Lord Shades/The Uprising Of Namwell/Dooweet Agency/2017 Full Length Review

  Lord  Shades  are  a  band  from  France that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Uprising  Of  Namwell"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Doweet  Agency.

  The  sounds  of  people  talking  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melodic  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  mixing  in  the  symphonic  elements  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  bringing  in  fantasy  orientated  samples.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  tribal  and  shamanistic  style  percussion  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  later  track  also  introducing  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  as  well  as  some  male  ritualistic  chants  and  clean  vocals  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  elements  of  ethnic  and  world  music.

  Lord  Shades  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly rooted  in  blackened  death  metal  while  also  mixing  in  some  symphonic  and  atmospheric  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  on,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lord  Shades  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nightly  Visions"  "The  Revenge  Od  Namwell"  and  "A  New  Dawn".  8  out  of  10.

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Goat Of Mendes/Hagzussa Riding The Fence/Witches Brew/2017 CD Review

  Goat  Of  Mendes  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  pagan,  folk,  death,  doom,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  with  a  musical  style  they  refer  to  as  'Wiccan  Metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Hagzussa  -  Riding  The  Fence"  which  was  released  by  Witches  Brew.

  Nature  sounds  along  with  some  viking  horns  start  off  the  album  as  well  as  some  tribal  beats  and  melodic  female  chants  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling    and  after  the  intro  melodic guitar  leads  start  to  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  as  well  as  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  traditional  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  also  mixing  in  clean  pagan  vocals  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be heard  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  when  death  metal  growls  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  demonic  atmosphere.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar riffing  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements,  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  and  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  touches  of  folk  music  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Goat  Of  Mendes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  pagan,  folk,  doom,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Wiccan  Paganism  and  Magick  themes.

  In  my  pinion  Goat  Of  Mendes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  pagan,  folk,  doom,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Maiden,  Mother  ANd  Crone"  "Samhain  (A  Visit  From  The  Veil)"  and  "Mabon  (Impending  Darkness)".  8/5  out of  10.

 https://witchesbrewthrashes.bandcamp.com/album/hagzussa-riding-the-fence

Wolfhorde/The Great Old Ones/Inverse Records/2017 EP Review

  Wolfhorde  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  black  metal  influenced  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "The  Great  Old  Ones"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Inverse  Rewcords and  consists  of  cover  songs.

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  cover  of  Finntroll's  "Jaktens  Tid"  which  brings  in  a  very  heavy  sound  along  with  some  keyboards  and  folk  instruments  while  the  screams  are  done  in  more  of  a  black  metal  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Next  up  is  a  cover  of  Moonsorrow's  "Kylan  Paassa"  which  starts  out  very  heavy  along  with  some  atmospheric  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  while  folk  instruments  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  growls  and  screams  are  also  used  in  some  parts  of  the  song as  well  as  the  track  being  7  minutes  in  length, melodic  vocals  are  also  used  briefly.

  Closing  the  ep  is  a  cover  of  Amorphis's  "Sign  From  The  North  Side"  which  starts  out  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  while  also  adding  in  keyboards  briefly  as  well  as  a  touch  of  doom  metal  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  ethnic  style  instruments  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  mlody.

  On  this  recording  Wolfhorde  pays  tribute  to  the  band  that  have  had  a  huge  influence  on  their  side,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Finnish  and  English  and  cover  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wolfehorde  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Sign  From  The  North  Side".  8  out  of  10. 

https://youtu.be/ANk_f1LWYCo       

Temnoles,ye/Skazaniya/Grimm Distribution/2017 CD Review

  Temnoles,ye  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  pagan  and  melodic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Skazaniya"  which  was  released  by  Grimm  Distribution.

  Female  pagan  vocals  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  harps  and  keyboards  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  death  metal growls  are  also  used  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences,  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

    Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  symphonic  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times while  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  male  vocals  are  also  added  on  one  of  the  tracks.

