Sunday, April 30, 2017

Totalitarian/De Arte Tragoediae Divanae/Barren Void Records/2017 CD Review



  Totalitarian  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  dissonant  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "De  Arte  Tragoediae  Divanae"  which  was  released  by  barren  Void  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier,  melodic  and  dissonant  direction  and  after  awhile  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  music  also  sounds  very  modern.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  at  times  along  with  some  synths  and  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  tracks  a  more  raw  feeling  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  some  growls  that  also  gives  the  album  a  bestial  touch  and  as  the  album progresses  angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.   

  Totalitarian  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  dissonant  while  also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  worship,  darkness  and  occultism  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Totalitarian  are  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  f  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Supreme  Death  Worship"  and  "The  Flames  Of  Sempiternal  Regret",  8  out  of  10.

 https://youtu.be/vBDRYde9V-o

Endless Voyage X Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Well I started this project because I really was wanting to write something I really liked. Something that sounded very much metal but also used other elements too.

2.So far you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Well my last ep I would describe the sound as Atmospheric doom metal with some heavier black metal moments!

3.You have also been involved with other musical projects, what are some of the things you have been able to express yourself with musically that you where not able to do in the other ones?
Well this project is a bit more personal. I got tired of writing about space. I'm way more interested in nature and history.

4.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with this project?
My lyrical themes talk about anything from society, the ocean(of course) to darker topics such as darkness and Insanity.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Endless Voyage X'?
It's. It too deep of a meaning really. Thought it fit well with an ocean theme.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
I wouldn't be opposed to working with others.

7.Fragile Branch Recordings are re-issuing your ep, are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Oh yeah! Fragile Branch is incredible! Andy is a great dude! I'm super thankful for all the support from Fragile Branch so far!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
It's been great!

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?
I'm going to be working on a full length starting this fall or 2018!

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?
Well anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Bathory and Celtic Frost amongst a few others haha. Lately I'd say I'm listening to A bit of everything. I can go from listening  to Chuck Berry to Dark Angel with no problem!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
I love to hike and spend time with friends and family. I'm also a huge supporter of local breweries. I love finding new ones all the time.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Check out my new ep Those Whom Time Forgot by Fragile Branch!

Bandcamp
Facebook
SoundCloud

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Nahtoderfahrung/Geisterbanner/Mahnmal Menschheit/Sturmglanz/2017 Split CD Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Germany's  Nahtoderfahrung  and  Geisterbanner  called  "Mahnmal  Menschheit"  which  was  released  by  Sturmglanz  and  we  will  start  off  the review  with  Nahtoderfahrung  a  band  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  second  wave  influences  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording  and  the  music  always  remains  heavy  and  spoken  word  parts  are added  on  the  closing  track,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nahtoderfahrung   are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Krieg"  "Menusmench  2017".

  Next  up is  Geisterbanner  a  band  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  acoustic  guitars  and  stringed  instruments  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  use  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  demonic  growls  and  clean  singing  is  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  depressive  elements  and  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very melodic  fashion  and  the  music  also uses  keyboards  on  one  track,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German and  cover  dark and  depressive  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Geisterbanner  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Verwofens  Wesen"  and  "Hier  bin  ich  Mensch".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Nahtoderfahrung/3540382423

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Geisterbanner/3540436399      

Sovereign/Spirit Warfare Demo MMXVII/Folkvangr Records/2017 Cassette Review


  Sovereign  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  satanic  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  demo  "Spirit  Warfare"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  cassette  in  May  by  Folkvangr  Records.

  A  very  raw  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  both  the  riffs  and  solos  using  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount of  second  wave  influences.

  At  times  the  vocals  have  a  depressive  edge  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,   mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  guitar  amp  reverb  and  the  last  track  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  ritualistic  synths  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  ambient  before  returning  back  to a   heavier  direction.

  Sovereign  creates  another  recording that  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  satanic  style  of  occult  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Cosmic  Satanism,  Occultism,  Death,  Hate  and  Suicide  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sovereign  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  satanic  black  metal,  you should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hammer  Of  Fevered  Light".  8  out  of  10.   

