Friday, June 13, 2014

Zorakarer/MMXIII/2013 Demo Review


  Zorakarer  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  demo.

  A  very  fast,  melodic  and  symphonic  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  also  slows  down  at  times  and  lets  the  keyboards  have  a  more  powerful  presence  in  the  musical  sound  and  they  also  alternate  between  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  with  the  guitars  having  a  technical  feeling  to  them  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  enhance  the  melodic  moments  of  the  music.

  On  the  second  track  the  band  adds  in  a  good  amount  of  palm  muted  riffs  with  the  music  also remaining  true  to  the  symphonic  and  melodic  black  metal  sound  of  the  first  track  and  they  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  second  song  is  in  a  more  slower  direction  than  the  first  track  while  it  also  has  its  fast  moments  and  blast  beats  and  the  solo  on  this  track  shows  how  talented  of  musicians  the  guitar  players  are  in  this  band  and  towards  the  end  they  add  in  more  clean  parts,  acoustic  guitars  and  gothic  elements  while  also  remaining  very  heavy  at  the  same  time.

  Zorakarer  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  mid  90's  Norwegian  variation  of  this  genre  and  also  has  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  feeling  throughout  the  2  songs  they  bring  to  this  demo,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  demo  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zorakarer  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Astral  - Theological  Literary  hybrid".  8  out  of  10.

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Romuvos/Romuvan Dainas/No Colours Records/2014 CD Review


  Romuvos  are  a  1  man  band  from  Lithuania  but  now  resides  in  Israel  and  plays  a  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2014  album  "Romuvan  Dainas"  which  was  released  by  No  Colours  Records.

  A  very  dark,  epic  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  guitar  leads  and  folk  instruments  and  it  leads  to  a  heavier  folk  metal  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  melodic  clean  singing  pagan  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  tragic  sounding  keyboards  and  acoustic  guitars  while  also  remaining  heavy  at  the  same  time.

  A  good  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  alternates  between  acoustic  and  heavy  parts  while  always  having  a  great  amount of  melody  in  them  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  also  hear  nature  sounds  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  are  also  a  decent  amount  of  ballads  present  on  this  album  that  pay  homage  to  the  ancient  pagan  gods  as  well  as  evoking  a  medieval  and  dark  ages  feeling  and  while  the  pagan  side  of  black  metal  is  an  influence  on  the  music  done  of  the  heavier  elements  or  vocals  of  that  genre  are  ever  utilized  on  this  recording.

  Romuvos  creates  a  very  interesting  pagan/folk  metal  album  with  this  recording    focusing  more  on  melody  and  the  more  folk  music  side  of  this  genre  and  he  ends  up  creating  a  very  melodic  and  medieval  sounding  record,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lithuanian  and  Baltic  folklore  and  paganism  along  with  a  touch  of  Hermeticism  with  one  of  the  songs  being  about  Ouroboros.

  In  my  opinion  Romovos  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/folk  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Under  The  Glaciers  Of  Baltijos"  "Poems  For  The  Dead"  and  "Egle  -  The  Queen  Of  Serpents".  8  out  of  10..

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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Warthrone Interview





1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Richard: We recently put out a new full length album, "Venomassacre", which we are extremely proud of and has been getting a lot of positive feedback! We also inked a deal with the awesome people at Lost Apparations Records to re-release Venomassacre, along with a remastered version of our 2005 EP " Ghoststorm Eulogy" included as bonus tracks.Things are killer!

2.Recently you have put out a full length album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from the demo's and ep's you have released in the past? Erik: We basically write what comes naturally, whether we feel inspired by black or death metal at the time. Our inspirations range from both so I would say we just naturally progress and the mixture of both genres comes out in different parts of our songs.. We write fast music but like to keep the feeling within our songs. Our new album came out a lot heavier than our debut, but it was not intentional.

3.This album is the first release that has came out in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during those years?
Richard: People got jobs, people got married, people had kids..Just life happening basically. But we never stopped working on Warthrone. It just took a long time, and the proper planets elining, to actually put it out. Many of the songs on the new album were actually written years ago,,

