Odraedir 2017 Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album and the time in between 2013 to 2017?
Yes, definitely. We didn´t want to underestimate the preparation. At first we needed to compose the new material and after that we started recording the stuff on February 2015. In 2016 we did some improvements and started mixing and mastering on March 2017. And now the album is finally done. So we spent all the time to record everything correctly and in the last point we needed to make some rearrangements in background music made by flutes, bagpipes and so on to fit the songs perfectly. It was a long way where we learnt how to operate with details and I must tell you the time worth it, it brought us a lot of valuable experiences which we’ll use the next time.

 2.How does the new album different from the stuff you have done in the past?
I don´t think it´s so different, we just continued in our ingrained style: heavy rhythms, melodies supplemented by background music and harsh vocals. Maybe there´s a difference in the amount of orchestras, it´s increased compared to the previous albums. Also the production is much better and we spent waaaaay more time to record and complete this stuff :D.

3.How would you describe your songwriting progress over the years?
It´s hard to describe but we focused more on structured and complex composing. The songs are compact as we put a stress on deeper details. In fact it’s probably only us who takes care about them as those details are pretty hidden but we simply like it :).

4.Since 2013 have you done any live shows that have stood out in your memory?
First it was in 2013, when we went on the small tour with two bands full of great guys, Knaat and Heathen Foray. That was an amazing experience which we‘ll never forget. Than in 2014, we played on Made of Metal open air festival here in the Czech Republic, which was our first big festival experience.

5.Are there any touring or show plans for the new album?
Sure, it’s very important to promote our new album in the Czech Republic and abroad as well. Concerning the domestic shows, some are already behind us and several are planned in the near future. We would like to make some small tour including Germany and Austria, as in 2013, in the first half of the next year but there are no certain dates yet. We´d also love to play at some open air festivals, we’ll definitely apply for some in Germany.

6.Last time we talked you where unsigned and the new album is self released, has any labels showed any interest in your newer music?
No but we haven’t been so visible in past years which is not the case of nowadays. Now we have a new album which represents our music on a good level. We plan to ask around whether some label would be interested in cooperation as music distribution… we’ll see.

7.How have you fans reacted to your musical progress over the years?
Our fans were positively surprised by the progress we made. We also noticed a high interest in having our CD :-). It can be told we spread CD’s all over the world as it reached even USA and Japan. On the other hand this is also caused by better connection between bands and their fans via Bandcamp, Facebook, Youtube and other mediating parties which went more and more into our daily lives over past years.

8.Are there any current musical influences or inspirations over the years that have played a role in your newer music?
There is a number of bands we all like and there is definitely an influence on our creations but it’s impossible to name any certain. Simply, what we compose is formed by our taste which doesn’t have any strict borders.

9.What are some of the things you would like to try out musically during the future that you where not able to do with the new album?
We can’t say we were not able to do but we want to experiment a little bit. For example we plan to drop our tuning. Plus we wish to try bringing our music into a concept album but that’s a challenge for sure... a tempting one :D.

10.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are thankful for the great support which we got over those years as well as the one we got during the last months as Legends of the Dark Times album was released. We also let some T-shirts made to this occasion and it’s a wonderful feeling to see fans with our T-shirts on below the stage, that’s really a great support for us, thank you. And few very final words... we are looking forward to see each other at concerts, visit us and you´ll be kindly rewarded... :-)

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Coliseum/Mirmillion/Envenomed Music/2015 CD Review

  Coliseum  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  epic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Mirmillion"  which  was  released  by  Envenomed  Music.

  Sword  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  epic  synths  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain sections  of  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  vocals  being  black  metal  screams.

  A  touch  of  pagan  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  leads  up  to  the  music  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Coliseum  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  together  to  create  an  epic  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in Belgian  and  cover  Gladiators  and  Roman  Empire  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Coliseum  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  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  "Le  Dernier  Hurlement"  "Coliseum"  and  "La  Legende".  8  out  of  10.

https://envenomedmusic. bandcamp.com/album/mirmillon

Perihelion/Orveny/Apathia Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Hungary's  Perihelion  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  avant  garde  style  of  post  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Orveny"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Apathia  Records.


