Eyriahrk Nunshkar/Self Titled/2024 EP Review

 

  Eyriahrk  Nunshkar  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  avant  garde,  experimental,  progressive  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2024  ep.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  clear  singing  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  elements  of  doom  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  clean  sections  also takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  At  times  the  recording  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  some  synths  also  being  utilized  on  a  couple  of  tracks.

O)one  song  also  adds  in  some  spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  as  well as  the  music   also  adding  in some  industrial,  drone  and  ritualistic  touches  and  on  the  closing  track  a  brief  use  of  fast  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English,  French  and  Maori  and  cover  the  human  psyche.     

  In  my  opinion  Eyriahrk  Nunshkar  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde,  progressive,  experimental  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Oblivious  Etymology"  and  "Taura  Hiriwa".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/3KB-bSMKwI8

https://youtu.be/k4vkwucbek4

https://www.facebook.com/EyriahrkNunshkar

https://www.instagram.com/eyriahrk.nunshkar_/

https://www.youtube.com/@EyriahrkNunshkar

https://www.youtube.com/@EyriahrkNunshkar

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ef2MXyExtaxhDqwhBvGi3

https://eyriahrknunshkar.bandcamp.com/

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/eyriahrk-nunshkar/1733739020

https://soundcloud.com/eyriahrk-nunshkar  

A.C.O.D/Versets Noirs/Hammerheart Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  France's  A.C.O.D  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Versets  Noirs"  which  will b e  released  in  April  by  Hammerheart  Records.

  Synths  and  operatic  chants  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  first  track  is  also  over  20  minutes  in  length.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  orchestration  also  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  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  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing  also  being  utilized on  a  couple  of  tracks,  throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Samael's  "Black  Trip".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Afterlife  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  A.C.O.D  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  orchestra  oriented  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Habentis  Maleficia"  and  "Black  Trip".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/acodband

https://www.instagram.com/acodband

  

Folkrim/Embers/Rockshot Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Folkrim  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Embers"  which  will b e  released  in  April  by  Rockshots  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  harsh  vocals  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Clear  vocals  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  female  vocals  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  keyboards,  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  One  song  also  introduces  spoken  words  and  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  twisted  tale  of  descent,  from  a  shipwreck  through  decaying  marshlands  to  a  grand  epic  of  destruction  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  written  in  Finnish.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Folkrim  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bottle  Of  Poison"  "Swamp  Brew"  "Raven's  Cry"  and  "Embers".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook.com/Folkrim | Instagram.com/folkrimband​

​    

Darconigan/Shattered Souls And Broken Blades/2024 EP Review

 

  Darconigan  are  a  band  from  Rye,  Colorado  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "Shattered  Souls  And  Broken  Blades".

  Melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  before  mixing  in  with  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls   along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  tremolo  picking  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style   and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Darconigan  remains  true  to  the  melodic  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  that  they  have  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  ancient  myths  and  untold  tales.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Darconigan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Carving  out  The  Spine".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/darconigan/

https://www.instagram.com/darconigan/

https://darconigan.bandcamp.com/releases

https://youtu.be/E9TOtctz7_o 

Necrophobic/In The Twilight Grey/Century Media Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Necrophobic  are  a  band  from  Sweden t hat  has  a  history  that  goes  as  bar  back  as  the  mid  60's  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "In  The  Twilight  Grey"  which  will  be  released  on  march  15th  by  Century  media  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  direction  which  also  utilizes a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  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  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing  also  returns  on  some  of  the  later  songs  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  spoken  words  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  synths  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Necrophobic  remains  true  to  the  melodic  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness  and  the  poetry  of  W.B  Yeats.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Necrophobic  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Grace  Of  The  Past"  "Storm crow"  "Cast  In  Stone"  and  "In  The  Twilight  Grey".  8 out  of  10.

  NECROPHOBIC online:

https://www.necrophobic.net/
https://www.instagram.com/necrophobic.official/
https://www.facebook.com/necrophobic.official
https://twitter.com/necrophobic_666
https://www.youtube.com/necrophobicofficial

https://shop.necrophobic.net   

Moonoises/She - The Void/These Hands Melt/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Moonoises  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  blackgaze,  post  black  and  doom  metal  with  elements  of  post  punk  and  darkwave  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "She  -  the  Void"  which  will  be  released  on  march  8th  by  These  Hands  Melt.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  Melodies  are also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  clean  sections  also  mix  in  elements  of  post  punk  and  darkwave  and  some  of  the  clear  vocals  add  in  touches  of  80's  deathrock.

  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  and  doomgaze  while  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  lot  of  post  rock  and  shoegaze  touches.  Synths  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are introduced  into  the  music.

