Aktarum Interview

 

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

1-Well it's quite a strange situation actually.

We recorded the album during this health crisis so we got plenty of time for that (or not, as we are professionals to do things at the last minute...).

So now as the concerts remain rare we can focus on the promotion with the help of our record label.

2.In March you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

2-For this one we tried to write the songs in a darker and maybe a more violent way, in order to match with the story we wanted to tell.

3.There is usually a 4 year time span between each full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

3-Hmm... Mostly procrastination I would say !

Seriously, actually it was the time we needed to make something we were all proud of, between our jobs, families and other obligations. 

But now as the band continues to grow more and more, we are trying to be more productive and we hope to shorten the gap between the next albums.

4.Most of your lyrics cover Troll themes, can you tell us a little bit more about how your interest in this topic has evolved over the years?

4-Actually it all started with the comic "Troll de Troy". Trollour and Trollaklass are really big fans of these books and so they decided to base the band on them. From there we create our own world, our own troll tribes and stories. "Trollvengers" is the sequel of our previous album "Ragnatroll" and this story arc will end with the next one. 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork on the new album cover?

5-It was drawn by the talented Laury Hammer. 

We decided to have some super-hero vibes for this artwork, in our lyrics as well, a bunch of troll super warriors going on an epic adventure... (There could be some comic material here no?!) 

Some of us are big fans of the several cinematic universes form DC or Marvel comics, and we wanted to make a reference/parody of some sort.

6.According the the metal archives page the band takes an antifascist direction of art, can you tell us a little bit more about what this means to you?

6-Hmm we're not aware that they say that about us. But of course we're not fascist and to be honest we're not into politics nor religions (we just praise the God of War of course!). We are Trolls, we just want to drink beer, party and fight! 

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?

7-There have been a loooot of great shows, recently I would say our participation at the Durbuy Rock Festival 2021 as it was one of our only shows in 2 years of Covid. The crowd was on fire, it was a real pleasure to play there after so much time without a show !

8.Are there any touring or show plans for the new album?

8-Well, of course we've got pretty great gigs coming this year, but with the actual health situation in each country it remains quite hard to plan a lot of concerts for now. But hey maybe the end of the year will be more clement, and will let us have more shows !

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

9-It's still really recent, we only have 2 songs officially released now and we will need to wait till the full release of the album but for now we can say that the feedbacks are pretty good! We are also starting to get great reviews from different webzines around the world so yeah, everything's fine! 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

10-They are in the same situation as us. These 2 years were really awfull so everyone was in stanby, focusing on new material, waiting for the reopening of the cultural sector.

But that only affects Trollhammer, our drummer, 'cause he's the only one who has other musical projects for now... 

'Cause he's a drummer... 

And drummers are rare... 

Espacially the good ones...

And he is the best, so yeah... That's even worse.

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

11-I think it will depends on the stories we would like to tell. Actually we are in a storytelling process that will occurs on 3 albums, so our music evolves a lot according to the ambiance of the lyrics. I think you could really feel the difference between “Ragnatroll” and “Trollvengers” as the themes are precisely differents, and it's really great because it's an awesome way to try something new musically.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are listening to nowadays?

12-We are all quite eclectics, of course we are listening a lot of folk, but everyone in the band has his preferred style. Trollbard loves power metal, Trollaklass was really into Heilung recently, Trollour is the real folkman here hehe, Trollhammer loves death and thrash metal and finally I, Trollaflem, definitely heavy and thrash metal.

13.Does Paganism play any role in your music?

13-It certainly plays a role in our imagination, the way we write stories or compose musics (as we don't see many trolls in actual religions...) but we're not strictly into paganism either, it just helps us to create our own style, mixed with other fantasy worlds. 

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

14-Well thank you very much for your interview! We hope to see you and everyone soon on stage!

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Nýr Gata/Luna Aeterna/Nahetal Klangschmiede/2021 CD Review

 

  Nýr  Gata  are  a  duo  form  Germany  that  plats  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Luna  Aeterna"  which  was  released  by  Nahetal  Klangschmiede.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  synths  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a good  amount  of  90's  influences.

  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  more  modern  touches  at  times  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  has  its  progressive  moments,  clear  vocals  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  are  a  concept  album  involving  the  Seraphim.

