Thursday, September 27, 2012

Tsar Bomb Interview


1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?Tsar Bomb is a Extreme Black-Death Metal band from the south of Spain. Formed in 2009 it has had numerous lineup changes; a fact that has prevented live shows and recording material. In autumn 2011 the band had their debut concert, after which new variations occurred in the formation, delaying the release of their first album "Neowarfare" which was scheduled for the end of this year, but with the recent signing with Badgod Music, it will be released this October 9.
2. How would you describe your musical sound?
Very fast and aggressive, with a homogeneous mixture between black and death metal in its most extreme variants.


3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Tsar Bomb's philosophy revolves around modern warfare and its concepts. The essentially nihilistic and misanthropic thought advocates the complete disappearance of the human race, as evidenced by the lyrics which are imbued with hatred and aversion towards life, spiced with references to various mythic archetypes and a classic Satanism with feelings of a powerful rejection to everything human.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?The band’s name refers to the most powerful weapons of destruction created by the hand of man. Tsar Bomb, was a Russian hydrogen bomb of 100 megatons, tested with 50 megatons on October 30, 1961.

5. Has the band been able to play out live or is this a studio project?
Yes, we played a couple of times live. We could not play anymore because there have been so many lineup changes. But now we’re in a good time and will be playing some dates. Soon we'd like to do a small tour here in Spain.

6. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
Good, our label BadGod Music is helping a lot to make us known worldwide. We’re very happy. But we still have a long way to go before we are well-known.

7. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?
This is a full time line up, although Ocram and Lord Cabal are working in a symphonic black metal project which will be released in a future.


8. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
About the same musical aggressive line, with many changes and better sound… But keeping our two pillars, black metal and death metal.


9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We’re influenced by bands such as 1349, Behemoth, Origin, Gorgoroth, Mayhem…
All members of the band like the black and death metal obviously… but outside of this, each member has different musical tastes.
10. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?
Yes, you can find a primitive Satanism of hatred towards the human race in our lyrics. However Tsar Bomb isn’t a “satanic band”. We don’t worship Satan. We don’t believe in its existence. Satan is a powerful mythological concept, but only that. We use this concept to enhance feelings of rejection to the human race. Occultism plays a role in our music too. You can see this in tracks as “Ashes of my Enemies” or “Nammu”.
11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
We have many interests, such as nihilistic philosophy, second world war, mythology, and many others.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thank you very much for the interview, and only recommend to readers, listen to our new album "Neowarfare" and support us on Facebook, Bandcamp and other social networks...
Greetings from Spain.



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Anaal Nathrakh/Vanitas/Candlelight Records/2012 CD Review


  Anaal  Nathrakh  are  a  band  from  the  U.K  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  their  music  style  being  a  mixture  of  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  black  metal  mixed  with  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Vanitas"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  samples  which  are  only  utilized  briefly  they  bring  in  elements  of  dub  step  and  experimental  into  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of melody,  death  metal  and  grindcore  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  creating  a  hybrid  of  the  three  genres,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  chaotic  and  melodic  sounding  extreme  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  deep  death/grind  growls  and  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  album  from  Anaal  Nathrakh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Blood  Dimmed-Tide"  "Todos  Somos  Humanos"  "Make  Glory  The  Embrace  Of  Saturn"  and  "Of  Fire  And  Fucking  Pigs".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/Anaalnathrakhofficial 

Murk/Drifting Mine/Bylec Tum/2009 Cassette Review


  Murk  are  a  1  man  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  old  school  black  metal  mixed  with  black/thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2008  compilation  cassette  "Drifting  Mine"  which  was  released  by  Bylec  Tum.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  playing  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  powerful  sound  with  some  primitive  riffing.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  primitive  black  metal  riffs  that  utilize  some  old  school  and  punk  style  riffing  at  times  on  the  later  songs  to  give  the  music  more  variety,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they   utilized  are  very  old  school  sounding  black/thrash  guitar  solos  and  leads

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  hateful  black  metal  screams  with  some  80's  style  black/thrash  growls  being  utilized  at  times  mostly  on  the  later  tunes,  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  raw  and  primitive  sound  which  sounds  like  a  mixture  between  early  90's  black  metal  and  80's  German  thrash  metal  and  at  times  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Murk  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  raw  and  primitive  sounding  old  school  black  metal  and  black/thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Prostitutes  Of  Life... Prostitutes  Of  Death"  "Corporal  Punishment"  "Perverted  Behaviour"  and  "Visions  Of  Death".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Black Autumn/Aurora/Cain Records/2010 CD Review


