Selvans/Lupercalia/Avantgarde Music/2015 CD Review

  Selvans  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk  and  symphonic  black  metal  and  this  is a review  of  their  2015  album  "Lupercalia"  which  was  released  by  Avantgarde  Music.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  and  epic sounding  keyboards  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  a  heavy  and  symphonic  black  metal  style  which  also  incorporates  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  solos  and  the  fast  parts  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this recording.

  When  vocals  are  brought  onto  the  recording  they  are  mostly  grim  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  symphonic  style  of  the  genre  while  the  folk  elements  the  songs  sound more  modern  and  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording.

   Most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  vocals  also  bringing  in a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  as  the  album progresses  the  riffs  start  utilizing  more  melody and  the  folk  instruments  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  present  on  the  last  track.

  Selvans  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  they  update  this  style  by  mixing  it  in  with  pagan  folk  music,  the  production  sound s very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  Folklore,  Mysticism,  Oral  History,  Nature,  Tradition,  Surrealsim  and  Art.

  In  my  opinion Selvans  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  pagan  folk  and  symphonic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Versipellis"  and  "Scurtchin".  8  out  of  10.

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Perihelion/Zeng/Apathia Records/2015 CD Review

  Perihelion  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  rock and  avant  garde  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Zeng"  which  was  released  by  Apathia  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  ambient  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  guitars  that  also  bring  in  drones  before  going  into  a  very  melodic  post  metal  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  soem  clean  singing  vocals.

  After  the  vocals  kick  in  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  black  metal  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads along  with  a  touch  of  shoegaze  and  the  music  is  perfectly  balance  between  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  avant  garde  metal  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  in  some  of  the  faster  parts  a  brief  use  of  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard.

  Perihelion  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the mid  90's  avant  garde  black  metal  style  while  focusing  more  on  a  regular  style  of  singing  and  mixing  it  in  with  a  more  modern  style  of  post  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Hungarian  and  cover  spiritual  and  cosmic  journey  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Perihelion  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  avant  garde  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tundockles"  "Vegtelen  Kek"  and  "Hajad  Szel".  8  out  of  10. 

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Tine/The Forest Dreams Of Black/2015 CD Review

  Tine  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2015  album  "The  Forest  Dreams  of  Black".

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  bass  guitars  and  melodic  guitar  leads  kick  in  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  getting  more  symphoniuc  as  well  as  adding  in  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  tradition  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks  while  most  of  the  other  songs  bring  in  vocals  and  at  the  times  the  keyboards  also  bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys.

  Tine  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  more  modern  style  of  blackened  death  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production sounds  very  professional  for  being  s  elf  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Mysticism,  Occultism,  Mythology,  Darkness,  Mystical  Forest,  Legends  and  Evil  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tine  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Horrors  at  Antioch"  "The  Crusade  of  Dracul"  and  "The  Watchful  Eye".  8  out  of  10.

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Tine - The Crusade of Dracul

Hypermass Interview

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

We are a melodic Death Metal band consisting of 5 members from Trondheim, Norway, all in the ages of 19 to 20. We’ve played together since late 2012. Our musical influences include The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation and the more brutal side of the melodic Death Metal spectrum, though that’s only a small fraction of our influences.

2.Recently you have released an EP, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It’s hard to describe it without resorting to mindless genre referrals, but it’s basically a buffet of melodic, technical, and groovy Death Metal with a side of exotic jazz fusion.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrics are mostly very critical of humanity as a whole, with certain underlying philosophical themes. We try to not get too obvious in our writing, and leave a lot of it up for interpretation. I’m a sucker for lyrics myself, as for me they can define a great song. Clutch is one of my favorite bands mostly for that reason, I never tire of Neil Fallon’s abstract and satirical lyrics. But with every band the lyrics must complement the music in a special kind of way. What we try to do is contrast those lyrics of misanthropy and negativity with melodic and «epic» parts, if that’s a word that’s possible to use without sounding like a douchebag. I think it’s a great effect, nonetheless.

