King/Fury And Death/Soulseller Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  King  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Fury  And  Death"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Soulseller  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clear  vocals  into  the  music  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  clean  playing.

  On  this  recording  King  remains  true  to  the  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  death  and  scientific  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  King  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Perception  Ignited"  "Black  Dimension"  "Death  In  The  Cosmos"  and  "To  The  Stars".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/fTmVW1DXgGU

        

Silva/Forgotten Sanctuary/Black Lion Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Silva  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Forgotten  Sanctuary"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Records.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  tribal  style  percussion  and  ritualistic  chants  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  emtal  screams.

 A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  as  good  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  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  synths  also  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as one  song  is  also  being  an  acoustic  instrumental  and  clean  playing  is  also  introduced  towards  the  end.

  Silva  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  classic  era  of  Swedish  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  having  a  more  modern  approach  to  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  emotions,  humanity  and  philosophy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Silva  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Desolate  Hordes"  "Death,  My  Becoming"  and  "Beyond  Death".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/silvaofficialmn

https://www.instagram.com/silva.officialus/

Valdrin/Throne Of The Lunar Soul/Blood Harvest Records/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Ohio's  Valdrin  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  epic,  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  album  "Throne  Of  The  Lunar  Soul"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Blood  Harvest  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  emtal  screams. A  lot  of  the  album  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Swedish  style  along with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks   along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  album  also  mixing  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements,  clear  vocals  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  Ausadjur  Mythos. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valdrin  and  if  you  are  a f an  od  epic,  melodic  and  symphonic  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Neverafter"  "Paladins  Of  Ausadjar"  "Holy  matricide"  and  "Two  Carrion  Talismans".  8out  of  10.

  

http://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/throne-of-the-lunar-soul]

www.facebook.com/valdrinausadjur     

    

Zornheym/The Forgotten Inmates/Noble Demon/2023 EP Review

 

  Zornheym  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  acoustic  form  of  black  metal  with  soem  symphonic  touches  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  ep  "The  Forgotten  Inmates"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Noble  Demon.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  ep  while  symphonic  sounds  are  also  added  into  the  background  while  clear  vocals  are  a  very huge  part  of  the  recording.  Grim  black  metal  screams  can  also be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Elements  of  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  acoustic  sections  while  acapella  choirs  can  also are  also  utilized  briefly  and  the  music  also  avoids  the  heaviness  that  was  a  very  huge  part  of  previous  recordings.

  On  this  recording  Zornheym  takes  songs  from  their  previous  album  and  takes  them  into  more  of  an  acoustic  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  horror  of  a  mental  institution.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Zornheym  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal  or  folk  music,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Keep  The  Devil  Away"  and  "Whom  The  Night  Brings".  8 out  of  10.

  

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Wizards Of Wiznan Interview

 

Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Yes, of course, we are currently in a creative phase, working on new songs! As for upcoming shows, we have a few planned in the next months, abroad in Germany and Belgium but also in our area. 

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

Our way of composing songs has been refined since the release of our EP. Musically “No Light Has No Shadow” is more intense and darker. We looked deep in our guts in order to best express it through our music. This album leans more towards the Sludge and Post Black style, unlike our EP which combined more Stoner and Doom influences.

A lot of the band members have also participated in black and death metal bands but with this group go for more of a blackened sludge metal direction, do you feel having a background playing different genres makes you music stand out a lot of more?

True, having musicians from different backgrounds allows us to explore more deeply and reach a wider range of listeners. It also helps us create atmospheres and textures blending different styles. We particularly received a lot of positive feedback regarding the mix between Black Metal and Sludge influences. This can create atmospheres that are both heavy and threatening, add to that nebulous melodies and you can build a sonic experience that envelops the listeners.

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

We drew inspiration from local history but also from human emotions. Concerning the local historical dimension, one event in particular touched us. It’s the annihilation of a local hamlet by the Black Death which ravaged our lands long ago. The hamlet in question was called “Le Végenand”, our band name is directly inspired by it as well as many of our lyrics. The themes of death and loss are very present in the album. Some songs are more focused on human suffering, depression and the specter of death that floats among the living.

Concerning our songwriting process, it has been refined over time. We learned to better combine our different musical influences, allowing us to create an immersive album that is more focused than our first EP. The latter was called “Experimental Brew” because at that time we were still in a discovering / experimental process. With 'No Light Has No Shadow', we worked more deeply on our musical approach and found a sound that more closely resembled our own. Working more regularly and assiduously has developed new skills in all the members.  The process is becoming more refined and more in tune with our respective experiences, enabling us to convey our condition as best we can and share an even more immersive and authentic experience with our audience.

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

The artwork on our album cover was created by the talented Inken Stabell whom we discovered on Instagram. You can see observe a silhouette standing in the immensity of the mountains that surrounds him. Alone in the middle of this desolate landscape, this silhouette symbolizes the doubts and the loneliness that we all sometimes have to face.

Out of all the shows the band has played so far, which one stands out the most?

