Black Aeons/Entering The Shadows/Silent Watcher Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Black  Aeons  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Entering  The  Shadows"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Silent  Watcher  Records.

  

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  melodic  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  Swedish  style.

  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Death,  War,  Greek  Mythology  and  Nordic  History.

  

  In  my  opinion  Black  Aeons  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  "Dawn  Of  A  New  Time"  "Relentless  Fire"  "Shadows  of  A  Dying  Light"  and  "We  Are  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.

  https://blackaeons.bandcamp.com/album/entering-the-shadows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3KSz2MK4wU

Invictus/Despair/Genet Records/Bound By Modern Age/In My Heart Empire/x24x Edgewear/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Invictus  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Despair"  which  will  be  released  in  October  as a  joint  effort  between  Genet  Records.  Bound  By  Modern  Age,  In  my  Heart  Empire  and  x24x  Edgewear.

  A  very  fast  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  Gothenburg  influences  without  sounding  like  a  copy  of  that  area.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  some  of  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  tracks  also  show  an  influence  of  hardcore.

  Invictus  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  hypocrisy,  social  indifference  and  inhumanity  of  mankind. 

  In  my  opinion  Invictus  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  "Inhumane  Shells"  "Wolves"  "Despair"  and  "Screams  of  An  Enslaved  Choir".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u62FivZ_hfE

Forsaken Rite/The Forgotten West/2024 EP Review

 

  Forsaken  Rite  are  a  band  from  Edmonton,  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "The  Forgotten  West"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Folk  instruments  and  symphonic  elements  start  off  the  ep  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  while  a  lot  of  the  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  clear  style  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  medieval  atmosphere  at  times  and  most  of  the  recording  sticks  to  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  Forsaken  Rite  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk  and  symphonic  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  heaviness  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  ancient  lore  and  heroic  feats.

  In  my  opinion  Forsaken  Rite  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Forgotten  West"  and  "Call  To  War".  8  out  of  10.

   Facebook.com/ForsakenRite | Instagram.com/forsaken_rite

yric Video - https://youtu.be/o8qp-l83nAI​

Spotify - https://spoti.fi/4a3a8zS  

Misanthropia/Envy The Dead/WormHoleDeath Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Netherlands's  Misanthropia  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  moves  away  from  the  symphonic  elements  of  previous  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Envy  The  Dead"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  horror  orientated  soundtrack  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  clean  playing  and  keyboards  onto  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  faster  parts  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  fast  riffs  as  well  as  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  covering  horror,  necromancy  and  Jack  The  Ripper  and  other  historical stories.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Misanthropia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Malediction  And  Laughter"  "Maze  Of  Madness"  and  "A  Deadly  Embrace,  A  Sinister  Grace".  8  out  of  10.

  misanthropia-official.nl/web

www.facebook.com/666misanthropia
www.instagram.com/misanthropiaholland
www.youtube.com/@misanthropiaofficial4167

Spotify: MisanthropiaSpotify   

Slaughter The Giant Interview

 

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

Benny :Since the recording we took most of our time rehearsing the new songs so we can play them flawless when we release “abomination”, we did a few shows in between. In juli they asked us to did a support for the mighty “napalm death”, wich leaded to a very great show and the response was magnificent. We also played the “asgaard metal festival”, we’re we did a co-headline show with coffin feeder. September we are back in business with playing gigs and Nov 9 we will present our new album at our releaseshow!

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

Benny: I think it’s even more darker, melodic, faster and catchier than “depravity”, I think it sounds more mature as well.

3.Some of the lyrics on the new album cover 'Alien Abductions', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Benny: I always had a very big passion for horror and sci-fi movies. In depravity I did a song about zombies in “the undead”. And with “alien abduction”,… why would we be the only lifeform in the universe? Somewhere out there there is also something I think, but I’ll guess we’ll never know, who knows.

4.What ate some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with your music?

Benny: with our first EP “assylum of the damned”, most of the lyrics I wrote where about my inner demons, everyone has them and I wrote them down. With “depravity”, the lyrics are about how depraved the world is, my view on catholism, how I despise religion. Also how the world is crumbling, breaking apart, how selfish society is….

And with “abomination”, it’s more about killers, the supernatural, universe…

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Slaughter The Giant'?

Well, you can fill that in in many ways. The Giant is synonym with many things. It can be something you are handling in life, demons, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, inner self..

Everyone can fill in that part for themselves.

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

Benny: we were looking for an artist and Jeroen found Timon Kokott. An artist who first paints the artwork on a canvas. We gave him the lyrics and the music, the result was amazing, we liked it from the very first moment, Jeroen also has the canvas at his home. 

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?

Benny: Well, our best show was last year on the Alcatraz festival in Belgium, we played for 2-3000 people, a no barrier show. So from the moment we started playing people were coming on the stage to headbang with us, stagedive… we took a shitload of inflatables with us, crocodiles and stuff, people were surfing on it. The best part was when we saw a kid in a wheelchair crowdsurfing, he managed to get on stage and from that moment we became friends. For every show he has free entrance, and we see him often, but that was one of the coolest shows ever. 

Our stage performance is pretty intense, I always try to interact with the crowd, go in the crowd, because without them, there is nothing. 

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

 Benny: A few minitours are being planned, also the bigger venues are booking us, so it’s all about promoting “abomination” and playing as much as we can. We hope to do some festivals in the summer of 2025.

9.The new album is going to be released on 'At Dawn Records', how would you compare working with this label to your previous label 'Hammerheart Records'?

Benny: Hammerheart helped us gaining more fans, they are a big label and we are grateful for that. When I had my first contact with Henric (at dawn records), I had a good feeling and he has the same mindset like us! So we can say that at dawn records is a very fine label who is really there for the band, and that’s important!

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

Benny: very positive actually, the comments are very good, we see the number of fans growing every day, and that gives a good feeling.

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

Benny: you can say that we will continue making our sound as it is now, like every band we want

To grow with every record. 

And playing the bigger stages is also a thing were we are working towards to.

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?

Benny: I think the biggest influences are the black dahlia murder, dimmu borgir and necrophobic. Lately I’m listening to the new storm upon the masses and nether (they will also attend on our release show), but also listening to old rock n roll like chuck berry, Jerry Lee Lewis..

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

Yeah, to everyone who’s reading this, don’t stop

Supporting local bands and venues 🫶🏻

https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/6BfAP6ZjdxRWAxQrJYSxdt?si=wkYmaZ8oTGCsOoTVgW4L1A
https://www.facebook.com/slaughterthegiant
https://www.instagram.com/slaughterthegiant

Slaughter The Giant/Abomination/At Dawn Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Slaughter  The  Giant  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Abomination"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  At  Dawn  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  When  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  while  orchestration  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples.

  Slaughter  The  Giant  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  with  a  small  amount  of  orchestration  and  symphonic  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Alien  Abduction,  Metaphysical  and  Insanity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Slaughter  The  Giant  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abomination"  and  "Alien  Abduction".  8  out  of  10.

  tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyf4ZxGLlVk

https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/6BfAP6ZjdxRWAxQrJYSxdt?si=wkYmaZ8oTGCsOoTVgW4L1A
https://www.facebook.com/slaughterthegiant

https://www.instagram.com/slaughterthegiant  

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