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

Hypermass is essentially another word for «black hole», although it’s not a frequently used word anymore. That stuff always intrigued me, you know, along with the fact that dark matter/energy constitutes about 95% of the universe, with no one having the slightest clue of what it actually is. It also complies with our subject matter in a way. I will admit that it had also to do with the fact that it’s pretty hard to find a recognizable band name now that pretty much everything has been used, but I think we lucked out on that one.

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

We try to be as energetic as possible, and let the crowd know they’re just as big a part of the show as we are. We just try to have fun on stage no matter how big or small the crowd is. If there’s only 5 people in the crowd, it’s your job to give those 5 people the greatest show you can give them. We try to keep that in the back of our heads every gig, although we’ve fortunately yet to play for that small of a crowd. People are there to have a good time, so it’s also important not to take yourself too seriously. Some of the best shows we’ve played have been local club gigs, those are always really fun.

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

We’re doing some local gigs in the coming months. We may go on tour soon, when the time is right. As of now we’re in writing mode for the full-length though, so that comes first.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

We have received interests from various underground labels, which is awesome. Still, we think we have a lot more to offer than what’s presented on the EP, and I don’t wanna sound reluctant, but we’re kind of holding it off at the moment until our full-length is done, or at least until the right contract is presented.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal?

It has been overwhelming, to say the least. We really didn’t have any expectation on whether people would like it or not, to be completely honest. Luckily for us people seem to enjoy it, as we’re yet to get a bad review.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Too early to say when the full-length will be nearing release, I’m afraid. All I can say is that we’re in serious writing mode, and that the songs so far sound great. The new stuff I’d say is a little bit more focused, in terms of writing, as well as it’s a lot more technical and faster than the previous stuff. We’re still a melodic Death Metal band though, as far as genres go.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Guitar-wise I’d say the top 3 would have to be The Black Dahlia Murder, Revocation and Allegaeon, as we’re often lumped into the same category as those bands. But you know, we’re very easily inspired by stuff. We don’t like to shut out ideas just ‘cause it doesn’t necessarily comply with other influences. Then it would become tedious and boring.

Currently I’m really digging the latest Rivers of Nihil album. Those guys really caught me by surprise, with possibly the best combination of atmosphere and heaviness I’ve ever heard. My other top 5 records of the year so far has to be the new TBDM, Clutch, Cattle Decapitation, Ghost and Nile.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Outside of music we’re pretty versatile people when it comes to other interests, but I guess everyone is into some form of sport. I’m a rabid MMA fan myself, our other guitarist likes golf, our vocalist and bassist is really into football («soccer» if you’re American I guess), and our drummer likes fishing, although I don’t know if that’s officially declared a sport by now. It should be. That stuff is tiring.

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

Thanks for the interview, and be sure to keep an eye out for our debut album coming up!

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Islay/The Angels' Share/Final Gate Records/2015 CD Review

  Islay  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2015  album  "The  Angels'  Share"  which  was  released  by  Final  Gate Records.

  Drum  beats  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  solos  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  melodic  leads  and  blast  beats  that  dominate  throughout  the  recording  and  when  growls  are  added  into  the  music  it  gives  the  tracks  more  of  a  Swedish  feeling  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metla  screams  being  added  in  at  times.

 Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  modern feeling  when  they  are  utilized  while  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  brought  in  add  progressive  elements  onto  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  few  seconds  of  atmospheric  keyboards  that  are  almost  close  to  being  symphonic  at  times.

  Islay  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  90's  Swedish  melodic  styles  of  death  and  black  metal  and  mix  them  in  with  some  modern  elements  to  update  the  sound  for  current  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  and  anti  religion  themes  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  being  written  in  German.

  In  my  opinion  Islay  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  "Under  The  Sway  Of  God"  "Blind  messiah"  "Napalm  Shower"  and  "The  Angels'  Share".  8  out  of  10.

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Xaemora Interview

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

We're Xaemora, melodic Black Metal from St. Louis, formed in 2012.