  Black  Autumn  are  a man  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  ambient  black  metal  with  doom  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2010  album  "Aurora"  which  was  released  by  Cain  Records.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow  to  mid  paced  beats,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  ambient  sound  to  the  music  with  elements  of  psychedelic  music  being  utilized  at  times,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  ambient  black  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  doom  metal  influences  in  the  riffing  with  a  good  amount  of  the  songs  being  instrumental  as  well  as  adding  some  soft  and  clean  playing  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  depressive  and  melodic  sounding  dark  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  bring  a  more  dark  avant  garde  sound  to  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  depressive  black  metal  screams  with  some  spoken  word  samples  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  songs  not  being  either  too  short  or  long  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Black  Autumn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  black  metal  mixed  with  doom  metal,  you  should  check  this  album  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Three  Fold  Life"  "Seven  Spirits"  and  "Aurora".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Deviator/Fehu-Fohat-Fire/Kundalini Records/Depressive Illusions Records/2012 CD Review


  Deviator  are  a  1  man  band  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  raw  and  primitive  sounding  pagan  black  metal  with  a  depressive  and  death  metal  edge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Fehu-Fohat-Fire"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Kundalini  and  Depressive  Illusions  Records.

  Drum  programming  ranges  from  slow  to  mid  paced  beats,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very  dark and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  depressive  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  a  good  amount  of  melody,  doom  and  death  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  depressive  and  melodic  sounding  black  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  with  some  guest  musicians  being  utilized  on  a  couple  of  songs.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  sounding  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness  and  Norse  Paganism  with  some  mention  of  Agni  from  Indo  Aryan  Mythology,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  every  musical  instrument  that  is  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Deviator  and   if  you  are  a  fan  of  their  past  releases,  you  should  check  this  album  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Way  Of  Warriors -  Hymn  To  Immortals"  and  "Burning  Brideges  Become  Ashes".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVEv_9fQkM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfVEv_9fQkM

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Munruthel/CREEDamage/Svarga Music/2012 CD Review



  Munruthel  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  the  new  album  returning  their  pagan  black  metal  roots  while  retaining  the  neo  classical  elements  of  music  elements  of  their  previous  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "CREEDamage"  which  was  released  by  Svarga  Music.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  some  tribal  style  shamanistic  drum  playing,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  atmospheric,  progressive,  folk,  pagan,  symphonic,  epic  and  classical  music  sound  to  the  music  in  addition  there  are  some  folk  instruments  being  utilized  at  times,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording  which  utilize  a  gothic  rock  feeling  to  them  at  times.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  pagan/black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  with  some  death  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  have  a  very  traditional  metal  feeling  to  them,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  full  chords  and  finger  picking  to  bring  a  dark  pagan  medieval  feeling  to  the  recording  as  well  as  some  progressive  music  elements.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  deep  death  metal  growls  clean  singing  male  and  female  vocals  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  choirs,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nature  and  Slavic  Pagan  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Munruthel and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rolls  of  Thunder  From  The  Fiery  Skies"  "CREEDamage"  "The  Lake"  which  is  a  Bathory  cover  and  "Carpathians  Shield".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9s7Di47eYI&feature=plcp   

Monday, September 24, 2012

Grue/Word Of Unmaking/Lo, The Curse Of The World Cometh/2012 Split Cassette Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  cassette  between  Boston,  Ma's  Grue  and  Word  Of  Unmaking  which  was  released  in  2012  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Grue  a  band  that  plays  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  form  of  occult  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  that  utilize  some  old  school  and  modern  day  elements  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  which  are  only  utilized  briefly  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  all  high  pitched  hateful  black  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Dark,  Left  Hand  Path and  Occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  with  the  songs  not  being  too  short  or  long  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Grue  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark,  raw  and  primitive  occult  black  metal  band  with  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ascending  The  Necrolith"  and  "Across  Black  Seas  Of  Infinity".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Word  Of  Unmaking  a  band  that  is  a  side  project  of  one  of  the  members  of  Grue  with  a  musical  style  that  I  would  describe  as  being  funeral  doom  metal.