Bandcamp
Facebook

Amnutseba/Demo/Caligari Records/2017 Cassette Review


  Amnutseba  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  devotional,  eerie,  and  labyrinthic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  review  of  their  2017  demo  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  sound  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  starts  off  the  demo  while  also having  a  more  modern  approach  to t he  genre  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  and  melodic  structures  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  growls  and  elements  of  death  metal  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  as  the  demo  progresses  the  music  starts  utilizing  a  more  atmospheric  edge.
 
Amnutseba  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  dark,  dark  and  dissonant  sounding  with  influences  of  death metal,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Amnutseba  are  a  very  great  sounding  devotional,  eerie,  and  labyrinthic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I"  and  "IV".  8  out  of  10.   

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/demo-3

 

Bitter Lake Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Bitter Lake is a Atmospheric black metal band, i don't know what else to add really, i think you have to listen to understand.


2.So far you have put out 2 releases, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?
Canadian Winter is more of a "finding my sound" piece, all the elements are there but i didn't play guitar for this release, well i did in a way,
the synths were triggered by midi guitar, but i don't feel it lives up to what i had in mind, where as "distortions in sombre"is a lot more what i
was aiming for, i love both pieces but i prefer "distortions in sombre"by a longshot, and will be following up that release with similar style pieces.

3.So far most of the music has been instrumental, are you open to using vocals in the future?
I think a vocalist aims the listener to feel a certain way, lyrics make you feel a certain way and i wanted to avoid that with Bitter Lake, i want
the listener's journey to be there own interpretation of my music, guided only by the music itself, never say never, but for the immediate future, i
have no plans to add vocals, although i'm sure that will change in time.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Bitter Lake'?
It's a political documentary, i haven't even seen it, i just liked the name so it went on a shortlist, then when i started recording "canadian winter"
research led me to a lake in Canada with the same name, so i took that as a sign and stuck with the name, not the most exciting story, but a story all
the same.

5.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solo?
I have tried to work with other people and it's hard, it's hard for me to hear an idea i have become something else, so for that reason i work alone, i'm
to selfish about what i create to let someone else in, nothing ever sounds right with someone else on board, but again, never say never. when i gig i will
have live musicians, and that could evolve into something i guess.

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
I'm not looking for a label actively, but if an opportunity arises and it was right i wouldn't turn it down.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of atmospheric black metal?
Better than i imagined, i have not really had any negative feedback at all, except by people who don't understand the lofi recording methods used and think its
just badly produced, which i can deal with. Sales have been good, which makes me hopeful that i could do this somewhat fulltime, which would be nice.

8.Are you involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
yeah, actually. I have another project which is more idm/glitch based (Think Aphex Twin or Squarepusher) but i've put that on hold to work on this fulltime, however
i see a chance for mindless self promotion so will leave this link here. -> http://www.soundcloud.com/grimbit

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
i'm not sure, which is exciting as much as it is terrifying.

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?
at the moment, lots of symphonic black metal and grunge. i have Dinosaur JR, Emperor and Darkthrone on repeat at the moment. which shows on the new recordings.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Cats and weed

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
respect one another and stay in school, or something equally as cliche!

Bandcamp
Facebook
SoundCloud
Twitter
YouTube

Friday, April 28, 2017

Chiral/Glazing Light Eternity/Folkvanger Records/2017 Cassette Review


  Italy's  solo  project  Chiral  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  post  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Glazing  Light  Eternity"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  June  on  cassette  by  Folkvangr  Records.

  Distorted  drones  and  atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  at e utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  folk  and  progressive  music  edge.

  Synths  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  great  portion  of  them  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  one  track  utilizing  melodic  chants  and  there  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  adds  in  ambient  touches  and  grim  spoken  vocals  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Chiral  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true to  the  atmospheric  style  of  post  black  metal  while  also  adding  in  more  folk  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  have  a  concept  to  them  and  cover  introspection,  solitude,  pain,  death  and  love  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Chiral  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Haze"  and  "The  Hourglass'.  8  out  of  10. 

https://folkvangrrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gazing-light-eternity

Wreche/Desert/Fragile Branch/2017 Full Length Review


  Wreche  are  a  duo  form  Los  Angeles.  California  that  plays  a mixture  of  black  metal,  experimental  and  classical  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2017  album  "Desert"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Fragile  Bunch.