2.So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

We put a lot of emphasis on melody to balance out the chaos. "Kingdom Venom I" is a great representation or musical snapshot of Xaemora at that particular time, there's fast stuff, slow stuff, some melodic, some brutal, some heavy, some meloncholy, it's a pretty well rounded Black Metal album, it's exactly the kind of stuff I look for in an album.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

This is pretty simple, most of the songs are about death and suicide.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Xaemora'?
When it came time to start releasing the music we had been working on and start playing live, we knew immediately that we needed a unique name to stand out in the overcrowded world of cliche metal band names, Xaemora is a name we created.

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

Our first tour this spring was absolutely amazing, some truly great shows, most notably, West Texas Death Fest and Full Terror Assault Open Air earlier this month, those shows were incredible!

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

We'll be doing a Southeastern US tour in October as we make our way down to Black Kvlt Fest III in Miami. After we record and release "Kingdom Venom II" the goal is to tour as much as possible in 2016!

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?

We've got followers from all over the world but we're still very underground and relatively new, the reactions to our latest EP have been largely positive so we're very happy about that.

8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Too many to name! Pretty much everyone in the band has other musical projects outside Xaemora.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We're focusing on releasing the next EP "Kingdom Venom II" in 2016, it's too early to try to predict either one of those.

10.What are some of the bands or musical  styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Lots of influence from Emperor, Dissection, Mayhem, Watain, and 1349.  Lately I've been listening to a lot of the new Keep of Kalessin, Ravencult, Dead Shore, Micawber and Advent Sorrow. Our local friends in Tyranny Enthroned and Black Fast have incredible new albums out right now too.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

This one could really go all over the place, there are five of us and we all have so many different interests outside of music.

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

Look for "Kingdom Venom II" to be out early next year, we're going to tour as much as we humanly can next year, if you want us to come to your city, contact us and let's set it up! Otherwise, if you see us on the road coming through your town, come out to a show!

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Hypermass/Clouded Visions/2015 EP Review

  Hypermass  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Clouded  Visions".

  Clean  guitar  playing  and  sound  effects  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  solos  making  their presence  known  on  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  a  very  fast,  technical  and  brutal  blackened  death  metal  direction.

  Death  metal  growls  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  mixes  in  elements of  modern  and  prog  metal  along  with  a  heavy  dose  of  thrash  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody and  some  songs  bring  in  a  jazz  influence  but  done  with  more  heaviness  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clean  playing  also  makes  its  return  briefly  on  the  last  song.

  Hypermass  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  more  melodic  sides  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  prog  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sound s very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hypermass  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black, death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ionize"  and  "In  The  Final  Stage  Of  Embryonic  Mutation".  8  out  of  10.  

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Xaemora/Kingdom Venom I/Merdumgiriz/2015 EP Review

  Xaemora  are  a  band  from  Missouri  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Kingdom Venom I"  which  was  released  by  Merdumgiriz.

   A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  getting  more  heavy  and  symphonic  along  with  soem  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  meldoic  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  make  their  presence  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  thrash  and  death  metal  and  the  bands  musical  style  also  brings  in  a  very  dark  atmosphere  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  also  has  a  little  bit  more  aggression  than  most  bands  of  this  genre  and  the   last  track  is  all  instrumental  and  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.

  Xaemora  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  symphonic  and  melodic in  the  mid  90's  Nordic  tradition  and  also  bring  a  lot  of  aggression  that  is  rarely  heard  in  the  genre  these  days,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Misanthropy,  Chaos  and  Death.

  In  my  opinion  Xaemora  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gadara'  and  "Desolation  Solitude".  8  out  of  10.

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ORCumentary Interview

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



Finishing the album was a big relief, but no rest for the wicked, as they say. I have two CD pre-release shows lined up in a couple weeks, so I’m busy rehearsing 7 new songs.



