Norsemen/Bloodlust/Time To Kill Records/2019 CD Review

  Norsemen  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  brutal  and  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Bloodlust"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Time  To  Kill  Records.

  A  very  epic  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  heavy  and  melodic  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffing  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  Immortal  but  mixed  with  a  more  Swedish  death  metal  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  a  very  heavy  thrash  influence  and  most  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  more  of  a  heavy  and  brutal  direction  along  with  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  being  added  onto  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Norsemen  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  melodic  mixture  of  viking,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  master"  "Bloodlust"  "Serpent"  and  "Time  Wrecked  Kingdom".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/NorsemenOfficial/
https://officialnorsemen.bandcamp.com/

    

Gorgonchrist/The Blood Of Endangered Species/Clobber Records/2019 Full length Review

  Gorgonchrist  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  industrial  and  blackened  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Blood  Of  Endangered  Species"  which  was  released  by  Clobber  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  intro  starts  off  the  intro  and  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  and  elements  of  noise  onto  the  recording.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  metal  along  with  programmed  beats  bringing  in  more  of  an  industrial.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Godflesh  and  Ministry  style  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  touches  of  noise  rock  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  keyboards.  The  production  sound  very  dark and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  an  inevitable  and  nihilistic  dystopian  future.

  In  my  opinion  Gorgonchrist  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  industrial  and  blackened  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Banged  In  The  Face"  and  "Little  Bo  Satan".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.facebook.com/gorgonchrist/

Ancalagon/Noctopoth/2019 Full Length Review

  Ancalagon  are  a  band  from  Rochester,  New  York  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Noctopoth"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  percussion's  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  A  lot  of  the  music is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  Swedish  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  part  of  the  music  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  classical  guitars  also  make  a  brief  return.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  scientific  and  mythological  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Ancalagon  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  "Hastur's  Emissary"  and  "Of  Hostile  Denizens  And  Reptiles".  8  out  of  10.

https://ancalagon-rochester.bandcamp.com/    

Chasmdweller/Self Titled/Static Void Records/2019 EP Review

  Chasmdweller  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  dungeon  synth  and  power  electronics  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  ep  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Static  Void  Records.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  are  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  riffing  which  also  is  the  most  dominant  factor  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  90's  era  doom/death  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth   elements  to  give  the  music  a  lot  more  diversity.

  Chasmdweller  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death.  doom,  sludge  and  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  elements  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Chasmdweller  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  touches  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Clotting  Of  The  Sacred  Artery".  8  out  of  10.

https://staticvoidrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chasmdweller-s-t-svr08

Ered/Evil Sorceries/Black Market Metal Label/2019 Full Length review

  Ered  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  blackened  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Evil  Sorceries"  which  was  released  by  black  Market  Metal  Label.

  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  some  influences  of  90's  era  Swedish  blackened  death  metal.

  When  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  they  also give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ered  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  "Evil  Sorceries"  "Born  From  Ritual  Death"  "Of  Ghouls  And  Graves"and  "Grim  Visions".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Homepage

Myspace

ReverbNation

  

Suppressed Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Suppressed is 5 guys from Umeå, Sweden that combine sludgy metal with a lot of noise. We've been together as a band since 2018 but as individuals we have played in various punk, death and black metal bands since the 90's.


2.So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
 We wanted to get it really sludgy, almost off beat sludgy so we recorded the songs live. Only vocals were done afterwards. We aimed to give Gurgels noise a bit more room than most sludge bands do. I want to make it clear that the noise is not there as an occational distortion. It's supposed to be threatening almost all of the time. Due to the noise's nature it's really hard to get it right, so I'm very satisfied with the outcome.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?
Basically every days struggle being a wage slave and the constant boredom of capitalism. Also the shame one feel, looking at an ongoing environmental disaster and not acting out on it.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Suppressed'?
It's the constant feeling when living in the worlds "best" country where everything is a charade. Yeah sure we have it all. We should be satisfied. But we're all living at the expense of the climate and underpaid workers far away. They suffer so we wont have to.


5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?
The world is on fire and soon we'll burn too, unless drastic counteractions are taken.


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've only yet had a couple of local shows but they've been great. We usually place Gurgels noise table in front of us all so he can really beat it out. I on the other hand often forget about the bass rhythms because it's overwhelming to finally scream it all out.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We've got a few requests upon releasing the demo so we'll soon play in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Would be great to do a tour in Europe one day.


8.Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We've gotten a few interesting emails but we are in no stress to sign yet. It has to be a label that really understands the music and what we want to do.


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

We've gotten a few reviews that have been mostly positive. But we've just started so there is not much of a buzz yet.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We're currently writing new songs. If all goes well we aim to head into the studio again this fall. For our upcoming album we aim to make uglier and more hardhitting tunes. We definitely wan't to step it up.


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?
Sludge and black metal have inspired us the most. Bands like Abandon, Indian, Starkweather and Primitive Man have all gotten me here.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Besides being a father of three children... there is not much time. But I take interest in political literature which helps me coping with also working inside the capitalist machinery. Mouffe, Arendt and Zizek are all highly recommended to stay afloat.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for spreading our music. We recommend anyone interested in the ugliers side of metal to give a listen. We'll soon print shirts and also release the demo on CD so follow us on Facebook and Bandcamp to keep track. Stay underground!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Archaic Decapitator/The Apothecary/2019 EP Review

  Archaic  Decapitator  are  a  band  from  Connecticut  and  on  this  recording  goes  into  more  of  a  progressive  and  melodic  style   of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2019  ep  "The  Apothecary"  which  will  be  released in  April.

  A very  symphonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  utilize  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  they  also  mix  the  symphonic  elements  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  The  vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  mix  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  good  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  at  times. When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  mental  decline  and psychological  disorders.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Archaic  Decapitator  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skyward"  and  "The  Apothecary".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTncfHNrWPw&feature=youtu.be