  Drums  are  all  slow beats  with  no  fast  playing  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  funeral  doom/metal  riffs  that  are  very  depressive  with  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  that  gives  the  music  an   ambient  sound  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  deep  funeral  doom/death  metal  growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  their  only  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

   In  my  opinion  while  this  is  something  you  dont  see  regular  in  this  zine  I  still  feel  that  Word  Of  Unmaking  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  this  is  a  really  great  split  and  I  would  recommend  this  to  all  fans  of  occult  black  metal  and  funeral  doom  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

grue.bandcamp.com
wordofunmaking.bandcamp.com

          

Hungry Like Rakovitz/HollymosH/Grindpromotion Records/2012 CD Review


  Hungry  Like  Rakovitz  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  mixes  primitive  black  metal  with  with  grind,  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "HollymosH"  which  was  released  by  Grindpromotion  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with   a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  primitive  black  metal  with  crust,  grind  and  hardcore  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  the  songs  which  are  very  short  in  length.

  Vocals range  from  high  pitched  black  metal/grindcore  screams  to  crust/hardcore  style  yelling  and  shouting  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  hateful  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Hungry  Like  Rakovitz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  crusty  black  metal mixed  with  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Heart  Grinder"  "Asskicker"  "Carpe  Diem"  and  "Rotten  But  Not  Yet".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://hungrylikerakovitz.bandcamp.com/   

Atra Hora Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Hello!
At the moment we are promoting our brand-new album titled Via Combusta, which has been released on Darknagar Records. Moreover the band is actively rehearsing and preparing for gigs in the South of Russia supporting the CD. Also we are composing songs for the EP which is planned to be recorded and released in 2013. This opus will set the direction of our creative development.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the newer album and how it differs from previous releases?
“Via Combusta” means reaching another level of quality for us. Stylistically it is Ethno Dark Metal with Death and Progressive Metal influences. The recording process lasted about two years because of some technical and personal difficulties. Anyway we have done our best on this album. We’ve achieved a higher quality of production in compare with the “Lost in the Depths” CD and used a lot of ethnic instruments such as hammered dulcimer, zurna, some hand drums and percussions... Also we’ve recorded a couple of non-metal tracks which create dark atmosphere on the album. It was a first such experience for us and we are rather pleased with the result!
Another feature of the album is Greek lyrics in three songs (Thanos, thank you for making it possible!).

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Actually our lyrics are based upon mythological themes and monotheistic religions. But we sing not about mythology or religion as such. All our songs are about contemporary realities and internal search and do not contain retellings of myths and legends. On the other hand these realities are reflected in myths and legends and we only draw an analogy between them.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
'Atra Hora' (Latin) means 'Black Hour'. This title was offered by the member of the band with which we shared the rehearsal room. We accepted it as it most closely suited to describe our perception of the world and the modern epoch.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
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6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
Yes, as I’ve already told you, we are preparing some shows in Russia. But we do not want to limit ourselves with local gigs and we would be glad to play abroad if we have an invitation.

The fact is what we haven’t played live for about two years. It is too fucking bad, but we have had a lot of line-up changes during this period. Another trouble is what it is almost impossible to find session musicians for live shows in our region... that is why we had to concentrate on studio work for a while. But now we have a complete line-up and are ready to continue our live activities!

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by metal fans?
Positive in general. I receive letters from metalheads from CIS, Europe, Latin America and Middle-Eastern region and they find our style interesting. I would like to thank anyone who supports us by ordering our CDs or simply telling kind words about our music!

8. What is going on with the other projects these days?
Yanis (guitars, back vocals) and I are also involved in Tristesse Aeternum. It is a Depressive Dark Metal studio-project, which has already finished recording sessions of the debut full-length album titled “The Curse”. Now we are searching for a designer who could make an artwork for the CD.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases? 
We do not want to play the same music constantly. Each our album has its own style and sound. The first one was a mixture of Black and Death Metal, the second one is more Atmospheric Dark Metal, on the third we want to achieve more aggressive Death Metal sound. Our music depends on our liking: we are extremely sincere to ourselves and to our fans, we play what we want to play. One thing is for sure: our music will always contain a lot of oriental melodies and sounds of ethnic instruments.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Talking about influences it is difficult to cover all of them. It is the classical metal, the 80-90ths extreme underground, ethnic, classical and electronic music. In short, it is everything from Renaissance and Baroque music to Grindcore, huh. If we talk about artists I would like to highlight Death, Morbid Angel, Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh, Horrified, Paradise Lost, Anathema, Porcupine Tree, King Crimson and Dead Can Dance and Daemonia Nymphe.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
Yanis studies religious systems and esoteric doctrines and sometimes tries on a variety of grueling practices. Genrih enjoys hunting and jeeping. Nicolaos likes cooking and studying eastern martial arts. Alexander engages in melee fighting, studies Russian history and enjoys numismatics. I own Darknagar Records label; it takes almost all of my efforts and time. Sometimes I study regional geography and culture.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview
Support the metal scene around the world in any possible way! Spread news about your favorite artists, buy CDs, visit shows or simply contact musicians and write a line about their music. It always means much! I wish you peaceful sky over your head and tons of great music!