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



Destroy the Dwarves is a continuation of the style on Orcs 1 Goblins 0, which is the album I think of as ORCumentary’s true beginning. I coined a new “genre” called “orc rock”, because it’s legitimately difficult to sum up my style quickly. I incorporate influences from music I like (mainly melodic death, industrial metal, power metal, and folk metal). I have fast songs, mid songs, slow songs, straightforward songs, long songs, melodic songs, aggressive songs, you get the idea. I work very hard to make sure every song is one I can be proud of, one I will enjoy playing live, and one that offers something that hasn’t been presented in an ORCumentary song before.



Bringing all that back to your original question, I went even further on both ends of the musical spectrum with Destroy the Dwarves. To give two quick(ish) examples, there’s one song towards the end of the album that’s about 3 minutes long. Very catchy and straightforward. It starts out as kind of a garage rock song but it kind of builds into something heavier and there’s a great guitar solo in it. Now compare that to a song around the middle that’s 7 minutes long, has an ambient intro, switches tempos midway through, and has extended instrumental sections. That and everything in between is what listeners can expect to hear on Destroy the Dwarves.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music?



Lyrically, ORCumentary’s music follows a storyline. To sum it up quickly, Orc Adams, hero of the orcs and wielder of the Keyboard of Mayhem, is on a mission to establish orc supremacy and lay low all the other races in The Five Lands. Destroy the Dwarves is a continuation of that story and the Dwarves are on the chopping block next. The Dwarves raise a white flag and want to meet with Adams to make a peace treaty, but the hero of the Orcs has other ideas. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan for either party. There’s lots of violence, flatulence (as Dwarves are rather gassy), scheming, razor-sharp wit, and the ending is rather shocking.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ORCumentary?



It literally means “a documentary about orcs.” The lyrical content has always been from the perspective of orcs, but everything after my debut album follows a continuous storyline.



5.On the albums you record everything my yourself, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain solo?



I get asked this question a lot. I thought about making it a full band once, went as far as to seriously consider it. However, ORCumentary means too much to me to allow anyone else to be a part of the process, if that makes sense. It’s been my creative outlet for almost 10 years. It has also already been established as a solo band, and people love it that way. It’s part of what makes ORCumentary stand out. Something huge would be lost if other people were added to the mix It’s nice to be in complete control of everything, although the downside of that is if I’m not motivated, nothing gets done. If I could do absolutely everything myself for ORCumentary I would, but I don’t have the skills/means to do the mastering and artwork. Luckily, Not A Damn Cheese Design and I are always on the same page when it comes to bringing my ideas to life, and my friend Ben Lane does a great job mastering.



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



My live show is literally just me on stage with a keyboard and a mic. I have a larger-than-life stage presence, which makes up for the lack of members. Orc Adams on stage is the complete opposite of what I’m like in real life. He’s boisterous, loud, demanding, arrogant, but he’s got a great sense of humor (although I have a good sense of humor too) and the stage shenanigans are really hard to take seriously. Anyways, I do vocals and play keyboard parts live. It’s very energetic, or so I like to think.



My favorite show so far has been my CD release back in 2013 for Orcs 1 Goblins 0. For the songs “Orc and the Butterfly” and “Sword of Iron”, a group of about 15 people came up and helped me do the gang vocal parts. It was pretty surreal. I also opened for Agalloch back in 2012, which was really cool too.



7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?



Nothing concrete, but I’m probably going to take it easy for the rest of this year. Might pick up a couple shows, but next year is when the heavier gigging will take place. I can’t do extensive touring, but I want to do a few weekend tours next spring/summer; hopefully the Philly area, maybe return to Buffalo, who knows?



8.Can you tell us a little bit more about Orc Rock Records?



Most people/publications take artists who are signed more seriously, so that was honestly the only reason why I put it on there.



9.In one interview you talked about your interest in fantasy novels, what are some of the fantasy authors that you have taken an interest in lately?



Terry Brooks is my favorite author. 5 of his books are at the top of my “to read” list. R.A. Salvatore is one of my favorites too, although I haven’t read any of his books in years (he’ll be next). I really liked the first four books in The Sword of Truth series, but I couldn’t stick with the fifth one. Jacqueline Carey wrote this really interesting duology called The Sundering, which portrayed the “villains” as the heroes often are, and the “heroes” as the villains often are.