  Some  of  the  music  also  captures  the  dark  atmosphere  of  black  metal  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  most  of  the  album  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  melancholic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Moonoises  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  blackgaze,  post  black  and  doom  metal  with  elements  of  post  punk  and  darkwave  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Beyond"  "Creepy  31"  "Cold  Grey"  and  "Mirror".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/moonoisesband

https://www.instagram.com/moonoises

https://moonoises.bandcamp.com    

Hysteria Interview

 

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

1- Hysteria is a Lyon-based Death/Black quartet formed in 1996. We have 2 EPs + 3 LPs under our belt, and we've just released our 6th misdeed titled "HERETIC, SADISTIC AND SEXUAL ECSTASY..." on Adipocères records. This new album consists of 9 tracks and apparently, according to feedback and initial reactions, it's the album of consecration. We hope that with the release of this opus, we can achieve the recognition we've always hoped for.

2.In 2024 you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

2- Hysteria's musical evolution didn't happen overnight; we've been playing together for almost 30 years now. We've been both actors and fans of extreme metal since our adolescence. The metal scene evolves, and unconsciously, I think we absorb that, we change, we're influenced by what we listen to while still maintaining and evolving our own style. That's what I think makes us unique because if you listen to our discography, you'll realize that no album is alike, but you always find the Hysteria touch. This new opus has more Black metal tones than in the past. It's a logical continuation from its predecessor.

3.This is also your first release since 2019, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

3- We had dates planned to promote our EP that was just released: "From the abyss… to the flesh," but the pandemic halted our momentum. Unlike almost all other bands, I don't think this period was particularly productive musically for Hysteria. Sure, we started composing our new album, but the process was slow. Because of the distance between us and travel restrictions during this time, I'd say we spent the little time we could see each other celebrating because we were so happy to be together again.

We're not professionals, so we don't have any pressure in that regard; it's not our job, it's a genuine passion. We don't force things; we're a group of friends above all. But at some point, you have to get back into it, and that's what we've done since then!

We also made appearances at some events because we really missed the stage. We played at MUSCADEATH again; our first appearance was over 15 years ago, and it was really great. That festival is awesome! We also played at the Mennecy Festival right in the middle of recording "Heretic...". We were able to start testing some new tracks live in the process!

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

4- The lyrics are written by myself (Xavier: drummer). It's a mixture of horrifying, sexual, unhealthy tales, fantasies, fictionalized personal experiences... A sort of psychoanalysis, an outlet allowing me to exorcise my demons by feeding off my malaise. A narrative of what this world in perdition has to offer us. I think we seek to shock through our lyrics, our visuals, and also our music. The daily censorship through these modes of thinking, these emerging ideological currents, pushes us precisely to spit out our venom! We don't have any particular message to convey... It's just a statement of fact; by reading the lyrics, I think the reader can relate to certain experiences. A line like "she who spits the Venom" speaks of a person I met who left traces and caused torment in my life.

The topics addressed in this opus may be more contemporary and may denounce more things than in the past. They're also more direct and less verbose than in the past, to facilitate the placement of the lyrics on the music.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hysteria'?

5- Nothing special! We were teenagers and looking for a name; we grabbed a dictionary and stumbled upon it! If we had to do it again, we would change it! You google "Hysteria," you come across Def Leppard's album, Muse's song and the French band Mass Hysteria! It's going to be difficult to be more renowned than these three!

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

6- We asked Seth Siro Anton who had already created 2 covers, a mutilated woman on a cross with tentacles entwining her. We also wanted him to be influenced by the title, which is quite evocative, and that's the final result! Our best cover to date! We made some great t-shirts, jackets, sweaters... in color! The merchandising, the digipack, and the vinyl are magnificent!

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

7- The best memory we have, I think, was playing with Dissection during their tour to promote "Reinkaos," the only and last one! We put on a great performance that night, and meeting Jon Nodtveidt, the legend of Swedish black metal, was an honor for us! We were all still fans of Dissection! For a little story, we had filmed our show and Dissection's, and the tour manager made us erase the tapes of Dissection's show!

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

8- We just had our release party where we played the new album in its entirety plus some bonuses. We're playing in June at the Lions Metal Fest, but fate has struck us because our lead guitarist Jérôme just had a skiing accident and has injuries that will render him unavailable for a while. Otherwise, we will probably play at a festival this summer as the opening act for a renowned band we love; we're keeping our fingers crossed for that to happen. Otherwise, the real dates will probably come in September when Jérôme is recovered

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

9- I'll respond exactly with a comment from a recent review we had! "Once the surprise has worn off, Hysteria’s stylistic shift remains very confident. From a massive Brutal Death that I described as a "steamroller" a few months ago, the band now offers us a melodious, impressive Black/Death that bewitches us in an instant."

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

10- We don't know! We'll go wherever the wind takes us! There's so much to do and so little time! We'll first digest this album and promote it as it should be! After that, in 2026, we'll be celebrating our 30th anniversary, so there will certainly be a follow-up to Heretic!

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

11- No, I don't really think so! We don't practice that kind of belief.

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

12- Thank you for these great questions! Sorry for the delay, but the album is a huge success, and there are a lot of demands to answer. To the readers, go give a listen to our latest album; apparently, it's "transcendent" according to our fans and the reviews!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIP0Amzu8k