Of course! One show in particular comes to mind. We played in August in the PALP Festival. It’s a festival in our area that is kind of specializing in the Stoner – Doom and Psychedelic Rock scene. It was an incredible experience for us, to be able to plan in this festival that we had been attending as spectators for several years. In addition, being able to play outdoors in the mountains makes it an almost mystical experience ahah!

Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We haven’t currently planned a release party for the album. However, we will be performing the album as part of the “Argonauta Fest”, organized by our label Argonauta Records. The shows are scheduled on November 17th and 18th, respectively in Ghent (Belgium) and in Eisenhüttenstadt (Germany). We’re really looking forward to share the songs on stage with the public and our fellow friends from Argonauta Records.

  

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

It's not a simple question. It's clear that by mixing several influences, you expose yourself to a lot more criticism, positive or negative, from your audience. Above all, we want to offer something innovative, authentic and, above all, something that suits us. We regularly rub shoulders with all the different styles you mentioned, and I honestly think that people are receptive to this kind of concept. Personally, I'm extremely eclectic and I find this approach nourishing and enriching. But there's no doubt that for the purists, it's different, our style is less appreciated, but we're also aware that we can't please everyone. Overall, the feedback has been very positive about our choice of design, and we'll continue in this vein.

Recently one of the band members released a solo album under the name ' Félonie', can you tell us a little bit more about this solo project?

Yes! It’s the side-project of Marc, our rhythm guitarist and co-singer. Félonie is a one-man black metal band that he created at the end of 2022. To quote him:

“You know, the band songwriting process can be a bit tricky, it’s often a matter of compromise, especially when our respective horizons are so eclectic. Some guitar riffs were perhaps too much black metal or too many blast-beats for the direction we wanted to take with Wizards of Wiznan. I then said to myself, why not create a dedicated project for that kind of songs? And Félonie was born. It was also an great opportunity to bring music to some of my lyrics, all written in French. The album, named “De Sève et Sang” (Of Sap and Blood) draws inspiration from local history, tales and legends. Release date: October 13th through Aural Music / Code 666!”

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

Following the latest discussions we've had, our aim is to preserve this richness and its influences. Apart from the styles mentioned in your questions, we still have a huge number of external influences that we could incorporate into our compositional process. I don't think we want to impose any limits on ourselves, but the guiding principle for the future is to continue to perfect our style and find an even more intense harmony in the conception of an album. We want to offer an even more immersive experience for the listener and develop a raw, violent and coherent style that allows the natural expression of our condition through our music.

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

Here's a list of the current state of play: 

-Gaerea, Colour Haze, Mantar, Aset, King Buffalo, Amelie Lens, Aorlac, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Sleep Token, Amenra, Amon Amarth, OM, Dissection, Alcest

That says a lot about the direction our compositions are going to take... We'll let you be the judge.

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

To begin with, we'd like to thank you for the time and opportunity you've given us, and we're very grateful.

 And to conclude, it's important for us to value our music and share it with everyone. It's through music that we transcend our condition and give the best version of ourselves.

Thank you.

Marc and Ludovic WoW

https://www.facebook.com/ wizardsofwiznan

Waldläufer/Der Ewige Augenblick/2023 EP Review

 

    Waldläufer  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2023  ep  "Der  Ewige  Augenblick"  which  will  be  released  some  time  in  2023.

 Background  noise  and  clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in t he  classic  Swedish  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements.  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Spoken  words  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  track  along  with the  solos  and  leads also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  nature  sounds  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  clean  playing  also  makes  a  brief  return.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  poetic  themes.   

  In  my  opinion    Waldläufer  are a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tempus"  and  "Der  Ewige  Augenblick".  8 out  of  10.

  

Gotland 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? 

First of all, greetings to all the followers of A Different Shade Of Black Metal Zine and thanks to you in the editorial team for this space that you dedicate to us. The composition process behind the new album was really long, because it was our first time creating a concept album. It started in 2016 and ended in 2019, when we recorded all the tracks. After the recordings, unfortunately we had to postpone the works on the mixing and mastering process due to the Covid pandemic. In 2021 we started again to work on the album and in 2022 it was delivered to our label Earth and Sky Productions. Unfortunately, they had some post-pandemic problems, which caused the album's release to be postponed. But now, on September 15th, it was finally released and we are looking forward to letting everyone listen to it.

 

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

We think that “Rise” it’s quite different from its predecessor “Gloria et Morte”, but it is also a natural evolution from that starting point. Since “Gloria et Morte” we started reducing the folk influences, but there were still present. With “Rise” me maintained and evolved the extreme metal music base (adding also some death metal parts to the already present black metal ones) and completely removed the folk metal instruments, like flutes and bagpipes. But we gave more importance to the epic and symphonic part, hiring the talented Gabriele Gilodi as a session member that composed all the orchestral and piano parts of the album.

 3. Other than a few singles this is your first full length since 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait? 

