The Blessing Way Interview

 

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

The Blessing Way began out of a desire to record my own songs that I had been writing for a few years. I had been in a band previously but didn’t really like the idea of setting up another one as I much preferred playing by myself. I always found that when I played with other people there would always be too may disagreements between band members and it got quite tiring after a while. On my first release my brother played drums for me but since then I have just programmed the drums myself and kept it as a solo project although my brother, Colin, still helps out from time to time with guitar solos and he helped me do the recording on the first album.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from your previous releases?

The early stuff I was writing was very much melodic death metal sounding, it was more in the vein of early In Flames and Dark Tranquility. Then I started incorporating more classical instruments like harpsichord, pianos and choirs and the sound morphed into more symphonic black metal. There is still a good dose of melodic death metal in the music though.

3.In the 13 years this band has been together there has only been 2 full lengths and an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait in between releases?

The main reason for the gap between the first E.P and the album was mainly down to a lack of funds. I was training to be a tattoo artist around that time so I did not have a lot of money to spare and when it is a solo project obviously I have to pay for everything myself. The music can take quite a long time to write as well. I usually start a song and it might not get completed for a few months due to adding parts in and taking other parts out.

4.A lot fo your lyrics cover horror and gothic tales, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

Since I was young I have always had an interest in horror books and movies. Books would have been a major influence for me and still to this day I read a lot of horror novels. I am also a big fan of concept albums. The first album, From Empty Plates We Dine, was all based on the Anne Rice novel, Interview With The Vampire. The most recent album, Erik’s Lament is all based on The Phantom Of The Opera.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Blessing Way'?

The name comes from an episode of The X files of which I was a massive fan when I was younger and I just thought it would make a nice band name.

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

When I was searching for an album cover I came across an old painting by a French artist called George Roux. The cover immediately jumped out at me and I think it conveys the atmosphere and theme of the music perfectly.

7.With the new album you recorded most of the material by yourself but there was a full line up in the past, are you open to expanding the line up again in the future or do you prefer to work solo?

My brother played drums on the first E.P but since then I have always recorded everything myself. I have an exact idea in my head how I want it to sound and so I have little interest in working with other people. Bar a few guitar solos or vocal parts from other people I much prefer to do it all myself.

8.Back when you had a live performance did you have any opportunities to do any live shows?

I have never played live with The Blessing Way and I do not have any interest in doing so. Live performances do not hold much interest for me.

9.On the new album you also had some session work from Snowy Shaw, can you tell us a little bit more about his contribution to the recording?

I have been a huge fan of Snowy’s vocals since I heard him sing on Therion’s Gothic Kabbalah and had followed his career ever since. I noticed he was doing a lot of session work and when I began recording the new album I reached out to see if he would be interested in lending his vocals to a few songs and thankfully he liked the material and said yes. I had always wanted to have strong clean vocals on my songs and I am extremely happy with how it all turned out and am looking forward to working with him again in the future.

10.The new album was self released while you have worked with a label before in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

The only way I would work with a label again is if they offered me a lot of money haha.

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

The first album a pretty positive reaction and I have yet to see, but I hope that people enjoy the new one just as much.

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

I will continue to write albums in the same vein musically as the previous two but I am hoping to add even more clean vocals next time around. I can’t see the style of music changing drastically but it is always nice to throw in parts from different genres here and there so I hope to continue doing that.

13.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?

Some of my biggest influences growing up would have been Iron Maiden, Cradle Of Filth, Meat Loaf, Dark Tranquility, In Flames, Madder Mortem, Therion, Blind Guardian. I like stuff that is theatrical yet also very melodic. The most recent band I have discovered that  I am a big fan of is the Danish band, Wuthering Heights. Their album, Far From The Madding Crowd would be in my top 10 albums now. I am also a big fan of certain pop bands like Abba, The Beatles, Chris De Burgh and The Doors.