  In  my  opinion  Nýr  Gata  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Himmels  Fall"  "Yin"  and  "Lunar  Aeterna".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://nyrgata.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ nyrgata

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ Ewigtraum/videos  

  

      

Dimwind/Breaths/Trepanation Recordings/2022 Split EP Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Sweden's  Dimwind  and  U.S.A's  Breaths  which  will b e  released  in  April  by  Trepanation  Recordings  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Dimwind  a  band  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  post  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  keyboards  and  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  music  also  brings  in a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  and  their  only  track  is  over  15  minutes  in  length,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Dimwind  are  a  very  great  sounding  post  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

  Next  up  is  Breaths  who  return  with  a  mixture  of  blackgaze,  doomgaze,  post  metal  and  hardcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  song  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats  can b e  heard  along  with  their  only  track  being  almost  15  minutes  in  length, when  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  touches  of  post  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  shoegaze  style.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  and  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  abuse  of  the  planet.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  breaths  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackgaze,  doomgaze,  post  metal  and hardcore,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of t he  split.

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

Dimwind

Bandcamp  /  Spotify  /  Apple Music  /  YouTube  /  Facebook  /  Instagram  /  Website  /  Email  

Breaths

Bandcamp  /  Spotify  /  Apple Music  /  YouTube  /  Facebook  /  Instagram  /  Twitter  /  Email

     

God Dethroned/The Christhunt/Vic Records/2022 CD Re-Issue Review

 

  God  Dethroned  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  played  a  very  melodic  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "The  Christhunt"  which  was  re-issued  in  2022  by  Vic  Records.

  A  battle  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  fast  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  elements.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  an  early  90's  death  metal  style,  when  keyboards  are utilized  they  also  bring  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  classic  horror  movie  soundtrack  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slower  sections  of t he  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  doom  metal.  

  On  this  recording  God  Dethroned  went  for  more  of  an  earlier   style  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferianism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christianity  and  Death  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  God  Dethroned  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hordes  Of  Lucifer"  "Necromagnon"  and  "God  Dethroned".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/G9XHXrrMJ-I

Carnage Of Children/Darkness Within/Music-Records/2022 CD Review

 

  Carnage  Of  Children  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Darkness  Within"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Music  Records.

  A  very  ritualistic  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  also  introducing  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  operatic  female  vocals  can  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  technical  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  and  classical  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Carnage  Of  Children  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  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  "The  Divine  Right  Hand"  "Requiem  For  A  Witch"  and  "Burn".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/Carnage.Of. Children.Official

Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/ carnageofchildrenofficial/  

  

Caedeous Interview

 

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

 

Well currently project Caedeous is focusing on the release of Obscurus Perpetua, which will see the release of several official videos from most of the songs of the albums. But I am also currently composing and recording the successor album of Obscurus Perpetua which will be released somewhere during the first or second trimester of 2023, some several songs already finished in terms of instruments and orchestra. Maybe we might see or not some specific live events of Caedeous on stream events with the live performance of the songs which is currently under planning.

 

2.In March you have a new EP coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

 

Well Obscurus Perpetua is much darker and also has a complete approach to its artistic direction in terms of composition, song structure, speed (BPM) and even on instrumental level. I would say the album is more black metal than the previous album was. The production is also very different from the first album Domini Tenebrarum which was made to resemble a garage sound, Obscurus Perpetua production was made to on modern industry standard levels.

 

3.This is also your first release since 2018, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

 

Well in 2018 an era of project Caedeous came to an end. Back then I wanted to follow a typical live format with session musicians and session vocalists for the project which did not work out at all for me so I ended that phase. However, since i was already composing Obscurus Perpetua on Studio 7 and wanted to take a different management and artistic direction to the project, i knew that i needed extra time to be able to fulfill my vision for this album and since my Elementia Saga project (I,II,III and Grimoire of the Darklord) had a major success on streaming platforms and youtube with several nominations and awards, i stopped for a while to let Caedeous project mature like a good wine on a cellar until i had the time to finally pick it up again on my agenda and take it to another level in terms of production, vocalists and also instruments. At 2021 the official recordings took place and Tomas Blanc (DM) was hired for vocals and also Josephine WH to take the soprano role. The result of that work is now visible on Obscurus Perpetua. Currently Caedeous has become my main project and i have no intentions to make a stop to it never again, and it's on full steam ahead with another 2 studio albums already planned and probably much more with a cycle of release of 1.5 years apart, the follow up of Obscurus Perpetua is already underway.

 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer release and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

 

All lyrics of the album speak about the corruption of mankind and its society by crimes unpunished, corruption in an eternal struggle between goodness and evil in a cycle of eternal torment as the souls of humans are corrupted by all 7 sins and go to hell to the nine circles to be judged upon. Every song is a chapter and I even go to the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah where the city was so sinful and corrupted that God himself destroyed it. The album itself starts with a narration of what the story tells on all songs.