4.All of the band members at one time where a part of Witch-Hunt, do you see the band as a continuation of your past band?
Richard: Somewhat. Erik and i have been friends since we were 12 years old..so actually Warthrone is a continuation of being kids, discovering underground extreme music together, spending all day everyday listening to it and daydreaming of "I wish we could put out an album like this.." Witch-Hunt was a very cool chapter in all our lives, but for myself and Erik, Warthrone is much more from the heart, as far as the kind of music we want to play and hear.
Erik: I feel Warthrone's a new direction from both Witch-hunt and Dying Fetus.  I wrote a lot of Witch-hunt's (later day) riffs, so maybe there are some comparisons. But for the most part, Warthrone is much more brutal, faster and crushing and progressed than anything we did with Witch-hunt. We were young then in the Witch-hunt days so at this point in our lives we are more pissed off than ever and I think it shows in the aggression of Warthrone.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects on the new album?
Richard: Well with our first EP "Ghoststorm.." the lyrics were pretty much all about "the supernatural" in a way...I dont want to say it was a "concept album", but pretty much every song followed that theme..it was always just something we were fascinated by..but the new full length, well, lyrically its all over the place...some things are simply expressing,,certain "aggressive feelings" I was having at the time...its open to interpretation..but none of it is nice. 

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Warthrone'?
Erik: Honestly, I've had the name for a while and finally got to unleash the name with this project in 2004. The video games came after us by the way..haha..   The meaning behind it is not much other than it sounded like a good name when we thought of it.

7.The band was originally from Virginia but relocated to Florida, what was the decision behind the move?
Richard: We live in both Virginia and Florida lol. Hard to explain that.. We never really relocated, but we do the music in VA then the vocals in FL.. we live both places I guess.

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Erik: When I was in Dying Fetus the best show was in Wacken and Graspop about 2002. Warthrone has not played live yet, since we live in different states.. but maybe one day.
9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Not as of right now, we want to start writing the next album then see about establishing a lineup to play live one day.


10.The new album came out on Ghost Storm Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Erik: It's basically a band label we did ourselves to release the debut ep. We have just inked a licensing deal with Lost Apparitions Records (Luray Virginia) that will release Venomassacre on an official label and it should be out around July 2014. It will include a remastered version of our debut ep Ghoststorm Eulogy.

11.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Richard: The feedback has been amazing! Much better than we ever hoped! We've gotten positive feedback from literally all over the world, its been awesome!

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Richard: we already have some ideas..I have tons of lyrics written, and we've got some riff and song ideas already..the answer is...staying true to who we are, but without repeating ourselves.

13.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
As far as influence, we started with old school thrash and death metal, especially early 90's Florida death metal, grindcore, and european death...then after that, it encompasses all forms of extreme underground metal. Lots of Black Metal obviously,These days im digging on Vader, Krake (Biest of Krake does guest vocals on the new album), Keep Of Kalliseen, Fleshgod Apocolypse, and also always listening to the old school stuff..also really liked the new Carcass album alot..those guys were huge influence on us.
Erik: My favorites right now are Fleshgod Apocalypse and Putrid Pile. We listen to everything from all types of black metal to most brutal death. But, I think old school death metal still and will always have a special place in our hearts, and will always be a main source of our inspirations. However, I can listen to Katatonia or King Diamond, then listen to Dark Funeral or Pathology, all of which inspire us in our songwriting one way or another.

14.How would you describe your views on occultism?
Erik:  We don't really care about any of it.

15.What are some of your non musical interests?
Richie:My family. And beer. Beer is good.
Erik: Kristel and I and my family  run a haunted attraction in VA called Wicked Woods and I pretty much only watch horror movies.  I do also like beer a little much. And racing mustangs or riding rickety carnival rides at the fair  that's fun too haha.




16.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
The support for Warthrone has been incredible! Thank you so much! also our label LostApparations.com, go check them out, they have lots of killer bands they are supporting. Keep it alive!!


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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Dark Mirror Ov Tragedy/The Lunatic Chapter Of Heavenly Creatures/WormHoleDeath Records 2014 CD Review


   Dark  Mirror  Ov  Tragedy  are  a  band  from  South  Korea  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  Lunatic  Chapters  Of  Heavenly  Creatures"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

   A  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  choirs  which  gives  the  music  a  very  epic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  melodic  guitar  leads  and  a  heavier  sound  find  their  way  into  the  music  along  with  some  black  metal  style  screams  as  well  as  keeping  around  the  symphonic  elements  and  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  thrash  and  death  metal  influences  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  growls  find  their  way  into  the  music  along  with  some  violins  and  doom  metal  elements  as  well  as  some  acoustic  guitars  which  also  bring  in  traces  of  classical  and  folk  music  while  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  heavier  sound  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  some  prog  metal  elements  being  mixed  in  with  the  more  symphonic  and  extreme  sides  of  the  band  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental   before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  sound  on  the  later  tracks  and  the  band  shows  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  with  both  the  guitar  riffs  and  solos  with  the  music  having  a  technical  feeling  at  times  and  a  few  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  melodic  female  vocals  find  their  way  onto  one  of  the  tracks.

