bands  and  mixes  it  with  the  brutality  of  the  American  style  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  documented  UFO  encounters,  aliens,  space  and  distant  civilizations.

  In  my  opinion  ZeTA  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  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  "Suspended  Colossus"  "Cosmic  Embrace"  and  "Weight  Of  Disclosure".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://ufometal.bandcamp.com/album/binary-enigma

https://youtu.be/JwH67uendlE

      

          

Diadalos Interview

 

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

I was drummer in various punk and metal bands before and I loved it. 

But as a drummer I wasn`t too involved in the process of writing the songs so I often had the feeling I was missing something. 

When the Coronavirus made playing with my former Trash-Metal Band Revolt no longer possible, I searched for another way to experience music. 

I immediately felt that writing and composing music refill my energy. 

As a full-time worker and a dad of a four-year-old, I could get totally lost in the music and story and followed Sir Franklin on his journey with these heroes of their time. 

So I started to take my time for this project and realized my ideas.

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

Honestly, in the beginning, I just wanted to use the piano to portray the particular atmosphere of the song and theme, and then play drums along with it.

But little by little I realized that with an orchestra you can portray a much more complex and intense, detailed scene. And so I then developed a separate orchestration for each song, to match the part of the story it tells.

So each piece is written alone on the piano, then I "completed" the songs by that orchestration.

Musical style? Hard to say, I'm just impressed and certainly influenced by a lot of artists of different genres. By genre, Daidalos is certainly at home in Symphonic Dark Metal. But I prefer to say, "I make atmospheric music".

3.The lyrics on the recording are a concept album can you tell us a little bit more about the story you covered with this release?

The sea and seafaring are a popular topic within my family. In former times there was no other way to discover more of the world, but to sail with the ship. 

These amazing men went for a real adventure, mostly some years away from the family, without knowing whether they would come back for fame or die. 

150 years ago, nobody was sure what the north pole could look like. Some scientists believed after a ring of ice would be a climate like in Hawaii. So they really weren´t prepared too well. 

The journey of Sir Franklin is one of the best known, I guess. He was a hero of his time and really popular. On an earlier expedition near Canada he came in big trouble and survived, to the legends, by eating his shoes. 

His goal was to find the north-west-passage. Through this passage, the way from Asia to Europa is so much shorter. So it was really important to find this way for the economy. 

Sir Franklin sailed with two ships: HMS Erebus and the sister ship HMS Terror (both cool names though) with a total of 129 men. From today's perspective a by far too large expedition. 

Officially, the abandoned ships sank and nobody survived. The End.

But... what happened to these men? How does it feel, knowing there could be only glory or death? What does it feel like, being trapped in the ice for a month, day and night in eternal white?

Imagine sitting below deck in the belly of the ship with your comrades, freezing and starving, far away from your family.

Was there real hope or did they all know it´s just a matter of time until everyone left is a frozen statue in the wind? 

These were the thoughts that I couldn`t get out of my head and the only way to express them was in my music. 

The man, who really discovered the North West Passage, was Roald Amundsen btw. The guy, who also was first at the south pole after an unbelievable race with Robert Falcon Scott, who unfortunately lost his life on the way.

4.One of the songs is also based on a Robert Frost poem, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his writings?

To be honest, I wasn`t that familiar with Robert Frost before writing this album.

I had this idea of the last living sailor carving his last words into the frozen snow just before he freezes to death. 

The song should have a continuous narrative style, without the typical verse-bridge-chorus sequences. 

I wanted it to be his story, which then ends abruptly. Then I realized that this is how it's done in many poems, and I set about researching.

In the process, I came across Robert Frost and his extremely expressive pieces. "Once by the Pacific" was just a perfect fit for my album in that regard. 

Then, while reading other poems of his, I realized that he was basically doing the same thing I was trying: He canalized his feelings and thoughts and expressed them through his art. 

I immediately felt the connection so I wanted to honor him by merging our arts together.

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

My first thought when I was searching for a name, was something like “sectio aurea”. The golden section stands for the perfect balance.

The golden section is proved since the time of Greek antiquity. I went on researching and came along Daidalos, the father of Ikarus.

Daidalos is a figure in Greek mythology. He was a brilliant inventor, technician, builder and artist. 

His arts were widely known, and the figures he designed are said to have been lifelike. 

And that's what I wanted to create: Lifelike music, where the atmosphere is that strong, that you are not just listening to some men on an expedition, but that you are one of the men on the expedition. 

