Lucynine Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
 Hi! Sure. I've always been a hungry listener of any genre and also as a musician and composer I've never been able to follow a single line, even if I've always been attracted by what's obscure and violent. So, after playing in many bands, I decided to put on a solo project as a multi-instrumentalist and composer that would have allowed me to work in total self-sufficiency (I'm always on the move, so it's hard for me to keep on a proper band). There comes Lucynine.

2.You have your first full length coming out towards the end of July, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
 I'd say it's more sincere. It's not angry and dark because the genre wants to, but because this record tells true stories, with the right mood.

3.From 2013 to 2020 there was no music being released, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
 Well, no music has been released under the monicker Lucynine, but I worked on various projects with my own name. Most of all I worked on two short movies: “Block E, 4th Floor” (script, direction, music, everything apart the acting voice) and “Engine of Time” (only audio and soundtrack).

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?
 “Amor Venenat” means “Love Envenoms” in Latin. I started working on this record after I lost my husband for a cancer in 2018. We've been together for 11 years and I fell into depression and felt the need of throwing a lot of shit out of me. This album was very therapeutic in that sense... I never had an easy relationship with love sphere: born homosexual in a strict Catholic family, affairs with men much older than me, not always easy to manage, then the loss of the one I had chosen to share my life with... So I really needed to shout out a lof of regret and pain. And the concept the album is built around is a sort of portrait of me. Well, a kind of portrait of me in that very moment.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lucynine'?
 The first half of the monicker Lucynine comes both from Lucifer both from the famous song by The Beatles “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” since a psychedelic component has always been relevant in my music. Number nine is both a magical number by itself, both a “six” upside down, to remind to the Number of the Beast. It's rock'n'roll, isn't it?

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
 It's meant to include more concepts in the same picture: pain (the rope), sex/love (the man naked), but also the caducity of old age, religion (the red light reminds of vestments of a catholic cardinal). All these concepts are related to each other in the album.

7.You work mostly as a solo artist, would you be open to expanding into a full line up on future releases?
 I don't think so. I could think of a band for a live situation or many featured artists on next releases, but not a band.

8.You also have a few quests on the new album, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?
 Sure! They all are famous actors and dubbers here in Italy (Dario Penne, for example is the Italian voice of Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Tommy Lee Jones, Christopher Lloyd and many others). You see, I'm very bound to theatre, I work as a stage photographer, I collaborate with actors in many ways and most of my friends are actors too, so, since I wrote things that were meant to be spoken and not sung, I thought the best actors I knew would have been the best choice for those verses to be played.
I know that contributions could be a limitation for not Italian speaking people, but I hope their curiosity will win on this and push them to search for the meaning or... just listening to the whole album enjoying it.

9.Earlier this year you also released an ep tribute to 'Titor', what was the decision behind the tribute?
 It all started as a quarantine joke and ended in a serious double single. Titor have been both dear friends of mine, both one of my favourite hardcore punk bands ever. So it came out quite naturally.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of experimental, avant garde and extreme metal?
 I still have to understand it, because my 2013 EP didn't have much promotion, so “Amor Venenat” is the first time I have a serious promoting agency, a serious label, etc. Let's see what happens. I really can say I did all the best I could do.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future/
 I'm really insecure so I never expect too much and try to enjoy everything good happens to me. So I can't make predictions. What I really really dream is to be called for a movie soundtrack.

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/
 I listen to many different genres, from classical music to jazz, from trip hop to crust punk, so it could turn into a very long reply ahahah! What I can say is that The Beatles changed my life when I was a child, Iron Maiden changed it again when I was 11, Devin Townsend when I was 16, Meshuggah when I was 18, Portishead when I was 20, and so on. In my shelves you can find from Rachmaninoff to Dark Funeral, from David Bowie to Gorillaz. These days I'm really into Bandcamp and looking for unknown good bands that do amazing things with nearly no budget. Maybe today you can discover better things from little labels or DIY scenery than among big majors. Well, maybe not only today!

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
 Literature, art, cinema, all that involves expression. I myself am a photographer and videomaker, so my different jobs in music and creativity really overlap with my interests. And it's a huge privilege today.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the time you spent with me and for your interest in what I do. I wish people will enjoy my music and find out what's behind it and maybe... pieces of real life that deserve thoughts and meditation.

www.lucynine.com
www.facebook.com/lucynine
www.instagram.com/lucynine.official
https://lucynine.bandcamp.com

The Lightbringer/From The Void To The Existence/2020 CD Review

  The  Lightbringer  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2020  album  "From  The  Void  To  The  Existence"  which  will  be  released  in  July.