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

Thanks for taking an interest in my music and thank you to anyone out there who has bought my music or supported me in anyway shape or form. And thank you for the interview!

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Messora/Burn/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Messora  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Burn"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

    A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.

  The  album  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  which  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  a  couple  of  the  songs  also  being  acoustic  ballads,  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  either  s  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  On  this  recording  Messora  takes  melodic  black,  doom,  death  and  progressive  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  diverse  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Messora  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seed"  "Respite"  adn  "Winter".  8  out  of  10.

  https://found.ee/O8E6oQ

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Norrskold Interview

 

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

The writing of the songs went pretty fast prior to the recordings. I guess a lot could be “blamed” on the massive amounts of boredom during a pandemic. For different reasons the actual recording and production of the album took longer time than expected. So during the recording/production phase we’ve actually written a bunch of new songs, ready for take off in a not so distant release. The creativity knows no boundaries, so to say!

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

I would say the songs on the upcoming album are a bit more straightforward compared to our previous releases, although we’ve kept the characteristic Norrsköld atmosphere in the sound. The listener might also notice more of a linearity in the compositions. The focus is more than ever on melodies, rather than too intricate riffage which might sometimes have been the case on previous releases. To some degree we have also experimented with synthesizers as a fresh element to some of the songs.

3. This is also your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during this time frame?

There have been some major line-up changes since our latest release (2018) which has taken its toll on the possibility for live shows etc. The infamous pandemic further made it hard to plan for live performances. In general I would say the major focus has been on composing new material. 

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

The main lyrical theme could be described as a critical reflection on mankind´s position in the world, as it looks like today. More specifically, that mankind has relied on the fact that we are a part of a greater power/"God" and that man is an elevated entity above all else on earth. Which has justified humans to behave and evolve as if the earth belonged to us including, wars, environmental destruction etc. So the lyrics are sort of a future scenario of how all this will end. Written as if the last human remains have finally vanished and that a "cosmic power" (perspective) is narrating the closure, when things are in order again. Error corrected so to speak.

5. Your earlier lyrics covered Swedish Folklore, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Being from the northern part of the country, the connection with nature and folklore is a significant part of the culture. There’s a huge treasure of folk traditions, lore and nature spiritual beliefs that still to this day lives on in the collective memory. There´s this nature romantic spirit still being very much present in people, especially when visiting the rural landscapes. Therefore it’s been quite a feasible topic for our previous lyrics. A quite recent example of this phenomenon would be the movie “Midsommar” which is based on a folklore story from the north of Sweden, taking place in the fabled surroundings of Hårgaberget. That specific story has, in turn, resulted in the classical folk song “Hårgalåten” which has been recorded by numerous artists including In Flames (and Norrsköld of course). 

6. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name “Norrskold”?

It’s basically a word play based on my origin (Norrland i.e. the upper half of the country) and Sköld (“shield”) which is one of my family names. So the name is originally spelled with the letter “ö”, commonly used in the Swedish language.

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

We decided to once again collaborate with the legendary artwork designer Niklas Sundin (ex. Dark Tranquillity) at Cabin Fever Media. Niklas has helped us out with most of our previous artworks, and for a good reason. He has this very unique ability to understand and capture the atmosphere of the songs in one single image. The actual artwork is representing sort of a last monument of mankind in the desolated future space that our world resulted in. 

8. What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

It´s hard to pick a single one. There´s a very special atmosphere when playing in a small club with close (or none) distance to the audience. If one would ask the other members I guess most would answer the final gig we had in Moscow on the 2017 tour together with Amon Amarth. An epic gig for sure. My neck hurts just by the memory of this. 

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

All focus has been on recording and releasing our upcoming album Prisma Aeternus. With this album released, future live gigs would definitely not be impossible. 

10. The new album is going to be self released but your have been a part of a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

There are pros and cons cooperating with a label of course, but we are most certainly interested in future cooperation with labels if the chemistry is right. 