I wanted the audience to experience the loneliness, the ice, the wind … and the death. 

Another facette of being an inventor, although he is brilliant like Daidalos, is to fail. Just remember Daidalos' son Ikarus, which flew too close to the sun so that the wax in his wings melted and he fell into the sea.

So the name set a big goal, which is worth emulating, without expecting perfection.

And that's what I strive for with my music: it doesn't have to be perfect, but it should trigger something in the listeners and create a feeling in them.

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

While searching for a suitable artwork I came across Pradika Lahitama Reffananda from Indonesia. I was impressed that he paints many of his works in oil/acrylic and thus creates true works of art.

I wrote him my vision and the theme and he immediately jumped on it.

Together we did a quick brainstorming session on how to bring the different main elements of the story into a single, meaningful painting.

Then I sent him my songs in demo version.

That was it.

He then got back to me after a while, wrote "that's it!" and presented me with this brilliant painting in blue-green-black-white. 

The ship, surrounded by huge waves, which pass into icy mountains, the spray twists with the icewind, above the starry night and below the infinite blackness of the sea. 

In addition, the narrator, who looks melancholy in his story - I had goosebumps immediately!

I just wanted him to sign it so that my cover is the image of his work.

7.With this project you work mostly solo but have played in bands with full line ups in the past, how would you compare the two?

It's difficult to compare, it's just different.

In a band, everyone has their own tasks. Everyone can compensate for each other's weaknesses with their own strengths combined. Often there is a leader, so there is always the danger that quieter voices are overheard. 

Fortunately, that's never really been the case with my bands. The cooperation has always worked well.

On the other hand, the result of a band's music is always a compromise. The majority prevails. And that's only reasonable, because what pleases the majority of the band will hopefully also please the majority of the audience. 

As a solo artist, you just have to follow your own heart. You are completely free in every single decision. The flip side is that you're also responsible for every single decision. In either way.

For me, it's just important to make music. To be able to express myself in the language of notes. At this stage of my life, I enjoy working as a solo artist. 

But that doesn't mean that Daidalos can't grow into a band over time. 

Just as the inventor Daidalos tinkers with his inventions, I tinker with the band. Because stagnation is the death of art. 

There have already been first talks in this direction. But I can not reveal more at this time.

8.On the new album you also have a few guests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?

There are some people without whom I would never have finished my album. 

From a musical point of view, Martin Simon is clearly one of them.

He is a very close friend of mine and I was allowed to be his best man. Martin is the singer and bassist of Kambrium and has a lot of experience in music business. 

He was the first to hear my first steps with Daidalos back then. 

He was immediately on the journey and invited me to his studio. There he showed me the essential steps needed for my do-it-yourself project. 

It was mainly about the recording of vocals and instruments and the software for it. He also taught me a bit of his vocal technique, because he has been a live frontman on stage for many years.

In the end, he said, "If you need a bass player, I'm in!"

And so it was.

Part two was then Fabio Rossi.

By the way, we met once in an internet forum. 

I immediately felt that he has this absolutely emotional inclination towards music and essentially loves black metal. His guitar work was extremely good and so I asked him if he would like to record my album.

He immediately agreed.

We had a great process, very creative and he got involved a lot, designing additional solos and rhythms. He told me that on every one of his weekends he stood up at 6 in the morning to work on my songs the whole day... 

In some songs he really went above and beyond, I'm absolutely thrilled with his influence on my songs.

He brings the necessary bit of blackness and rawness to it.

Then followed Noga Rotem.

I was looking for a suitable female voice for Icewind that sounds both vulnerable and strong and secure. A difficult mixture.

I found Noga through her website. 

Since she is a composer herself and has already worked with greats like Hans Zimmer, I was unsure whether she would be interested in my project.

I sent her my song and asked her to emotionally engage with the atmosphere and lyrics and then just sing freely to it.

She said, "I've never done anything like this before, but... let's give it a try!"

The result is sensationally good and far exceeded my expectations. Noga has not only sung a voice, but also interpreted me still a kind of choir, absolutely brilliant!

She felt the atmosphere and the text perfectly.

Last but not least, Francesco Petrelli.

When we talked about mixing my album, he offered me to do some additional guitar tracks on the songs, because he liked my music and would like to be part of it.

So I decided to do it at his studio and he really did a very good job! His playstyle is very tight and straight, he brought some technical work into my songs.