Yes, as we said before it was a mix of causes. First of all, we wanted to create a concept album and we took all the needed time to do researches about history, to compose tracks that could also fit the story atmospheres, to find the right guests and their characters and so on. Then, we also spent the right time to record and mix this album, which was not easy: we had a lot of orchestral tracks and instrument, many guests and we wanted to reach a professional sound quality, in which all this sounds wouldn’t have been confused. The last years, unfortunately, were not in our hands: we were forced to stop for the Covid pandemic and our label had some problems related to it. 

4. A lot of your lyrics cover the history of the Roman Empire and the Viking era, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

 It’s true, we are fond of history and, in particular, of the one of Italy and all our lyrics since the beginning of the band are related to these topics. With this album, we decided to focus on one character, Arminius, the chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who defeated the Roman Empire at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. The album is all about his life, telling some personal and introspective events, but that also are intertwined with very important historical events, of which he is the protagonist. 

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

 It is quite strange, because we are from Italy and we tell about Italian history in our lyrics. So, why choosing the name of a Swedish island? This is because historians say that it was the island from which the first Barbarians moved and met the Romans. The meet and clash between these Barbarian population and the Empire is what put the basis for what Italy would be in the next centuries and even nowadays. 

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

The artwork cover represent a mask that was discovered by archeologists on the site where the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest was fought. This face mask originally belonged to a helmet of a Roman cavalry man. The fact that it is broken with a skull behind symbolizes the loss of the Roman Empire in that battle against the Germans. The background is divided: on the left side we have Roman ruins and on the right side you can see a Germanic forest. This represents the two parts that fought, but also the two souls of the protagonist Arminius, who was a German that was raised in the Roman Empire.

 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?

 We are proud of many live shows we had, but surely one of the bests was our opening for Abbath here in Italy in 2016. There a lot of people came and it was really fun to play in front of so many fans. But we also like festivals like Fosch Fest, Italic Pagan Fest, Malpafa Folk & Metal Fest or Eresia Fest, because we can have a better contact with the audience there and there is a friendlier atmosphere. During our live shows we firstly want to play our songs on the best way possible and with best sound. But we don’t want merely to reproduce the songs, but we try also to give a show to the audience, with face-painting, stage props and acted parts. 

8. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album? 

We have two release parties here in Italy, one near our hometown Turin and one near Milan. During these shows we will play all the songs of the new album “Rise” with some guests and surprises. For more information about future live shows, keep an eye on our social channels. 

 9. You also have done some 'Windir' and 'Bathory' covers, what was the decision behind doing your own versions of their songs? 

We don’t do many covers, but sometimes we decides to do some first of all in order to pay homage to great artists, who are a great influence for us and without whom we probably would never have started making music. This is surely the case of our Windir and Bathory covers. However, we must say we also have real fun playing this tracks and the audience seems really to appreciate them during our live shows too! 

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

 Our fanbase is mainly in Italy, because we aren’t able to have many live shows outside of Italy due to our jobs. However, thanks to Internet, social medias and webzines like yours, our music is starting to be listened also abroad and we always had positive feedback for now. Our fear was to be too epic and symphonic for the death/black metal fans and too extreme for the melodic metal ones, but many people seem to appreciate the compromise we have tried to create between these two aspects. 

11. 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? 

In this moment, all our member are mainly focused on Gotland. However, I (the singer Irmin) recently released an album with my ex-band Desecrate. Even if I won’t sing with them for the live shows, the vocals on “Lights of Contradiction” album are still mine! Our singer Insanus also released an album with his side studio project Le Horla, called “Remords”. Our bassist Var and guitarist EG Orkan released some tracks with their electronic/avant-garde project Acronym during the pandemic, but they don’t have any plans for more releases in the near future. 

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

 We are already working on the new material and we are really satisfied with the results! From one release to another, we always evolved our music and this time won’t be different. It’s really to soon to reveal something, but you can expect an evolution from what you heard on Rise. 

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

 What we listen nowadays is what mainly influences our music. Our musical tastes are very varied: we are five members who listen to a lot of music. We go from world-class bands like Bathory, Septicflesh, Emperor, Nile, Windir and Summoning, to masters like Ennio Morricone, John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Alan Silvestri, just to name a few. But we also appreciate many local bands, which in our opinion are proving to have nothing to envy of the international giants: Furor Gallico, Atavicus, Selvans, Veratrum, Ponte del Diavolo, Lou Quinse, Hopeless, Scream3Days, Voltunma and many others that are making the Italian scene is increasingly interesting and above all increasingly high-level in its musical offering 

14. How would you describe your views on paganism?

 With our band we want to tell the history of the clash between the Barbarian population within the Roman Empire. Surely, the theme of the pagan gods and religion are sometimes present in our lyrics, but only on an historical level. 

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

 Thank you so much for the space that you dedicated to us, both for this interview and for the nice review you wrote about our album. Greetings to all your readers and all the friends who follow us. We are waiting for you under the stage

  Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gotlandmetal/
  Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/gotlandmetal/
 Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@Gotlandmetal
  Bandcamp page: https://gotlandmetal.bandcamp.com