Gates Of Mourning/Ruination/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Gates  Of  Mourning  are  a  solo  project  from  Florida  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2023  album  "Ruination"  which  will b e  released  in  February.

  Dark,  heavy  and  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  90's  era  Swedish  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  classical  guitars  and  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  instrumental. 

  Gates  Of  Mourning  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  Swedish  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  medieval  and  sorrow  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gates  of  Mourning  is  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Silver  Strands  of  Winter's  Graze"  "When  Grave  Worms  beckon  A  New  Reign"  and  "A  Dagger  Bejeweled  Strikes  The  Very  heart  Of  the  Righteous".  8  out  of  10.

  Bandcamp: 

Gates of Mourning (bandcamp.com)

Metal Archives:

Gates of Mourning - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives (metal-archives.com)

Spotify:

Spotify – Gates of Mourning

Instagram:

𝕲𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝕸𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌 (@gatesofmourning) • Instagram photos and videos    

Nerumia/Fatal Delirium/Sadist Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Nerumia  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  emtal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Fatal  Delirium"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Sadist  Records.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.

 Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of the  faster  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections along  with  a  couple  of  songs also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  the  songs  also  ad d in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Nerumia  plays  a  musical  style   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  cover  social hypocrisy,  history  nd  philosophy  of  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nerumia  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of b lack  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Apocalyptic  Blast"  "Un  jour  viendra"  "Fallen  In  A  Dead  pass"  and  "Painful  Obscurity".  8  out  of  10.

      https://nerumia.bandcamp.com/album/fatal-delirium

https://www.nerumia.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063719281797

Tyrmfar/Dialectic Of Ego And The Unconscious/MTAF Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Tyrmfar  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Dialectic  of  Ego  And  The  Unconscious"  which  was  released  by  MTAF  Records.

  A   very  epic  sounding  keyboard  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams. 

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  A  lot  of t he  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  style  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  one  song  is  also  an  instrumental. 

  On  this  recording  Tyrmfar  remains  true  to  the  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  that  they  had  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Tyrmfar  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Supreme  Justice"  "Inner  Destruction"  and  "The  Altar  of  The  Damned".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/tyrmfar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNeKaJHQQYk

Self-Deceiver Interview

 

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

The album was mostly recorded in 2021 and then we took our time until we have the final mix and released in December of 2022, so, since the finish of the recording session we keep rehearsing and started writing some new material, now, since the release of the album, we have been promoting it and getting in touch with people around the world, also we keep rehearsing in order to start playing live shows this year and making some plans for the future (music videos, new songs, merchandising, finding a record label or some distribution, etc). 

2. In December you had released a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Across The Styx is the result of mixing our musical tastes and our abilities as musicians. We listen to almost all the metal genres and also like bands like Pink Floyd and Deep purple. However, we never planned to play a certain genre or style, we just started jamming and writing, then what came up was some kind of melodic death metal with some stuff from other genres.

3. The band has been around since 2012 but waited until 2022 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?

Across The Styx is the result of many years of on and off activity as a band and time we also used to grow as musicians. At some point we were in different countries. In 2017 we started rehearsing seriously again, looked at all the songs we had and made some changes, and then some new material was written. The long wait is also due to the time we spent producing, making arrangements, recording and mixing the album due to busy schedules and money factors too. However, right now with the response the album has had and the inertia we have, for sure the next material won't take that long.

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

The main topic for our lyrics in this first record is human existence and its meaning, but we also write about violence, the pursuit of glory, war, deceit and the hypocrisy of religions.

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

The concept behind the cover is to show the river Styx that separates the world of the living from the dead. It is known as the river of hate because the beings submerged in it are constantly attacking each other and also everyone who falls into it. For us is a metaphor about people's leaders, who manage to manipulate the masses to hate, attack, and kill one to another while they are pursuing personal goals. So when these leaders die, they will lose their disguises and face all the hate they spread, maybe falling into the Styx.

6. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

At this point it is difficult to get bandmates since We've been just a two piece band for a long time. If we manage to stay true to the sound of the album live, We don't think it will be necessary to search for a third member. We have considered the possibility of integrating a bass player but maybe just for live shows.

7. Originally the band was from Brazil but have re-located to Colombia, can you tell us a little bit more about the mover?

