72 Legions/What A God Could Be/2023 EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Ohio's  72  Legions  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  brutal  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2023  and  called  "What  A  God  Could  Be".

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilzied  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  brutal  sounding  while  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  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era,  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly.  

  On  this  recording  72  Legions  goes  for  more  of  a  modern,  brutal  and  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Anti  Religion  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  72  Legions  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Darker  And  Darker"  and  "What  A  God  Could  Be".  8 out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/72legionsband 

  

Aneon/The Chaos Of Your Wake/2023 Full length Review

 

  Aneon  are  a  solo  project  form  Texas  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2023  album  "The  Chaos  of  Your  Mind".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  death  metal.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  the  Swedish  style.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

   Keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  modern  and  old  school  influences.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aneon  are  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  "Awaken"  "Fragments  Of  Immortality"  and  "To  Depravity  i  Succumb".  8  out  of  10.

  

https://twitter.com/aneonmusic

https://open.spotify.com/artist/26rEJBE5vxF9mrYWV5OzxM

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/aneon/654962520

https://aneon.bandcamp.com/album/the-chaos-of-your-wake    

Blood Of The Wolf/IV: The Declaration Of War Eternal/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Blood  Of  The  Wolf  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic,  brutal  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "IV:  The  Declaration  of  War  Eternal"  which  was  released  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction.

  On  this  recording  Blood  Of  The  Wolf  takes  their  blackened  style  of  death  metal  into  a  more  brutal  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  War  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Blood  of  The  Wolf  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "With  Lightning  For  Vengeance"  "The  Sword  Everlasting"  "Ritual  overkill"  and  "The  Declaration  Of  War  Eternal".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bloodofthewolf.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0i8q3A1HKGWnwaGUxJrXqN

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSwwgEP5LNxnebthhCBIQTw

https://www.facebook.com/bloodofthewolfmusic/

https://www.instagram.com/bloodofthewolf.band/

  

    

Feleth/Divine Blight/Rob Mules Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Feleth  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  Divine  Blight"  which  was  released  by  Rob  Mules  Records.

 

 Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also h as  its  technical  moments.

  Elements  of  deathcore  can  also  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  tracks  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  the  recording  also  getting  very  brutal  sounding  at  times,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  and  keyboards.

  Feleth  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  technical  death  metal  and  deathcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  politics,  human  nature  and  environmentalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Feleth  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Caretaker"  "The  Serpent"  "Deadlands"  and  "Avarice".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FelethBand

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@feleth6872
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gm0VpLO1JoQFZdnMUGwQO?si=_Id2tRrLSjGvyaFGmeO3YQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felethband/

      

 

 

72 Legions/Self Titled/2023 EP Review

 

  72  Legions  are  a  band  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  that  plays  a  brutal  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2023  ep.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences.  When t he  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction.

  72  Legions  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  brutal  and  melodic  forms  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes   them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover  the  Ars  Goetia.

  In  my  opinion  72  Legions  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  brutal  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Paradise".  8 out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/72legionsband 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4TlavEuQFHlPiB4ElR8V5d

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/72-legions/1669580353

https://www.youtube.com/@72legions

https://www.instagram.com/72legionsband/

https://www.facebook.com/72Legions/   

The Mountain King/Apostasyn/2024 Full Length Review

 

  The  Mountain  King  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death.  post  metal.  drone  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Apostasyn"  which  will be   released  in  February.

  Avant  garde  style  percussion  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  post  metal  style  melodies  and  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  being  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  Clear  female  and  male  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  harsh  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  touches  of  drone  and  ambient  also  being  utilized  at  times.

 Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  some death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized briefly.  Spoken  word  samples  are  also  added  on  one  song  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  half  of  the  album  is  also  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion  themes,

  In  my  opinion  The  Mountain  King  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  post  metal,  ambient  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Apostasyn"  and  "Axoloti  Messiah".  8  out  of  10.

  

Bandcamp

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

     

    

    

Executus 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?