He also did a great and very professional mix. I´ve sent him tons and tons of tracks, one for each instrument of the orchestra plus everything else and he had to find a way, when and how to push out the main instrument of the orchestra, without overwriting the rest.

I bet, he was sweating sometimes, when I came up with additional ideas during the mixing process...

But in the end, he let "The Expedition" shine like it is.

Francesco is doing a lot of live mixing, too. Maybe I will go back on him one day...

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

I don't know how to answer this question without seeming overbearing. 

But I will answer it with a big smile on my face, because the feedback has been amazing this far and I am always happy to think about the nice messages that reach me every day.

I am totally overwhelmed by the positive critique that has reached me so far. I already have listeners all over the world and I appreciate every single one. 

As I said earlier: As a Solo Artist, you have the responsibility for both the bad and the good decisions. And it seems so far that I made more good than bad decisions for this expedition. 

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

I am already working on the next album. I won’t spoil you, but I can tell it will also be an adventure and a journey. The atmosphere is different, but not less strong. 

I want to develop Daidalos steadily on all levels and I am curious myself where this expedition will lead me.

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?

To name a few metal bands, it is for example Fleshgod Apocalypse, Dimmu Borgir, early Wintersun and many more. I listen to a lot of different genres, which I always did.

Nowadays I am still mostly into Symphonic Dark/Black/Death as well as some calm piano music for example.

It always depends on my mood, my personal atmosphere.

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

I am grateful.

For every crew member that has accompanied me on this journey and every new crew member that wants to come on board. 

Just like on an expedition, everyone contributes to keeping the ship on course - from the journalist who gives me the opportunity for an interview like this, to the fan who orders a t-shirt and writes such a nice message that I am speechless.

Thank you.

​www.facebook.com/daidalosband

Epoch Of Unlight Interview

 

Questions answered by Scott Baggett (vocals) and Tino LoSicco (Drums):

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Scott: We recorded the album from October 2021 to December 2022, with mixing and overdubs done for the next few months after that. Since then we’ve actually been working on material for the next album (we don’t intend to wait 17 years for the next one!) and playing shows locally here in Memphis (opening for Obituary was definitely a dream come true for me, John Tardy is the blueprint for extreme vocals). Once the album is officially released, we plan to do some short tours to promote it.

2.In September you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Scott: A couple of things have changed since the last album – John Fortier has joined since then, and brought with him a melodic and technical lead style, and he has also written or contributed to the new songs, which added a new dynamic to the songwriting. I also joined and I think I’ve got a much different style than previous vocalists.

Tino: Given the amount of time we've worked on some of these songs, my hope is that the natural progession of the band is reflected in the final product. We were able to spend as much time as we needed during the recording and mixing process. Given this was a luxury we did not have on the previous 3 full-lengths, we were able in my opinion to really capture the sound of the band with all the nuances we've tried to incorporate into the music over the years.  

3.This is also your first full length since 2022 and while there was an ep in 2015 and a couple of demos released between then and 2017 there has not been much in the way of new material, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Scott: In my opinion, the lack of new recorded material was due to lineup changes, mostly. I joined in 2016, but even not being in the band before then, I’d see guys come and go. It’s difficult to sit down and create something permanent like an album with a shifting lineup like that. We chose to re-record the songs from the EP with the current lineup not because we lacked new material, but because we didn’t want those songs to be forgotten, since that EP wasn’t properly released, plus Alan Burcham did an amazing job with the recording, so those songs sound brand new to us.

Tino: Even with the line-up changes, we never stopped writing, rehearsing and performing since the last album. Most of our shows during this time were more regional than national. We did play some of that new music live. It just didn't have the exposure as the previous releases.

 

4.The newer music is also more death metal orientated than previous releases while that influence has always been a huge part of your musical style, what was the decision behind going into this direction?

Scott: I probably had a little to do with that just with my vocal style. In my other bands, I mostly did deep vocals, with some highs thrown in for dynamics. Epoch’s vocals were previously almost entirely based on highs. When you throw in the deep vocals and mid-highs, the music sort of transforms itself into death metal.

Tino:  There was really no conscious decision to steer the music toward one particular influence. It's possible that some of the production plays a role. But to Scott's point, his vocals lean toward a more traditonal, extremely brutal, death metal style.

 

5. A lot of your lyrics over the years have covered fantasy, horror and science fiction themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics and also are there any certain authors that have had an influence on your songwriting?