To be honest, I haven’t been good about keeping up with new authors and those recommended to me because up until a few years ago I had kind of “fallen out” of reading. Now that things have settled down a bit in my life, I’ve been re-reading a lot of the ones I own. I want to be “caught up”, per se, before pursuing new authors and books. Over the past few years, I’ve reread LOTR, Harry Potter, Dragonlance Chronicles (which was a bit of a disappointment), and some Terry Brooks too.



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



The response is mostly positive. Usually the only really negativity is from the online community. It’s definitely a love it or hate it thing. The people who come out to shows have a great time and can appreciate not only the comedic aspects, but the musicianship too. I’m really lucky that the response has been as supportive and positive as it has been.



11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?



I’d like to continue to keep songwriting as my main focus. I’ve kind of started a side band (actual band with other people) and I have 4 songs in various stages of completion for that. I don’t want to talk too much about it, but I really want to do just vocals live if it kicks off and we start doing shows.



I like the idea of getting back into playing sheet music as well. I took piano lessons for 11 years (age 7 to 18), but after I graduated high school, my main focus has been on songwriting. Getting back into technical and theoretical study on the piano would be great, but it depends on if I have the musical time for it.



Eventually I’d like to start a project for ambient/soundtrack style music, but again it’s about having the time and sufficient inspiration. The vast majority of what I listen to is metal, so that’s what I want to play and write most of the time. I have a really hard time finding non-metal that’s interesting, so I think I’d like to make whatever ambient/non-metal side project similar to ORCumentary, in the sense that I’d take influence from lots of other genres and just write what I like to hear.



12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



My favorite subgenres are melodic death metal, power metal, and industrial metal. I’m influenced by a lot of different bands these days, but my favorites are Elvenking, Mnemic, Soilwork, Poets of the Fall, and Thrice. I also really like certain soundtracks like LOTR. I can find something good in most styles of music, whether it’s something I personally enjoy or not



13.What are some of your non-musical interests?



My non-musical interests include reading, walking, archery (although I don’t get to do it very often), video games, and movies. I love spring and fall weather and I try to be outside as much as possible in those times of year.



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



Thanks for your thoughtful questions and for taking the time to listen to my music. Keep orc rock alive!

https://orcumentary.bandcamp.com/

Vermin WombPermanence/Throatruiner Records/2015 EP Review

  Vermin  Womb  are  a  band  from  Colorado  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grind  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Permanence"  which  was  released  by  Throatruiner  Records.

  A  very  distorted  reverb  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  death/grind  direction  that  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  vocals  that  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  growls and  screams  while  the  slower  sections  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  some  of  the  faster  riffs  bring  in  the  rawness  of  black  metal.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  gets  very  brutal  quite  a  bit  throughout  all  of  the  tracks  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  any  solos  and  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  only  use  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  Vermin  Womb  plays  a  style  of  death/grind  that is  very  raw  and  brutal  and  mixes  in  sludge  in  the  slower  parts  and  also  brings  in  the  dark  atmosphere  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vermin  Womb  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grind  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bitterness"  and  "From  Below".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Vermin_Womb/3540383492

ORCumentary/Destroy The Dwarves/Orc Rock Records/2015 Full Length Review

  ORCumentary  are  a  solo  project  from  the   Orc  lands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  industrial,  power,  black  and  death  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "Destroy  the  Dwarves"  which  was  released  by  Orc  Rock  Records.

  Neo  folk  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  elements  of  industrial  and  death  metal  can  be  heard  as  well  as  some  growling  vocals  being  mixed  in  at  times  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  tracks  also  mix  heavy  parts  with  electro  industrial  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  clean  singing  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  at  times  while  some  songs  can  also  be  very  symphonic  at  times  and  when  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  old  school  metal  feeling.

  ORCumentary  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death,  black,  industrial,  folk  and  power  metal  and  mixes  them  to  create  a  musical  style  known  as  'orc  rock',  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  orcs,  goblins  and  dwarf  themes.