(Adrian)

Having only just released our debut album ‘The Black Throne of Chaos Abandoned’, we have been focused on getting the word out there for people to listen to and enjoy the tunes. We have also started to explore new ideas for the next concept album. 

Our drummer Francis is expected to welcome his first child in April so there are exciting times for him.

 

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ form the stuff you have released in the past?

 

(Adrian)

Since the release of both our demo album ‘Empire in Ruin’ (2016) as well as our EP ‘Escape Reality’ (2017), musically we have shifted a little musically. The newly released album incorporates more rhythm driving qualities from black metal opposed to our old days of sustaining purely thrash inspired riffs. This blending of the two styles we feel really helped create the dynamics we wanted for this new concept album that otherwise, we would not have been able to achieve.

3.This was also your first release since 2017, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

(Kym)

Since our last release of our EP ‘Escape Reality’ in 2017, there has been a steady focus on writing songs for this album. Our original intention was to release another EP, however, as we continued to write music, the prospect of an album unfolded. Additionally, we have performed several local gigs to take some time off from writing, enjoy what fans in South Australia offer, and test some new tunes.

Most of the band members are fathers, so looking after family keeps them quite busy. Everyone also works in Engineering or IT full time, so it can be a challenge getting the crew together at times.

 

4.A lot of your lyrics show some inspiration from the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?

(Grant)

Lovecraftian horrors are just so well-crafted – they evoke a fantastic unknowable evil that provides a great eldritch backdrop for our style of music. This coupled with a sci-fi and fantasy bent (from the likes of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings, etc.) gives us plenty work with 😊

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

(Grant)

The songs themselves tend to work through a story around the group of space Vikings known as Executus – at the face of it. But within that the songs themselves tackle all kinds of things. In particular anxiety, depression, guilt, and the general existential dread of living on earth in 2024 with how bad everything is, with no one seemingly doing anything about it.

 

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Executus'?

(Grant)

Executus – is a boss from World of Warcraft’s first raid back in 2004. Major-domo Executus.  It’s catchy and leans into our nerd pedigree.  

 

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

(Kym)

We wanted the artwork to depict the moment Azathoth emerges from the astral gateway, which happens around track 5, for those playing along at home. We got in touch with an Aussie artist named Scotty Bates who has done work for bands like Slaughter To Prevail and Aborted, and seemed to have a healthy appreciation for sci-fi. At the time we only had a handful of songs and this was intended to be an EP, but we were so blown away by the artwork he sent us, it inspired us to make it a full album.

 

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

(Adrian)

One favourite show we played was located inside a local brewery. There was very little room so we played on the floor, allowing people to come up and headbang over our foldbacks as we played. People were falling down over equipment, headbanging, and we were right there with them. We loved that personal intimacy this provided and hopefully we can play another one in the future. Sometimes with raised stages, fans can seem distant.

So the closer you are, the better. 

 

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

(Grant)

No touring plans as yet. I mentioned before our drummer is expecting his first soon and would like to be available for that. Hopefully we can look to string a few local shows together however.

 

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

(Kym)

I mean, we wouldn’t say no to a label if they were interested. Everything we have recorded and produced to date has been self-funded.

 

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

(Adrian)

It has been absolutely amazing! There has been nothing but positivity towards this album from all around the globe.  Despite this albums’ late release on December 4, we’ve even managed to sneak into the top 10 heavy metal album listings for several YouTube channels, podcasts and radio stations. 

Seeing people enjoy our music is what we do this for, and we thank everyone for listening and hope you enjoyed it!

 

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

(Grant)

I feel musically we have honed in on a style and genre that works well for us, and enjoy writing and creating music to this. We will continue to write new songs which hopefully in the near future everyone can enjoy.

 

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?

(Adrian)

For several of the band members, Metallica has definitely provided a lot of musical influence. You can probably hear a lot of Kirk in the guitar solos. Rhythmically, bands like Sepultura, Immortal and Skeletonwitch have helped create the raw sound and energy of the riffs.

 

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

(Grant)

Thanks for reaching out for this interview – we could not be happier with the response to the album so far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxW2X7TJiT4