  Heavy  riffs  along  with  some  clean  avant  garde  style  vocals  start  off  the  album  while  all  of t he  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style.

  Synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  being  very  experimental  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  elements  of  post punk  and  clean  guitars are also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  blast  beats  are  also  used  briefly.

  Perihelion  creates  a  recording  that  goes  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  post  metal  style  while  the  influence  of  black  metal  is  still  there,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Hungarian  ans  cover  dreamlike  passages  towards  the  subconscious.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Perihelion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kihalt  Egi  Folyosok"  "Fenyt!"  and  "Bardo".  8  out  of  10.

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Bloodmoon/Trapped Within Burning Machinery/Midnight Collective/2017 SPlit Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  California's  Bloodmoon  and  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Midnight  Collective  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Bloodmoon  a  band  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  yet  heavy  riffing  along  with  some  screams  that  are  in  between  sludge  and  black  metal  and  there  track  is  over  11  minutes  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them along  with  some  elements  of  post  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  mixing  in  clean  singing  into the  background  and  they  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  song  a  more  progressive  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space,  time,  death  and  mind  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bloodmoon  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

  Next  up  is  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  atmospheric  synths  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  while  the  track  is  over  17  minutes  in  length  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  it  goes  into  more  of  a  funeral  doom  metal  direction.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  elements  of  sludge  are  also  added into  the  heavier  riffing  along  with  some  melodic  guitar leads  as  well  as  some  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anti  existence,  misanthropy,  industrialism,  and  drug  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

  In  conclusion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.

https://trappedwithinburningmachinery.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-bloodmoon

Primitive Man/Caustic/Relapse Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Denver,  Colorado's  Primitive  Man  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Caustic"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Relapse  Records.

   Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  while  also  mixing  in  black  metal  screams  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

    Elements  of  harsh  noise  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  d  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  post  metal  style.

  Primitive  Man  remains  true  to  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  form  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  more  elements  of  harsh  noise  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hatred  an  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Primitive  Man  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "My  Will"  "Commerce"  "Sugar  Hole"  and  "Inevitable".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.primitivemandoom.com
http://www.facebook.com/primitivemandoom

Mazikeen/Self Titled/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2017 CD Review

  Mazikeen  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2017  album  which  was  released  by  Iron,  Blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  heavy  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  Swedish  styles  of  black  and  death  metal.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's  but  done  with  a  more  modern  twist  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  the  outro  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  before  going  into  the  bonus  tracks  while    a  couple  of  the  songs  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of being instrumentals  as  well  as  having  a  more  raw  production  to  it.

  Mazikeen  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  Swedish  style  blackened  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mazikeen  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "No  Name"  and  "Ceulian  v3".  8  out  of  10.

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Ensiferum/Two Paths/Metal Blade Records/2017 Full Length Review

  Finland's  Ensiferum  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  folk  metal  style  of  previous  releases  while  still  also  mixing in  the  heaviness  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Two  Paths"  which  will  be  released on  September  15th  by  Metal Blade  Records.

  A  very  epic  sounding  intro starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  movie  as  well  as  introducing  female  vocals  and  pagan  choirs  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  heavier.