  Avant  garde  style  pianos  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  touches  of  classical  while  natural  noises  are  also  used  at  times  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  more  aggressive  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  no  guitars  and  bass.

  Pianos  get  very  aggressive  and  take  over  the  place  of  traditional  metal  instruments  while  the  vocals  also  mix  in  a  depressive  tone  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also used  briefly.

  Wreche  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  dark  and  aggressive  form  of  black  metal  and  replaces  the  traditional  instruments  with  pianos  while  also  adding  in  experimental,  avant  garde  and  classical  elements  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wreche  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  depressive  black  metal,  avant  garde  classical  and  experimental  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Angel  City"  and  "Vessel".  8  out  of  10. 


 Facebook
Bandcamp
 

Muka/Sveta Stoka/2017 EP Review


  Muka  are  a  band  from  Croatia  that  plays a   mixture  of  dissonant  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Sveta  Stoka".

  Atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  alter  while the  music  also  mixes  the  heavy  and  atmospheric  parts  together  and  clean  guitars  are  also  added  into certain  sections  of the  recording  along  with  all of  the  instruments  sounding  very  powerful.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  few  depressive  touches  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  raw  feeling  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  a  few  growls. 

  Muka  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  dissonant  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  and  sludge  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Croatian  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Muka  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dissonant  black  metal,  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  styles,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sutra?!"  and  "One  Koge  Nema".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook
Official website

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Lucifer's Dungeon/The Dark Army Raises/Grim Distribution/2017 CD Review


  Lucifer's  Dungeon  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Dark  Army  Raises"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Grimm  Distribution.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  and   they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  dungeon  synth  and  after  the  first  track  they  go  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  where  you  can  also hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  more  raw  side  of  the  genre  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  second  wave  influences.

   Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  return  back  to  an  instrumental  dark  ambient  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  and  they  also  bring  in  a  heavier  instrumental  towards  the  end.

  Lucifer's  Dungeon  brings  out  2  different  styles  with  one  being  a  raw  and  traditional  style  of  black  metal  while  the  other  side  displays  a  more  dark  ambient  style,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Dogma,  Satanism  and  Nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lucifer's  Dungeon  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal  and  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unconscious  Faith"  Burn  Your  Dogma"  "War"  and  "The  Forest".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp
Facebook
VKontakte

   

 

 

Bitter Lake/Distortions In Sombre/2017 Full Length Review


  Bitter  Lake  are  a  solo  project  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  album  "Distortions  In  Sombre".

  Atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  ambient  and  after  awhile  drum  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  the  music  has  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  most  of  the  music  is  instrumental  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly.

  Bitter  Lake  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  mostly  instrumental  while  also  mixing  in  experimental  and  ambient  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark and  raw.

  In  my  opinion  Bitter  Lake  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Distortions  In  Sombre"  and  "Class  War".  8  out  of  10. 

https://officialbitterlake.bandcamp.com/album/distortions-in-sombre



 

NNGNN Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
T: We're a two-piece black-metal band from Scotland; we used to play more traditional black-thrash, but nowadays I'd say what we play is black-metal with loads of different styles under the surface; there's still thrash amongst it, but also old-school heavy metal.
R: We've been on the go since 2013. Along the way we've changed quite a bit, that includes line-up changes, and an evolving of our style and a honing of our process for writing and performing, particularly with the two-piece dynamic in mind.

