Saturday, April 4, 2020

Hallowed Hands/Bleeding Pixels/Blue Bedroom Records/2020 EP Review

Hallowed  Hands  are  a  duo  from  Madison,  Wisconsin  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Bleeding  Pixels"  which  was  released  by  Blue  Bedroom  Records.



  Growling  death  metal  vocals  and  heavy  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some black  emtal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  some  of  the  mid  tempo  riffing  and  shouts  shows  an  influence  of  hardcore.



  Elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  a  touch  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music.  Video  game  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  whole  recording  mostly  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly  on  the  closing  track  and  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Hallowed  Hands  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death,  sludge,  progressive  metal,  hardcore  and  video  game  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own. The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cove r video  games,  wasted  youth,  health  problems  and  growing  up.

  In  my  opinion  Hallowed  Hands  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  post  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  death,  sludge  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bullet  Hell"  and  "Final  Form".  8  out  of  10.

  

Friday, April 3, 2020

Wells Valley Interview

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

WV: Since the recording and release of Reconcile the Antinomy, we’ve been given interviews to the press and also presenting the album on live acts.
On December we were at Under The Doom Fest at RCA Club in Lisbon where we played with several bands such as Alcest, Daylight Dyes, Consecration and Petrichor.
We’ve played with our good friends Soul of Anubis in our vinyl release party with our labels Chaosphere and Raging Planet, at Sabotage Club in Lisbon.

In November you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

WV: For us this is another step that we’ve taken, we know each other better than before and we’re exploring our creativity in new approaches without losing our darker ambience, adding new textures in our process.

The lyrics on the new album go into Hermeticism, Occultism, Cosmology and Theology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?


WV:  RTA is the reconciliation of man with spirituality, the new dawn of a long forgotten inner light and a dusk for a painful era. In this record we focused on numerous aspects and themes and all converged into one;  we have to move forward from the mundane and systematic routines that enclures our hearts and souls. RTA lyrics focus on a ancient remembrance that have to be summon from her slumber.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wells Valley'?

WV: Wells Valley come from the history of mankind, for centuries Man occupied the valleys where they felt safe and where it as possible to survive, than one of the major factor was the well, for some it was life because of the water, for others was a weapon where you could poison your enemies and also where some people choose to put en to their life.

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

WV: The cover art of RTA is based on the alchemical tree of metals, this image has a lot of symbolic meaning and that fits perfectly on the Wells Valley imaginary and it’s based in a very old illustration. The original picture belongs to a compendium of alchemical manuscripts that got something like three centuries. So after we discussed and tried different concepts this was the one that fitted entirely in the graphic prototype that we have looked for. We just applied a new vision and graphic style to the concept.
 
What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

WV: This is a common place, but every show has its value to us.
We’ve been performing since 2015: Burning Light festival, SWR festival in Barroselas, playing with bands such as Bolzer, Mantar, Weedeater, Jucifer , Bizarra Locomotiva, Process of Guilt, Earth Drive; Soul of Anubis, they mean a lot for us.
In stage we like to perform accurately and give as much as possible the air impact of our musical approach.

Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?

WV: Honestly we don’t have nothing closed yet but our goal is to play in some European venues. Keep and eye on our Facebook page, or at www.wellsvalley.net.
We’ll share all the news!

On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of avant garde, black, doom, sludge and post metal?

WV: We’ve been praised by some fans from all wide world, United States, Germany New Zealand... The common feeling is that our fans like our new album and they want us to play near them, so maybe the future will bring us surprises.


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

WV: Musically the future will be denser and heavier, we got some ideas and now we are planning the moment to start making some preproduction of new material

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?

WV : We listen and got tons of influences from classical music to the most extreme metal. We pay attention to all.

What are some of your non musical interests?

 WV: Families, movies, pets, plastic arts, books… There’s a lot of stuff.


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

WV: Keep on supporting Wells Valley, buy our material and go see us live. Nothing gives us more pleasure than being at a show absorbing new experiences with a crowd.

http://www.wellsvalley.net 
https://www.facebook.com/pg/WellsValley
https://www.instagram.com/wellsvalley 

Vortex Unit Interview Questions

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

We are a metal band from Bratislava, Slovakia. Our music consists of various metal genres, mostly Black and Death Metal. Vortex Unit was founded in 2011, by ex-members of The Crypt and Siren, our female singer, who is the last founding member in the band. The band members are Siren (vocals), Anguis (guitar, vocals), Michal (guitar), Vaco (bass) and Tuky (drums).

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous single and ep?

We used a different approach and created a storyline for the album. It is a bit more complicated music, both to play and listen to. Every song is a part of a tale, like a chapter. Comparing EP, Single and this Album would be a comparison of capabilities of different people, since the members have been replaced few times over. EP was a more of a straightforward beating, new album is a bit more technical, songs are more complicated. I would say the album might be considered a more compositional than the EP was.

