Noothgrush/Coffins/Southern Lord Records/2013 Split LP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Atlanta,  Georgia  and  Japan's  Coffins  2  bands  that  have  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  which  was  released  by  Southern  Lord  Records  in  2013  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Noothgrush  a  band that  plays  a mixture  of  sludge, doom  metal and  crustcore.

 "Humandemic"  opens  up  their  side  of  the  split  with  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  minute  later  high  pitched  sludge  screams  start  to  kick  in  and  the  guitar  riffing  only  utilizes  open  notes.

 "Jundland  Wastes"  starts  off  with  some  nature  sounds  and  then  the  heavy  doom  metal  power  chord  guitar  riffs  and  drums  start  to kick  in  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  which  leads  up  to  some  high  pitched  screams  and  halfway t hrough  the  song  the  moves  guitars  start  getting  more  powerful.

  "Thoth"  has  its  beginnings  with  some  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  the  drums  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  start  to  come  in  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  screams  start  their  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song  and  as  the  song moves  on  spoken  word  parts  return  along  with  some nature  sounds  for  a  short  time  before  getting  heavy  again  and  their side  of  the  split  closes  with  some spoken  word  parts.

  Song  lyrics  cover  misery,  hated  and   despair  of  humanity  themes,  while  the  production  has  a   very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  the  last  song  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Noothgrush  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Humandemic".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Coffins  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  sludge  and  death  metal.

  "Drowned In  Revelation"  opens  up  their  side  of  the  split with  some  distorted  bass  guitars  and drum  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  doom/death  metal  guitar  riffs  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  deep  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  dark  sounding  guitar  leads  being  utilized  for  a  few  seconds  before  going  into  a  slightly  more  mid  paced  direction.

  "The  Wretched  Path"  kicks  off  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  which  leads  up  to  some  deep  growls  along  with  the  song  alternating  between slow  and  mid  paced parts  as  well  as  adding  in  some  70's  doom  metal  style  melodies  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  old  school  death  metal  guitar  leads  that  are utilized  for  a  few  seconds  before  going  into a  more  70's  metal  direction  as  well  as  a  few  seconds  of  screams.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  evil  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Coffins  as  well  as  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  band,  you  should  enjoy t heir side  of  the  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Drowned In  Revelation".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  doom,  death  metal  and  crustcore,  you  should  add  this  album  to  your  collection.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

           

Lions Of Tsavo/Traverser/Toxic Assets/2013 CD Review

  Lions of Tsavo  are  a  band  from  Austin,  Texas  that  plays  a  very heavy form  of  sludge/doom metal and  this  is  a  review of  their  2013  album  "Traverser"  which  was  released  by  Toxic  Assets.

 "Circuitous"  begins with  some  sound  effects  and  clean  guitar  playing  before  adding  in some  aggressive  spoken  word  parts along  with  some  more  distorted  sounding  riffing.before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.

  "Tunnel  Giant"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  that utilize  some  melody  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  the  song  also  utilizes some  noise  rock  influences.

   "Bestial  Heavens" begins  with  some  avant  garde  sound  effects  which  leads  up  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  drums  along  with  some melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  they  start  utilizing  some  growls  and  screams and  later  on  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody.

  'Berlahars"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffing  along  with  some drums  which  then  leads  up  to  some  clean  singing  vocals  that  also  utilize  some  growls  and  screams  and  then  the  guitar riffing goes  into  a  heavier  direction.

  "Circuital"  begins  with  some  distorted  melodic  guitar riffing  that  starts  getting  a  lot  heavier  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  drums  and  then  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start to kick  in  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  "Chemotrophs" begins  with  some  drum  beats  before  adding  in  some  heavy guitar  and  bass  riffs  and  after  awhile  the riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  before  the  screams  and  melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  halfway  through  the song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some  guitar  leads  in  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  the  last  minute  of  the  track  is  all  distorted  drone  sounds.

  "Traverser  Of  Gurrin'  begins with  some  sound  effects  before  adding  in  some melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums and  then  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  heavier  along  with  some  growls  and  screams.