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

The general impression is that fans really appreciate that we have taken the really good elements of black metal and melodic metal and mixed this up to our own unique soundscape. One of the more common references we get is that we often sound like a “modern Dissection”, which is very close to where we want to be. There are a lot of people out there that really mourn that raw, yet melodic metal music seems to have had its glory days in the 90´s/early 00´s. We want to be a leading example that this kind of music still is relevant. 

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?

As was mentioned previously, the band has been through some line up changes during recent years. As for the current members/session members of the band, most have other projects parallel to Norrsköld. Our bassist (Eric) is heavily involved in a Stockholm based band called Needle Grey. Second guitarist Gustaf is in a really up and coming band called Seventh Crystal. Adam, our singer, is mainly working with music at the record label Rexius Records and also sings/scream in a band called A dead tree doesn’t talk. Myself, I have several parallel projects going on. One of them is being one of the songwriters for a band called Symphony of Sweden. 

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

The major goal is to constantly improve ourselves in songwriting. Since we have a ton of already written material available, another release during 2023 is definitely within our scope. If the stars align we might also be open for live shows. 

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

Alcest is a great inspiration. Also Soilwork. Ghost is another band that really inspires one to focus on the melodic aspect of metal. Personally I mostly listen to quite mellow singer/songwriter songs and instrumental soundtracks as major inspiration.

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

If you guys are looking for the ultimate mix of heavy, fast and melodic, look no further. Rest your ears on Prisma Aeternus and feel the force of multi-metal at its best. If you do like our music, it would mean the world if you would spread the word (or our social media links) ;)

Thanks for a good interview!

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Vittra/Blasphemy Blues/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Vittra  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Blasphemy  Blues"  which  will  be  released  in  November.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and   blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album,  clear  male  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Vittra  plays  a  musical  style  that  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  covers  dark  and  philosophical  themes.. 

  In  my  opinion  Vittra  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Halls  Of  Ancients"  "Feeding  Frenzy"  "Temptation"  and  "Undead".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/vittraofficial

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Ravenoir Interview

 

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

Very briefly. Since the music publisher Gothoom Productions failed to provide the necessary promotion for the second album "In the Womb of Sin" and it was also obvious that they would have nothing more to offer RAVENOIR band in the future, I decided to end my cooperation with this label. It didn't take long and mutual sympathies crossed with Black Barn Music. Under the auspices of this label, both of the current albums will be released on gatefold vinyl in early 2023. Both the debut "The Darkest Flame of Eternal Blasphemy" and the second full-length opus "In the Womb of Sin" will be available on individual LPs separately, as well as a limited edition of both albums in a classy, obscure box, limited to 100 copies. At the moment, each of us is individually absorbing the setlist for live shows. And since I personally can't stand to be idle as a composer for long, I'm already slowly working on new material for the next RAVENOIR album. However, I would like to realize this during 2024. The release of both albums in vinyl form will in a way perfectly fill the time parallel for the upcoming third album. Now the band wants to focus mainly on concert activity.

In July you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The connection between the two albums is the darkness and rawness that is woven through the various soundscapes, enhancing the dark mood of the entire album. The fusion of darkness, rawness, predation with melodic elements will always be a hallmark of RAVENOIR's work.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored on both of the albums and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Of course, the lyrics are just as important to me as the music and always accompany the atmosphere of the song. The content of the lyrics focuses on the themes of life, death, dark mysticism, Satanism and a good dose of Blasphemy. I have been primarily a music composer and producer for years. I have always had a dark feeling deeply rooted in me and I always try to use it when writing music. I have the advantage and ability to hear the final form of songs before they are finished. When I close my eyes the arrangements of all the instruments flow in my head.  I write lyrics very sporadically. Most of the time I share the writing of lyrics with my colleague, bassist Igor Hubik. 

The band was formed during the COVID19 pandemic, did that give you a lot of time to work on the musical style more since there was nothing really on back in that year?