2.So far you have released 2 ep's, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
T: Our first EP was quite conventional in some respects. This time around, I think we're letting ourselves be more inventive – we both love old-school metal, but we're developing a style of our own, too.
R: Yeah we are developing a strong identity as we go, it's very much our own mix of styles. As Tam said the first EP was more black thrash, but even then there was a lot more going on than that. The sound on both EPs was raw, the second EP is our first two-piece recording and much more accurately represents how we sound today.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
R: As our EP title suggests, I have looked a lot at blasphemy. That obviously refers to religion but more importantly it refers to much that is considered sacred or unassailable. I write about opposition, smashing head-on into delusional schools of thought, and about the conscious, willful destruction of certain social customs that many people bow down to. To quote the EP's title track, Tear Down All Such Idols.
These very real themes are central to the lyrics but more recently I have combined them with some more fantastical, dark scenarios, using physical elements like chasms, fume, spirits etc. It's a way to expand the lyrical landscape but to still keep certain messages coming out.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'NNGNN'?
R: NNGNN are the initials of our original name, which literally came to me in a dream around 2007 or so. It's pronounced as the initials. So the only real meaning there is that it came from my own subconscious. The gist of the dream was that the name (Nolti Nan Gana Nan Nolta) was a title awarded to a demonic spirit that vanquished an enemy.
The dream aside though, it's five letters that we go by. It's not a classic or conventional name for any genre we may represent with our music, but the name fits us, it refers to us and only us.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
R: For me what stands out was the tour we did in April 2016 with Inconcessus Lux Lucis. It was our début run as a two piece and something of an epiphany for us. And I think the Manchester show of that was the peak of that run. More recently, supporting Possession in London was a great experience.
T: Opening for Inquisition us one of my early favourites. In our current incarnation, playing Manchester with Ninkharsag was a really enjoyable one, as was playing with Possession in London recently. I think our performance is always improving, or I hope so – that's always my goal; trying to better myself as a musician – we're getting more and more accustomed to the two-piece line-up now, too; we're more comfortable on stage than ever.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
R: We have a small tour arranged for August with Live Burial and Blasphemer, and we have a fantastic tour line-up in the works for 2018 with a UK band and a European band. Other than that we are looking at festival appearances, and getting over to Europe ourselves.

7.The new EP was released on 'Eldritch Lunar Miasma' are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
T: It's a small label, granted, but I'm glad it's been there to help us cover the costs of pressing our CDs and Tapes, it's been a real boost in a time where we barely had any money left after paying for recording and artwork for the new EP.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and thrash metal?
R: We've had a decent response on the whole, in our time. Neither of our records have been released with much fanfare but we've had positive response from various areas worldwide.
T: It always impresses me that people are taking the time to listen to music I've helped to create – if they enjoy it, which people seem to – I'm even more pleased. Sending out merch-orders to all sorts of places around the world is almost surreal.

9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
T: We're planning to make a full-length relatively soon. We're writing new material already after releasing the EP. Stylistically, I don't keep to close a track on what our music is doing; we write material by instinct, and then think about it later on. We're working on a new track just now that we're both very pleased with – it carries on in our accustomed style, but it has an identity of its own, too, and that's how I like to do it.
R: Exactly, each song starts off from a different place, but our own sound runs through all the material. I don't really know how to accurately describe our sound but that's all good.

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?
R: I listen to all sorts of stuff, by no means is it limited to metal. If we're talking metal though, there are many bands and styles of raw metal that shape my ideas and inspire me to create.
T: I don't really keep track; I listen to loads of stuff and what I end up playing, on the drums, is an amalgamation of the things I like. I can't really think of any one band to which I go “yes, I want to sound like that” - and maybe it's better not to. Listening-wise, I enjoy metal, hip-hop, 80s pop – all kinds of stuff really.

11.How would you describe your views on Satanism and Occultism?
T: I enjoy those themes as part of the mystique and showmanship of metal; they're dark and interesting subjects, that suit the music in question, when they're done right. Much like war, death, fantasy, philosophy, paganism, theology – the sort of topics that metal is so known for. It helps to create exciting music which can imbue the listener with a sense of liminality and awe.
R: I think Satanism means different things to different individuals. In some places a lot of the more common ideals of Satanism will touch on my own views, it influences what we are doing. In other places I'd just as sooner not be associated with any particular ideology. I can't say I've studied it extensively.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
R: I'll say thanks for the interview and for your support!

Bandcamp
Facebook
ReverbNation
YouTube

Thy Worshiper/Popiol (Introibo ad Altere Dei)/Arachnophobia Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review


  Thy  Worshiper  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  on  a  few  occasions  and  this  time  brings  us  an  earlier  album  from  them  which  displays  a  more  raw  style  of  pagan/black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1996  album  "Popiol  (Introibo  ad Altere  Dei)"  which  was  re-issued  by  Arachnophobia  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  female  vocals  along  with  some  programmed  beats  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  heavier  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  making  their  presence  known.

