Thursday, November 23, 2023

From North/Raven Banner/At Dawn Records/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Sweden's  From  North  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  melodic  mixture  of  folk,  viking  and  death  metal  and  this  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Raven  Banner"  which  will  be  released  on  November  24th  by  At  Dawn  Records.


  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  elements  of  viking  metal.  Clean  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  aggressive  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  as  well a s  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  touches  of  folk  music  are  also  added  into  certain sections.


  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  influences  from  the  more  melodic  side  of  death  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.


  Some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  back  up  shouts  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  synths,  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  From  North  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk,  viking  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Raven  Banner"  "The  Queen"  "Rune  Stones"  and  "Winter  Blot".  8  out  of  10.


  Website:https://www.fromnorth.se

Bandcamp:https://atdawnrecords. bandcamp.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ fromnorthsweden
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/ channel/UC_ QcGv1QS5NPE3ryqpENgTQ
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/ artist/3uHD6BHJ6mC0HKzHCi77wV? si=eQp6JAovTouA1f2RUfW9Ng


  


    

Swansong/Awakening/Noble Demon/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Swansong  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  death  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Awakening"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Noble  Demon.


  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  80's  and  90's  traditional  metal  influences.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  A  lot  of  the  music  also  brings  in  a  more  modern  day  aggression  along  with  the  clean  sections  also  bringing  in  elements  of  folk  music  when  they  are introduced  onto  the  recording  and  most  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  


 Swansong  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  folk,  melodic,  black, death  and  heavy  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death,  nature  and  witchcraft  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Swansong  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black,  death  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burning  Flames"  "Frost  Of  Winter"  "Awakening"  and  "Fury  Of  The  Witch".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Swansong/3540502242 


  


    

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

I Helvete/Yksi Yhteinen Yhteiskunta/Inverse Records/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Finland's  I  Helvete  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  blackened  death  metal  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Yksi Yhteinen  Yhteiskunta"  which  will  be  released  on  November  24th  by  Inverse  Records.  


  Tragic  sounding  piano's  and  keyboards  start  off  the  alum  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  mandolin's,  violin's  and  accordion's  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.


 One  song  also  introduces female  vocals  onto  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  society  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  I  Helvete  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "KKK"  "Paratiisi"  and  "V  niin  kuin  vallankumous".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.yksiyhteinenyhteiskunta.fi

https://www.ihelvete.com
https://www.facebook.com/iHelveteband
https://www.instagram.com/i_helvete 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEs1W3FVRH2ujQJtXImolyg
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1hqfWpaEEb9wI4HqLvCEoc

https://ihelvete.bandcamp.com 

https://youtu.be/o-C483P6gkU

https://youtu.be/1t0TIi2RAgQ 

PreEmptive Strike 0.1/Defence Readiness/Infacted Recordings/2023 Full length Review

 


  Greece's  PreEmptive  Strike  0.1  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  moving  away  from  the  black  metal  elements  of  previous  releases  and  going  back  to  more  of  a  harsh  electro-industrial  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Defence  Readiness"  which  was  released  by  Infacted  Recordings.


  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  industrial  style  beats.  A  lot  of  the  music  brings  back  some  of  the  80's  90's  era  era  Wax  Trax  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  harsh  sounding  screams  a nd  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  


  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  programmed  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  synth  pop  and  edm.  Samples  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  sci-fi orientated  atmosphere  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Manowar's  "Thor  The  powerhead".


  On  this  recording  PreEmptive  Strike 0.1  focuses  more  on  a  harsh  electro-industrial  sound  and  moves  way  from  the  metal  elements  of  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  violence,  war   and  philosophical  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  PreEmptive  Strike  0.1  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  harsh  electro-industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ressurective  Hunger"  "The  Base  Was  Overrun"  "State  Of  War"  adn  "Stellar  Castaway".  8  out  of  10.


  https://bfan.link/defence-readiness-condition-1

https://music.apple.com/de/album/defence-readiness-condition-1/1708604090           

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Ūkanose/Šiaurum V​ė​jum/Art Of The Night Productions/2023 Full Length Review

 


   Ūkanose  are  a  band  from  Lithuania  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album "Šiaurum  V​ė​jum"  which  was  released  by  Art  Of  The  Night  Productions.


  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  flutes  and  folk  music  elements.  Clear  pagan  male  and  female  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of t he  songs  also  adding  in a  decent  amount  of  blast beats  and  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking.


  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Back  up  shouts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also   being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  most  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  mid  tempo  direction.


   Ūkanose  plays  a  style  of  pagan  folk  metal  that  is  very  melodic  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  some  touches  of  black  metal  without  having  to  revert  to  the  use  of  harsh  vocals.  The  production  sounds  very  profesisonal  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Lithuanian  and  cover  folklore  themes.


  In  my  opinion   Ūkanose  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ten  už  marių"  "Iš  prūsų  žemės"  "Samagonas "  and  "Plėšikėliai ".  8  out  of  10.


  https://ukanose.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Ukanose/
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/6XLkLWpBGa5M7KSPuvqjIu
https://www.youtube.com/user/ukanose


    

Hortus Animae/Waltzing Mephisto/Symbol Of Domination Productions/Black Heavens Music/2023 Album Re-issue Review

 


  Hortus  Animae  are  a  band  from Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  progressive  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2003  album  "Waltzing  Mephisto"  which  was  re-leased  in  2023  as  a  joint  effort  between  Symbol  of  Domination  Productions  and  Black  heavens  Music  and  consists  of  the "Godless  Years"  live  album  as  bonus  tracks.