  Vocals  bring  in a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some   melodic  singing  that  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  digital  accordion's  also  being  utilized  at  times  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  folk  music  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  back  up  shouts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Ensiferum  creates  another  recording t hat  remains  true  to  the  melodic  black  and  death  metal  inspired  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  legends,  fantasy.  battles,  sorrow,  and  heathenism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ensiferum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "For  Those  About  To  Fight  For  Metal"  "Two  Paths' "Feast  With  Valkyries"  and  "God  Is  Dead".  8/5  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/Ensiferum
http://www.ensiferum.com
http://www.metalblade.com/ensiferum

Crimfall Interview

Mikko Häkkinen – Vocals, lyrics
Jakke Viitala – All music

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
MIKKO
A lot of waiting for sure. The recording itself took quite some time since we didn't have the label to financially support us and had to use time consuming means to get everything on tape. Then the actual mixing took surprisingly long, but it must have been something to do with hundreds and hundreds of tracks the songs contained. When we finally had the complete album in our hands we approached various record labels and started the negotiations for the deal. And of course the actual release of the album took months. Meanwhile we have been doing few live shows, shooting our first music video and planning for the future.

2.You have a new album coming out during the end of August, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
JAKKE
AMAIN is a beast. It is the most epic Crimfall album so far. It has the enegry of our first album but also the mood and visuality from our second. So it is kind of hybrid but with everything tuned up to eleven.

The songwriting, musicalship, arrangements and the whole production is taken to a complete new level. So, like everyone usually tend to say about their latest work "this is our best album so far"...but it really is... seriously!

3.You label your music as 'epic cinematic metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
JAKKE
Coming up with a term has been a difficult task. We have had a chat about it with all of our record labels and promoters, but we simply cannot cover our music with one term without giving wrong impression about the music. Our material varies a lot by taking inspiration from all the possible sources. But there are few elements which have been present since the beginning of our band. Epicness and movie scores.


4.This is your first full length since 2011, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
JAKKE
Since our previous album "the writ of sword", quite a lot has happened. We were already working on these new songs in 2011 when our previous label had to let us go due to their financial problems. We were alone again.... without anyone supporting us. Because of that we were struggling quite a lot with our motivation and even had a meeting about our future. But as the new album was already written and the demos already sounded pretty impressive, we decided to try one more time... and make it perfect! And as we had to pay everything from our own pockets, we also had to do as much as possible by ourselves... But still invest huge amount of money to the production.

The recording and editing process itself took more than one year from drums to vocals. Mixing all the 1600 tracks to one album took almost half an year. So even if 6 years is a long time indeed, we have been working on AMAIN almost for the whole time. Doing as massive album as this one by yourself (while having a daily job) simply cannot be done any faster.



5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
MIKKO
One of the themes is facing unsurmountable odds with your back against the wall and coming through that storm a changed man, with tempered new truths. We also want to celebrate freedom in its many forms, rebellion against rules of oppression and outright lies meant to bind your will. This time we are dealing more with contemporary topics than dwelling in the past and myths.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crimfall'?
MIKKO
It doesn't really have such a deeper meaning. We wanted a name that wouldn't point too evidently to any genres and wouldn't necessarily carry too obvious meaning. Rather a symbol that raises images and connections from your subconscious. I can say we were thinking of Finnish autumn when ending up with the name.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
MIKKO
I could mention two highlights. One was the sold out concert in London warming up Turisas where we felt really welcome. Another one was Metal Fest Open Air in Pilsen with an awesome location. But we do enjoy playing in small stinking clubs where the audience is spitting beer in your face. We aim to bring on stage all the visuality and intensity of the music but without cheap gimmicks. Building a journey or arc of drama and contrast with the music.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
MIKKO
Few shows have been released but otherwise it seems our plans will be delayed until next year. It is a shame since we are eagerly waiting to get back to the stage to play the new songs.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of folk, viking and black metal?
MIKKO
The first reviews are only now pouring in so it remains to be seen what the final reception will be. So far it has been mostly positive and we have been finding new audiences amongst the people who don't normally listen to this kind of music. Also our music video did get lot of positive feedback and we are excited how it turned out. We wanted something that would really capture the relentless and dismal atmosphere of the song.

