Alkonost 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?

Not much time has passed yet - so far we're excited and in disbelief that it's finally happened, actively promoting it on the web, monitoring the reactions of listeners and gathering feedback.

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

On the one hand, in some sense we continue the course we took about ten years ago. On the other hand, the album is different from our previous records - we can say that it turned out to be heavier and more diverse in sound. On it you can hear both classic folk moves and alternative metal, which is not quite typical for us. Sympho, doom, leisurely rhythms and some fast ones - in general, it's a fiery cocktail.

3.The lyrics on the new album cover the various aspects of fire, can you tell us a little bit about about the songwriting that is presented on the new recording?

‘’Fire‘’ concept was the starting point, it was invented and proposed by our lyricist Mare Mirkie. First of all, each song's theme was worked out, what it is about, what it should have emotional colouring, sound, etc. After that we started to work: our guitarist Andrey Losev brought the arranged music, and then each member finalised his parts and added the final touches to the canvas. Some songs were composed by third-party composers. The lyrics were traditionally written to the arranged music.

4.A lot of your lyrics and the bands name comes from Slavic Paganism and Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

As far as paganism is concerned, we can say that we are not adherents of it, if you can catch motives consonant with it, it is only in our early songs. The themes of our songs are fantasy, fairy tales and a little bit of folklore, so mythology is closer, because all this is closely intertwined with each other. In general, we don't rely on something specific, but create our own universe with our own characters and stories.

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

The author of the cover art is artist Marina Potovichenko, whose works can also be seen on the releases of other famous russian artists. We can't say that there is any special story behind the cover art - we just thought over the variants and decided to choose this one, bright and minimalistic. By the way, the most attentive will notice that this lizard doesn't quite look like a real salamander, but that was the idea - it's primarily about a deity, a spirit of fire.

6.The band has been around since 1996, what is it that motivates you to keep going after almost 3 decades?

During this time we have changed our approach to music and band work several times to refresh our sound, and each time the result has given us confidence in our chosen path. We went through some serious crises when it seemed to be over, but we always found new incentives to continue. Also some new members gave the band a new breath. And in general, the more diverse things happen around us, the more incentive for growth and creativity.

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?

For a long time we only played at festivals, and they all seemed cool. The ones that have forever remained history are, for example, the legendary russian ‘Folk Summer Fest’. Of the modern ones - ‘Bylinnyi Bereg’, ‘Uletai’, ‘Imandra Viking Fest’. From the touring life we can remember a joint European tour with Arkona band in 2007, and also a big tour 2018-19 with the presentation of the album ‘Octagram’, when we travelled through the whole Russia from Lake Baikal, finishing in Central Europe.

As for our performances, we always try to make the show bright, dynamic and catchy - in this case we are helped by smoke, light, aggressive feeding and, of course, synchronised headbanging!

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

We are not planning any big tours. Next year, perhaps, we will play a few presentation concerts in major cities of our country - Moscow, St. Petersburg and some others.

9.The new album was self released while the band has worked with plenty of labels in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

The music industry has changed quite a lot since we were working with labels. And today, as an independent underground band, we do not see any reason to ask for support from labels again. Although, of course, everything depends on the terms and details of co-operation - we are open to suggestions.

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

We have quite a lot of fans all over the world, and if you believe the statistics of the streaming platforms, their number is constantly growing. For example, Spotify says that last year we were listened to in 137 countries. Foreign fans often write to us with words of gratitude and support, and some of them we know personally and communicate with. All in all, we like what we see. 

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

It's hard to say now, because we discuss such moments at the beginning of each album's production. The sound is also strongly influenced by the general theme of the songs and the chosen concept. So we never know where our experiments will take us next, but the signature features will certainly always be in our music!

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

Our tastes are very diverse. We listen to music ranging from electronica and 70s heavy rock to hip-hop, post-punk and extreme metal. In our headphones, ABBA can be next to Gojira, and J-M Jarre and Metallica to Death and Billie Eilish. Of course, we try to follow the trends, not only in metal, but in general.

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

Take care of yourself and your family, listen to more good music and, of course, the new Alkonost album! \m/

 

 http://www.youtube.com/antalkonost

https://www.facebook.com/alkonostband/
https://www.instagram.com/alkonost_official/
https://t.me/alkonost
https://www.alkonost.ru/
https://alkonostrussia.bandcamp.com/album/--17

The Mosaic Window/Hemasanctum/Willowtip Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  The  Mosaic  Window  are  a  solo  project  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Hermasanctum"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Willowtip  Records.