Scott: In the past. Tino wrote almost all of the lyrics, but I wrote half the lyrics on this album to take some of that workload off of him -- writing lyrics is hard! My style in other bands has been more rooted in realism, typically with "anti-religious zealotry" themes, so I tried to weave that into the sci-fi/fantasy realm Epoch is known for. For the next album, I plan to lean more into sci-fi themes since I’m a huge fan of science fiction, with my favorite author being Isaac Asimov. As to who wrote which lyrics on this album, you can probably tell because Tino has a bigger vocabulary than I do!

Tino: I am a huge fan of the English author Brian Lumley. So much so that I emailed Mr. Lumley years ago asking for his permission to use a line from his novel for our first album title (a phrase common to his Necroscope series). It would be difficult for me to detail every aspect of his novels that I enjoy. Primarily, I am a fan of his writing style. Lumley is very detailed in his narratives, frequently describing stories-within-stories. He never seems at a loss for new character background that fit perfectly within the confines of the sci-fi/horror based worlds he created. Best of all, when Lumley writes about his creatures, there is no mistaking them for the "young-adult" sparkly vamps that have saturated the genre.

 

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

Scott: It was done by Eka Saputra, who goes by the business name of Pzychopart. He has a pretty unique style, and you’ll notice his art on a lot of metal releases the past few years. Great guy to work with. We gave him the concept and it was almost like he read our minds when we received the rough draft. I think it matches the style of the lyrics, could be the cover of an old sci-fi paperback book. He’s responsive and patient, and his prices are reasonable, so please check him out on Facebook!

7.The band was also considered a part of the original U.S black metal, do you feel you have been influential musically to later bands that also come from your home country?

Tino: Although it would be flattering for the band to be considered an influence on others, I'd be hard-pressed to name any current bands that I felt were directly influenced by us musically. (However, considering we've had so many people in the band over the years, there's bound to be a similar sounding riff floating somewhere out there in the musical ether.)  

 

8.out of all the tours and shows you have played over the years, which one stands out the most?

Tino: I've appreicated all of the opportunities we've had to really hit the road. If I had to pick 1, I'd say the 2 week tour we did with Enslaved still stands out the most to me. On this tour, both bands piled into a 15 passenger van with along with 2 of our friends that helped drive and run merch. [#cozy]  This was the only tour we did where we had the opportunity to travel and really get to know the band on the tour....and when its one of your favorite bands that is also overflowing with creative talent, energy and humor, it makes for an incredible and rare experience.

 

9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Scott: Yes! We really haven’t done much touring because you typically tour to promote something, and we haven’t had anything new to promote. Now that we have a new album out, we plan to do some short tours. We all have jobs that make it impossible to do long stretches of touring, but we’re going to try to do as much as we can.

 

10.The new album is going to be released on 'Dark Horizon Records', how would you compare working with this label to your previous label 'The End Records'?

Scott: I wasn’t around for The End, so I’ll let Tino answer that part. But working with DHR and the owner Typhus has been great. The guy has been around as long as we have, running his label and being in various extreme metal bands (Morpheus Descends, for example), so if he wants to release an album, it means he’s into it. This release is more of a distribution partnership, which is what we actually sought since we were shopping a finished product. Check out the DHR roster and you’ll see he has an ear for quality extreme metal.

Tino:  As Scott mentioned, our collaboration with DHR has been a good experience for the reasons he mentioned and we are excited going forward.

Our work with T.E.R. was different in nature. As a new label working with a young band, they provided us with some unique opportunities [early tour support and a recording budget] to which I was appreciative of while they were developing their business model.  We were part of the initial roster of the label and one of the few bands that actually played live during that time so I feel that we mutually benefitted each other.  

 

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

Scott: Fans of black metal might be a little disappointed that we don’t still sound like the first two albums, but the last album was already trending towards the style we play now, so delving deeper into the death metal side of things shouldn’t be a surprise. Overall though, the reaction has been positive, even from people who were fans since the USBM demo days. Our fans seem excited about the release, which just really makes all the work we put into it worth it.

Tino: I think only time will tell with this new release. The intial feedback has been very positive which is exciting after so much time. The music has all of the elements that we've always had, just with a more refined approach which I think fans of both genres should be able to appreciate.