  'Permafrost"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  which  leads  up  to  some  drums  and  the  music  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  then  the  clean  singing  vocals  start  to  kick  in  before  adding  in  some  screams  and  growls  and  towards  the end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  being  utilized.

  "Hibernation" begins  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  then  the bass  guitars  and  drums  kick  in  along  with  some heavier  guitar riffing  which  also  leads  up  to  a  brief  use  of  leads  and  solos  and  then  the  melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  more  aggressive  elements  and  the  song  closes  with  some  sound  effects.

  "Sea of  Crises"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  and  synths  before  adding  in  some  clean  guitars  along  with  some  drums  and  bass  guitars  and  then  clean  singing  vocals  start  to  come  in  before  going  into  growls  and  screams  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  towards  the  end  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  blast beats.

  "Negentrophy"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  that  start  getting  heavier  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  Song  lyrics  cover  apocalyptic  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In my  opinion  Lions  Of  Tsava  are  a  very  great sounding sludge/doom metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Circuitous"  Bestial  Heavens"  "Permafrost"  and  "Sea of  Crises".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.      

  

Ward/Self Titled/2013 LP Review

  Ward  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom,  sludge  and  death  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their self  titled  and  self  released  2013  album.

  "Anonymous  Caller''  begins  with  some  drone  sound  effects  and  a  few  seconds  alter  bass  guitar  riffs  start  coming  in  which  leads  up  to some  drums  and  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  that also  utilize  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  a  few  seconds  alter  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  sludge  screams  start  kicking  in  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  heaviness  clams  down  and  there  are  some  acoustic  guitars  that  start  coming  in  for  a  few  seconds  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "In  Denial"  begins with  some  violins  and  acoustic  guitar  playing  which  brings  an  ethnic  feeling  to  the  album  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  come into  the  music  along  with  some  deep  growls    and  towards  the  end  the  bass  guitars  start  taking  control  along  with  some  clean  sections  as  well  as  the  violins  returning.  

 "Riisuttu"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffing  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  sludge  style  screams  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  music  goes  into  a  clean  direction  for  awhile  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  being  utilized  and  then  the  music  starts  getting  heavy  again  and  towards  the end  you  can  hear  some  elements  of  post  hardcore  being  utilized.

  'Self  Made Hell"  begins  with  some  clean  guitar  playing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums start  kicking  in  which  also  leads  up  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  after  awhile the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  few  seconds  of  acoustic  guitars  being  utilized.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Ward  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  doom,  sludge  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anonymous  Caller"  and  "Self  Made  Hell".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.
  

Harm Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

We are a combo from Berlin Germany and we play old-school death metal. The members are Barkley on the Vocals, Solvernus on the drums, Moloch on the guitar and Fabian on the bass. We find together in the year 2009. In this year Solvernus meets our last guitarist and ask him to play old-school metal and after this drunken meeting his brother Barkley and me joint the band. Since this year we have the new guitar player Moloch but the music will still the same.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

The sound is Catchy, buzzy, rancid, stinky and totally rotten tunes from fucking hell. If you like old-school death metal like Autopsy, Asphyx, Pungent Stench or Nihilist you will love us. We have a part for everyone in our songs groove, slow and fast parts.

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

Our songs deal with the topic of antireligious. violence, murder, blood and War so we fulfill every cliché of this kind of music

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

Our songs are evil and that’s why it fits so well. And we need a short and catchy name how everyone can remember.

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

One of the best shows was in the Netherlands with our brothers Massive Assault. We don’t have a special performance we have fun on the stage and banging to the music we play and drinking beer and that’s all no special thing.

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

At the moment we don’t have any gigs were we play in the next time and there is no planned tours.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of old school death metal?

Not so big because we are not so popular outside from Germany but we hope you can help us to find new fans outside from Germany. I think there are many people that will like our music sound

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

We are working at the moment on new songs. That’s a hard work with much beer

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

We stick to the classic death metal more brutal, raw, dirty and primitive we do not want to change we keep that in what we do best and that is drink beer and make great old school death metal.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We have many bands that inspired us like Autopsy, Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Hellhammer or many others. We like every kind of metal classic, death, thrash and black. Especially stuff from the early 90.