  Synths  and  torture  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction which  also  utilizes  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  decent  amount  of  melody  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 album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  few  songs  also  introducing  clean  playing  into  the  music.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  some  session  work  from  Andy  LaRocque  better  known  for  his  work  with  Death  and  King  Diamond  as  well  as  the  two  closing  songs  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album and  covers  life,  relationships  and  loss.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Mosaic  Window  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Incantation  To  Summon  The  Unstable"  "Ash  Like  Anvils"  and  "Hymn  To  Silence  the  Light".  8  out  of  10.

  https://themosaicwindow.bandcamp.com/album/hemasanctum

https://willowtip.com/bands/details/the-mosaic-window.aspx

The Mountain King/Stoma/Void Key Recordings/2024 Full Length Review

 

  The  Mountain  King  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2024  album  "Stoma"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Void  Key  Recordings.

  Synth  orientated  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  alter  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  at  times  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  album  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Clear  singing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  at  times  the  music  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  some  of  the  album  also  adds  in  touches  of  ambient  and  post  hardcore.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  question  of  balance  between  everyday  life  and  the  thoughts  about  the  inevitable  death  of  the  individual  at  the  end  of  it.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Mountain  King  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of post  black,  doom,  death,  progressive  metal  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Space  Is  Now  Tainted"  "Stoma"  and  "To  The  Caves".  8  out  of  10.

  https://themountainking.bandcamp.com/album/stoma

  

Alkonost/Salamander's Gift/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Alkonost  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  folk  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  album  "Salamander's  Gift".

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  clear  singing  is  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a   great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  stlye.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  briefly  along  with  the  whole  album  also  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  throughout  all  of  the  songs.

  Alkonost  plays  a  musical  style  that  take s folk  and  symphonic  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  the  different  faces  of  fire  with  some  inspiration  from  Slavic  Paganism  and  Mythology.  

  In  my  opinion  Alkonost  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk  and  symphonic  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Искра"  "Оберег"  "Северное  сияние"  and  "Маяк".  8  out  of  10.

  http://www.youtube.com/antalkonost

https://www.facebook.com/alkonostband/
https://www.instagram.com/alkonost_official/
https://t.me/alkonost
https://www.alkonost.ru/
https://alkonostrussia.bandcamp.com/album/--17

Eva Can't/Emisferi/My Kingdom Music/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Eva  Can't  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  avant  garde  and  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Emisferi"  which  will  be  released  by  September  20th  by  My  Kingdom  music.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys.  When  clear  singing  is  utilized  they  also  give  the  recording  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  also  utilized  while  some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  harsh  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  few  songs  also  being  instrumentals,  classical  guitars  and  wind  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  is  a  concept  album  based  upon  an  emotional  and  physical  journey  divided  into  4  chapters.

  In  my  opinion  Eva  Can't  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  and  progressive  post  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  Volta  (Ghiacci  Boreali  I)"  "Prima  Tempesta  (Mari Boreali  I)"  "Di  Stanze  Assenti  (Mari  Australi  I)"  and  " Labirinti  (Ghiacci  Australi  III)".  8  out  of  10.

  facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evacantofficial

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evacantofficial   

Invictus Interview

 

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

 Kurt: We all grew up loving underground music in general. All of us were stretched between different scenes and genres. We loved punk, hardcore, grind, death, black… And I think we incorporate a little of that in our music. In my head we are a melodic blackened death band. But you can hear quite some crossover in our music if you listen closely. I see the music as an ode to all the records that shaped us growing up. When people hear the record they mostly refer to bands like Dissection, Death, Unleashed, At The Gates, The Haunted, Bolt Thrower, old Amon Amarth… I feel like that is a good reference for what we are doing. 

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous ep and  split? 

Kurt: I think we’ve grown a lot more as a band. The songs are much more mature. We put a lot more influences in it and went deeper. I feel we left behind our hardcore roots on this record and evolved to being a “real” metal band, whatever that may mean. There is much more black metal in it, being heavily inspired by bands such as Dissection, but also a lot of death metal. 

3.You refer to your music as being 'edgmetal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term? 

Kurt: “edgemetal” was a term donned by Congress in the early 90’s. In the H8000 scene a lot of bands emerged that were on the border between death, thrash, black, hardcore, … Those bands (Liar, Congress, Deformity, …) had a huge impact on us growing up. They called themselves edge metal over the term metalcore. Back then everybody was straight edge in that scene, hence the word “edge” and they thought of their music more as metal, as opposed to hardcore (like youth of today)... There is a lot of similarity between those bands and Invictus, so we felt like the term fit us very well. It’s also a lot shorter to write as “melodic blackened death metal”. 

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

Jo: This world is very rotten and often I hope we humans just stop existing. Cause we really don’t earn this. Next to this I also want a society that treats each other better. For every horrible act someone creates, there are a lot of humans who do their utter best to make it a better world. So although most of my lyrics are cynical, dark and straight on misanthropic, some of them end towards a positive way (with a little reading between the lines). They explore the topics of despair, unnecessary hatred, inhumanity, abuse, suicides, conspiracies, the rise of hategroups and social media’s (un)“reality”. 