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
MIKKO
I have somewhat darker pagan metal band Draugnim that is actually older than Crimfall but hasn't been able to gather as wide audiences. It is more uncompromising and closer to black metal and I'm extremely satisfied how the latest album "Vulturine" turned out so feel free to keep the name in mind. Helena used to have quite many different projects but to my understanding she will be focusing more on song writing and staying in the background with those. I would imagine Jakke to have other projects at some point but currently he is way too consumed by efforts he puts on Crimfall.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
JAKKE
It is too early to say. All the Crimfall albums are pretty different to each other. As our music comes straight from the heart and is not giving a poo about the trends or public opinion, the sound and style starts to find its form sometime during the writing process. They all represent the era they were written, the music, movies or other sources of inspiration which were playing important role that time.


12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
JAKKE
I'm listening mostly movie scores and classical music. Of course I have been listening to metal music since I was a little bastard, but nowadays rarely find any impressive new albums. So for me movie score have much more to give at the moment.

The story telling and kind of visuality that type of music has is something I try to create with Crimfall as well.


13.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
MIKKO
Paganism to me is most of all source of vehement inspiration, it taps into roots of all archetypes, subconscious gods if you will that resonate vigorously when conjured. One cannot also forget the primeval understanding of man being part of nature and not the king of creation, or even kingmaker with his figment gods.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
MIKKO
Collecting literature, especially of esoteric nature. Good craftsmanship on drinks and dining. Traveling. Previously I would have said movies but the new golden age of tv-series has changed that a bit. Oh and wrestling drunk in Finnish summer cabin. Jakke hunts, but rarely hits anything.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
MIKKO
If you feel that our music has given you something, please support it by coming to the shows, sharing our tunes, spreading the word and feeding the flame.

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SinnerAngel Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.Of course. Sinnerangel is a band from the city of Medellín, Colombia, which combines and mixes several genres of metal without established guidelines. Our denomination is the Dark Metal

2.In June you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2.Our sound is the result of a decade of musical experimentation, we wanted to take the time to find the style that is finally reflected in the album. As we emphasized in the previous question, we never wanted to enter the studio with everything completely defined or established, and in a certain way it is what gives an identity to our music.

3.The band has been around since 2004 but waited until 2017 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 13 years?
3.The band had an important activity at the local level for the first 5 years, at that time we did not have enough perseverance to continue with the project on the rise and each member ended up focusing on their personal projects. In 2014 we started the activities again and we started the project to what would be our debut album.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
4.Our vocalist is the author of most of the lyrics, he takes a lot of theatrical literature and in that sense we consider that they are like short poems and writings that we try to preserve to give identity to the sense of obscurity.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'SinnerAngel'?
5.Sinnerangel is duality and contradiction to time. It is the profane and the sacred. In a way the name gives us a little bit to express the band's sense of not being on one side

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6.In our first stage we shared the stage with important national bands of great trajectory like REINCARNATION AND NEUROSIS, I believe that these bands have international recognition, since both had at that moment more than 20 years of trajectory. Then came other minor concerts and in this new stage of the band we are preparing better with our performance, we hope to have our album launch soon with a concert that has better conditions on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7.We are in talks with some bands and labels. But our priority for the moment is to launch the album nationally.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
8.We receive weekly review reports on zines, websites and other media. It is encouraging to see how there are good comments on our music, keeping in mind that it is our debut. Currently there are many emerging bands worldwide and it is difficult to highlight in any way. But it's a long-term job.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9.Definitely composing a new work, and advancing conversations to play at an international level.

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?
10.Each member has his tastes and therefore the band has this multiplicity of sounds, in general melodic death, black metal and much of the old school metal is always present in our most common tastes. Bands like Hipocrisy, old man childs and at the gates, are influences of our first stage

11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
11.I would say that more than an occult theme we are talking about the decadent human gods, the need for approval to continue living and the constant fear of death.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12.Hahaha, well, no one is a mystery that few metal bands can dedicate entirely to music. We all have alternative life projects, and our areas of work are architecture, photography, couching and things like that.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13.A huge thank you to Qabar Extreme Music and our GRIMM DISTRIBUTION labels for the support and diffusion in this time. To all the readers I recommend to visit our channel and fan page, to acquire our album and to be attentive to the innovations that we can bring in a future! Long live the metal from Colombia!

