Eshtadur/Mother Gray/Bleeding Music/2017 CD Review

  Eshtadur  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2017  album  "Mother  Gray"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Bleeding  Music.

  Heavy  and  melodic riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric synths  in  the  background  while  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto t he  recording  a  few  seconds  later  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  can  also  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  grim  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  symphonic  elements  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  clean  singing  is  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Eshtadur  moves  away  from t he  black  metal  influences  and  focuses  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  style  while  still  retaining  some  of  the  symphonic  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  rebellion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eshtadur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Plaguemaker"  "Time  Hole  To  Paris"  "The  Day  After"  and  "Last  Day  Of  The  Condor".  8  out  of  10.

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Enfold Darkness/Adversary Omnipotent/The Artisan Era/2017 CD Review

  Enfold  Darkness  are  a  band  from  Nashville,  Tennessee  that  plays  a  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Adversary  Omnipotent"  which will  be  released  in  July  by  The  Artisan  Era.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  adds  in  high  itched  black  metal s creams,  fast  riffs  and  blast  beats  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  technical elements  along  with  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very melodic  and  technical  fashion  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly.

  Some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  song  is  an  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use of  classical  music  elements  can  be  heard  and  they  are  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  chants.

  Enfold  Darkness  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  technical  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Esoteric,  War,  Religion  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Enfold  Darkness  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  technical  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  "Lairs  Of  The  Ascended  Masters"  "The  Sacred  Daemonic"  "Terror  Of  A  Perilous  Quest"  and  "Summoning  The  Archons".  8  out  of  10..

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

Tele.S.Therion/Luzifers Abschied/Minotauro Records/2017 CD Review

  Tele.S.Therion  are  a  band  from  an  unknown  location  that  plays  a musical  style  they  refer  to  as  'acousmatic  black  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Luzifers  Abschied"  which  was  released  by  Minotauro  Records.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  underground classical  music  along  with  some  touches  of  noise  and  experimental  and  whispered  ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in length.

  After  awhile  the  chants  start  utilize  more  of  a  melodic  tone  along  with  a  very  grim  black  metal  edge  and  stringed  instruments  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile   drum  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  evil  screams  and  demonic  voices  and  at  times  synths  and  saxophones  are  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  when  percussion  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  shamanistic  feeling.

  Tele.S.Therion  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  without  the  electric  guitars  and  mixes  it  with  avant  garde  and  experimental  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  fourth  act  of  Karlheinz  Stockhausen's  opera  "Samstung  aus  Licht  (Saturday  From  Light).

  In  my  opinion  Tele.S.Therion  are  a  very  great  sounding  and  original  mixture  of  black  metal,  experimental  and  avant  garde  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "Periode  V  -VII"  and  "Periode  X  -XII".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JceekdNS29o

Formicarius/Black Mass Ritual/Schwarzdorn Productions/2017 CD Review

  Formicarius  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Black  Mass  Ritual"  which  will  be  released in  July  by  Schwardorn  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  symphonic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also m using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  hear  while  the  vocals a re  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  of   the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  demonstrate  a  great  amount  of talent  and  skill  along  with  clean  playing  along  with  a  small  amount of  acoustic  guitars rare  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Formicarius  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  symphonic  sounding  while  also  demonstrating  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Formicarius  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Lake  Of  The  Dead"  "Under  Darkness"  and  "Master  Of  The  Past  And  Present".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBDFmGJi4bw

 
 

Wolvenguard Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
 1. The band is currently comprised of six members. Will Rohirrim and Justin Buller on Guitar, Adrian Steve on keyboards, Nikos Riekstins on drums, Ethan Wissman on bass/vocals and Jake Wayman on vocals. We started early 2016 and have been working diligently on shaping our own lane in the metal world. We are based out of Austin Texas.

2.You have an ep coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. The music is our take on combining  some of our favorite metal genres.  Each song has it's own thing going on but the ep has a consistent stylistic thread running throughout  which makes it come together as something all our own.
Fans of melodic death metal, folk metal and even black metal should be able to take something away from what we are doing with the band.

3.You label your music as 'primal archiac extreme metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
3. The atmosphere of the music has this real primal, archaic spirit to it. It makes you think of the times of old.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
4. The ep title track  "Elemental Reclamation" is about nature reclaiming the planet back from the human race. The destruction and rebirth of earth. "Formless Aeons" is basically about the creation of the universe and "Vangrimst" is a battle song through and through.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wolvenguard'?
5. The Wolvenguard is one of our local native american tribes. We felt it fit the sound of our music and relates to future topics we are looking to write about.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6. We are still working towards our first few round of shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7. No plans set in stone yet but we are definitely driven towards hitting the road in the future.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
8. We are currently on the search for the right fit for our brand of metal. Nothing set in stone there yet.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and melodic death metal?
9. We have received an overwhelming amount of amazing feedback from people all around the world. It's great seeing that people are connecting with what we are doing with the band.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
10. Ethan's band Cerebral Desecration plays regionally quite often and has a solid fanbase. Justin's band khringe plays regularly and his other band In oblivion is till active as well. Niko's plays for bands Sitri and Death Motif. They both play regularly in the Austin area. Will's other band Vesperian Sorrow is writing a new record.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11. We are recording a full length record sometime in the near future, which will expand on the sound established on the ep. We are motivated towards playing live, touring.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an infleunce on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
12. Wolvenguard is mainly influenced by bands such as Amon Amarth, Borknagar, Bathory, Enslaved.
The newest Borknagar and Insomnium records have been on heavy rotation.

13.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
13. We do take up the pagan metal tag when describing the band so we do stand behind several different pagan viewpoints, philosophically and spiritually.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
14. Spending time with friends and family, cooking out and catching a good metal show are all a few things we enjoy doing outside of the band.

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

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Gates Of Ishtar/A Bloodred Path/Vic Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Gates  Of  Ishtar  where  a  band  from  Sweden  that  played  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  1996  album  "A  Bloodred  Path"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  June  of  2017  by  Vic  Records.

  Blast  beats  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  blackened  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  more  melodic  side  of  death  metal  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  really  displays  a  great  amount  of  influences  from  the  Swedish  bands  of  that  era and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  can  be  heard  as  well  a s a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  W.A.S.P's  :I  Wanna  Be  Somebody".

  Gates Of  Ishtar  played  a  musical  style that  takes  the  Swedish  forms  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixed  them  together,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  solitude  and  inner  struggles  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Gates  Of  Ishtar  where  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  "Where  The  Winds  Of  Darkness  Blow"  "The  Dreaming  Glade"  and  "A  Bloodred  Path".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/gatesofishtarofficia

 

 

Wolvenguard/Elemental Reclamation/2017 EP Review

 Wolvenguard  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  primal  and  archaic  form  of  black  metal  which  is  also  heavily  influenced  by  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Elemental  Reclamation"  which  will  be  released  in  June.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  ;after  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  the  solos  and leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  singing  is  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavy  style  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences.

  Wolvenguard  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  their  own  style  of  primal  archaic  extreme  metal,  the  production  sounds very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolvenguard  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Formless  Aeons".  8  out of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Y5f0V4Deo