Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Chasmdweller/Self Titled/Static Void Records/2019 EP Review


  Chasmdweller  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  dungeon  synth  and  power  electronics  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  ep  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Static  Void  Records.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  are  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  riffing  which  also  is  the  most  dominant  factor  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  A  lot  of  90's  era  doom/death  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth   elements  to  give  the  music  a  lot  more  diversity.

  Chasmdweller  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death.  doom,  sludge  and  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  elements  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Chasmdweller  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  some  touches  of  power  electronics  and  dungeon  synth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Clotting  Of  The  Sacred  Artery".  8  out  of  10.

https://staticvoidrecords.bandcamp.com/album/chasmdweller-s-t-svr08

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Ered/Evil Sorceries/Black Market Metal Label/2019 Full Length review


  Ered  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  blackened  and  melodic  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Evil  Sorceries"  which  was  released  by  black  Market  Metal  Label.

  Horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  some  influences  of  90's  era  Swedish  blackened  death  metal.

  When  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  they  also give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ered  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Evil  Sorceries"  "Born  From  Ritual  Death"  "Of  Ghouls  And  Graves"and  "Grim  Visions".  8  out  of  10.

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Saturday, March 23, 2019

Suppressed Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Suppressed is 5 guys from Umeå, Sweden that combine sludgy metal with a lot of noise. We've been together as a band since 2018 but as individuals we have played in various punk, death and black metal bands since the 90's.


2.So far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
 We wanted to get it really sludgy, almost off beat sludgy so we recorded the songs live. Only vocals were done afterwards. We aimed to give Gurgels noise a bit more room than most sludge bands do. I want to make it clear that the noise is not there as an occational distortion. It's supposed to be threatening almost all of the time. Due to the noise's nature it's really hard to get it right, so I'm very satisfied with the outcome.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?
Basically every days struggle being a wage slave and the constant boredom of capitalism. Also the shame one feel, looking at an ongoing environmental disaster and not acting out on it.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Suppressed'?
It's the constant feeling when living in the worlds "best" country where everything is a charade. Yeah sure we have it all. We should be satisfied. But we're all living at the expense of the climate and underpaid workers far away. They suffer so we wont have to.


5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?
The world is on fire and soon we'll burn too, unless drastic counteractions are taken.


6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We've only yet had a couple of local shows but they've been great. We usually place Gurgels noise table in front of us all so he can really beat it out. I on the other hand often forget about the bass rhythms because it's overwhelming to finally scream it all out.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We've got a few requests upon releasing the demo so we'll soon play in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Would be great to do a tour in Europe one day.


8.Currently you are unsigned are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We've gotten a few interesting emails but we are in no stress to sign yet. It has to be a label that really understands the music and what we want to do.


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

We've gotten a few reviews that have been mostly positive. But we've just started so there is not much of a buzz yet.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We're currently writing new songs. If all goes well we aim to head into the studio again this fall. For our upcoming album we aim to make uglier and more hardhitting tunes. We definitely wan't to step it up.


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?
Sludge and black metal have inspired us the most. Bands like Abandon, Indian, Starkweather and Primitive Man have all gotten me here.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Besides being a father of three children... there is not much time. But I take interest in political literature which helps me coping with also working inside the capitalist machinery. Mouffe, Arendt and Zizek are all highly recommended to stay afloat.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for spreading our music. We recommend anyone interested in the ugliers side of metal to give a listen. We'll soon print shirts and also release the demo on CD so follow us on Facebook and Bandcamp to keep track. Stay underground!

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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Archaic Decapitator/The Apothecary/2019 EP Review


  Archaic  Decapitator  are  a  band  from  Connecticut  and  on  this  recording  goes  into  more  of  a  progressive  and  melodic  style   of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2019  ep  "The  Apothecary"  which  will  be  released in  April.

  A very  symphonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  utilize  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  they  also  mix  the  symphonic  elements  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.

  The  vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  mix  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  good  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  thrash  metal  at  times. When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  mental  decline  and psychological  disorders.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Archaic  Decapitator  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  melodic  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skyward"  and  "The  Apothecary".  8  out  of  10.

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

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Vous Autres/Champ Du Sang/Sleeping Church Records/2019 CD Review


  Vous  Autres  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Champ  Du  Sang"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Sleeping  Church  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  which  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  dissonant  and  melodic  style  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  keyboards  when  they  are  utilized  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  leads  also  adding  in  elements  of  post  metal  as  the  album  progresses  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  the  album  closes  with  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  the  contemporary  world  and  the  multiple  delusions  of  human  nature.

  In  my  opinion  Vous  Autres  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sans  Lendemain"  "Tes  Jours  Passes"  and  "La  Tristesse  De  Tes  Deboires".  8  out  of  10.

 https://sleepingchurchrecords.bandcamp.com/album/vous-autres-champ-du-sang   

Novarupta/Disillusioned Fire/Suicide Records/2019 CD Review


  Novarupta  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Disillusioned  Fire"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Suicide  Records.

  A  very slow,  dark  and  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  hardcore  style  approach  to  screams  as w ell  as  some  shouts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly  when  the  music  speeds  up.  Clean  guitars  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  half  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  guitar  leads  are  also  very  melodic  and  bring  in  elements  of  shoegaze  and  post  rock.

  Every  track  also  has  a  different  vocalist  which  also  leads  up  to  some  tracks  also  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Clean  vocals  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  oppressive  and  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Novarupta  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pyroclastic  Flows"  and  "Only  The  Dirt  Will  Know  Our  Graves".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/novaruptaband

Frosthelm/Pyrrhic/Revenger Records/2019 Full Length Review


  Bismarck,  North  Dakota's  Frosthelm  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  thrash  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Pyrrhic"  which  will  be  released  on  March  23rd  by  Revenger  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Elements  of  thrash  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  good  amount  of  tremolo  picking.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style.

  A  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  one  of  the  later  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Frosthelm  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Gift  Of  Razors"  "The  Sorceress"  and  "Pyrrhic  II  Loooming  Disk".  8  out  of  10.

https://frosthelm.bandcamp.com/track/the-sorceress-single