The idea to start a new band had been growing in me for a long time, but the truth is that the coronavirus situation at the beginning of 2020 was very helpful for the creation of RAVENOIR. All the concerts we had planned with the band Root, where we worked together with bassist Igor, were cancelled or postponed. Suddenly I had a lot of free time. So I devoted it to composing material for Raven's debut. So the formation of the band, the writing of the material and the recording of the first album took place during the first wave of the Covid epidemic. Everything came about very slowly and naturally.

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

I am the author of the motif for the cover. Let's say that it is purely my personal depiction of the image of that paradise, where the main character of the cover is a kind of ethereal being, representing the goddess of pleasure, lust, sex, desire, excitement and lechery. As is known according to Christian theology, these very natural sexual urges bring man into this world through original-inherited "sin". Personally, instead of renouncing anything, I am very happy to indulge in all the pleasures that life has to offer, so "original sin" is a completely absurd thesis to me. Several artworks by an Indonesian artist, whose artistic name is Jenglot Hitam, have come to my attention. I outlined my visions to him in a few sentences and he aptly portrayed them. The author of the back cover was the very well-known Mexican artist Néstor Avalos. The collaboration with both artists went smoothly, through an exchange of a few emails. However, I would very much like to work with Néstor Avalos in the future. I absolutely admire his artwork.

So far the band has not been able to do any live shows, what can we expect musically when you are finally able to hit the live stage?

As I mentioned above, RAVENOIR now has to prepare a programme for live performances in the next few months, which will most likely take place in 2023. I am very much looking forward to it. I miss standing on stage and performing a lot right now. We will offer RAVENOIR fans a good portion of dark death metal through a cross section of both albums.

Most of the band members are veterans that have also played in other bands, do you feel extreme metal has made plenty of changes over the last couple of decades?

Personally, I hardly follow the music scene at all with a few exceptions, so it's hard to answer this question.

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

Both the first and the second RAVENOIR albums have reached a large number of metal followers all over the world and all the criticism on this work has been and so far is more than favorable and I am duly proud of both albums. The interest in RAVENOIR is gradually growing and this is my motivation as well as my greatest satisfaction.

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

My favourite bands for many years are Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Bathory and Slayer. From other genres I really like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails or David Bowie.

Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?

In the lyrical themes, definitely yes. Satanic philosophy is very close to me personally.

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

Thank you for your kindness and also your time. Have a great time everyone and keep an eye out for more Ravenoir´s exploits.

www.gothoomproductions.com/ravenoir
www.facebook.com/RavenoirOfficial

Heron/Empires Of Ash/Sludgelord Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Heron  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Empires  of  Ash"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Sludgelord  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  mix  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  blackened  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  on  a  couple  of  tracks  they  also  show  an  influence  of  post  rock  while   the  synths  also  takes  the  music  into  a  more  atmospheric  direction  when  they  are  utilized.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  along  with  the  riffing  also  having  its  repetitive  moments  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  slower  musical  direction  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  added  on  the  closing  song.

  On  this  recording  Heron  focuses  more  on  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  atmospheric  and  post  metal  touches.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  larger  scope  of  turbulent  emotions.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rust  And  Rot"  and  "With  Dead  Eyes".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Mind Erasure/Connive/Soman Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Mind  Erasure  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Connive"  which  was  released  by  Soman  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes,  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  while  percussion's  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  having  their  atmospheric  moments.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  singing  and  choirs  as  well  as  some  female  vocals  and  whispers  also  being  utilized  briefly,  one  song  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  album.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  battles,  violence  and  schizophrenia  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mind  Eraser  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "Azrael"  "Sour  Eyes"  and  "As  First  Light  never  Comes  Part  III:  Life's  Epilogue".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/OaIZpH1GLU8

https://www.facebook.com/MindErasure/

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https://www.youtube.com/c/MindErasure

https://minderasure.bandcamp.com/album/connive

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0pEpN1fdyWU1lOs1okfi8A

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/mind-erasure/976409168