We did our postgraduate studies at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. We both have a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering. We studied and also worked for some years designing integrated circuits (chips) for Brazilian companies. After a while Sergio moved to Buenos Aires Argentina with his girlfriend (at the time) and Jorge continued in Brazil until 2016 were both met again in Bogotá Colombia and resumed the band.

8. Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Yes of course, we are interested in a record deal and recently we have submitted our material to some companies. At the moment we have received a proposal for a label that is being created in Finland. 

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

We are amazed by the amount of feedback from people around the world, we have seen the comments on the YouTube channels of people who have shared our album and we are quite surprised with the response. Since the first of December that we released the album on platforms, people noticed it and have contacted us. We did not expect such a response since we do not have the support and promotion of a record label, and because, you know, we are proud of our album but you don't know if others are going to like it, especially if you are an emerging band.

10. What is going on with 'In Veins' these days?

Once we released Across The Styx with Self-Deceiver in December, Sergio went to the studio and recorded the drums for what will be the second EP from In Veins due in the first half of 2023. We hope to put out an EP with 3 or 4 songs and reactivate the band and restart playing live. We have some other songs written but it's been a bit difficult for the 4 of us to work together and polish them due to job schedules.

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

At the moment, the couple of songs we have been working on have a Black Metal vibe, but we don't plan what direction to take for a record as a whole, each song will drive us. We just want to do what sounds great to us and not to what others expect.

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

Recently we have been listening to a lot of Melodic Death metal and Black metal, bands like Insomnium, Be’lakor, Gaerea, Behemoth, The Halo Effect, Mgła, Mistur, Windir, Vreid, Enslaved, Emperor, Groza and Borknagar among many others.

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

First of all thanks to ADIFFERENTSHADEOFBLACKMETALZINE for the interview and the interest in Self-Deceiver. Second of all thanks to the readers of this article and the people who have listened to Across The Styx. Finally, we hope to start playing live soon and put some new material out, stay tuned and cheers from Colombia!

https://self-deceiver.bandcamp.com/

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https://www.instagram.com/self_deceiver_official/
https://www.facebook.com/Self.Deceiver/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTseRbncL8T8XwfwSPkahQg

Hiverlucide/Satan Death Whale/Fiadh Productions/Vita Detestabilis Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Hiverlucide  are  a  duo  from  France  that  consists  of  members  from  Non  Serviam  and  plays  a mixture  of  black  metal,  industrial  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Satan  Death  Whale"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Fiadh  Productions  and  Vita  Detestabilis  Records.

  Ambient  style  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  and  power  electronics  a  few  seconds  later.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  power  electronics,  loops  and  harsh  noises,  whale  chants  and  field  recordings  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Guitar  amp  sounds  and  heavy  riffing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  and  death  industrial   elements  along  with  each  song  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Hiverlucide  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  harsh  noise,  death  industrial,  ambient,  drone  and  experimental  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Hiverlucide  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  industrial  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Satan".  8  out  of  10.

  Hiverlucide    

Burden/MMXXII/Fiadh Productions/2023 EP Review

 

  Burden  are  a  band  from  Connecticut  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  ep  "MMXXII"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Fiadh  Productions.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Synths  can  also b e  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well a s  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  elements  of  folk  music  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clear  pagan  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Burden  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  mixes  it  with  folk  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Ukrainian  and  cover  funerals,  nature  and  winter  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Burden  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Regino  de  la  Nokto".  8  out  of  10.

  Burden  

      

The Canyon Observer/Figura/Vox Project/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Slovenia's  The  Canyon  Observer  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  drone,  harsh  noise,  free  jazz,  mathcore  and  contemporary  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Figura" which  was  released  by  Vox  Project.  

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  shows  an  influence  of  free  jazz.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts,   saxophones  and  cellos  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs.

  Element s of  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  can  be  heard  in  5the  slower  and  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  At  time s the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  the  riffs  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  one  song  also  introduces  black  metal  screams  and  growls  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Harsh noises  and  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Canyon  Observer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  f  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  drone,  harsh  noise,  free  jazz,  mathcore  and  contemporary  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Koza"  and  "Kriz".  8  out  of  10.

  https://music.voxproject.fr/album/figura