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Astaroth Incarnate Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
- Astaroth Incarnate, literal meaning being Astaroth in the flesh. We are a Blackend/Extreme Metal band formed in October 2013 in Toronto. We consist of 5 members – Astaroth (Sam) (vocals/lyrics), Pablo (guitars), Ric (guitars), Sergio (bass), Emile (drums) and our vision is to bestow the ideologies of Astaroth to our hell spawns through our interpretations and relating them to our world and society of today. Our goal is to create extreme metal which feels limitless in its creative form while staying true to our roots and influences in metal.

2. So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?
- For our demo, we didn’t have real drums and basically did the whole thing ourselves and the result was satisfactory for the time being. When our current lineup came together, we felt a lot more confident in our material and felt that we should release the album professionally so we first demoed the whole album. Following that, we entered the studio to record all the instruments by each respective member and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Our sound for this album was focused on a delivering a blackend death metal style with clear production while the overall feeling still remaining natural and not too overproduced.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
- All of our lyrics are built around personal exploration for each spawn to experience in their own way. There is fear, knowledge, punishment, strengthening, torture, judgement, enlightenment and many other subjects which we portray in our material.

4. I know that the band was named after a goetic demon, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism or Demonology?
- Our front man Astaroth (Sam) from researching and reading up on demonology feels strongly connected with the demon Astaroth and in many ways connects with a lot of the ideologies that surrounds his myth. Sam believes that through invoking the spirit of Astaroth within, we are able to connect to our spawns and talk about various aspects of life as we know it and further more into the unknown and beyond.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how wold you describe your stage performance?
- We have had the pleasure of opening for Beyond Creation, Shining (Sweden), Origin and Goatwhore. There are lots of other shows that we have also played which have been memorable experiences. As for our stage performance, we try to deliver live what you hear on the record. We want to sound natural and at the same time use some backup vocals and occasional playback intros/interludes to bring all the layering done in the album to our live audiences. We also focus on our visual aspect and focus on giving our audience a theatrical performance on top of playing our material.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
- We have setup a few shows already and are in the process of locking in some more shows from September and onwards inside Canada, notably our upcoming show opening for Aura Noir. We would also love to play abroad if given the opportunity.

7. The new ep is coming out on 'CDN Records', are you happy with the support the label has given you so far?
- We are quite happy. None of us have dealt with any records labels before and so far the support we have been receiving and continue to receive can only push us to work harder and strive to go further in our career as a band.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
- So far we are overwhelmed by the features we are getting from all over the world. No one has really said anything bad but the full album hasn’t come out yet. We have only released a single so far and the reviews on that has been generally great. We have had a couple album reviews as well and those have been great as well. When the album does come out, we would love to hear what everyone has to say. We appreciate both negative and positive reviews as they allow us to analyse how our music is being received and what we could do to further ourselves.

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
- We have talked about incorporating some orchestration and obscure clean vocals to evolve our song writing which are hinted in this upcoming album. We plan on experimenting further for our full length to create an even more unique experience for our audience.

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?
- We have quite a lot of bands that we are influenced by from both metal to non-metal genres. If you were to ask of our biggest influences in writing the music for Astaroth Incarnate, the following 6 bands would suffice. Belphegor, Dying Fetus, Behemoth, Gojira, Death and Mayhem. As for new material coming out this year so far we like new releases by Carach Angren, Dying Fetus, Ex Deo, Goatwhore, Hate, Kreator, Iced Earth, Immolation, Marty Friedman, Obituary, Suffocation, Wintersun etc. There are many other great releases coming out as well which we are looking forward to.