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

That’s Beer soccer, gaming, porns girls and much more BEER.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Stay Old-school, drink beer, fuck and have a nice bowel movement every day.

http://www.fda-rekotz.com/gx/

When The Deadbolt Breaks Interview

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

We just finished filming a video with VFX for Sleeps in Burning Hills, which should be premiering soon.   We are also writing new material and working to book some shows to support the new record. 

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and also how does it differ from your previous releases?

I think the sound of Drifting toward the Edge of the Earth is far more cohesive than past records. Not that I feel the other records weren’t good, because I feel they are.  But, the band has different members now than those records and I feel we’ve grown together and have a singular vision of what we want to do and how.  It seems more natural.   The sound and feel of this record reflects that.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

That’s a tough question. Id say for the most part its despair, darkness, wonder and heavy emotion. Really nothing pleasant… and mostly because nothing is pleasant.  My lyrics are very personal to me. Sometimes I write based on a feeling.  The words may not make a ton of sense together, but they depict an atmosphere.   There’s no particular message.  It’s just an outlet for the shit that’s in my head so I don’t do bad things. J

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name  When The Deadbolt Breaks?

The new video for Sleeps in Burning Hills may answer this question.  The short story is…. Before I had the name “When the Deadbolt Breaks”, I wrote “Fist Full of Flowers and an Empty Handgun”. Which is on our first release “In the Ruins No Light Shall Shine” .  But, that song and the name of the band go hand in hand.  I always had this vision of a guy at some doorstep with a pistol in one hand and crushed flowers in the other, and yet theres a dead body on the other side of the doorway.  “Gods not watching anymore”.    I think the sound and feel of the band is all of this.

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

We always enjoy playing live. It doesn’t matter where or when.  But, some of our best shows have been down south.  Maryland, North Carolina and New York City have been some of the best shows we’ve played.  As far as our live performance, it just kind of is.  We tend to improvise a good portion of our set and it changes constantly.  We never play a song the same way twice.   We like to play off of what we are feeling and how its flowing at that moment.  Lights low, amps loud, headspace clear.     

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

We do have some stuff in the works  and we should be announcing those plans soon.  We are in the midst of planning a 2 weeks in the beginning of 2014 to support the new record as well as talking to some folks about some festivals in the near future.

7.The new album came out on EarOne Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label? 

EarOne Productions is a newer label out of Connecticut run by some really great guys who have been in the music business for years.   Keep an eye out for them and their future releases. I have a good feeling about this label. 

8.Are there any other musical projects these days?

I do some solo acoustic stuff under the name “The Walking Ghost”.  I am working to book a few more shows with that project and am currently writing songs for a second EP.     

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to the new album by fans of doom metal and slughe?

Its always scary releasing a disc especially when you pour your heart into it.   There is always a fear that everyone will hate you for what you do, but at the same time, we don’t care. This is what we do, we hope you like it, but if not, that’s fair.  Art is subjective.  So far, the response has been amazing and the support is growing. For that, we are grateful!

10.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

That’s a tough question.  I see us expanding more and trying new things, but we wont know until we get in the studio again.  Most likely, we will be recording again during the winter. 

11.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and alos what are you listening to nowadays?

We all have very broad tastes in music.  From George Jones, to Monster Magnet to Big Black and early punk, to Miles Davis, Sun Ra and darker Jazz.  Kind of runs the spectrum.   Personally, my musical writing is almost more influenced by art then other music.  Anything that evokes emotion or response is ok in my book. 

12.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

For me, its photography. www.Lounge708.com  check it out. 

13.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for taking time to interview us and for your support on the new record! It truly means a ton to us.  See you on the road somewhere soon!

Harm/Cadaver Christi/FDA Rekotz/2013 CD Review

 

   Harm  are  a  band from  Germany  that  plays a  very  old  school  form  of  Swedish  style  death  metal  with  elements  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Cadaver  Christi"  which  was  released  by  FDA  Rekotz.