  Temnoles,ye  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black metal,  pagan  and  folk  metal  and  takes  the  genres  back  to  their  90's  roots,  the  production   sound s very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Temnoles,ye  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  pagan,  folk  and  melodic  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gamayun"  "Videniye"  "Khvalynskiy  Pokhod"  and  "Bylina".  8  out  of  10.

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Daedalean Complex/After The Fall/PRC Music/2017 CD Review

  Daedalean  Complex  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  goth  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2017  album  "After The  Fall"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  mixes  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  together  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  goth  can  also  be  heard  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  male  and  female  vocals  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Daedalean  Complex  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black,  goth  and  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythological  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Daedalean  Complex  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic,  goth,  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fall  Of  Icarus"  "The  Illusion  Of  Freedom"  "The  Cosmological  Riddle"  and  "To  Etemenanki".  8  out  of  10.

https://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/daedalean-complex-after-the-fall-cd



          

Sar Isatum/Shurpu/2017 Full Length Review

  Sar  Isatum  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Shurpu"  which  will  be  released  on  November  17th.

  Symphonic  keyboards  and  ritualistic  drums  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  symphonic  elements  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  growls  also  being  heard  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  getting  very technical  at  times  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  has  its atmospheric  moments.

  Sar  Isatum  plays  a  style  of  symphonic  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  technical  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the lyrics  cover Sumerian,  Annunaki  Empires  and  Northern  Wabanaki  Legends  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sar  Isatum  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  technical  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sar  Isatum"  "Black  Gate"  and  "Halls  Of  Pestilence".  8  out  of  10.

 http://www.indymetalvault.com/2017/11/10/track-premiere-sar-isatum-black-gate/ 

      

Dracena Interview

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

A lot of planning and waiting. Right now I am working on arranging the new material for the next album and planning the album concept for the lyrics and graphic appearances. Besides that we are waiting with excitement for the response of the latest album, Cursed To The Night.
We’ll see what the future holds…


2.How would you describe the musical sound of the current material?

I would call Cursed To The Night a classic Dracena release, there are a lot of typical Dracena riffs all in the vein of old school metal genres, thrash/black/heavy metal. We asked shred machine Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed/Firespawn) to spice up the songs with lead solos and melodies and he played some really outstanding stuff which took the album to a higher level.

For the sound of the album itself we were looking for a cool and raw sound as a follow up to the previous mini-CD release, Ravenous Bloodlust, and I am very pleased with how great the production turned out, thanks to our main studio - Studio Cave  - where all the mixing and mastering was made by Pontus Ekwall

This album was recorded in 3 different studios, I recorded the vocals, the guitars and the bass at Studio Cave, additional vocals by Ola Malmström (Sorcery) and the drums was recorded and played by Jocke at MediEvil Studios and all the lead solos and melodies was recorded and played by Fredrik Folkare at Chrome Studios.



3.Since 2001 there has only been 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

As I am writing all the music and lyrics myself, as well as playing most of the instruments and vocals too, it usually takes a few years to get the whole album arranged and rehearsed for the studio. This means I spend practically every hour I am not occupied doing ”necessary” stuff with my guitar and home studio.
I also design the graphic appearance of the albums, with artwork ideas and lay out, the photos, web sites and take care of all correspondence and social interaction… and working a full time job.


4.Some of your lyrics are based upon the writings of Dante, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author?

A few years before I started writing on the material for Infernal Damnation I found a book in a second hand bookshop, Dante - The Divine Comedy.
This particular copy is illustrated by Gustave Doré and since I have always admired his engraved illustrations of various classical literature I decided to buy it.
Of course the story in itself is a very interesting work with its medieval view of the Afterlife - Inferno, Purgatory - so I used it as inspiration for the album lyrics… although my story ends in Hell.