11. What are some of your non-musical interests?
- We have quite a few. Playing video games, watching anime or tv shows/movies, cosplaying, reading books, road trips, playing sports etc.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
- We, Astaroth Incarnate, would like everyone that listens to the album to look at it with an open mind. Read the lyrics, enjoy the music and make of it however that satisfies you. Also, be on the lookout for our full length album which we will be working on next to bring you spawns in the near future.

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From North Interview

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

From North are a new Viking Metal band from Sweden. We incorporate medieval instruments into the music. All of the members have a long history from other bands as: Stormhold, Anata, Bleed for me, Irrbloss, Sinisty, Zero Illusions, Years of falling etc etc.

2. You have an album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We would describe our music as melodic, big, heavy and dynamic backed by well-made backtracks.

3. Your lyrics deal with Norse Paganism and Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Everyone in the band has an interest in the Norse history and mythology. We grow up with this stuff, it is a part of who we are. This also goes for Andreas, our sixth member who writes the lyrics.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'From North'?

From North is where we come from. We grow up in this part of the world, so what better name to take...

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our next show will be our best show! Ask us again in a year..

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We have our release gig for the upcoming album on the 20th October @Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg. After that we aim for upcoming festivals and more club gigs.

7.The album is going to be released on 'Downfall Records', are you happy with the support that they have given yo so far?

We are definitely happy with Mike and Downfall. He has done a good work so far and looking forward to further collaboration.

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk and viking metal?

We are surprised and really happy with all the great feedback so far! It makes you proud seeing fans using the From North logo and commenting on and supporting the music. We get a lot of curiosity on the rest of the album; and if you like the first song “From North” you will not be disappointed in the rest!

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

We are really happy with our concept! Mixing different styles of metal and medival instruments into the signature From North sound! Next album is already in the making…

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?

Hard to say because of the broad range of our musical taste. We are all metal heads first and foremost but we have influences from many times, places and styles.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Some stuff we like: Growing beard, drinking mead, riding motorcycles, sword fighting, drinking Minttu mixed with Jägermeister = the from North shot (Drink at own risk), and enjoying our beautiful nature; fishing, hiking and camping.

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

Keep supporting metal in general and From North in particular! Rock on and see you at a stage near you soon!

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Astaroth Incarnate/Omnipotence - The Infinite Darkness/CDN Records/2017 EP Review

  Astaroth  Incarnate  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  very melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  along  with  some  elements  of  thrash,  groove  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Omnipotence  -  The  Infinite  Darkness"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  CDN  Records.

  An  almost  silent  soundscape  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  drum  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  A  lot  of  melodies  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash,  groove  and  doom  metal  elements  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  the  music  gets  very  brutal and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly

  Astarath  Incarnate  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black  and  brutal  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  elements  of  thrash,  groove  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fear,  knowledge,  punishment,  strengthening,  torture,  judgement,  enlightenment  and  occultism  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Astaroth  Incarnate  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash,  groove  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Curse  Of  The  Black  Plague"  and  "Re-Creation".  8  out  of  10.  

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In Twilight's Embrace/Vanitas/Arachnophobia Records/2017 CD Review

  Poland's  In  Twilight's  Embrace  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  melodic  approach  to  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 album  "Vanitas"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Arachnophobia  Records.

  A  very  fast  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  start  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  onto  the  recording  and  the riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  Swedish  influences  and  as  the  album progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  In  Twilight's  Embrace  create  an  album  that  goes  into  even  more  of  a  melodic  blackened  death  metal  style  than  their  previous releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  disillusion,  doubt,  negativity,  solitude  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  In  Twilight's  Embrace  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fan  The  Flame"  "Futility"  and  "The  Great  Leveller".  8  out  of  10.

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Uhtcearu Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
We are a Wisconsin based metal band trying to combine meaningful lyrics with music that still has the aggressiveness of extreme metal.