3.This is also your first release since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Well, there was a single called Enlightenment in 2016, which should have served as a prologue to the story of The Bringer of Sun. There was trouble finding other members, who would like to play this music and be actually capable of playing it. Wigo started to play in Doomas, Anguis played in Ravenarium and everything went a bit slower. We worked on the album, both music and lyrical side of it had to be done well. Then, Wigo decided to take a break from music, so aside from searching for bass player and drummer, we also lacked a second guitar. After some time, drummer Tuky has decided to join us on drums, Pekka took the guitar, Lucas Thin started playing bass and we became a band.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the new album and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

It is a story of a being, exiled by his own people. Fear of the future events lurked into the hearts of his kin, and they have decided to get rid of him. Revenge has brought him onto a path, which is not exactly the path he was seeking for. The main focus is in the change of personality of an individual, when he gains power. The power makes his ego bloom and rise above the common men, rendering him more important and worthy in his eyes. His decisions are slowly turning into a madman's orders, his perception of reality is distorted and he turns his life into a cult of his godly presence, craving to be praised by all. It is basically about how admiration and power can destroy one's former persona and change him into a vainglorious asshole.
We worked on the album for more than four years. We learned a lot of the new stuff during this period, and we are gladful for this experience. We recorded the album by ourselves, mixed and mastered it on our own as well. Our views have changed in some ways, new things might be a bit different, but we don't aim for a dramatic change in genre.

5.The band has been around since 1996 and has gone under different names in the earlier line ups, what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vortex Unit'?

It might seem to be a continuation of the band The Crypt, but it is not. The idea was to start doing something slightly different, than The Crypt was doing. It has become an act on its own after some time, with no member of the previous band among us. Name meant to bear a powerful impact, as well as the music.

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

It is the Bright One, enclosed by the darkness, which is yet to be dissolved in his light. But it could be both the prologue, and the epilogue, when blinded by power, he creates his own darkness around him, thick and impenetrable, preventing him from seeing the outer world. Ondrej Forus is the artist responsible for the artwork, he has done a great job and is a true professional. Check him out on Facebook or www.ondrejforus.com if you are interested.

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?

The most interesting one was in 2014, Gothoom festival. There was a lot of fuss around this festival, because the nearest city was trying to ban it. Christians and authorities were pointing at gruesome, somewhat satanistic nature of bands, which were included in the line up. They were afraid of rituals, violence, burning of the Bible and who knows what else. Oh, yes, someone said that we will steal their hens if I remember correctly. Thanks to this, our band ended up being in several news, both broadcasted by TV stations and web news. On the other side, it were troublesome times for the organizer Peter Beťko (Doomas). There were a lot of downsides to this unwanted promotion, he had to deal with problems, ridiculous conditions and anonymous threats sent by insane people. Also there was some crazy auntie dressed in white, who was just standing in front of the gate, holding a huge cross like one would hold an infant, and spoke to everyone how evil it is what we are doing. We had a lot of fun back then, it's a really great festival, you should check it out! And how would we describe our stage presence? We are enjoying every second of it, and we are trying to deliver our best every time. We cherish the opportunity to play in front of people who are interested in hearing our music live.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?

We had something in mind, to promote our new album, but the Coronavirus outbreak has doomed the live shows. When things go to normal, hopefully sooner than it's expected, because the recent news aren't as appealing, we would like to play a little tour. We'd like to play shows in Slovakia, Czechia, maybe Poland... But that still is the future for now.

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

We noticed some positive feedback, we are happy to hear that people like this new album.

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?

Well, recently we changed our line up, Pekka and Lucas decided to move on and leave the band, but we fortunately found a replacement in no time. Michal and Vaco from the band LATE are the newest addition to our crew. LATE actually released a new full length album recently, called The One and I. Tuky is in a lot of bands, a new album of Modern Age Dying is almost done and Head2Down are heading to recording studio right after the virus crisis is over. Anguis is trying to finish the album with Ravenarium, but the virus has become a kind of an obstacle for everyone.

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

We started something already, not going to rush it though. New stuff is going to be maybe a tiny bit different, but it's not going to be an extreme change from what we do already. Boundaries remain similar. We will try to do our best to improve the sonic quality and performance, we are all looking forward to do this. It will surely still have Black and Death Metal in it, everything else remains a question for now.

12.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?

If we talked about it here, we would have an extremely long list, that would be really exhausting to go through. We all love different things and they often come in different shapes and colours, but that's good, because this way we can create something unique and interesting. If you're interested in our influences and music bands we like, you should check out our Spotify channel, we are currently adding our members' playlists there.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Siren: Reading books, relaxing with a good cup of tea, going to nature, watching movies and series with a huge bowl of popcorn, going to concerts, meeting with friends.

Anguis: I like to cook, build things, I am a bit obsessed with new ideas to create something and it doesn't come out well very often. I like to drink, but not too often, because almost everytime I drink, I tend to drink a lot. I love animals, fun, coffee and discovering new stuff.

Michal: I work as a programmer and also love to develop apps in my personal life. I never despise good beer and I love trips in the nature.