  In  my  opinion  ORCumentary  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death,  black,  industrial,  folk  and  power  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroy  the  Dwarves"  "He  Drank  Deep  From  His  Mug"  "Within  The  Folds  Of  My  Fat"  and  "Cropduster".  8  out  of  10.    

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=115689

   

The Hudson Horror Interview

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

The Hudson Horror is a melodic death metal band from New York City.  Marcus (Guitar) and I (Dan - Vox) started the group in 2011.  In late 2012/early 2013, we picked up Annie (Drums) and Tyreek (Bass) who both brought a whole new set of influences to the table. 

2.So far you have released one ep and one full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

Dark Compulsions is pretty much straight melodic death metal in terms of sound.  It was just Marcus and I on that one and our main goal was to write just that, aggressive melodic death metal.  When we recruited Annie and Tyreek, it meant more cooks in the kitchen in terms of the writing process.  The creative process for our full length, Nemesis, was very much a collaborative one.  As the band matured and we had more songs under our belt, we wanted to keep things interesting and began to incorporate more progressive, thrashy, and brutal vibes into the songs.  As such, Nemesis ended up being a much darker and fuller release than the Dark Compulsions EP was.

3.The new album is the first release to come out in 3 years, can you tell u a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

As a band we’ve been spending a lot of time practicing, writing, and recording Nemesis.  We’ve played a good amount of shows within the New York metropolitan area as well.  The rhythm guitarist slot in our band has been somewhat of a revolving door, so we’ve unfortunately had to spend a bit of time ramping up new members.  Marcus and I both work pretty demanding jobs in the tech industry, while Annie and Tyreek are both in doctorate programs.  As a result, it took us a little longer than anticipated to put out Nemesis. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

The lyrical content of Nemesis is heavily influenced by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov, and Clive Barker.  The most prominent theme throughout the album is cosmic horror and the notion that no matter what we do, humanity is just screwed.  There is also plenty of the gore, ghouls, and goblins side of things as well.  I’ve always been attracted to horror and the role it plays in metal, so for the most part The Hudson Horror stays true to conventional death metal themes.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Hudson Horror'?

The Hudson Horror is a direct reference to The Dunwich Horror by H.P. Lovecraft.  We thought it’d be cool to make the name geographically relevant and alliterative.  It was also the only name Marcus and I could agree on at the time, hah.

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 have not played any particularly massive shows.  We’ve pretty much stuck to smaller to mid-sized venues.  I personally prefer playing in small bars where the crowd is right in your face.  It gets super intense and it’s really great seeing people react to your performance up close.

Instrumentally, we’re really tight.  Annie, Marcus, and Tyreek really click and when it’s show time they are just locked in.  As far as the vocals are concerned, things get pretty ferocious.  I grew up listening to hardcore punk and I’d say the performance reflects that.  I definitely kind of get lost in the moment and bug out.  We do our best to makes sure everyone who comes out gets their money’s worth and then some.

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

Ideally we’d like to branch out and do some more regional shows on the East Coast and see where else we can go with it. 

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

It’s definitely something we would consider, but we haven’t had any offers yet.  The Hudson Horror is something we do not because we want to make it a career, but simply because we love playing metal.  That being said, if any label owners are reading this feel free to give me a call!

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

Overall, the reception has been really great.  People seem to be digging Nemesis and we couldn’t be happier.

10.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Tyreek has a few side projects.  He is a member of The Sharp Eye Project (jazz), The Freedom Now Project (hip hop/jazz), and has his solo stuff as well.

I have two side projects that are still in their infancy- Douché Amoré (grindcore) and Atticism (melodic death metal).


Annie also drums in Belltower (black metal).



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

I think we’re going to try to branch out a little more.  At the end of the day we will always be a melodic death metal band, but we want to see where we can go in terms of incorporating other styles into the mix.

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?

We’re most heavily influenced by a lot of the 90’s/early 2000s melodic death metal bands like In Flames, At the Gates, Carcass, The Black Dahlia Murder, Scar Symmetry, etc.  There’s definitely brutal and blackened death metal influence in there as well.  A lot of people seem to reference Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse when talking about our riffs and the lower vocals.

