Mothermound Interview

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

Well, the band has existed in this line-up since 2009-2010, when we started working with Martin, the drummer. Otherwise we have all been involved in various musical projects before that, some more, some less serious.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?

It's basically a combination of all four people that play in the band. We are all quite different individuals and I think this fact is also reflected in the music. We like our sound a bit dirty, but still retaining some polish, so that things don't get lost in the mess.

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

The lyrics are more or less introspective, dealing with one's relationship with society, religion, birth and death, personal stuff mostly. We've never seen ourselves as a political band or something like that.

4,The band was originally known as Expulsion, what was the decision behind the name change?

The band actually changed it's name after a 5 year pause. After some slight line-up changes and some new approaches to making music we also decided it was time to head on under a new flag.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Mothermound?

We are somewhat fascinated by the idea of circular motion in nature. Life-death, beginning-end, it also plays n important role in our lyrics and music. The Idea behind Mothermound can be interpreted in various ways. As the Mother-mound, the main mound (Earth?) from which we all spawn and return to when our time comes, or simply as a phrase containing two words which mark the beginning (mother) and the end (mound), womb and tomb, cradle and grave.

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

We haven't done too many shows in this current line-up, but I can say we like smaller venues which are more intimate, more personal. The personal message gets lost on bigger stages for some bands. And smaller stages make us try harder and make our performances more energetic. I couls say we bas our performances on our music and not on some theatrical gymnastics background. For us it's still all about the music.

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

Well, we just released 'The Burden of Tomorrow' and we have some gigs planned to promote the thing. For now this will all be more or less limited to Slovenia, but we are also considering other options for the future. We'll see what it brings.

8.The new album came out on Hollow Earth Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this record label?

It's a young record label which doesn't limit itself musically or in any other way. It's operates in a very professional and still down-to-earth, human way. And that's the way we like it.

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

Since the album was released we've mostly gotten positive feedback from everyone. We don't expect all people to like what we do and everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. But generally our work has been quite warmly accepted.

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

I guess we will continue following the same guidelines. Some changes are bound to happen, because we are all still growing and learning and discovering new things. We'll just have to wait and see where the music takes us.

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

We actually listen to a wide spectrum of music and musical genres. I could say that we have been influenced by everything from Black Sabbath to Eurythmics, from Opeth to Tom Waits. What I listen to mostly depends on the current mood or the mood I am trying to get into. Sometimes classical music comes in handy, other times Shining is on most of the day:)

12.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

I'm mostly interested in the phenomenon from a historical point of view. But practice makes things a bit different sometimes. Everything that has to do with religious or any other beliefs or views is highly personal and should be treated and respected as such. If it all remains like this it's completely acceptable and safe for everyone. If it gets out of hand it can be dangerous. Be it Christianity or the Manure Worship Cult next door.

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

We all have our stuff to do, concerning work or families, so it's never boring.

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

Thank you for taking interest and keep keeping an open mind.

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Mothermound/The Burden Of Tomorrow/Hollow Earth Records/2013 CD Review

  Mothermound  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "The  Burden  Of  Tomorrow"  which  was  released  by  Hollow  Earth  Records.

  "Aurora  Awaken"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  soft  acoustic  guitar  playing  along  with  a  brief  use  of  flutes  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody  and  a  minute  later  doom/death  metal  growls  kick  in  as  well  as  the  music  getting  more  progressive  and  as  time  goes  on  by  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  are  added  into  the  song  as  well  as  some  melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  couple  of  minutes  later  and  the  song  closes  with  acoustic  guitars.

  "Come  The  Moonlight,  Come  The  Rain"  begins  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  vocals  find  their  way  into  the  song  along  with  some  growls  shortly  after  that  while  also  keeping  around  the  melodic  vocals  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  music  goes  into  a  softer  direction  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  before  getting  heavy  again  along  with  some  guitar  leads.

  "Lady  Violet"  opens  up  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  growls  kick  in  which  also  mix  in  with  the  melodic  vocals  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  synths  as  well  as  a  guitar  solos  which  also  leads  to  the  music  getting  heavy  again  and  then  the  song  starts  to  alternate  between  heavy  and  acoustic  parts.

  "Beings  Beyond  Being"  starts  up  with  sound  effects  before  adding  in  heavy,  melodic  and  progressive  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  which  also  leads  up  to  growls  and  halfway  through  the  song  acoustic  guitars,  and  guitar  solos  make  their  presence  known  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  getting  heavy  again.

  "A  Murder  Of  Angels"  kicks  in  with  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  progressive  rock  style  guitar  leads  come  in  before  adding  in  melodic  vocals  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls.