Vaco: Filling up the void of existence by any means, most of the time it's playing games, trying to overcome my lethargic body and do something healthy and soulful like hiking.

Tuky: Traveling, cinema, hiking, camping, culinary exploration and heavy consumptions of alcoholic beverages.

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

Thank you very much for having us! To everyone reading this - keep yourself healthy and happy, be responsible while this virus creeps around the globe and be nice to the people around you! Stay strong and be yourselves.

Vortex Unit


Thursday, April 2, 2020

Bloodred/The Raven's Shadow/2020 Full Length Review


  Germany's  solo  project  Bloodred  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "The  Raven's  Shadow"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  a  couple  of  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blackened  screams  also  being  utilized  on  all  of  the  tracks.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks    along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them. Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing    along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style

  On  this  album  Bloodred  remains  very  true  to  the  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  he  has  established  on  his  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  feat,  anger,  solitude  and  loneliness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodred  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Raven's  Shadow"  "Blood  On  Thy  Hands"  "Shadow  Warrior"  and  "The  Northstar  Whispers  (To  The  Blacksmith's  Son)".  8  out  of  10.

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Golden Blood Interview

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

Golden Blood came to life in early 2020. I was writing the debut album for Order of Ištar at that time and the songs came out a lot thrashier and heavier than I thought, so Golden Blood was born to give home to these songs.



2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

I didn’t have a specific genre or style in mind. I spent my early teens listening to mostly punk and hardcore and I think you can still hear that in the songs. They turned out quite catchy and don’t need a huge build up or get lost in repetitive structures.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

The title track of the debut EP deals with sex & drugs and Nightfall captures the feeling of being out drunk with your crowd. So everyday life. Golden Blood is not about deep and meaningful lyrics, it’s about fun and pleasure.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Golden Blood'?

I like shiny things and I like blood. That’s it. And it has a an aristocratic vibe to it, I like that.



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

The Indonesian artist Deggeha is responsible for that. Mother Mary is torturing a demon and then has a drugged feast with her son in the other picture. There is no deeper meaning or anything open to interpretation in it. You get what you see. That applies to the music as well.



6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?

For the writing process I prefer to work alone The album will be recorded with a drummer and a couple of guest musicians. My solo guitar abilities have definitely reached their limit. And if I find enough time and the right people, I’d love to hit the stage.



7.The ep was released on 'Witching Hour Productions', how did you get in contact with this label?

I’ve been knowing them for a while because of their work for Vader and Helheim and their huge distro. So I gave it a shot and contacted Bart and he was immediately interested in my stuff. The upcoming album will also be released by them and I’m really grateful for their work.



8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and thrash metal?

Mainly positive. Of course you always have people complaining about it, that it’s not true enough, the sound isn’t right and whatever. But that’s how it is, fuck ‘em.



9.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

I’m writing the debut albums for Order of Ištar and Rheingold and the first demo for Ad Victoriam right now. I’m also still working on new stuff for Der Toten Lebend Schein. All of these are more or less black metal projects. My focus is on the Golden Blood album though.



10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

The drum recordings will begin as soon as the quarantine restrictions here in Europe are eased. I plan to finish the album in summer. There are plans of playing live, but I cannot promise anything right now.



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?

Midnight, Deströyer 666 or Inculter are a huge influence. But also bands like Helloween, Mystic Prophecy, Primal Fear or the 90s punk bands on Fatwreck Chords. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Savage Grace, Sortilége and Glacier. I don’t really observe the scene right now, so mostly I just discover gems from the 80s I didn’t know about.



12.Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?

Yes. Both are pillars of our existence, so they are also the inspiration for everything I do.



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

Listen to Agazul!

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Sunday, March 29, 2020

Baron SAMEDI/The Priest Devar/Nailed Nazarene Industries/2020 Full Length Review


  Russia's  solo  project  Baron  SAMEDI  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  an  experimental  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "The  Priest  Devar"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Nailed  Nazarene  Industries.

  Programmed  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  industrial  elements  and  demonic  growls  a  few  seconds  later.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  keyboards  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  gothic  touch  as  well  as  some  melodic  singing  also  being  used  at  times.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  some  blackened  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences.

  One  track  also  introduces  Gregorian  chants  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Baron  SAMEDI  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  black,  doom  and  dark  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aryan  Golem"  "Rage"  "Kammala"  and  "Mass  Graves".  8  out  of  10.

https://nailednazareneindustries.bandcamp.com/album/the-priest-devar  

Wolfheart/Wolves Of Karelia/Napalm Records/2020 Full Length Review


  Wolfheart  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Wolves  Of  Karelia"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Napalm  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  blackened  metal  screams.

  Symphonic  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing   along  with  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  and  melancholic  moments  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical,  acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  one  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  cover  winter,  nature,  apocalypse,  wolves,  warriors,  bloodshed,  battle  and  melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wolfheart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hail  Of  Steel"  "The  Hammer"  and  "Ashes".  8  out  of  10.

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