  Dark  mirror  Ov  Tragedy  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  that utilizes  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  along  with  a  gothic  touch  to  create  a  sound  of  its  own,  the  production  sounds very  professional  and  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  poetic  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Mirror  Ov  Tragedy  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  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  "Thy  Sarcophagus"  "Dancing  In  The  Burning  Mirror"  and  "The  Constellation  Of  Shadows"  and  "The  Noumenon  I  Carved".  8  out  of  10.  

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Friday, May 30, 2014

In My Embrace Interview


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

[2004 - 2007]
Well, at first it started as a side project from Johans other bands Dii Minores and Well of Tears. We got to know each other through mutual friends and quite soon we felt that it would be a good idea to write songs together. I (Bosse) have Tinnitus related hearing problems so I didn't play live or rehearse like bands usually do and Johan had much to do with the bands he already played with. We jammed together in Johans apartment and wrote different riffs, put them together to songs and after a while I (Bosse) started doing lyrics to some of them. The music style at the time were more old school black metal with some influences from viking black/death metal.Remembrance (a song on the EP) were recorded 2004 to a demo with Dii Minores at the time.

After a while we almost had enough songs for a full length and we did our own demo recordings on some of them, but many of the songs were never truly finished. The quality of the demo wasn't good enough soundwise to see the light of day. We put the project to rest now and then and unfortunately with time many of the songs were forgotten. But the songs we did remember and felt were the strongest were Diabolical Masquerade and Nattvandraren.

Johan started playing with Planet Rain around 2006 and played with them on 3 demos until he left the band during the autumn of 2007. I (Bosse) took his place and played with Planet Rain from autumn 2007 to the beginning of 2009 and left the band when my Tinnitus got worse.

[2010 - 2014]
We brought the project back to life as none of us played in any band at this time! Johan had a bunch of ideas laying and started writing the songs that became Dead to Dust Descend and To Forevermore. Some of the songs we remembered we started to update with new ideas.

During 2012 we did a pre-production to the EP with digital drums to get a picture of what everything could sound like. We asked Tommy Holmer from Planet Rain if he could record the drums for us which he gladly did. So the drums got recorded around 2012-2013 and after that we started recording the guitars, bass and the vocals.

The song Av Skymning Kommen, Mot Gryning Går got written and recorded during the summer 2013. That song is more explained with the lyric content.

Later we got in contact with Sliptrick Records and the end result is the EP Dead to Dust Descend released by them.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

The music is a mix of black metal and melodic death with some thrash influences. Perhaps influenced by old school black metal and the melodic death metal scene from the early 90s. So the music is dark, heavy but with a lot of melodies. We've never had a plan to try to sound like anything else. We've written songs we like and if they sound like anything else, it's more of coincidence. But then again, on a subconscious level, of course you get influenced by bands you like or by bands you've played with.

The EP is mixed and mastered by Jonas Lindström at Studio Apocalypse. He created a great dark atmosphere with a sound we really like! He did an awesome job!

3.The band has been around since 2004 but waited until this year to release an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the 10 year gap?

See the answer in question 1.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Most, though not all, of my (Bosse) lyrics are metaphors for something. Some lyrics however are more straightforward.

Dead to Dust Descend is a dark metaphor for the inevitability of death (death as an entity, opponent to and hating all life) and one's inner demons in a kind of inner struggle, that sometimes slam against you with this fact. When hopes and dreams dry out during gloomy days and is replaced by discomfort, doubt, anger, sorrow and in worst case even anxiety.

To Forevermore is about lost hope, agony, the feeling of being betrayed by people you thought you could trust, about losing your path, the thought of giving up and so forth.

Av Skymning Kommen, Mot Gryning Går is a song and lyric I (Bosse) wrote as a way to process a really close to succeed suicide attempt I did 24th of September 2011. It’s about my way back, all thoughts that came to me while I lived at a psych ward after it for about 3-4 weeks. So about the darkness I was in and how I made up my mind to head to a new dawn.

Diabolical Masquerade is about all organized religion and everything negative it causes between people and their different religions (fanaticism, conflicts, wars, death) but also everything it imposes on the individual level. All rules that people apply about what and what not to do concerning everything. How to live, food, clothes, who to love, who to sort of hate, forced weddings, the mutilation of men and women when they are small and so forth. Plus how small children doesn’t have a say in it. They are born in their family’s religions and beliefs. If you have a belief on a personal level, fine. But don’t force that on anyone else!