  "My  Name  Is  Jack"  begins  with  horror  movie  samples  before  the  old  school death  metal  guitar riffs  and  drums  kick  in  which  leads  up to  some  growls  and  the  music  going  into  a  faster  direction  while  also  slowing  down  in  certain  parts  and  adding  in  some melody  and  halfway  through  the song  high  pitched  screams  are  added  in  and  in  certain  parts  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  along  with  some  doom  metal elements  towards  the  end.

   ''Burn  The  Saints"  begins  with  some  fast  drums,  bass  and  guitar  riffs  which  lead  up  to  some death metal  vocals  and  then  the  music  slows  down  and  starts  adding  in some melodic  elements  while  also  returning  to  the  faster parts  at  times  as  well  as  adding in  some  screams  along  with  some  slow doom  metal  style  riffing  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being utilized.

   ''Cadaver  Christi"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  along with  some  drums  and  then  the  death  metal  vocals  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  screams  and  then  the  music  starts speeding  up  and  adds  in  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  slowing down  in  certain  sections  of  the  song.

  "Divers Of  Death"  begins  with  some  heavy and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  drums  which  lead  up  to  the  vocals  kicking  in  and  after  a  minute  screams  are  added  into  the  song  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  slower  guitar  riffing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  some  guitar  leads.

   "Blood  For  God"  begins  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  the  guitar  riffs  and  growls  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  some  melodic  elements  and  the  song  also  slows  down  in  certain  sections.

   "Harmageddon"  begins  wit h some  melodic  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  death  metal  vocals  before  adding  in  drums  and  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  after  a  minute  the  music  gets  a  little  bit  faster  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  while also  slowing  down  in  certain  parts  of  the song  and  towards  the  end  guitar  solos  and  leads  make  their  way  into  the  song.

  "When  The  Tigers  Roar"  begins  wit h some  old  school  melodic  death  metal  guitar  riffs  and d rums  which  leads  up  to  the  growls  and  screams  kicking  in  and  after  awhile t he  music  goes  into  a  slower  direction  but  returns  to  the  faster  parts  at times.

  "Mustard  Gas  Terror"  begins  with  some  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  before  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  and  a  minute  later  the  music  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  while  also  slowing  down  at  times  and  adding  in  some  doom  elements  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads.

  "Nuclear  Holocaust"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  growls  start  kicking  in  and  after  a  minute  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  screams  before  going  more  into  an  old  school  death  metal  direction  and  towards  the  end  guitar  leads  are  utilized  for  a  few  seconds.  

   ''Cross  Desecration"  begins  with  some  fast  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  growls  and  after  a  minute  the  music  slows  down  in  certain  sections  and  goes  for  more  of  a  mid  paced  direction  along  with  some  slower  doom  elements

     Song  lyrics  cover  war,  horror  and  anti  christian  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  old  school  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all   of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Harm  are  a  very  great  sounding  death/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  Tracks  Include  "My  Name  Is  Jack"  "Cadaver  Christi"  "Mustard  Gas  Terror"  and  "Cross  Desecration".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Vastum/Patricidal Lust/20 Buck Spin/2013 CD Review

  Vastum  are  a  band  from  San  Francisco,  California  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  brutal  doom/death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2013  album  "Patricidal  Lust"  which  was  released  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  "Libidinal  Spring"  begins  with  doom/death  metal  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some dark  sounding  melodies  and  after  a  minute  deep  death  metal  growls  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  towards  the  end  high  pitched  screams  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  song  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Enigma  Of  Disgust"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  blast  beats  which  come  in  and  out  and    a  minute  later  growls  start  coming  into  the  song  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  high  pitched  screams  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  adding  in some melodic  elements  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  dark  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "3AM  In  Agony"  begins with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  growls  and  screams  start  kicking  in  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  old  school  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized.

  "Incel"  begins  with  some  dark  guitar  riffs  before  the  drums  kick  in  which  leads  to  the  music  getting  a lot  of  heavier  along  with  some growls  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  screams  are  added  into  the  song  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Patricidal Lust"  begins  with  some  sound  effects  before  the  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  then  the  screams and  growls  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  for  a  short  while  and  they  come  in  and  out  of  the  song.  

