As Light Dies/The Laniakea Architecture, Volume II/Darkwoods/2023 Full length Review

 

  Spain's  As  Light  Dies  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "The  Laniakea  Architecture,  Voume  II"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Darkwoods.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  while  avant  garde  structures  are  also  mixed  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clear  vocals  and  add  in  touches  of  goth  metal.  Cello's,  violin's,  synths  and  piano's  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal,  female  vocals  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  math,  history  and  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  As  Light  Dies  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Falling  Apart"  "The  Green"  and  "To  Finish".  8  out  of  10.

  http://www.aslightdies.com 

https://aslightdies.bandcamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/aslightdies    

Valvatar/Vanitas/2017 Full Length Review

 

  Valvatar  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Vanitas".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Symphonic  elements  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  song  also  introduces  growls  onto  the  recording  as  well  as the  album  also  adding  in  a  couple  of  instrumentals  and  some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Valvatar  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  symphonic  sounding  in  the  mid  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Valvatar  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  symphonic  black  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hymn  Of  Blood  And  Piss"  "Pioneer's  Courage"  "Maria"  and  "Consolation".  8  out  of  10.

https://vaivatar.bandcamp.com/  

Cloudy Skies/Changes/Argonauta Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Cloudy  Skies  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal  and  dreamgaze  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Changes"  which  will b e  released  in  2023  by  Argonauta  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  style  synths  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  clear  vocals  and  black  metal  screams  can  also b e  heard  at t imes.

  During  the  clean  sections  elements  of  dreamgaze,  alternative,  indie  and  post  rock  can  be  heard  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  synths  also  add  in  touches  of  ambient.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Clody  Skies  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  post  black  metal  and  dreamgaze  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Another  Dream"  "Echoes  Of  The  Ocean"  and  "Haze  On  The  Way".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/cloudyskies.fr

https://www.argonautarecords.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FSqDgwkiu4&ab_channel=ArgonautaRecords    

Sheogorath Interview

 

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

SHEOGORATH started ten years ago after disbanding my former band Synthesis. I had the idea to create a solo project where I could unite all kind of different metal styles but did not want it to be instrumental only. I can´t sing at all. So, one evening out I asked Patrick, that I have known from school, “Let´s have a black metal band?”. He just replied “Yeah, sure”. Pretty simple. Patrick also just left his former band Satanic Cockrockers as vocalist and guitarist. It was an opportune moment. 

2.You have a new ep coming out in early 2023, musically how does it differ from your previous releases? 

The major difference is that we have real drums for the first time ever. This was the last missing piece in our music that we needed to sound like we always envisioned it to. Michael Kolar did an outstanding job on the drums. 

 3.Most of your lyrics are based upon video games, can you tell us a little bit more about the games you have covered lyrically so far? 

Besides the Elder Scrolls universe we generally cover concepts and ideas about a dark dying universe and outer gods which are not within our mind's grasp. Most lyrics are not directly about another game's lore but try to tell their own little story in their own closed of universe. However, games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne have influenced Patrick a lot and when you read through older lyrics you will most certainly find some hints. 

4.I know that the band name is named after 'The Elder Scrolls' series, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these games? 

Back then Patrick and I were simply awestruck by the video game Skyrim. Also spending a lot of time with its predecessor Oblivion, it felt natural to find a band name originating somewhere from this fantasy universe. We came up with Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Insanity and Madness that seemed most representing for our potpourri of different musical influences and various styles leading to our acoustic trademark as band. 

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

 Our music shall convey a video games metal feeling as a whole. Therefore, and the EP also being released in winter, we looked for something suitable. This artwork stands for barren frozen landscapes, video games and black metal. A combination of different styles that shall be represented musically. 

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

 Well, for us it has worked out as a duo quite well until now. I write the music, Patrick does the lyrics. Then we do last refinements in our music and song writing together as a last step before hitting the studio. We both are not against expanding the band members, but we are also not actively enforcing it. At this level, most people are great musicians and also great with their instruments. There has to be a bonding on the human aspect for us. 