Nattvandraren the most obvious is that it's about the myth and fascination of vampires as a being/ledgend. But it's also a metaphor of all who works in the shadows, doing stuff on the other side of the law and all admiration some people feel about that sort of underworld/sub world. I'm talking about serial killers/mass murderers and cruel violent gangs; and that some of them becomes legends for doing what they do and even admired and copied. In conclusion, also the dark side of mankind.

Remembrance doesn’t have any lyrics as it is instrumental, but it’s about the people that have died that I’ve (Bosse) known. It’s also about nostalgia. Memories that sometimes appear for any reason. A smell you feel, a song you hear, something you see that activates it and you get lost in that memory for a while.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'In My Embrace'?

In My Embrace as a name comes from life itself. Your life is in your embrace. Of course things happen which you can’t control but you can control how you’ll deal with it (doing that by yourself or with help from family/friends or experts in some profession). Other things in life you can control, or at least think you do, as nothing is certain in life. You can’t and should not control another person or try to. But the point is that life is what you make of it, how you deal with it and how you choose to live during the circumstances you either been given or the plans you have to get to that point you want to reach. Giving up or striving forward, your choice. With that said, life isn’t easy, a lot of people have really tuff situations around the world. And a lot of people go through and experience things we can’t even imagine. The name is about continuing your fight to live your life no matter what.  

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

The plan is to expand the number of members to be able to rehearse correctly and to play live. Tommy did the drums on the EP and is the obvious choice to continue working with on upcoming releases and possible gigs. We are trying out a bass player at the moment too (Jon Brundin), a friend Johan played with in Dii Minores and Well of Tears. But for me (Bosse), playing live isn't an option because of my severe Tinnitus - so who would take my place during gigs is uncertain. That means we probably will need a live guitarist as well. Time will tell what happens.



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

The EP is newly released and when we write this, only digital so far, but in spite of that the feedback has been good. The physical version is soon to be released and can be bought from us when we get our copies and from the labels [Sliptrick Records] partners. A press release with the physical EP and the music video will come next week.

8.Are the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?

Johan: has a side project that he's thinking of starting up again. The future will tell if it happens.

Bosse: does guest appearances now and then on other bands albums with guitar solos or lyrics.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

The plan is to have a full length album released during spring 2015. Musically it's getting faster, heavier but still melodic and dark.

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?

Johan: 
Well, I listen to a lot of bands. Mostly it´s Death and Black Metal. These are however some of my favorites from different genres:  Edge of Sanity, Ensiferum, Wintersun, Decide, Behemoth, Naglfar, Kalmah, Morgana Lefay, Helloween.

Bosse:
Hard question to answer, but I listen to almost everything when it comes to music. The important thing is that the music gives me or enhances some sort of a feeling. At the moment these are my favorites: Alscest, Winterfylleth, Dark Funeral, Funeral Mist, Agalloch, Windir, Undivine, Amorphis, Rimthurs, Diabolical, Planet Rain, Behemoth, Marduk, Katatonia, Ereb Altor.


  
11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Johan:
There are a lot of things I like to do, but at the moment my cabin and girlfriend takes up most of my spare time.

Bosse:
Hmm, hanging with friends, visit nature and take walks or run in natural areas. Go to the gym a couple of days during the week and so forth. At the moment my studies at the University as well. Plus a beer now and then. Trying what I can to feel as good as possible.

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

Thanks for the review (!) and for this interview! =) Don't forget to check out our music video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv8VFrJ-Pd4
Drink a beer or twelve this upcoming we


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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Ad Extirpenda Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before can you tell us a little bit about the band? 
We are a symphonic blackened metal band from Nantes (France) composed of six members: a singer, two guitarists, a keyboard player, a bassist and a drummer. 
We have a strong historical concept and aim at playing melodic and powerful riffs. 


2.In January you released a full length album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2012? 
«Cathartic» is a concept album about the events that occurred during the albigensian crusade in the beginning of the XIIIth century. Each song depicts a specific topic and therefore the musical flavor differs from one to the other. So basically, we have a symphonic/melodic blackened metal basis mixed with different elements: heavy (Béziers), folk (Ego te Absolvo) and even progressive (Dominic and the Perfect). 

The EP was a first step towards the album. Indeed, the album contains the four songs of the demo. They were re-recorded and remixed however. 