2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?
We have had the pleasure of recording with Shane Hochstetler at Howl Street Recordings in Milwaukee for both of our albums. He has helped us achieve our goal of creating a raw, yet defined sound. Musically, we are fans of many metal genres and wanted to create a sound that is not limited to the confines of one genre.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Our lyrical themes revolve around personal and societal unease with a hint of supernatural pondering.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Uhtcearu'?
Uhtcearu (oot-key-are-oo) is an Anglo-Saxon word that translates to pre-dawn anxiety or nighttime sorrow.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Well we are currently driving through Ontario to our first date on the Rite of Passage Tour, so are expecting these will be some of the best shows we have played as a band so far. As a three piece, it is important for each member to bring energy to the stage.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes, we are in the midst of our first official tour which includes 3 Canadian dates, and 7 throughout the U.S.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
Right now we are more focused on developing our sound and gaining experience as a band, but are what open to whatever lies ahead.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic black metal?
The reception has been great so far, especially with the release of our new album. People seem to react to our music as a breath of fresh air in the scene.

9.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?
Noel, our drummer was just in Europe with Painted Caves, a Milwaukee based Middle-Eastern infused psych-rock band. He also plays in Population Control, which is a thrash band from Milwaukee.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
In the future, we will continue to refine our sound and will not limit ourselves to the patterns set by our previous releases.

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?
Though we are all avid and dedicated metal heads, our music tastes range from jazz-fusion, pop, blues, hip-hop and Polish folk music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Dustin, our guitar player is a history PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota. Zach, our bass player is a craft beer connoisseur. Noel, our drummer jogs occasionally.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you to everyone who has listened to and supported our albums. We greatly appreciate the growing fan base we are cultivating. Cheers!

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Syn Ze Sase Tri Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

-First of all hello and thanks for your interest in Syn Ze Sase Tri. Since we finished the recordings, a lot of things kept us busy. The mixing process which was quite hard since we live in Romania and the mixing was done in Italy, same thing with the artworks, and besides these we had to make a lot of rehearsals to be prepared to go live, many preparations for the stage props that we use in our live shows, interviews, photo sessions, plans, preparations and all the duties that need to be done to offer to the public a 100% experience. Basically as any professional band we must make everything to meet the highest expectations.


2.In September you have a new album coming out , how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

-The way i see it, is a step forward, more mature and closer to what we had in mind from the beginning of our journey 10 years ago. I cannot say that it is the same or different from what was before only as the sound quality, which is at a much higher level. But musically, we just followed our normal and natural path. And the result is what you can hear on this album. It is our biggest accomplishment so far as a band, and we are proud of it.


3.According to the facebook page you refer to your music as 'bloodstained black metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

-Yes of course. We decided to call our genre 'bloodstained metal', not black metal, because our music incorporates elements from many metal and rock genres, so it will be improper or unfair to mark it as black metal or any other strict therm. Bloodstained because of the story we tell through our music, which is based on the bloody history of our Romanian ancestors. So, it's metal, but bloodstained.