 

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

Scott: Since I’m not a good guitarist, I could only lend my vocals to a side project, and this style of “singing” really takes a toll, so I’m content just focusing on this band. Josh has been in another band for a long time called Powers That Be. Joe has also has a couple of side projects he’s spinning up that are far different than Epoch of Unlight, but they are currently in their early stages. We keep John locked in a box so that he can't play in other bands ... or rather he works a lot and only has time for Epoch.

Tino:  "Incineration" (death/grind from Memphis) is still going strong and we are finalizing the material for our next recording later this year. "Ash of Cedars" (black metal from Arkansas and TN) has been on a hiatus for the last few years with everyone in the bands schedules however I am hopeful that things pick up later this year/early 2023.

 

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

Tino: We are already working on music for the follow up. We have about 10 songs so far and they follow as a natural progression from the new recording in both intensity and melody. (With Josh and John in the band I'm sure there will be their fair share of leads/solos as well. )

14.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

Scott: It may seem odd, but I don’t listen to a whole lot of death metal. I love it of course, but these days there’s so much music out there, I just gravitate towards great songwriting, no matter the genre. The last Voivod record, amazing as always. Haunt is another band I’ve been listening to a lot lately.

Tino: On the Metal side, bands like AngelCorpse, December Wolves, Kreator, Immolation and Terrorizer never get old to me.  "Newer" bands like Havukruunu, Harakiri for the Sky, VLTIMAS, Werewolves, and Winterfylleth are also in heavy rotation for me. (That new Dio mix is pretty killer as well.) I also have a healthy interest in bands like Lazerhawk, BMSR, Tobacco and Zombi.

 

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

Scott: On behalf of the other guys, I apologize for taking so long to release a new album! I assure you, the final product is worth your time and will reward your patience.

Tino:  Thank you for the support and the interview! (And as a somewhat biased participant, I can confirm Scott's sentiments that fans of this music will not be disappointed!)

https://epochofunlight.bandcamp.com/ 

Daidalos/The Expedition/Extreme Metal Music/2022 CD Review

 

  Diadalos  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2022  album  "The  Expedition"  which  was  released  by  Extreme  Metal  Music.

  Orchestrations  and  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  throughout  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  sounding  at  times  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  also  go  in  a  grim  direction  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Elements  of  dark  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.,  pianos  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Captain  Sir  Franklin's  Last  Expedition  and  one  song  is  also  a  Robert  Frost  poem  put  to  music.

  In  my  opinion  Diadalos  is  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Expedition"  "Srormwind"  "Poem  In  The  Snow"  and  "My  Melancholy".  8  out  of  10.

  ​www.facebook.com/daidalosband

Epoch Of Unlight/At War With The Multiverse/Dark Horizon Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Epoch  Of  Unlight  are  a  band  from  Memphis,  Tennessee  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  and  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "At  War  With  the  Multiverse"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Dark  Horizon  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  One  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  synths  and  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  brutal  moments  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  the  90's  style  in  with  a  more  modern  day  brutality.

  On  this  recording  Epoch  Of  Un light  expands  on  their  more  death  metal  side  of  their  musical  style  as  well  as  retaining  the  melodic  black  metal  elements  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Epoch  Of  Unlight  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Numbing  Stillness"  "Beneath  A  Dying  Sun"  :Night  Hunt"  and  "The  Lie  of  Tomorrow's  Dream".  8  out  of  10.

https://epochofunlight.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EpochOfUnlight

https://www.instagram.com/epochofunlight/

Epoch of Unlight Spotify

https://youtu.be/xBRwNb5XE4Q

  

    

Hegemone/Voyance/Brucia Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Hegemone  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a mixture  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2022  album  "Voyance"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  clear  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  post  metal.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  small  amount  of  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.  The  music  also  adds  some  dissonant  touches  on  one  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  blast  beats  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up,  folk  instruments  and  electronic  frequencies  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  rage,  tension,  pain  and  disquiet  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hegemone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  black,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nourishment"  "Sermon"  and  "After  Demise".  8  out  of  10.

  https://hegemone.bandcamp.com/  

An Abstract Illusion/Woe/Willowtip Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric,  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Woe"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Willowtip  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  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  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  touches  of  electronica  can  also b e  heard  at  times.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  poetic  atmosphere  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  death  and  humanity  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  An  Abstract  Illusion  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  melodic  and  progressive  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  "Slaves"  and  "In  The  Heavens  Above,  You  Will  Become  A  Monster".  8  out  fo  10.

  https://anabstractillusion.bandcamp.com/album/woe