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

When we first decided to name the band it seemed like all the nominations we came up with already had been taken by other bands. I recall we actually thought of Dimmu Borgir for a while until we were told there was a Norwegian band using that name.
I’ve always been a fan of fantasy and mythology, and ever since I was a kid my favourite mythical beast has been the Dragon, so I decided to find a word for this that we could use and came up with Dracena.
Dracena (the ”c” is pronounced as a ”k” in my version) is a version of the latin word Dracaena, which derives from the ancient greek word Drakaina -  meaning ”female dragon”

6.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 had a bunch of shows between 1997-2001, but that’s so long ago I can’t say any show was better than the next. After 2001 Dracena only had one live show in 2014 in Münster, Germany, supporting local act Savagery for their release party.


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

Right now there are no shows planned, perhaps there will be gigs during 2018 depending on opportunities.


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

Actually our audience spans over most of the metal genres despite the listeners main preferences and I guess that is probably because Dracena is playing the kind of mixed metal we do. We mainly get positive feedback both from fans and press.


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

Dracena will keep creating the kind of metal that appeals to us, I guess we will progress in the same direction as our influences  do. Then hopefully there will be a  major record deal so I can quit my job and focus on writing new songs and play a lot of shows!

 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?

My favourite bands are mainly from the 80’s heavy/thrash/speed metal scene, like Bathory, WASP, Running Wild, Metal Church, Kreator, Testament etc and I still listen a lot to those albums.
There’s never been any intention in the band to create any certain style or metal genre, I write and chose the riffs I like the most and then I blend it all trying to create an interesting mix using various tempos to build up the specific song and also the album as a whole.

Nowdays I try to find the old metal bands I never had the chance to hear before, and hope they surfaced digitally somewhere, I am also trying to keep up with all the new releases from my favourite acts like Kreator, Testament, Annihilator etc
but I don’t limit myself to any special genre at all as I also listen to a lot of music that’s non metal as well.

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

No, the inspiration for the songs are a blend of dark fantasy and horror, like short stories of a strange nightmare reality filled with dark desires, blood and death.


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

There will be blood, there will be pain… there will be darkness and death… keep the blood running down the screams!
Thanks for the interview and see you out there!

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Jason Aaron Wood/Emanations/2017 Full Length Review

  Jason  Aaron  Wood  is  a  solo  artist  from  Washington  D.C  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark,  symphonic,  neo  classical,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  album  "Emanations"

  Distorted  yet  melodic  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  neo-classical  style  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  clean  vocals  are added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  death  metal  screams  and  black  metal  screams  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  progressive,  atmospheric  and  doom  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  symphonic  feeling  while some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental.

  Jason  Aaron  Wood  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dark,  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  more  clean  vocal  approach  as  well  as  some  progressive,  symphonic  and  neo-classical  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorcery,  darkness,  and  mysticism  themes.

  In  my  opinmion  Jason  Aaron  Wood  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark,  symphonic,  neo  classical,  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enchanter,  Destroyer"  and  "The  Great  Pestilence".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.jasonaaronwood.com/emanations

    

Sacral Night Interview

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

The Band was born by the desire for play with Antoine (Singer).I saw him with his bands and for me it was an evidence. My friend Morkk and Mick wanted to help me for his project. I want to create the most Powerful and Darkest Band of Heavy Metal. With whiff of Necrowretch and Sanctuaire force…my past bands.



2.Recently you have released a mini album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It’s a time into Darkest Catacombs… The deep in my imagination…
I can not give influences, it’s just a vomit of my torments.


3.The band has been around since 2013 but waited until 2017 to do any live shows or release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 4 years?

I didn’t have time for work on this, very busy by Necrowretch, Sanctuaire, Cemeterywitch (my embroidery patchs company), Serial colors (My T-shirts printing Compagny in the past) and personal objectives.


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

It’s my imaginary in medieval time, a priesthood…sect…sacrifices…mysterious cohort under a secret influence and procession…


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

It’s just for : “Sacred Night” because it’s the moment for the children sacrifices under the moonlight.
Important in the EP Story, it’s the departure of an so called resurrection.