As far as what we’re listening to now, we’re all over the place.  Every time I’m with Marcus he’s either rocking out to Plini or Wu-Tang.  I have been on a grindcore and New York hardcore kick for the past year or so.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I’d say as a band we’re really into physical fitness and technology.

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

Nope, that sums things up.  Thanks for the interview!

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/The_Hudson_Horror/3540381376

Hellripper/Batsheva/Label 2318/2015 Split Cassette Review

  This  is a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Scotland's  Hellripper  and  U.S.A's  Batsheva  which  was  released  by  Label  2318  and  we  will  start off  the  review  with Hellripper  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  speed  metal  with  a  touch  of  crust  punk.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  old  school  metal/punk  sound  starts  off  his  side  of  the  split  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  speed  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  retro  thrash  in  both  of the  tracks,  the  production  sounds  very  raw,  heavy  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  rock'n'roll  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hellripper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  speed  metal  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hells  Rock'n'roll".

  Next  up  is  Batsheva  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal.

  Spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  start  of  his  side  of  the  split  before  going  into  more  of  a  drone/doom  metal  direction  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  are  added  into  the  music along  with  some  elements  of  harsh  noise  and  on  a  later track  the  music  speeds  up  and  also  adds  in  deep  growls  as  well  as mixing  in  keyboards  and  the  symphonic  side  really  shows  on  the  last track, the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Batsheva  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Inverted  Gravity".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Batsheva_-_Hellripper/Hellripper_-_Batsheva/534034

      

 

The Hudson Horror/Nemesis/2015 Full Length Review

  The  Hudson  Horror  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  a  very  melodic,  blackened  and  brutal  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Nemesis".

  Melodic guitar  leads   off  the  recording and  are  also  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  riffs  and  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  and they  also mix  in  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  modern  thrash  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a  great amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  brutal  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  clear  vocals  are  used  briefly  on  the  last  track.

  The  Hudson  Horror  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  blackened,  melodic  and  brutal  death  metal  genres  and  mixes  it  in  with  more  of  a  modern  style  of  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Hudson  Horror  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  blackened,  brutal,  melodic  death  metal  and  thrash and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Visions  Of  Disgust"  "Anathema" and  "Nemesis".  8  out  of  10.

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Windfaerer/Tenebrosum/2015 Full length Review

  Windfaerer  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  melodic death  metal  and  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Tenebrosum'.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  giving  the  music  an  atmospheric  feeling  before  getting  more  heavy  and  adding  in  more  of  an  epic  black  metal  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  are  brought  into  the  music.

  When  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  use  both  grim  growls  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  melodic  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot of  modern  melodic death  metal  elements  in  the  bands  musical styles.

  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  elements  of  folk  music  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  parts of  the  songs  bring  in  a  ritualistic,  tribal  and  shamanistic  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  acoustic and  heavy  parts.

  Windfaerer  continues  their  style  of  melodic  black  metal  of  previous  recordings  and  also  keeping  the  death  and  folk  metal  elements  while  also  making  the  songs  more  epic  and  atmospheric,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  myths  of  the  Iberian  Peninsula.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Windfaerer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Celestial  Supremacy"  "Santeria"  and  "The  Outer  Darkness".  8  out  of  10. 

http://www.nocleansinging.com/2015/06/30/an-ncs-premiere-windfaerer-celestial-supremacy/

Formicarius Interview

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

We recorded the single back in March this year. There's been a lot going on behind the scenes to prepare for the band's launch, which happened on 1st July. Right now we're in the middle of booking a mini-tour during September and rehearsing for that.


2.Recently you have released a single, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Evil. It's a fucking gargantuan sound, especially with the keyboards, and between a straight minute of blastbeats and one of the best guitar solos you'll hear this year I don't really know what else to say - it's just very, very heavy.