  Tragic  sounding  pianos  and  keyboards  start  off  the  album  while  also  using  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding keys  and  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Operatic  female  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  goth  metal.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  short  in  length  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Kitaro's  "Caravansary".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Lightbringer  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  The  Void"  "The  Awakening"  "The  Seal  Of  Annihilation"  and  "To  Existence".  8  out  of  10.

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Lucynine/Amor Venenat/Inverse Records/2020 CD Review

 Lucynine  is  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge,  doom  metal, punk,  crust,  hardcore,  darkwave  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Amor  Venenat"  which  will  be released  in  July by  Inverse  Records.

   Music  and  spoken  word  samples start off  the  album  before  going  into  a   very  fast  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.Vocals  are  mostly grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Keyboards  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.

   All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  some  tracks  also  bring  in  clean  singing  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  elements  of  post  rock  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  noisy  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments  and  some  tracks  show  an  influence  of  darkwave.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  touches  of  post  punk,  crust  and  hardcore  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other,  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  psychedelic  and  blues  rock  elements  can  also  be heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  darkest  and  most  negative  sides  of  love.

  In  my  opinion  Lucynine  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black,  sludge,  doom  metal,punk,  crust,  hardcore,  darkwave  and  experimental,  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "-Nine  Eleven"  "Things  I'll  Never  Know"  "White  Roses"  and  "Everyone  O  Lovedis  Dead". 8out  of  10.

www.lucynine.com
www.facebook.com/lucynine
www.instagram.com/lucynine.official
https://lucynine.bandcamp.com 

https://youtu.be/wfrVLjBgs4g

Okkultokrati/La Ilden Lyse/Southern Lord Recordings/2020 CD Review

  Norway's  Okkultokrati  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  mixture  of  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "La  Ilden  Lyse" which  was  released  by  Southern  Lord  Recordings.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  black'n'roll  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore  punk  while  the  keyboards  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  psychedelic  and  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  The  guitar  riffing  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.,  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Okkultokrati  takes  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Thelema,  Occultism,  Moon  Worship  and  Transcending  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Okkultokrati  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black'n'roll,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  punk, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thelemic  Threat"  "Grimoire  Luciferian  Dream"  "Kiss  Of  Death"  and  "The  Dying  Grass  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.okkultokrati.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/okkultokrati

http://www.okkultokrati.bandcamp.com

Serene Dark/Enantiodromia/2020 CD Review

  Serene  Dark  are  a  band  from  Ottawa,  Ontario,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  under  their  older  name  'Enddemise'   and  plays  a  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Enantiodromia"  which  will  be  released  in  July.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  which  also  uses  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  symphonic  elements  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  brutal  moments.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  a couples  of  them  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  throat  singing  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks,  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  brief  return  on  a  couple  of  later  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophy,  stoicism,  hermeticism  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Serene  Dark  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  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  "Of  Serpentine  Form"  "Dweller  In  The  Void  of  Spirit"  " Grieving  The  Distortion  Of  Self"  and  "Onward,  Burning,  Radiance".  8  out  of  10.

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Varus/A New Dawn/2020 Full Length Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Germany's  Varus  which  continues  the  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  folk,  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  the  album  will  be  self  released  on  June  27th,  2020.

  Stringed  instruments  along  with  some  symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  which  also  appear  on  later  tracks  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  but  keeping  the  symphonic  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  some  clean  pagan  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  German  and  cover  local  myths/legends,  the  art  of  drinking,  Romanticism,  War  and  Historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from  Varus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  melodic  folk,  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Awakening"  "Ein  Lebewohl"  and  "The  Minstrels  Chant".  8  out  of  10.

 https://youtu.be/fjVK1I4nFVk

Varus/Till The Sun Rises/2020 CD Review

  Varus  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  folk  metal  along  with  some  elements  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Till The  Sun  Rises".

  A  very  symphonic  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  some  touches  of  classical  music  while  also  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  and  the  symphonic  elements  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  clean  pagan  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  music.

  Folk  metal  elements  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  music.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of   folk  instruments  and  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in a  mixture  of  English  and  German  and  cover  local  myths/legends,  the  art  of  drinking,  Romanticism,  War  and  Historical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Varus  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  folk,  black  and  death  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "One  Day"  "Nachtgiger"  "Des  Winters  Tod"  and  "Till  The  Sun  Rises".  8  out  of  10.

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