  Vocals  are mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while t he  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  they  also  mix  the  synths  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to   them  and  when  classical  guitars  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  folk.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  female  vocals  are  also  used  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumental  as  well  as  some  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Thy  Worshiper  had  a  more  raw  style  of  pagan/black  metal  while  still  also  being  very  atmospheric  and  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  music,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  Slavic Paganism,  War,  Nature  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  from  Thy  Worshiper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  folk, pagan,  and  black  metal,  you  should c heck  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sny  Ojca  Wiekow"  "Gdzie  noce  sa  dluzsze  od  dni"  and "Wsrod  Cieni  I  Mgiel".  8/5  out  of  10. 

Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp

 

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Prometheus/Consumed In Flames/Katoptron IX Records/2017 CD Review


  Prometheus  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  traditional  black  and  esoteric  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Consumed  In  Flames"  which  was  released  by  Katoptron  IX  Records.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  add  in  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Atmospheric  synths  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  tracks and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  thee  riffs  also  utilizing  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  when  guitar  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  instrumentals  and  some  of  the  tracks are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  song  also  adds  in a   touch  of  thrash  and  speed  metal. 

  Prometheus  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  traditional  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology,  Darkness,  Esoteric,  and  War  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Prometheus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Disgusting  Tongues"  "Prometheus  Rising"  and  "Consumed  In  Flames".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Im0TEjJFUOg

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Argus Megere Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Well actually after we finished the whole process with “VEII”-album, we really needed a quiet period because it was an intense work and we were very tiered. Also we wanted the time to pass and to detach from this work to be able to discern better its essence.

2.Recently you have released a new album, 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?
To picture that…our last album “A treia cale” was recorded in 2006/2007, even if it’s released in 2012 because we had some problems with a record house that didn’t release the material and we had to search for another label, so there are more than ten years from that point, it’s a completely new technology on which we had access to build something really superior and professional nowadays.
Also as musicians we progressed a lot from that era, we played in another bands, we toured all around the world, the experience is huge, and I think everyone is more mature and serious about his work and involvement.

3.This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Not much, we toured a couple of times, made some festivals and played here and there , we are not a proper carrier band, we play only for ourselves when we feel like it, and in parallel we made a lot of rehearsals were we crafted this “VEII”-album.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
The lyrics have the same topics since the beginning: the greatness of the nature and darkness, obscurity, misanthropy, personal philosophy.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Argus Megere'?
Misanthropy…through the numerous eyes of Argus we see the world and we are not integrating in it, we don’t have this consumerism values, we are interested by other things, so we keep the distance…”Megere” makes the whole concept infernal, as she is a fury from Hell, so we needed something symbolic in that direction, to define negativity, bleakness, something  devilish. The whole idea transposes us in another world, this is the purpose why we are making music, to have a dimension were we escape.

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’ve played a lot over our carrier, and there are some great nights…it’s hard to pick a moment, maybe out last show at Rockstadt festival here in Romania in 2015, really nice festival in the middle of the Carpathians, with a special atmosphere, nice crowd…our live performance it depends how we set the stage, in a small venues we used candles, incense, skulls, different things like that to create an intimate and sensatory feeling…on bigger stages we merely use only visuals and if possible some of the elements described above.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
There are some ideas for a small tour in autumn but I don’t know the details, our booking agency, Axa Valaha is taking care with all that, we want to play and film some concerts, because there are some plans in this direction for a release in video-format.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
Very good, but honestly we were expecting this, we played for the first time almost two years ago already some songs from this album and the response was very good, so we were confident about it.

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?
Rehearsing, working on new materials and making plans for playing live…with Ordinul Negru we will have a small tour in the beginning of June in Austria and Germany and then start recording the next album; Dara Project is already in the studio recording the second album and working at the next year Asian tour (could be some other live dates this year in Europe and North America but it is nothing confirmed yet) and also with other projects like Kultika, Katharos XIII, Blutrina, Dordeduh, Sincarnate, I or my colleagues are working to release new materials or for live shows, we are very busy all the time…

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
On a mid-pace tempo still releasing new albums, but again it may take a while for this process to take shape and as long as there is interest for us to play live, why not…but we are not that desperate for this topic.