  "Dogma  Defiled"  comes  in  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  aggressive  and  melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  melodic  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out  of  the  song.

  "Omega  Omnipresent"  hits  it  off  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  some  drums  as  well  as  guitar  leads  that  come  in  and  out  of  the  song  and  a  minute  later  a  mixture  of  growls  and  melodic  singing  make  their  way  into  the  song.

  "The  Path  I  Cross"  makes  its  way  in  with  a  melodic  guitar  lead  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  melodic  vocals  along  with  some  growls  and  bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  as w ell  as  the  guitars  getting  more  melodic.

  "Curtains  Fall"  which  is  the  last  song  on  the  album  is  introduced  with  heavy  bass  and  guitar  riffs  which  also  utilize  some  melody  along  with  some  drums  and  guitar  leads  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  vocals  kick  in a s  well  as  some  growls  and  a  few  minutes  later  there  is  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  female  vocals  and  close  the  song.

  Song  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  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  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Mothermound  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aurora  Awaken"  "Beings  Beyond  Being"  "Omega  Omnipresent'  and  "Curtains  Fall".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

  

The Gardnerz/Exiting Reality/2013 Single Review

  The  Gardnerz  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  the  zine  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  melodic  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  single  "Exiting  Reality".

  "Exiting  Reality  Part  I"  opens  up  with  drum  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  and  melodic  sounding  guitar  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  melodic  guitar  solos  a  few  seconds  later  which  leads  to  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later there  is  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  vocals  along  with  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  "Exiting  Reality  Part  II"  begins  with  melodic  and  technical  sounding guitar  leads  along  with  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  then  leads  to  some  black  metal  screams  before  adding  in  clean  singing  and  after  another  guitar  solo  death  metal  growls  start  to  kick  in.

  Song  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  single.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Gardnerz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

Godhunter/Anakim/The Compound/Battleground Records/2013 Split EP Review

   This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Arizona's  Godhunter  and  Anakim  which  was  released  by  The  Compound  and  Battleground  Records  during  the  year  of  2013  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Godhunter  a  band  that  plays  sludge  mixed  with  thrash.

  "Vulture's  Wake"  opens  up with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  growls  start  to  kick  in  and  after  awhile  the  guitar  riffing  starts  getting  more  melodic  along  with  screams  kicking  in  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  sludge  and  doom  elements  in  the  song.

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

  In  my  opinion  Godhunter  are  a very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Anakim  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  stoner  rock.

  "The  Whimper  Of  Whipped  Dogs"  begins  with  clean  guitar  playing  and  drums  along  with  some  bass  and  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later which  also  leads  up  to  some  guitar  riffing as  well  as  a  mixture  of  growls  and  melodic  singing  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffs  getting  a  lot  more  heavy  and  mixing  in  high  pitched  sludge  screams.

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

  In  my  opinion  Anakim  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  metal  and  stoner  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  think  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  to  all  fans  of  sludge.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.       

Storm King Interview

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

We just spent the better part of the last year writing, recording and preparing the new album for release, which just happened. We're playing four regional shows to support that release, then taking some time off through the holidays. Early in 2014, there's going to be a new video we've been working on, and probably another round or two of shows in the winter/spring. We'll see what happens.

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

Stylistically, it's the same Storm King formula we've been delivering for years, we're just better at it now. The overall idea has always been to play heavy metal, but never limit ourselves to a specific sub-genre. It's not like we go out of our way to incorporate different styles, that's just what comes out when we jam and we embrace it instead of ever saying, "no, we can't play THAT kind of metal, we're a thrash band" or a death metal band, or a doom band, etc. I have eclectic tastes, so does everyone else in the band, and even though we'd probably have a better shot at "making it" if we watered down our sound so people would know which little category to place us in, it's just not how any of us really want to be represented. This band is more like a portfolio of our abilities, so we always seem to push the envelope a little more all the time. 

As for the over all sound of the record, there were very specific traits we were going for, which I think we achieved. We wanted it to sound aggressive and raw, but razor sharp with good production quality at the same time. To be able to listen to it and tell each instrument apart was important, that's something I feel gets left out too often in metal, everyone's "wall of noise" gets in the way of a good sounding master. Bass is usually the first instrument to get buried in the mix, and as an old bass player myself and as a fan of bass in general, that's just bullshit. Easier said than done, but it really makes a difference for the style of music we play. 