3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? 
Our main point was to propose historically accurate lyrics related to the subject of our album (that is the albigensian crusade). Each song deals with either historical facts (Béziers or Augustus), more philosophical topics (Church of the Wolves, Gnosis) or even personal thoughts of specific characters (The Inquisitor, Ego te Absolvo). 

It was important for us to keep a balance in the points of view and hence to introduce the positions of the different sides: cathars, crusaders, inquisitors, the king of France, etc. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ad Extirpenda'? 

Ad Extirpenda is the name of a papal bull published in 1252 by pope Innocent IV. It allowed and defined the use of torture by the inquisition. 


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance? 
We had a great time last year playing with Seth and also really enjoyed the couple of shows we played with Lord Shades and Entropia recently. 
Concerning our stage performance, we are currently working on improving the theatrical impression while keeping the energetic side. We have worked to design a consistent, balanced and efficient set-list and are very pleased to see that the audiences really enjoy it. 


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future? 
We have a couple of shows already scheduled and are planning a tour for the season 2014-2015. Concerts organizers are welcomed to contact us if they are interested in having us in their shows. 

7.According to the Metal Archives page, the band was formed in 2008 but waited for years to release anything, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap? 
The songs from our album were written in 2007 and 2008 and in the beginning, the band was mainly formed with the objective of recording them. As time advanced, we decided to go one step further and began to have regular rehearsals. Then, our first bassist and singer had to leave the band due to professional reasons, so our actual line-up only became operational in the end of 2012. 

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? 
We are searching a label and had a few contacts with small ones but it is mainly a distribution issue at this point. Nowadays, it is possible to record and produce one's own CD without ruining oneself. So, we didn't look for a label at first. 

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal? 
Up to now, the feedback mainly comes from europe, but it has been really good. Indeed, we were also pleased to have good feedbacks from people who are fans of other metal genres. 

10.What is going on with the singer's other musical project these days? 
It is not active anymore, so he's fully concentrated on Ad Extirpenda. 

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future? 
We have begun to work on the second album which will deal with the first crusade. As you can guess, we really want to retain a strong historical background. This time, we will include a couple of longer songs which are not intended to be played live but are essential for the atmosphere of the album. Aside from them, we intend to keep our musical direction. 

12.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays? 
There are a lot of influences in our music. One of the most obvious may be Moonspell (and their side-project Deamonarch) for their eclecticism and the very specific mood they are able to create. Bands like Arcturus, Borknagar, Vintersorg and Dimmu Borgir were also huge influences as well as Death, Dark Tranquillity and Iron Maiden of course. There are also non-metal references such as classical (Bach, Mahler) and jazz-rock (Return to Forever, Weather Report) artists. 

One of the strengths of our band is that we are listening to different kinds of music from one another so it will be difficult to draw a list of what we are listening. Though one edge of touring is that it is easier to discover bands, which is a great privilege since there are a lot of little gems which do not have the promotion they deserve. 


13.Does Occultism play any role in your music? 
Only marginally, the historical part of it mainly. 

14.What are some of your non musical interests? 
History and philosophy obviously. Aside from this, maths, at least from some of us. 

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
We are currently working on our first videoclip which will be available at the beginning of next fall. For the occasion, a remix of Augustus was performed at Vamacara Studio.

Finally, we are always pleased to have constructive discussions about our music so anyone wishing to do so is welcomed to contact us.



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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Bastion/Vremya borby/Der Schwarze Tod/2014 CD Review


  Bastion  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  pagan/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Vremya  borby"  which  was  released  by  Der  Schwarze  Tod.

  Drums  and  melodic  playing  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  parts  and  folk  instruments  as  well  as  a  faster  direction  that  utilizes  blast  beat  and  black  metal  screams  and  the  band  also  uses  a  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  death  metal  influences,  aggressive shouts  and  clean  singing  pagan  vocals.

  Guitar  leads  that  are utilized  by  the  band  are  very  extreme  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  also  starts  utilizing  more  death  metal  growls  on  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  adding  in  small  amounts  of  acoustic  guitars  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  remaining  true  to  a  heavier  sound  and  they  also  add  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  to  one  of  the  tracks  and  the  last  2  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Bastion  takes  a  melodic  pagan  form  of  folk  metal  and  makes  it  a  lot  heavier  by  mixing  in  more  black  and  death  metal  elements  and  blast  beats  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  and  professional  sounding  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Slavic  Paganism  and  fantasy.

  In  my  opinion  Bastion  are  a  very  great  sounding black  pagan/folk  metal  ban  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Arkona  1168"  and  "Bylina".  8/5  out  of  10.

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