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

Just One show for us actually : with the finnish band Ranger… so this one.

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

Yes we are going to play at courts of chaos Fest (France) In May with Tokyo blade/Praying Mantis…


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

Well actually, they tell the original Characters of Sacral Night.

9.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?
The actual line up :
Antoine Volat play with Electric Shock(Hard rock) & Silverwind (Heavy Metal), Laurent (Session guitarist) with Electric Shock & Epitaph (Death Metal).
Morkk & Me just for Sacral Night Now.

Ancient member : Mick play with Lonewolf & Elvenstorm (Heavy Métal)


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

In the same Way !

11.What are some of the bands or musicalstyles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to noadays?

Personally I’m listening heard now : Dokken, Lizzy borden, Icon, Fortune, Tribulation, Necrowretch (New album), Judas Priest…so the influence ? I don’t know… my influence is the life.


12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

No I don’t believe it.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Embroidery, Technical Printing, Social work, Traveling, Nature, Horror movies. Girls, Geopolitics, Cars…


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

Thank you man for this interview, Any informations at : sacralnight@gmail.com

Norilsk/Le Passage Des Glaciers/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2017 CD Review

  Norilsk are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Le  Passage  Des  Glaciers"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  portion  of  the tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  deep  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  the  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  adding  in  elements  of  post  rock  when  they  are  utilized.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording   while  the  tremolo  picking  also  brings  in  influences  from  that  genre  along    melodic  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  dark  metal. 

  Norilsk  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  back,  dark,  doom,  sludge,  death  and  post  metal and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  mythology  and  history  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Norilsk  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  post,  doom and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Puits De  I'  oubl"  "La  Voie  Des  Morts"  and  "L'  Erosion  (Passage  Part  II)".  8  out  of  10.

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Dracena/Cursed To The Night/Inferno Records/2017 CD Review

  Dracena  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Cursed  To  The  Night"  which  was  released  by  Inferno  Records.

  Nature  and  music  box  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  which  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  80's  and  90's  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  old  school  elements  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal  influences  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  little  bit  of  tremolo  picking,  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Dracena  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  Swedish  style  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  elements  of  thrash,  death  and  heavy  metal  to  create  a  very  heavy  and  retro  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  blood,  pain,  anger  and  the  writings  of  Dante.

  In  my  opinion  Dracena  are  a  very  great  melodic  and  old  school  sounding  mixture  of  black, death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "That  You  Fear  The Most"  "Elusive  Madness"  and  "The  Shadow  Of  What  Once  Was".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1hLAFoBkEI   



  

Sacral Night/Darkness Process/Inferno Records/2017 EP Review

Sacral  Night  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of   melodic black,  death  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep "Darkness  Process"  which  will  be  released  on  October  30th  by  Inferno  Records.

  A  very  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the ep  while  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  traditional  80's  metal  style  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  death  metal  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Elements  of  90's  Swedish  black/death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  first  wave  influences  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Sacral  Night  plays a  musical  style  that takes  the  heaviness  of  90's era  black/death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  first  wave  black  metal  elements  and  an  80's  traditional/power  metal  form  of singing  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sacral  Night  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black,  death  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fullmoon  Creep  Sacrifice"  and  "Witness  Of  Death".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdY1VvkwzJM

Xanthochroid/Of Earth And Axen Act II/Earth And Axen Records/2017 CD Review

  California's  Xanthochroid  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  epic  and  melodic  style  of  cinematic  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Of  Earth  And  Axen  Act  II"  which  was  also  self  released  through  their  own  label.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier and  melodic  side  of  the  songs  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  clean  playing  and  operatic  clean  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  and  avant  garde  at  times  as  well  as  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  be  heard  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  flutes  and  death  metal  growls.