3.Some of the lyrical topics covered Egyptian Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topics?
There isn't much more to it than a passing interest – it's fascinating but we're no experts on the subject in the way Nile are. Egyptian Mythology just provides an appealing backdrop to extreme metal for us; it's fantastical with powerful and extreme ideas and characters, and it can be revoltingly dark. It also provides a vivid setting which can easily be brought out in music, so it's a good basis for telling a story.


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

The Formicarius is one of the first books to discuss Witchcraft, written in the early 15th Century. This bleak time period of violent superstition and paranoia concerning the occult is something underlying all of our music, far removed from the industrial and modern themes. We explore the historic accounts in the Formicarius on the forthcoming album, and the mysterious and dangerous overtones of the occult are something which we will continue to explore. Therefore, Formicarius is an appropriate title to unite us by.

5.Has the band done any live shows yet or is it still in the works?

We have yet to make our live debut, which is being planned for September. We are all veterans of this industry and are taking our time to prepare carefully – the world shan't forget us once we begin our conquest.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Indeed, having announced the band only 3 weeks ago we are still unsigned. There has been interest surrounding us and the album, and we are open to the idea of a label provided we can come to a compromise which benefits both parties. That said, we have slaved over our already complete album and shan't relinquish our lifeblood without reason to.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black metal?

Most people seem to 'get' it and are generally impressed with the quality of a record coming literally out of nowhere. There's basically no competition in regards to quality control as many unsigned bands do themselves a disservice by not investing properly in their music, so it isn't surprising that the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

8.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?

De Profundis signed to Wickerman recently, and they're releasing their new album this September. I believe Premature Birth are writing an album, and Maxdmyz are training up their new guitarist.

9.You have a full length album coming out during the end of the year, what should we expect musically?

The single 'Lake of the Dead' was released to serve as a teaser for the album. The same overall production and sound spread across 8 tracks totalling at 45 minutes exactly. In my opinion we haven't revealed our best tracks yet – the wait will be worth it.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We recorded an Emperor cover for the b-side of the single in order to pay homage to what is probably our biggest collective musical influence. Mid 90s era Satyricon comes to mind, along with Sigh, Bathory, Immortal and of course our English brethren Hecate Enthroned, Eastern Front, Old Corpse Road and so on. We are constantly influenced by our contemporaries.

11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

I speak only for myself when I say I don't really have any views on the subject. It's fascinating from a historical and sociological perspective, and I'm interested by ideas and stories which are fantastic in nature, but I'm not a believer in things which aren't backed by sound logic. It's something which real people have died for, which is fucking crazy... and crazy is exciting. It's not different from how I view religion, so I guess that makes me impartial.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Outside of music I just try to experience people, places and life and take inspiration from that. It's not an uncommon way to balance a working life alongside a music career in order to stop yourself from going insane.

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

Our aforementioned single 'Lake of the Dead' is available for free download and streaming from http://formicariusband.bandcamp.com – there's absolutely no reason for you to not make your own unbiased mind up. If you like it I would highly recommend that you watch this space and keep an eye out for our live exhibitions and the full length album later this year.

- Lord Saunders

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Formicarius/3540406692

Diabolus Arcanium/Path Of Ascension/Transcending Obscurity Distribution/2015 CD Review

  Diabolus  Arcanium  are  a  and  from  India  that  plays  a  very symphonic  and  epic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Path  Of  Ascension"  which  will  be  rleeased  in  August  by  transcending  Obscurity  Distribution.

  A  very  dark sounding  keyboard  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  and  after  the  intro  melodic choirs  are  added  into  the  music  which  also  leads  up to  a  heavier  sound  that  also  retains  the  symphonic  elements  and  also  adds  in  grim  black  metal  screams and  the  music  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Most  of  the  music  goes  for  a  90['s  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  classical  music  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  and  they close  the  album  with  an orchestra  track.

  Diabolus  Arcanium  plays  a  style of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  epic,  with  some  classical elements  as  well  as  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Christianity,  Satanism,  Death,  Destruction  and  Supernatural  Phenomena  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Diabolus  Arcanium  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kingdom  Of   Sin"  "Of  Fire  And  Ashes"  and  "Herald  Of  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

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