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

 Kurt: The inspiration is a bit double. Firstly it came from one of my favorite records growing up by a local band called Liar. Secondly it’s a from a poem written by William Ernest Henley: Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. The poem revolves around resilience, inner strength and overcoming adversity. Something that we all have to deal with in life. 

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

 Kurt: We believe that humanity is ruining our planet and killing itself. The artwork is meant to represent that: A desolate toxic mountain with no life on it. It’s also a bit of an ode to the artwork of “The Sound Of Perseverance” by “Death”, one of the bands that shaped us when we were young. 

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

Kurt: I would describe our shows as very pure and real. We are not playing dress up or playing theater. Nothing against bands who do… I feel it’s just not something that would fit us. We’re all a bit punk, so we believe in “what you see is what you get”. 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

 Kurt: We are lucky to get quite some shows on a lot of varied bills. So this year is starting to fill up nicely. A personal ambition is to do some weekend tours in Germany and Eastern Europe. I’m hoping we can play some fests next summer, especially Ieperfest would be great as I’ve been going there for 24 years. Rockstad in Romania is also a dream I’d really like to achieve.

 9.The physical version of the album is going to be released through many labels, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you are working with on the new release? 

Kurt: Working with so many labels helps us get some more coverage and distribution. We chose Genet Records because it’s a legendary name from the 90’s, and in Belgium they provide a home base for bands that are crossing over and merging multiple genres. Bands like Last, Förbittring, Work of The Flesh, Verslinder, Dudsekop all share a similar background and vision as we do in a way. Tim from Bound By Modern Age actually contacted us after the split we did with Risale. He liked the songs and wanted to work with us. We talked to him and we shared very similar opinions and world views, so it was a no brainer to get him on board. He’s an all around great guy and him being situated in Germany is a great advantage for us as a band. 24 edge wear is a new clothing brand/label that was started by our good friend Nico. We will be the first release for him. I really wanted to get him aboard as I consider him a good friend. In My Heart Empire was recommended by us through our old label (Ugly and Proud Records). He has an amazing distro filled with punk,crust, grind, hardcore, death, thrash, back…. 

10.In 2023 you were a part of a split with 'Risale', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording? 

Kurt: I really liked them. They incorporate that 90’s hardcore sound but put it in a modern package. Ozan was great to work with. Even though they were musically different from us, and they were way younger, we got along really well. It’s too bad they stopped right after the release of the split. So they couldn’t really promote it that well. I think they would’ve had a great future as a band. 

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

 Kurt: The record will be officially released on october 4th, so you’re one of the first who heard it. Overall most people who heard it are really positive about it. It’s generally seen as a big step up from our split, both musically as production wise. I think this is some of my best writing so far, and most of our friends seem to agree to that. The singles we released in anticipation of the full album did get very good feedback, so that builds good confidence for the record. 

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

Kurt: I think we’ve set the foundation for our sound with this record. We will continue to build on this in the future. The current songs we are writing are a bit less mid tempo. So more fast but also real slow parts in there. Maybe also include a bit more of the old Swedish bands in our music like Grave, Dismember, Entombed… We’ll see. I like that our music allows for a multitude of influences and styles to be mixed into it. 

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? 

Kurt: When writing I get a lot of inspiration from my all time favorite records. I often think “What would Slayer do” when I’m stuck with a song. Big inspirations for me are black metal bands like Dissection, Watain and Darkthrone. Those records get a weekly spin at home. But a lot of classical death metal records also find their way into our music. Bolt Thrower’s “The fourth crusade”, At The Gates’ “Terminal spirit disease”, the later Death albums… A lot of “smaller” bands I look up to also find their way into our music. I’m really into bands like Ringworm and Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and our friends in The Infernal Sea from the UK have always been a band I’ve looked up to. 

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

Kurt: First of all: Thank you very much for this interview and the support you’re giving our band. It really means the world to us when people express an interest towards our music. Also the people who read this: Thank you for checking us out! I’d encourage everyone who reads this to get involved in underground music. Start a band, do a zine, go to shows and maybe put on a gig yourself. It’s not the big fests and rockstar bands that keep metal alive, but people like you and me who are passionate about it

https://www.facebook.com/invictusxxx/

Deimhal/The Diabolical Liberation/2024 EP Review

 

  Deimhal  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2024  ep  "The  Diabolical  liberation".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  also  introducing  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  Growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  aggressive  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.  clear  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  gutiars.

  On  this  recording  Deimhal  remain  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  that  they h ad  established  on  their  previous  release,  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  sin  and  diabolical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deimhal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Flesh  Words  Of  Sin".  8  out  of  10.

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deimhalofficial/

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deimhalofficial

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2YluMkoNrxPDj6YM3FvkvW

bandcamp: https://deimhal.bandcamp.com