  "Repulsive  Arousal"  begins  with  some  dark  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  after  awhile  growls  and  screams  make  their  presence  known in  the  song  along  with  some  old  school  death  metal  elements  and  powerful  bass  guitars  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads  which  also  leads  to  th e bass  guitars  getting  more  powerful.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Abjection,  Eroticism  and  Death,  while  the production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vastum  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  Enigma  Of  Disgust"  and  "Repulsive  Arousal".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

Monachus/Below/Alert Antifacista Records/2013 CD Review

 

   Monachus  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  atmospheric  version  of  sludge  metal  mixed  with  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2013  album  "Below"  which  was  released  by  Alert  Antifacista  Records.

   "Waves"  begins with  some  atmospheric  and  drone  sounds  along  with  some powerful bass  guitars  and  after  a  minute  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  make  their  way into  the  song along  with  some  clean  singing  melodic  vocals  which  also  utilize  some  aggressive  sludge  elements  and  after  awhile  post  rock  style  guitar leads  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  midway  through  the  song  there is  a  brief  use  of  clean  elements  being  utilized.

 
  ''Curse"  begins  with  some  distorted  and  atmospheric  background sounds  which  lead  to some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  then  the  aggressive  sludge  style  screams  start  kicking  in  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  a  few  seconds  alter  clean  singing  vocals  make  their presence  known in the  song  and  halfway  through  the  song there are  some  noise/drone  sound  effects  being  utilized  in  the  background  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  being  utilized.

  "Circles"  begins with  some  synth  sounds  and  a  few seconds  later  clean  playing and  drum  beats  make  their  way  into  the  song  and  after  a  couple of  minutes  the  drums  get  louder  along  with  some melodic  guitar  riffing  which  also  leads  to  some aggressive  yet  melodic  vocals  and  heavier  elements  kicking  in  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  singing  female  vocals  are  added  into the  song  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  cleaner  elements  return for  awhile  along  with  some  clean  singing  male  vocals  and  towards  the end  the  music  starts  getting  heavy  again.

  "Onward"  begins  with  some  soft  and  clean  guitar  playing  before  getting  heavy  and  adding  in  some  some  and  aggressive/melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  powerful  bass  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  the  song  and  as  time goes  on  by  there  are  some  melodic  guitar  riffs  thrown  into  the  music  along  with  some  synths.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  depression  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Monachus  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  sludge  metal  band  with  elements  of  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  Curse"  and  "Onward".  RECOMMENDED  BUY."      

Tor Marrock/Destroy The Soul/Black Vulture Records/ CD Review

 Tor  Marrock  are  a  band from the United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  gothic form  of  doom/death  metal with  elements  of  black  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their   album  "Destroy  The  Soul"  which  was  released  by  Black Vulture  Records.

  "Destroy  The Soul"  begins  with  some  heavy  guitar riffs  which  leads  to some  drums,  bass  guitars and  blackened  death  metal  vocals  as  well  as  some  gothic  influenced  melodies  and  towards  the  end  the  music  starts  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  melodic  guitar  leads.

  "Born In Blood"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  before  adding  in  the  bass  guitars,  drums  and  rhythm  guitars  as  well  as  the  death  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  utilizing  some  melody.

  "Christ  Betrayed"  begins  with  some  soft  and  clean  guitar  playing  along  with  some  whispers  before  adding in  some  drums  and  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  which  lead  up to some  death  metal  growls  and  then  the  music  goes  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  but  returning  to t he  slower  parts  at  times  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and leads  being  utilized  and  the  song  closes  with  some  clean  guitar  playing.

  'The  Harbouring  Of  Suicidal  Thoughts"  begins  with  some  dark  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  which  start  getting  heavier  along  with  some  drums  and  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  some  whispers  and  then  the music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats and  more  aggressive  vocals  and  then  the  music  switches  back  and  forth  between  slow  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars.

  'The  Night  Always  Ends"  begins  with  some  clean  guitar  playing  before  adding  in  some  drums  and  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  vocals  that  utilize  both  aggressive  and  melodic  elements  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  utilized  for  awhile  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  whispers.