  On  this  recording  Xanthochroid  goes  into  more  of  an  avant  garde  and  progressive direction  while still  mixing  in  elements  of  black  metal, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  their  own  self  created  lore  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Xanthochroid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Of  Aching,  Empty  Pain"  "Walk  With  Me,  O  Winged  Mother" and  "Toward  Truth  And  Reconciliation".  8  out  of  10.

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Xaemora/Pandemonium's Ocean/Black Market Metal Label/2017 CD Review

  Xaemora  are  a  band  from  St.  Louis,  Missouri  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Pandemonium's  Ocean"  which  will  be  released  on  October  27th  by  Black  Market  Metal  Label.

  A  very  fast  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  keyboards  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  symphonic  feeling  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  tradition  of  the  genre.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some of  the  tracks  are long  and  epic  in  length  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  closing  song.

  Xaemora  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  misanthropy, chaos  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Xaemora  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beneath  Frozen  Tombs"  "Pandemonium's  Ocean"  and  "Altars".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxyBEkd9HxA&t=52s

  

LaColpa Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
LaColpa was born in 2014 in Alessandria (Italy) like a sort of creature, a Golem: at first the four piece lineup with Andrea Moio (ex Sùr) at bass, Cecco Testa (Cropcircle) at the elettronics, noise, driller, chains and samples, Davide Boeri (ex Septycal Gorge) at the drums and Davide Destro (ex Infection Code) at the guitar and effects, started as an instrumental band, creating the hard body and structure of the creature, then I joined to the band giving it the voice. All of us came from different experiences in the area of extreme and experimental sounds, from the ambient to the noise passing through the extreme metal, so in some ways, LaColpa has started life by itself.

2.So far you have released a demo and a 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?
The demo contained a raw version of Soil, the first track of the album, and came out in a 33-copy limited edition CDR. In the album the same track was enriched by Dano Battocchio's work (Last Minute To Jaffna /Tutti I Colori Del Buio) to the mix and Brad Boatright at Audiosiege at the final master. The sound is a mix of Doom, Sludge, Noise and Black Metal and it can be described as a sort of descent into man's inner hell.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
LaColpa explore all those obscure parts in the human beings. It does so with a sense of martyrdom: in the creation of texts I like to sink into deep and dark moods as a sort of shaman, taking them to the surface to amalgamate them to the chaotic sense of the noise.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'LaColpa'?
LaColpa is translatable in English as TheGuilt. In religion, the sense of guilt is very important because it is closely related to the sins committed by man. For religion, we are all guilty, and unlike religion, we think that there is no salvation because this is exactly the human nature.

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 recently made a live with our friends Viscera/// for our full length debut. It was a nice live, we got several positive feedbacks. In our performances, we try to let the spectator fall into the depths of the dark moods we evoke, also thanks to the visual support we select.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
For now we have a concert with OVO on December 8th. We don't have tour dates, because we don't mainly focus on live shows. We prefer to devote ourselves to composing new songs for the moment.

7.The album was released on 'Toten Schwan Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Absolutely! Marco at the Toten Schwan Records did a great job! We are very pleased to have worked with him.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal, sludge and noise?
We have received many positive feedback from the lovers of those sounds. This makes us happy because it means that the work we did has arrived where it wanted to arrive.

9.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?
They will continue. Personally I have several noise and power electronics projects like Moana I want to carry on. Along with Davide Destro we started a new project called Macabro Dio more oriented into noise/power electronics sound compared to LaColpa, but keeping dark themes in the black metal style. Cecco will also continue working on Cropcircle and Winter Martyrium , and I think new projects or collaborations will be forthcoming in the future.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
It's hard to say! I think we will try to keep our style and direction, but who knows, we are all experimental musicians and the idea of introducing new things always fascinates us.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We all have a different musical background and maybe that's the reason why our sound is so weird, but we all love noise, experimental music and black metal. Among the bands that influenced us, I could mention Portal, Leviathan, The Body, Khanate and many more.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Surely the nihilistic pessimism of authors such as Cioran and Caraco, the intrinsic carnality in the Catholic religion, esoterism, and extreme forms of art: from contemporary art performances to the cinema.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I can leave you with the words that close our live shows:
WE DON'T EXISTS, WE ARE YOUR GUILT.

