Riitasointu/Pedon Leikki/Naturmacht Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Riitasointu  are  a  duo  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Pedon  Leikki"  which  will b e  released  in  March  by  Naturmacht  Productions.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  folk  music  elements  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.

   When  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  most  of  the  album  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.,  the  closing  track  is  also  an  instrumental  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  tales  from  the  Tavastia  region  and  the  writings  of  Aleksis  Kiva.

  I{n  my  opinion  Riitasointu  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "1050"  "Pedon  Leikki"  and  "Impivaara".  8 out  of  10.

  https://riitasointu.bandcamp.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/riitasointu.official/

 https://www.instagram.com/riitasointu.official/

  

Hierophant/Gateway To The Abyss/Dusktone Records/2024 Full length Review

 

  Hierophant  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  playing  more  of  a  mixture  of  blackened  death  and  sludge  metal  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  blackened  death  metal  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Gateway  To  The  Abyss"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Dusktone  Records.

   A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  brutal  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard  and  melodies  are  also added  into  some  of the  riffing.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  90's  style  along  with  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  dark  soundscapes  and  most  of t he  album  focuses  on  a  brutal  direction,  all  of the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  last  couple  of  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.   

  On  this  recording  Hierophant  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  brutal  and  aggressive  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Anti  Religion  and  Misanthropy  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hierophant  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seeds  Of  Vengeance"  and  "Nemesis  of  thy  Mortals".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/HIEROPHANTKVLT

https://www.instagram.com/hierophantofficial/

https://hierophant.bandcamp.com/ 

Veriteras Interview

 

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

(Santtu) Well, there’s a ton of work to put out an album after things are recorded. We tracked guitars in the Spring of 2023, drums and vocals in July, and then mixed and mastered from August through November. After that we sent the album out to a bunch of labels but we decided to self-release (more on that in the question below). In parallel we were working on the album artwork, doing tryouts for a new bassist (and we also considered adding a keyboardist but decided not to), and organizing our Pacific Northwest US tour with Finnish band Event Relentless. We’ve been super busy! 

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

(Santtu) We’ll release two singles in March, and the full album will be released in April. The Dark Horizon really leans in on our old school melodic death metal roots, and as a result has a more blackened melodic death metal sound compared to our previous release, Shadow of Death. There's more tremelo picking, more blast beats, but still holding on to a very melodic core. We're very happy with how the album ended up, and we grew a ton through the process. The song writing is more mature, the lyrics are stronger because Sean wrote them all instead of me, the musicianship is better, and the mix is fantastic. We're all super excited to be sharing this album with the world, and hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

(Sean) The primary lyrical theme on this album is the tension between hope and hopelessness as felt through the human experience: war, politics, creation, destruction, faith, and doubt. The lyrics are reflections on these contrasts, zooming in on personal conflict, and zooming out on civilizational conflict. The backdrop for all of this is the vastness of the universe and how it evokes a sense of existential dread or crisis; in the midst of finding meaning in our struggles, there's an incomprehensible and unknowable nature of existence beyond the horizon.

(Santtu) I think one of the ways that this album is better than our prior efforts is with the songwriting - it’s more mature and developed. As with just about everything, with more practice and experience we get better at things. Having put out 2 EPs and a full length album we’ve learned a lot about songwriting, and are able to apply lessons learned and new techniques. But even so, the core of our songwriting remains - very melodic riffs in a framework of death metal.

(Jason) Adding to Santtu's comments about songwriting, I think we've grown quite a bit simply in becoming more aware and responsive to what each other needs musically. Like for me, I feel that I have a better awareness of what the guys need from a structural standpoint. For example, how I might make a transition easier to follow or when to keep a part locked in vs. when I can open up and experiment with different drum parts that may add some variety to a song. Though I'm sure this is probably a common experience with any band that grows together, it certainly is a factor in our case.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name "Veriteras"?

(Santtu) It’s the combination of the Finnish words “veri”, which means “blood”, and “teräs”, which means “steel”. “Blood steel” would be the literal translation, although we picked that as a name because it harkens to our Scandinavian musical roots (plus Santtu is Finnish) and we thought it sounded cool. My cousin in Finland pointed out that he interpreted the name as being translated to be “bloody blade”, which is kind of cool. Maybe we should rename ourselves to be Battle Sword.

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

(Sean) The core concept of the artwork is found in the lyrics of "Celestial Darkness," which explores hope and despair when thinking about the cosmos and our place in it. I envisioned and started with a sketch of a mysterious nebula that gives life to new creation on other worlds. To me, it evokes the wonder of what other consciousness exists in the universe, and whether they look to the skies and ask themselves the same profound questions about the nature of existence. In many ways, this is a general theme across the album and the other lyrics. 

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

(Santtu) One in particular stands out for me, which was playing at Varjobaari in Tampere, Finland during our tour in FInland in 2022. It was the last show of our tour, and a lot of people turned out for it. It just felt like we were in sync with the crowd, feeding off each other’s energy. One of the other bands we were touring with, Hagalas, was selling buckets at their merch table. We came to learn that when a new grocery store opens they give out buckets. People apparently show up early to wait in line, sort of like Black Friday in the US. So they applied the concept as merch for their band. Maybe we should try that too!

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

(Santtu) Indeed we do! We’ll be hitting the road a week after the album is released in the Pacific Northwest corner of the US. We’ll be joined by Finnish metal band Event Relentless for the tour, and we’re super excited to play a bunch of cities we’ve never been to before. The tour is funded in part through the generosity of the Finlandia Foundation, who provided a grant to help make the tour a reality. We’ll be playing Bellingham, Bremerton, Spokane, Richland, Boise, Bend, Portland, Olympia, and Seattle.