  "The  Waves" begins  with  some  traditional  metal  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  vocals  which  start  going  into  a  more  melodic  clean  singing  direction  while  also  keeping  around  some  aggressive  elements and  before  the  song  ends  there  is  a  brief  melodic  guitar  lead.

  "Why  Do  You  Look  Into  My  Eyes"  begins  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  bass,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  melodic  guitar  leads  start  coming in and  out  of  the  song.

"I  Feel  The  Sun,  I  See  The  Stars"  begins  with  some  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riffs   along  with  some  aggressive  vocals,  bass  guitars  and  drums  which  also  lead  to some melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  alot  heavier  along  with  some  thrash  style  guitar  riffing  and  after  awhile  it  returns  to  a  more  melodic  direction.

  Song  lyrics  cover  darkness,  depression  and  sorrow  themes,  while  the  production  has  a very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Tor  Morrock  are  a  very  great  sounding  gothic  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroy  The Soul"  "The  Harbouring  Of  Suicidal  Thoughts"  and  "I  Feel  The  Sun,  I  See  The  Stars".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.        

  

As Autumn Calls/Cold, Black And Everlasting/Rain Without End Records/2013 CD Review

   As  Autumn  Calls  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  and  atmospheric  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Cold,  Black  and  Everlasting"  which  was  released  by  Rain Without  End  Records.

  "Haunted"  begins  with  some  soft  keyboard  playing  which  leads  up  to  some  melodic  guitar  leads  with  a  dark  atmosphere  in  the  background  as  well  as  some  drums  and  then  the  deep  death  metal  growls  make  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  feeling  to  them  and  then  the  heaviness  stops  for  awhile  and  acoustic  guitars  make  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  you  can  also  hear  some  bass  guitars  before  the  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  make  their  presence  known  in  the  song  which  leads  up to  the  music  getting  heavy  again,  while  also  keeping  the  melody  and  bringing  back  the  growls  and  screams  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  "Black  Night  Silent"  begins  with  some  melodic  leads  and  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  and  a  few  seconds  later the  bass,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  start  kicking  in  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  music  starts  getting  alot  more  powerful  and  halfway  into  thew  song  the  music  gets  heavy  and  adds  in  some  growls  and  screams.

  "Those  Doleful Shades"  begins  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffs,  atmospheric  keyboards  which  leads  to  some  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  being  utilized  before  adding  in  some  clean  and  acoustic  guitars  for  a  few  seconds  and  then  getting  heavy  again  as  well  as  keeping  around  the  melodic  elements  and  then  the  song  starts  switching  back  and  forth  between acoustic  and  distorted  parts.

  "The  Light  Which  No  Longer  Shines"  begins  with some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  drums   along  with  some  bass  guitars  and  deep  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  atmospheric  elements,  rhythm  guitars  and  screams  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  and  clean  guitars.

  "Darkness  Reflected"  begins  with  some  spoken  word  parts,  melodic  guitar  leads,  bass  and  drums  which  lead  up  to  the  vocals  adding  in  grim  elements,  screams  and  growls  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melodic  vocals  and  then  rhythm  guitar  riffs  make  their  way  into  the  song,  as  the  song  moves  on  the  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out.

  "Darkness  Confined"  begins  with  some  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  some  melodic and  distorted  leads  a  few  seconds  later  and  a  minute  later  the  drums  start  kicking  in,  as  the  song  moves  on  powerful  bass  guitars  make  their presence  known  in  the  song  before  going into  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  then  leads  to  some  growls  and  screams  and  the  song  closes  with  a  very  aggressive  sounding  guitar  solo  and  mid  paced  riffing.

  "Darkness  Everlasting" begins  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  instruments  and  a  few  seconds  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  bass  ,  drums  and  growls  make  their  way  into t he  song  along  with  some  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  time  goes  by  you can  hear  some  background  atmospheric  keys.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark and  depressive  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy, dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  most  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  As  Autumn  Calls  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  doom/death  metal, you should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Haunted"  "The  Light  Which  No  Longer  Shines"  and  "Darkness  Everlasting".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.