  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  keyboards  add  in  a  lot  of  symphonic  touches.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era  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  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  Acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  Spoken  word  parts  and  growls  are  also  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  one  song  also introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  album,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.


  The  album  also  adds  in  some  Mayhem,  Cradle  of  Filth,  Mike  Oldfield,  Norma Tanega, Jethro Tull and Slayer covers  which  all  sound  different  from  the  original  versions.  Whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  keyboards  also  going  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  direction  at  times,  one  song  is  an  instrumental  and  a  lot  of  the  bonus  tracks  where  recorded  live. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Anti  Religion,  Surrealism,  Death  and  Sadness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hortus  Animae  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Springtime  Deaths"  "Welcome  The  Godless"  "Chamber  Od  Endless  Nightmares"  and  "The  bless  of  Eternal  bleeding".  6  out  of  10.


  https://symbolofdomination.bandcamp.com/album/sodp158-hortus-animae-waltzing-mephisto-20th-anniversary-re-release-2023        

Monday, November 6, 2023

Nekromantas Interview

 

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

Nekromantas Started in 2021 by the shared idea with the singer Lord Malygris to create a Symphonic Black Metal Project since we both like the genre.


2.So far you have released one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We choice this black metal genre essentially for two reason:

a) our common wish to play Symphonic Black Metal;

b) To put in place a project enriched by thoughtful arrangements.


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

Our lyrical topics belong to horror fantasy, Lovecraftian tales revised in personal key, evil and darkness.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nekromantas'

The Origin of "Nekromantas" name is tied to Antonio La Camera Knowledge of old school horror movies, Nekromantik, a Masterpiece of German cinema, and Mantas, a tribute to the first name of Death and storic Venom guitarist.


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

The full length cover was created by Giorgia Minisi, our friend that helps us to manage band communications and support too, under Antonio’s Indications she performed the album cover.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Nekromantas performance wants to be an experience, a particular moment that lets you deep dive yourself in its horror fantasy world, with gloomy atmospheres and some mystic effects.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Unfortunately not at the moment


8.On the new album you also did  a 'Noenum' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

We chose Cult of the Black Sun in relation to our shared musical taste, we know that it is a raw black metal song, so we arranged and made it cleaner and shorter than the original, with the intent to make it more catchy.


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

If some label is really interested to produce and promote us taking in consideration the conditions, it could be pleasant.


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

We received positive feeds from Poland, Mexico and some European countries, actually the project is still new and underground, the world is full of emerging bands, we hope to increase fans' interest.


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

We are working on our second full length, always Symphonic Black but with more clean vocals, to alternate more voices and keyboards arrangements.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There is more than one band that we get the inspiration from, first of all Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Limbonic art, Emperor that played an important role in choirs, keyboards and arrangements too, and many others.


13.Does occultism play any role in your music ?

We consider occultism only in its fictional meaning, our music isn't a reflex of our beliefs, undoubtedly occultism in fantasy could be represented as a cool element of lyrical themes.


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

Yes absolutely, today is very difficult to play this metal sub genre, especially to some stupid ideas and limits about playing, we see this as one of the weak points of metal, namely the artifices, for example, in my opinion to increase the quality of music experience, metal could embrace more technical arrangements like drum machine or sequencer, in this way many artist or/and one man bands could play their projects live, and then you can see a very interesting world of new music opportunities.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Nekromantas Started in 2021 by the shared idea with the singer Lord Malygris to create a Symphonic Black Metal Project since we both like the genre.

2.So far you have released one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
We choice this black metal genre essentially for two reason:
a) our common wish to play Symphonic Black Metal;
b) To put in place a project enriched by thoughtful arrangements.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
Our lyrical topics belong to horror fantasy, Lovecraftian tales revised in personal key, evil and darkness.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nekromantas'
The Origin of "Nekromantas" name is tied to Antonio La Camera Knowledge of old school horror movies, Nekromantik, a Masterpiece of German cinema, and Mantas, a tribute to the first name of Death and storic Venom guitarist.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The full length cover was created by Giorgia Minisi, our friend that helps us to manage band communications and support too, under Antonio’s Indications she performed the album cover.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Nekromantas performance wants to be an experience, a particular moment that lets you deep dive yourself in its horror fantasy world, with gloomy atmospheres and some mystic effects.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Unfortunately not at the moment

8.On the new album you also did  a 'Noenum' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
We chose Cult of the Black Sun in relation to our shared musical taste, we know that it is a raw black metal song, so we arranged and made it cleaner and shorter than the original, with the intent to make it more catchy.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
If some label is really interested to produce and promote us taking in consideration the conditions, it could be pleasant.

10.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
We received positive feeds from Poland, Mexico and some European countries, actually the project is still new and underground, the world is full of emerging bands, we hope to increase fans' interest.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are working on our second full length, always Symphonic Black but with more clean vocals, to alternate more voices and keyboards arrangements.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
There is more than one band that we get the inspiration from, first of all Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, Limbonic art, Emperor that played an important role in choirs, keyboards and arrangements too, and many others.

13.Does occultism play any role in your music ?
We consider occultism only in its fictional meaning, our music isn't a reflex of our beliefs, undoubtedly occultism in fantasy could be represented as a cool element of lyrical themes.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Yes absolutely, today is very difficult to play this metal sub genre, especially to some stupid ideas and limits about playing, we see this as one of the weak points of metal, namely the artifices, for example, in my opinion to increase the quality of music experience, metal could embrace more technical arrangements like drum machine or sequencer, in this way many artist or/and one man bands could play their projects live, and then you can see a very interesting world of new music opportunities.