7. The new ep is going to be released on 'Art Gates Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

 Like doing job applications, haha. Send out as many as possible and wait for replies. At the end we got three offers from different labels. Art Gates Records seemed most suitable and most reasonable for us, therefore we decided to ink a deal with them.

 8. Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project? 

No, we haven´t done any live shows with Sheogorath. The band is currently set up as a studio project only. Patrick and I did many gigs with our previous bands, so at some point, we are missing this experience.

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

Our responsibility is to deliver the best possible quality in terms of recording, mixing, mastering and of course song writng to our fans and those who eventually will become one. It is up to each individual to decide if they like our songs and what we stand for since the beginning. As for our fans, some are very courteous and are trying to help us e.g., forwarding our music to some magazines, inviting us to some gigs. That is very nice and we appreciate it very much. 

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

We will stay true to our fans and ourselves. Therefore we are going to publish our music in regular intervals. You will always get a surprise, but you will always get Sheogorath! Other than that, we would like to do some gigs, indeed. 

 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? 

For me it was mostly Children of Bodom, Ensiferum and Old Man´s Child back then when I started playing the guitar. I can´t put my finger on it nowadays, I like all kind of different music styles, when I like it. My most recent discoveries were Rimfrost and Kvaen for example. As for Patrick: I started out with classical heavy metal influences when I learned to play the guitar. At the age of 14, I started performing live with my rock/metal band but got more and more into “extreme” genres like death and black metal. My first big inspiration was Jari Mäenpää (Ensiferum) and he is the reason why I started to train to growl. The biggest influence later on when I became a young adult was Valfar (Windir). I was so deeply impressed by his music and the rhythmic patterns of his voice as an instrument. I started to collect some vinyl's and listen mostly to old personal classics nowadays like Midnatens Widunder (Finntroll), Voimasta ja kunniasta (Moonsorrow), At the Heart of Winter (Immortal) or De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Mayhem). 

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

 Keep pursuing your goals if you render them worthy and be prepared to put a lot of persistence into it. Still, remain realistic. It´s going to be hard, that is normal. We would appreciate it, if you give us a listen. Maybe we have exactly the right amount of everything, what you have been always looking for.

https://www.instagram.com/sheogorathmetal/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zdS3MWQSTXwPHIkF8s9ia?si=zx41lc4lTqyE6c1TN1OnWg&nd=1

https://artgatesrecords.com/artists/sheogorath 

Grimtotem/Espiritu Del Bosque/2021 Single Review

 

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Chile's  Grimtotem  which  continues  the  pagan  folk  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  the  single  was  self  released  in  2021  and  called  "Espiritu  Del  Bosque".

  Black  metal  screams  start  off  the  single  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  before  introducing  death  metal  growls  into  the  music.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats,  the  song  also  adds  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  this  song  Grimtotem  continues  the  melodic  pagan  folk  metal  style  that  they  have  introduced  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Chilean  Mythology  and  History.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Grimtotem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8  out  of 1 0.

  https://grimtotem.bandcamp.com/track/esp-ritu-del-bosque

Grimtotem/Invunche/2016 EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Chile's  Grimtotem  which  continues  the  pagan  folk metal  style  of t he  previous  demo  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2016  and  called  "Invuunche".

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  both  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  back  up  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Folk  instruments  are  also  added  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  this  recording  Grimtotem  remain  true  to  the  pagan  folk  metal  style  that  they  had  introduced  on  the  demo.  The  production  sounds  very  prof3essional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Mapuche  and  Chiloe  Cultures  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  Chile.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Grimtotem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Invunche".  8  out  of  10.

https://grimtotem.bandcamp.com/album/invunche

  .

Grimtotem/Wengan/2014 Demo Review

 

  Grimtotem  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  demo  "Wengan".

  A  very  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  folk  instruments  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Keyboards  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  ritualistic  chants  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars.  

  Grimtoyem  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk,  pagan,  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Spanish  and  cover   the  pre  Hispanic Chilean  People's  Mythology  and  History.

  In  my  opinion  Grimtotem  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Battle  of  The  Centuries"  and  "Leftraru  II".  8  out  of  10.

  https://grimtotem.bandcamp.com/album/wengan