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

(Santtu) Yup, at the moment we’re contentedly independent. We shopped The Dark Horizon around a bit with some labels, but there was limited interest. We also realized that what we were really looking for was the PR aspect. A label would have many advantages, but we felt we could get most of the benefit by working with a PR firm. We ended up partnering with Clawhammer PR, and they are absolutely fantastic to work with. Highly recommended!

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

(Santtu) Well, keep in mind that we’re a super small amateur metal band doing this out of passion. Of the entire world of people who are melodic black or death metal fans, only a small percentage has heard our music. Of those people, an even smaller percentage has found it notable enough to respond to it. That said, we’ve been extremely humbled by the response from metal fans across the world. They’ve been tremendously supportive and encouraging, and it’s really cool to see people enjoying the music. We’ll see how folks like the new album - we had a lot of fun making it, and really like the way it sounds, hopefully others do as well (but it’s ok if they don’t…).

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

(Santtu) We’ve been super thankful for everything we’ve had the opportunity to accomplish thus far. We’re trying not to take anything for granted - who knows what the future holds. We’re certainly having a lot of fun in Veriteras, and I’m pretty sure we’ve got at least another album in us, probably more. Maybe add a bit more dashes of folk into the next album? Revisit Europe? Become a cover band that plays exclusively Veriteras songs?

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

(Santtu) For me, lately, it’s been folk metal - Grymheart, early-era Ensiferum, and Verikalpa. Also listening to a bunch of our fellow bands like Inpathos, Vesuvian, and Xoth. We’re blessed to have an awesome and vibrant local music scene - tons of bands to listen to.

(Jason) My interests have always leaned more toward straight-ahead American death metal, but some of the melodic influences of the other guys have affected my listening over the last few years as well. For example, Arch Enemy, Ensiferum, Omnium Gatherum, Lutharo, Eluveitie. Santtu mentioned folk metal and some of that's rather new to me, but I'm really enjoying what I'm hearing. Not to mention folk metal shows are different than regular death metal shows, they're some of the funnest I've ever been to.

In addition, I've been listening to Ne Obliviscaris for a while now, and I love how they integrate the violin with such heavy and pleasing melodies. Also of note is this band White Ward that I stumbled across a few months back, the first death metal band I've ever heard with a saxaphone. Maybe you could call it sexy death metal, haha. Perhaps they invented a new genre, but admittedly it's new and novel and I keep going back to it.

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

(Santtu) Thanks so much for the chance to share about our album and band!

https://veriteras.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-horizon 

Defying/Wadera/These Hands Melt/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Defying  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  ambient,  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Wadera"  which  will  be  released  on  February  23rd  by  These  Hands  Melt.

  Night  sounds,  whispers  and  spoken  words which  also  returns  on  later  songs  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  When  synths  are  utilzied  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  while  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  metal.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  direction.  

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  a  few  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  polish  horror  film  "The  Wolf(1983)"  and  the  short  story  "Wadera(1977)  written  by  Jerzy  Gieraltowski.

  In  my  opinion  Defying  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  ambient,  post  black  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tempus  Infaustum"  "The  Acquittance  Shade"  "Reluctant  To  The  Grave"  and  "Quietus".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify    

Veiled Metamorphosis/Tentacled Void Of Infinity/Dying Sun Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Veiled  Metamorphosis  are  a  duo  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  funeral  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Tentacled  Void  Of  Infinity"  which  was  released  by  Dying  Sun  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  elements  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  90's  influenced  style

     All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some influences  of  the  first  wave  era  of  black  metal  also  being    utilized  at  times  as  well  a  some  dark  soundscapes  and  synths  also  being  introduced  on  one  of  the  tracks,  a  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  the  album  progresses.  All  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  and  the  closing  track  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Veiled  Metamorphosis  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  black,  sludge,  funeral  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  horror  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Veiled  Metamorphosis  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  funeral  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demonik  Suffokation"  and  "Unspeakable  Abominations".  8  out  of  10.

  https://fantoom.bandcamp.com/album/veiled-metamorphosis-tentacled-void-of-infinity    

Grey Skies Fallen/Molded By Broken Hands/Profound Lore Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  New  York's  Grey  Skies  Fallen  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going for  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  dark,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Molded  By  Broken  Hands"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Profound  Lore  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are mostly  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  90's  era  dark  metal  influences.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  clean  sections  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  melodic  vocals  onto  the  album,  when  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  most  of  the  album  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  despair  and  bleakness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grey  Skies  Fallen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  dark,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Twisted  Place  In  Time"  "I  Can  Hear  Your  Voice"  and  "Knowing  That  You're  There".  8  out  of  10.

  https://greyskiesfallen.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/greyskiesfallen

https://www.instagram.com/greyskiesfallen

https://twitter.com/greyskiesfallen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUZMyX5suao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q964xa-1Mt4            

Veriteras/The Dark Horizon/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Veriteras  are  a  band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "The  Dark  Horizon"  which  will  be  released  in  March.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  synths  also  add  in  a  symphonic  touch  when  they  are  utilized.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Elements  of  death  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  add  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  music  also  adds  in a  lot  of  90's  era  Swedish  influences  as  well  as  remaining  modern  at  the  same  time  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  album,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Veriteras  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  band.  ECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Celestial  Darkness"  "Sanctuary"  "Blinding"  and  "Light  in  The  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

  https://veriteras.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-horizon