O/Il Vuoto Perfetto/Gindpromotion Records/2012 CD Review


  O  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  crust,  grind,  and  post  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Il  Vuoto  Perfetto"  which  was  released  by Grindpromotion  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  primitive  black  metal  with  grin,  crust  and  post  hardcore  with  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present on  this  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,   and  hardcore  style  yelling,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  O  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  mixed  with  post  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Apnea"  "Non  e  Vivo"  "Contemplando"  "Creatori  Nascosti"  and  "L' Inizio".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Hungry Like Rakovitz/O/Split EP/2011 Review



  This  is  a    review  of  a  self  released  split  ep  between  Italy's  Hungry  Like  Rakovitz  and  O  which  was  released  in  2011  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Hungry  Like  Rakovitz  a  band  that  mixes  primitive  black  metal,  crust,  grind  and  sludge  together.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  primitive  black  metal  with  crust,  grind,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals range  from  high  pitched  black  metal/grindcore  screams  to  crustcore  style  shouts  and  growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  evil  and  violent  themes,  as  for the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Hungry  Like  Rakovitz  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  black  metal,  crust,  grind,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Nice  To  Kill  You".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  O  a  band  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  with  crust,  grind  and  hardcore.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  black  metal  with  crust,     grind,  and  hardcore  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  to  hardcore  style  yelling,  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  dark themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  O  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  black  metal,  crust,  grind  and  hardcore  with  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Inestinto".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  split  and  I  would  recommend  to  all  fans  of  crusty  black  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

 www.myspace.com/circularsign
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/pages/O/119094341466427
BANDCAMP circularsign.bandcamp.com
YOUTUBE  www.youtube.com/user/MrOband
       

Friday, September 21, 2012

Germ/Loss/Eisenwald/2012 CD Review


  Germ  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  that  combines  black  metal  with  trance  and  heavy  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Loss"  which  was  released  by  Eisenwald.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast beats  being  presented  on  this  recording,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  experimental,  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music  with  influences  from  trance,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to mid  paced  riffs  that  combine  depressive  black  metal  with  trance  and  heavy  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for the  acoustic  guitars  they  use  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  to  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  and  heavy  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  germ  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "So  Lonely,  Dead  Lonely"  and  "Cold  grey  Dawn  (A  New  Beginning)" .  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Silent Leges Inter Arma/Self Titled/Eisenwald/2012 CD Review



 Silent  Leges  Inter  Arma  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  form  of  black  metal  with  a  death  metal  edge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2012  album  which  was  released  by  Eisenwald  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming   with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  death  metal  influences  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  chaotic  sounding  black/death  metal  guitar  solos  and leads  with  a  good  amount  of  melody, as  for  the  classical  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  deep  blackened  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  on  one  song,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my    opinion    Silent  Legs  Inter  Arma  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  and  blackened  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flacon-Headed  One"  "Beyond  The  Light"  and  "Wings".   RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Secret/Agnus Dei/Southern Lord Records/2012 CD Review


  The  Secret  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  mixes  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Agnus  Dei"  which  was  released  by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast riffs  that  combine  raw  and  primitive  sounding  black  metal  with  crust  punk  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  and  monolith  soundscape  riffing  that  bring  a  doom  metal  feeling  to  the  music  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on t his  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  high  pitched  black  metal screams  mixed  in  with  some  aggressive  sounding  crustcore  growls, shouts  and  screams, while the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  that  does  not  take  away  from  the  raw  and  primitive  nature  of  the  music  and  you  can  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  The  Secret  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "May  God  Damn  Us  All"  "Geometric  Power"  "Heretic  Temple"  and  "Obscure  Dogma".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.