11.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?
When I started composing this album I was listening a lot of Mastodon and Mesuggah (Koloss-album)and I think in sub-conscience some riffs are inspired by them, also at that point Cascadian black metal was really popular, and I was listening a lot of Wolves in the Throne Room, Skagos or Altars of Plague…actually I always listen to modern music, to see what’s happening and to stay in touch with the scene…I not the typical trv kvlt guy, even though I still listen to nineties black metal (Master’s Hammer, Emperor, Burzum, Enslaved)…nowadays in the genre Behemoth are Godz, but also  Deafheaven are interesting and of course the new sensation Mgla…

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Going into wilderness...trekking or by bicycle, almost every weekend if I am able…I also like to do some yoga and jogging…I try to be as active as I can, because in the rest of my time I work in an office environment so I try to compensate that.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for this interview and keep supporting the black flame!

Facebook

Monday, April 24, 2017

The Noctambalant/Advocatus Diaboli/Domestic Genocide Records/2016 CD Review


  The  Noctambulant  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2016  album  "Advocatus  Diaboli"  which  was  released  by  Domestic  Genocide  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sound along  with  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  while  the  vocals  bring  in a   mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  coming  out of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  tremolo  picking  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  song  also  adds  in a  brief  use of  bells  while  a  later  song  also  uses  a  small  amount of  laughs  and  spoken  word  parts.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  can  be  heard  and  a  later  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  song  also  has  an  avant  garde  feeling  before  getting  a  lot  more  heavier  and  almost  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  rain  sounds  and  pianos  can be  heard  and acoustic  guitars  are  used  on t he  closing  track  briefly.

  The  Noctambulant  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  melodic  in  the  90's  Swedish  tradition  while  also  mixing  in  elements of  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Noctambulant  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Legion"  "Creeping  Dead"  "Evil  Calling"  "Blood  For  Life"  and  "Winter's  Hell  Dominion".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayjL3l6_AIY

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Endless Voyage X/Those Who Time Forgot/Fragile Bunch/2017 EP Review


 Endless  Voyage  X  are  a  solo  project  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  ep  "Those  Who  Time  Forgot"  which  will  be  released  during  the  summer  by  Fragile  Bunch.

  Drum  beats  and  black  metal  style  riffing  starts  off  the  ep and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast   beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling,

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  slower  sections  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  atmospheric  synths  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  an  instrumental  which  also  brings  in  acoustic  guitars  before  closing  the  ep  with  a  heavier  track..

  Endless  Voyage  X  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  oceans,  nature,  darkness,  existentialism,  and  society  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Endless  Voyage  X  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Far  From  Home"  and  "At  One  With  The  Abyss".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp
Facebook
SoundCloud

 

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Serpentshrine/Besetting The Altar/2017 Full Length Review


 Serpentshrine  are  a  band  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self   released  2017  album  "Besetting  The  Altar".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and after  the  intro  melodic  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  heavy  riffs  and  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  sound  very  powerful  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  At  times  classical  guitars  are  brought  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  ritualistic  whispers  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Serpentshrine  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  raw  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal a nd  mixes  it  with  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Serpentshrine  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Journey  Through  The  Haunted  Forest"  "Besetting  the  Altar"  and  "Unholy  Affliction".  8  out  of  10. 


  • Bandcamp: https://serpentshrine.bandcamp.com
  • Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hailtheserpent
  • Archivist/Construct/Halo Of Flies/2016 CD Review


      Archivist  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Austira,  Germany,  United  States  and  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2017  album  "Construct"  which  will  be  released  on  April  26th  by  Halo  Of  Flies.

      Ambient  style  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  guitars  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  adds  in  elements  of  post  rock  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  heavier  along  with  some  screaming  style  hardcore  vocals  and  when the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

      During  the  faster  sections  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  also  incorporate  some  black  metal  screams  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  song  bring in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

      Melodic  vocals  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the   music  getting  more  progressive  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  mixed  both  the  heavy  and  atmospheric parts  together  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

      Archivist  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  ambient,  post  rock  and  a  touch  of  hardcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Theosophy,  Astronomy,  Science  Fiction  and  The  Fall  Of  Mankind  themes.

      In  my  opinion  Archivist  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  post  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Birth  Of  Ire"  "Scorched  Earth  Policy"  "Witch  Finder"  and  "Theosophical  Digression...  Artificial  Intelligence".  8  out  of  10.

    Facebook / Bandcamp