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W.E.B/Tartarus/Apathia Records/2017 Full Length eview

  W.E.B  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Tartarus"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Apathia  Records.

  Stringed  instruments  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  add  in  touches  of  classical  music  which  also  leads  to  more  of  a  symphonic  direction  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  a  great amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  operatic  vocals  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion and  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.

 Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  incorporates  a  decent  amount  of  goth  metal  elements  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  be  heard  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  one  track  that  uses  clean  vocals  are  provided  by  Sotris  Vayenas  of  Septic  Flesh  and  a  later  song  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals.

  W.E.B  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  symphonic  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  goth  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Melancholy,  Darkness  and  Greek  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  W.E.B  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  goth  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tartarus"  "I,  The  Bornless"  and  "Thanatos  Part  II  -  Epitaphios".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INQ3Y98bq4Y 

Pink Mass/Necrosexual/2017 Full Length Review

 Pink  Mass  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore  with  a  touch  of  punk  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Necrosexual".

  A  horror  movie  soundtrack  orientated  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  grind  and  crustcore  direction  along  with  some  blast  bears  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal s creams  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  short  in  length.

  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  and  another  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  samples  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  punk  rock  and  doom  metal.

  Pink  Mass  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  doom,  punk,  crust  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create a   sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  BDSM,  Perversion,  Sex,  Punk,  Blasphemy,  and  Sexual  Freedom  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pink  Mass  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  punk,  doom,  crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hedonist  Lament"  "Crypt  Perversor"  "Vorified  Master"  and  "Excorciated  Purity".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1CAgcrT-Bc&feature=youtu.be

    

LaColpa/Mea Maxima Culpa/Toten Schwan Records/2017 CD Review

  La  Colpa  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  sludge  metal  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Mea  Maxima  Culpa"  which  was  released  by  Toten  Schwan  Records.

  Experimental  and  avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mix  in  with  the  powerful  bass  guitars  a  minute  later  along  with  some  grim  screams  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  a  more  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  After  awhile  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  while  the faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  some  elements  of harsh  noise,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  elements  of  drone  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  tribal  beats  are  added  onto  the  closing  track  as  well  as  the  riffs  bringing  in  doom  metal  style  melodies.

  La  Colpa  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom,  sludge  metal  and  noise  and  mixes them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  LaColpa  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Scars".  8  out  of  10.

https://lacolpa666.bandcamp.co m/releases

Incursed/Amalur/2017 Full Length Review

  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Incursed  which  is  also  in  the  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Amalur".

  Nature  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  grim  vocals  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos   are  utilized  they  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  screams  clean  pagan  singing  as  well  as  some  back  up  shouts ,  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  keyboards  when  they  are  brought  into  the  music  also  add  in  a  touch  of  prog  rock  along  with  acoustic  guitars  also  being added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Incursed  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  style  of  viking,  pagan  and  fol  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  battles,  war,  Paganism  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Incursed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  viking,  pagan  and  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cry  Havok"  "The  Awakening"  "A  Crownless  King"  and  "Brothers  In  Arms".  8  out  of  10.

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Bandcamp: https://incursed.bandcamp.com/

Incursed/The Slavic Covenant/2017

  Spain's  Incursed  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "The  Slavic  Covenant".

  Spoken  word  parts  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  bring  in  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  back  up  shouts  and  clean  pagan  vocals  are also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  prog  rock  elements  also  being  used  briefly  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  keyboards  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  they  close  the  ep  with  a  cover  of  A-ha's  "Take  On   Me".

  Incursed  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  pagan,  and  viking  style  of  folk  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  battle,  war,  Paganism  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Incursed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan,  viking  and  folk  metal, you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Slavic  Covenant"  and  "Wild".  8  out  of  10.

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