 

In terms of songwriting as a composer I have grown a lot, since the age of 13 that i have been playing instruments and composing stuff and even experimenting on new types of sounds. But it was when i first professionally started working for the musical industry on Hollywood and Atlanta movies soundtracks and trailers that i started to grown into a full fledged composer, that experience in management, musical composition, industry knowledge on how things work, brought me this point in time, Caedeous - Obscurus Perpetua much like Elementia II and In Noir are marks for me as evolution to me as a composer which has grown from a kid to adolescent and into a mature adult in what i do musically with no fears in experimenting new sounds and take it to a whole new level in avantgarde feelings. It's been a long road, and for sure it will be a long road as well ahead since like I usually say, I am always learning and mastering new stuff and getting new insights, knowledge takes no place and I am hungry to know more and be better in what I do.

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Caedeous'?

 

Caedeous name idea came in 2013 on one of those crazy nights of myself in the studio for the project which is a nice conjugation of some Portuguese words turned into a latin like name. In English it would be Fall of God, in Portuguese is Cai (Fall) + Deus (God) which in turn becomes together in a original sounding name alike as Caedeous.

 

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

 

The artwork represents the entrance of nine layers of hell to an eternal obscurity to the souls where they will be judged upon, with "EVE" with the crown of the apples that corrupted the original sin to mankind. Most of the album speaks about this kind of obscurity and stories.

 

7.Has the band done any live shows or are open to the idea?

 

Not yet. The project itself is fully open to that idea, however since the current lineup is internationally of me (Paulo J. Mendes), Tomas Blanc (DM) and Josephine WH and some other session musicians for live format already contracted which live on different countries such as Portugal, France, Italy, Canada and USA the live format needs to be carefully planned and only done to specific venues such as festivals or other events due to the expenses of logistical etc... it needs to be economically viable that is. Since this project is fully financed and owned by myself with no label attached with an enormous money investment poured into it on paid studio, vocalists, video producers, PR, artwork, marketing campaigns, merchandising etc.. This really needs to be taken into consideration, but yes if the opportunity arises for Caedeous to go to live venues, i am most definitely open to that idea.

 

8.Currently the band is unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest ?

 

Yes. In order to Caedeous go further, i am looking for a label that can be my business partner and help me further from what i already can do. Like i said above currently all of Caedeous budget and investment is made solely by me, and if a label wants to pick it up and continue to develop and help project Caedeous with me with a good business offer, yes. Some labels have been in contact in the past, let's see what the future holds. But nevertheless I am determined to continue the investment on my own if needed if no good opportunity appears. The next two albums are already planned and being turned into a reality in the studio.

 

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

 

So far the feedback that i am getting from metalheads has been great, I started promoting it with Symphonic Black Metal Promotion YTD channel and the feedback was very good, in terms of Caedeous YTD channel it has been growing and gaining momentum as well with now being promoted by The Metallist PR Agency. Also the review that you did was amazing, I loved it, thanks for the feedback since it was the first official review from a Webzine or Magazine. You rock \m/

 

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

 

Musically I can already give a clear future path, due to the next album already being composed. The next album will be darker and crazier than this one in terms of sound, heavier as well in tone due to the use of 9 string guitars and probably the vocals will be even more potent with Tomas Blanc (DM) again on the helm of work along with Josephine WH. In terms of orchestra it will be more visible, and in speed I am exploring which BPM much in the veins of Fleshgod Apocalypse.

 

11.What are you currently listening to nowadays?

 

Listen to a lot of Fleshgod Apocalypse, their sound and production is amazing. I also literally listen all day into Dimmu Borgir, Helioss, Sumo Cyco, Septic Flesh, Cradle of Filth, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Summoning, Therion and Burzum.

 

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

 

Yes, I would love to thank you A Different Shade of Black Metal Zine for having me here and project Caedeous, also for the excellent review. To all the readers of A Different Share of Black Metal Zine, also a big thank you if you are reading this interview and hoping to find you all one day in a live show near you and meet you all. \m/ a big thank you for all the support in my name and Caedoeus to you all \m/

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Aktarum/Trollvengers/Art Gates Records/2022 CD Review

 

  Aktarum  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  with  a  musical  style  they  describe  as  being  'troll  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Trollvengers"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Art  Gates  Records.

  Symphonic  and  epic  sounding  synths  and  orchestration  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  female  vocals  and  folk  instruments  onto  the  album.

  Spoken  word   parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Troll  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aktarum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  folk  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Blood  Of  Trolls"  "Of  Trolls  And  Men"  "To  Valha  Troll"  and  "A  Troll  Farewell".  8  out  of  10.

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https://www.instagram.com/aktarum/