Magnetar Interview

 

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

Magnetar is a Blackened Heavy Metal band from Manchester, UK. The band was formed a few years ago but the album has taken a while to complete. There are elements of Heavy, Black, Death, Epic & Thrash metal all present.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that is presented on the recording?

“There Will Be No Peace In My Valley” is a mix of 80s and 90s heavy & extreme metal. The intent is to be as aggressive as the style allows, whilst retaining melody, and load a song with as many great riffs as possible. 

3.A lot of your lyrics tackle conspiracy theories and allude to the writings of George Orwell, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

The lyrics are inspired by nearly all aspects of modern life’s struggles, from personal to external. If Orwell’s “1984” is referenced then that is because morally corrupt populist politicians, and politically extreme conspiracy theorists, are currently ushering in a society that is reminiscent of that novel. There are many topics covered in the lyrics, but in an opaque and personal way that encourages the listener to transmute to their own lives. I find that holding up a mirror to the injustices of the world is often the easiest way to peel back the layers of lies that support them, that’s my approach to writing lyrics.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Magnetar'?

I’m no expert here but from what I understand, a Magnetar is a type of neutron star formed when a massive magnetic helium star collapses in a supernova explosion. A rare result of that explosion would be the birth of a magnetar - a dead star that will have a magnetic pull so strong it is capable of wreaking havoc on anything within a few million light years of it. There’s something that appealed about this thing capable of so much destruction, that is also quite beautiful if you see an artist’s impression.

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

The album artwork is by Misanthropic Art and we couldn’t be happier with the result. As the lyrics are broad in topics we focused on the title-track for the cover. These lyrics tell of warriors returning to their village after a long period away, unknowingly having brought with them an unnamed horror that attacks their lands. Obviously you could read other themes into this scene but taken literally it made for a powerful visual image. I’m a huge fan of 80s metal illustration - it’s often how I chose albums in record shops as a kid - so seeing this cover come to life was a heavy metal dream! Also the supporting artwork and layout by thewodeneye is excellent and features many hand drawn elements in the design.

6.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?

We are open to the idea in the future, but as it stands there are no plans in place. At the moment we all have too many commitments with work, other bands and life in general, but we could revisit that situation next year. I can say that the songs make for a visceral experience in the practice room, so it would be interesting to see how people react in a live setting.

7.The new album is going to be released on 'Vendetta Records', are you happy with the support the label has given you so far?

Vendetta have been tremendous since we signed. Very straight forward and honest to work with. Independent labels (or any small company) are a lot of hard work for the owner, sometimes for much less reward than they deserve, so we are hugely appreciative for the belief Vendetta has placed in the band. They’ve really stepped up in all aspects of supporting a debut album. 

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your musical by fans of extreme metal?

Only a very small circle of people have heard the album at this point. It’s all been positive.

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

There’s a lot of material already written, potentially for a couple more albums, but currently I’m exploring the incorporation of more classic metal guitar styles like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Jake E Lee into the music. Exploring more paths around harmonised leads would also be interesting. Probably more epic elements.

10.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?

Influences on Magnetar would be 80s Slayer, Sepultura, Infernal Majesty, Nuclear Assault and any extreme thrash from that time. Older proto-metal bands of the 80s such as Poison (Ger) and Bathory. Dissection, Necrophobic, Merciless and the 90s Swedish bands on No Fashion records. And Norwegian black metal, especially mid-era Immortal. Also some post 2000s black-metal from Vanum, Deus Mortem & Krieg. The phrasing of lead instruments interests me and I often listen to musicians from other genres such as jazz to freshen up the approach. If you asked the rest of the band there would be a lot of Death Metal included as well. 

Recently I’ve been listening to “Dreamkiller“ by Sumerlands, “Legend” by Vanum, “Toba” by Mayhemic (which I expect will be my ’24 AOTY), Ebony Pendant s/t, “Ruiner” by Krieg, all albums by Lykantropi, “Victims Beyond All Help” by Besieged, “Albion” by Harp, “Rites & Curses” by Morax, “Endless Skies” by Ashbury, “Place Of Torment” by Deranged, loads of mid-era Judas Priest, “Grotesque” by Foetal Juice, “Bang To Rights” by Heavy Sentence, the last two Darkthrone albums, “Silence Of The World Beyond” by A Canorous Quintet, “Exterminate” by Angelcorpse,  “War Against All” by Immortal, “Phenomenon” by UFO, Trouble s/t, “Serpents Unleashed” & “Forever Abomination” by Skeletonwitch, “Unbound” by Merciless, “Mandy” & “Trapped”  by Johann Johannsson, Julian Lage, and those Cavalera re-releases have been a massive treat with perfect production - how often does re-visiting old recordings go wrong - not the case here.  -DW

https://www.instagram.com/magnetar_band/
https://magnetar666.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/magnetar666

Warlust/Sol Invictvs In Vmbrae Satanae/Dying Victims Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Warlust  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Sol  Invictvs  In  Vmbrae  Satanae"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Dying  Victims  Productions.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  angry  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and t he  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  One  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  whisper  and  as  the  album  progresses  clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Mythology,  War,  Devastation  and  Torture  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Warlust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent  Crown"  "Forgotten  Cult  Of  Chronos"  and  "Black  SOuls".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kgI6bpDVfc

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/sol-invictvs-in-vmbrae-satanae    

Magnetar/There Will Be No Peace In My Valley/Vendetta Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Magnetar  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "There  Will  Be  No  peace  In  My  Valley"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Vendetta  Records.

 Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  thrash  metal  direction  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  death  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  When the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing,  classical  guitars  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals.

  The  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  conspiracy  theory  themes, a  society  reminiscent  of  George  Orwell's  "1984"  and  anti  religion  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Magnetar  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "SCUM"  "There  Will  Be  No  Peace  In  My  Valley"  and  "Adorned  In  Flame".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.instagram.com/magnetar_band/

https://magnetar666.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/magnetar666   

Hand Of Omega/The End Of The Beginning/Cursed Monk Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Hand  Of  Omega  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "The  End  Of  The  Beginning"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Cursed  Monk  Records.

  Harsh  noises  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  are  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  shouts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  harsh  noises  also  make  a  return  as  the  album  progresses,  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  environment  and  society  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Hand  Of  Omega  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Survival  Of  The  Shittest"  and  "Amazon  Burning".  8  out  of  10.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmV6x_IyKQE

https://cursedmonk.bandcamp.com/album/the-end-of-the-beginning

Inverted Ascension Interview

 

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

We are 5 musicians who love an abhorrently unhealthy dose of extreme ear shattering black hearty metal served up constantly.

2.In July you had released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical styles that you went for on the recording?

I guess we weren't really going for any particular style on Descension. It is a very heavy yet very melodic sound. It is the result of all our musical tastes combined. "Melodic Deathened Black Metal" is what we call it haha

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

Descension is essentially a concept album, dualistic in nature. It is two stories woven together. One story is about a man's fall from grace, the other story is about a witch's fall from malevolence, both resulting in the darkness of the void entering the physical world and the chaos that follows.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Inverted Ascension'/

In the same sense as one attains spiritual enlightenment and ascends into higher realms of the light, it is an inversion of this ascension into the higher realms of darkness. Better to reign in hell, as they say.        "Inverted Ascension"

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

The album cover represents a part of the story behind the lyrics. It is the descension of the witch after her fall from malevolence, as is represented by the image of a ghostly woman falling into the void (with a lot of cool looking eerie shit around it)

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

We are a relatively new band with only a handful of shows, our performance has been described as "brutal"

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

Yeah, the plan is to take it as it comes. We are more focussed on the next release at this stage.

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

Yeah, that's the goal, we have received a little interest, but we are hoping to pique the interest of a label that is more specific to our genre.

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

So far we have received very positive feedback from fans of both genres around the world

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

We will continue to write what we feel and let the muse guide us where it will.

11.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?

Our band influences vary greatly from thrash to classical to black metal to ambient chillout. the list goes on, i think the vast majority of stuff we listen to on a daily basis is black metal, lot of 90s, lot of blackened thrash and a lot of new wave.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Yeah i'd say so, we draw upon a lot of occultic influences to add to the storytelling of the Descension album.  There's definitely a fascination with the occult, satanism, mysticism, medieval era witchcraft and knighthood, all that shit.

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

Only to thank you guys for the opportunity to share our thoughts. Hailz from Australia my friends

invertedascension.bandcamp.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/iasix6six
Instagram
www.instagram.com/invertedascension
YouTube
www.YouTube.com/@InvertedAscension
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/6NORxzDvyARlzegUogL0Jq?si=y45aU7POTjaknqM2jkXjUQ

Inverted Ascension/Descension/2024 Full Length Review

 

   Inverted  Ascension  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Descension".

  Wind  sounds  and  orchestration  starts  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Inverted  Ascension  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  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Inverted  Ascension  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.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thine  Greatest  Enemy  Mine"  and  "Behold  The  Spectre  of  War...".  8  out  of  10.

  invertedascension.bandcamp.com

Facebook
www.facebook.com/iasix6six
Instagram
www.instagram.com/invertedascension
YouTube
www.YouTube.com/@InvertedAscension
Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/6NORxzDvyARlzegUogL0Jq?si=y45aU7POTjaknqM2jkXjUQ      

NightWraith/Divergence/2024 Full Length Review

 

   NightWraith  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Divergence"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Clear  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Pedal  steel  guitars,  baritone  saxophones,  and  flutes  are  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Pink  Floyd's  "Us  And  Them".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  heart  of  being  human.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  NightWraith  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Perpetual  Night"  "Fallen  Kings  And  Queens"  and  "Us  And  Them".  8  out  of  10.

   Nightwraithband.com | Facebook.com/nightwraithband | Instagram.com/nightwraithband | Youtube.com/@nightwraithband5142 | Twitter.com/nightwraithband​