4.Your lyrics cover Ancient Dacian Legends and Romanian Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
-From my point of view each of us, no matter the religion or race or nationality, we all must respect and remember our roots, the things that were the base of what we are today. It is sad to see that today's life is taking a turn or better said is aiming to a globalisation, and in this way the identity is left aside. It is not about nationalism or other form of social movement, it is just to remember and never forget what is our identity. Sadly the young generation is very detached from history, and we try through our music and efforts to open their interest and to make them to read and make a little research about their origins, which is not a bad thing. They can choose to be whatever they want, but they must never forget who they are.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Syn Ze Sase Tri'?
-The name is inspired by a pre-Christian prayer dedicated to a deity, prayer carved on a gravestone which was discovered by archaeologists here in Romania, which translated would mean “I’m with triple six”.  This number, 666, being away from the occult meaning, in many cases in the pre-Christian mythology being assigned as the limit between the world of gods and men, a sacred number. The prayer itself was incorporated into the song “Ruga” (The Prayer) a song that ends our first album. The prayer and its discovering were neither confirmed nor denied by the historical / archaeological facts, but have become the perfect starting point for the whole concept of the band.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
-The best shows so far for us were the ones in which we opened for the biggest names in metal, such as Dimmu Borgir, Mayhem, Dark Funeral or Carach Angren. Why? Because at that level of organisation and the importance of the events, we had our chance to prove in the same conditions and to the same public that we are close to their level, a fact that the public shared with us, and was somehow our certitude that we are doing the right thing.
 About our stage experience i like to think that is very dynamic and that it gives a strong feeling. Our songs are variate and each song gives a different feeling and vibe. The biggest surprise for me was when a few years ago in Germany at one fest, i saw a man in the front row of the public who was so touched by the emotions sent by our ending song "Inaripat Si Impietrit", that he was crying the hell out of him, and after the show he confessed that even if he did not understood a thing from our lyrics due to our Romanian language, he felt the song very strong. So i think that our show are very theatrical and cinematic due to all the stage props we use, but in the same time the music sends a very sharp feeling with a strong intensity.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
-Of course. Since we finished the recordings we had a lot of gigs here in Romania, in which we started to promote the fact that in this year's fall we will release the 4'th chapter of our story, and in september we will have a european tour which will be the first leg of the promotional tour of the new album, tour that will be continued in the spring of and throughout the rest of the 2018.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?
-For us it was quite surprising. Not many times being compared to big names like Dimmu Borgir, Emperor or Cradle Of Filth. We received more and more good reviews with each album, and we receive a lot of good feedback from fans around the world. We hope that in the near future to be able to reach to all of them and to give them our bloodstained experience.

9.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?
-Two of my band mates, the drummer and the lead singer are playing in some other band like Malpraxis and An Theos, bands that are also very good and have their own identity and message. I cannot say much about their activity in those bands because i am focused on Syn Ze Sase Tri, but for sure i can recommend them to be listened.


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
-Headlining the biggest metal festivals in the world! Haha. We will do our best to get at the highest level as possible, but in our band is quite difficult to predict the future because we have a lot of ideas and only time and the public will be able to take us where we must be. Of course being a bloodstained wolf pack, we are moving forward with no intentions to step aside. We will get you all under the sign of the wolf! Haha


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?
-Me as the composer and founder of the band, i was very moved by the conceptual music. The Wall of Pink Floyd, or the music of King Diamond, Avantasia or even better Scenes From A Memory of Dream Theater were my guiding point. I always wanted to make music which has a story. I like to listen to something that keeps me nailed to the music for the entire album, not just on some tracks. But of course other bands from extreme music such as Dimmu Borgir, Emperor or Cradle of Filth, had a big impact over me so from all those Syn Ze Sase Tri was born. I listen to anything that sends an emotion, that has something to say. Otherwise is a waste of energy and time.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
-I love riding motorcycles, horse riding, carving, painting, working with leather and organic materials, nature, reading, anything that can give me a state of relaxation but in the same time to give me the opportunity to become much better as human. The good thing is that many of these things help me a lot with the band. So it combines the use with the pleasure.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
-Listen to our music and you will find out other great musicians who joined us on this album, buy our CD's, come to our gigs, and support our band. But don't forget to do this with all the bands. Without you, we cannot exist. Without us you have nothing to listen to. So try to support the metal scene as much as you can. Not just the big bands. Once they were like us.
 Follow us on our facebook page and visit our website www.synzesasetri.ro

 Rock on and get bloodstained! \m/

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Usnea/Portals Into Futility/Relapse Records/2017 CD Review

  Usnea  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Portals  Into  Futility"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Relapse  Records.

  Dark  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  and  chants  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  more  of  a  heavier  funeral  doom  metal  direction  while  the  vocals  bring  in  aggressive  sludge  style  screams  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  clean  playing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  structures  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Usnea  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true to  the  blackened  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  and  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Usnea  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal, you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lathe  Of  Heaven"  and  "A  Crown  Of  Desolation".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/usneadoom