In the end, I really just wanted to be able to listen to this record next to some of the bigger production albums that have inspired me in my lifetime and have it hold it's own, which I think it does. From all the bands I've ever been in or worked with, this is the first record to ever come out 100% sounding, looking and feeling the way I wanted it to. There is no drunken sloppiness, half-assed efforts, mistakes due to running out of time or money, none of that. If people don't like this album, it will be a matter of personal preference and/or opinion, not because it falls short in any way of it's vision. After 20 some years playing music, that's fucking awesome to be able to say.


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

I was going through a lot of struggle in my personal life when we started the writing process (marriage was on the rocks, parenthood is really hard, just quit drinking, etc), and I was having a real hard time with lyrics, so I decided to pick a theme and it became a concept album of sorts. A tale of self-discovery through darkness, heartbreak, despair, ugliness, desolation and regret. I suppose it's borderline emo if you want to get right down to it, but in the same way so many of my biggest influences are. Going all the way back to my teen years, listening to Nine Inch Nails and Rollins Band, on up to recent years with bands like Opeth and Triptykon, all my favorites have put a lot of focus on real feelings, and always the dark painful ones. I've always wanted an album like that, but for some reason, I guess I've been too afraid to do it in fear of how people might label it. Something in me snapped over this last couple years and I finally quit caring about what other people think and decided to make the record for myself, regardless. It wasn't a far stretch from previous material, but it was definitely honed in on and refined this time around to make something really heart wrenching. I've always said that my favorite music is the stuff that can hurt your feelings. Well, here you go.

That being said, it was hard for me to write some of these songs. I don't think I write like a lot of people write. I know a lot of songwriters who sit down and pen a song at a time with consistent, linear thought. That's not how I do it at all. My lyrics are typically jotted down, 1-2 lines or maybe a verse at a time, with no real attention paid to how it'll be when it's done. It isn't until much later, if at all, I compile all the little snippets and pocket notes to make sort of a lyric scrapbook out of them. Sometimes, as was the case on this album, I'll go back to things I may have written 15 or 20 years ago. Songs end up like Frankenstein's monster - a piece from here, a piece from there... If I'm lucky, everything makes sense when it's strung together, but I'll admit that it hasn't always (Keeper of Shadows from our first record, for example, made no sense at all). There was a lot of extra time spent on this album though, so it's pretty cohesive.


4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Storm King?

There's a beer called Storm King from Victory Brewing Company. When the band started out, practice was sort of secondary to just hanging out and enjoying cigars and craft beers together, a tradition that has pretty much stuck to this day. I liked the name Angels of Enmity for a minute, but it didn't seem right, so we made it our first album title instead. During discussions, we were drinking a case of the stout and smoking CAO MX2s. Dark and heavy. I think it was me who looked over at a table of empties and said, "How about Storm King?" It just seemed to fit.


5. 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 our share of bigger shows with bigger bands at bigger venues to boost our rockstar-like egos, but our best shows have always been the smaller, more intimate ones. I for one hate the spotlight, it makes me uncomfortable and awkward, so I think my delivery as a frontman lacks something. I just don't have the kind of confidence a lot of the great frontmen have that enables them to own a larger audience and keep them captivated. I'll come right out and admit that, it's cool. And we hardly ever play live or practice anyhow, so I'm sure that shows at times. But our smaller shows, the ones that are primarily made up of our own crew, the comfort level rises and we can really set it off. I'm anxious to see what happens coming up though. A lot has changed in us as a unit lately, we're stronger somehow, so that's a new and interesting twist.


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

See question #1.


7. The new album had a Faith No More cover, what was the decision behind doing one of their songs as a cover tune?

It was kind of a last minute decision. We were playing Surprise! years ago in practice, but never incorporated it into our set and it got lost for a while. Faith No More is a huge influence of mine, as they are for a lot of people, and this song in particular really fits our style. We've done a cover song every time we've entered the studio, just because -- Seasons in the Abyss, Nervous Breakdown, Critical Mass -- usually it's for a B-side or a comp or something, nothing too serious. But this time we wanted/needed another track for the album, so it went right on the album.


8. The new album came out on The Innervenus Music Collective, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

The website says it best...
"Innervenus is a collective of artists and musicians, based in Pittsburgh, PA. Established in 2001 by Scott & Kimee Massie, with an ever rEvolving list of cohorts, we strive to work with like minds in putting out records, booking shows, advertising, creating merch, spreading the good word and achieving common goals. We are a 99.9% D.I.Y. operation, family owned and orchestrated.
Thank you for your support."


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

The album hasn't been out long enough to really gauge that, but response so far has been pretty good all around, from what I've seen anyhow.


10. Are there any other musical projects that the band members are involved with besides this band?

Currently, Andy & Mark are both in the hardcore/beatdown/death metal band, Enemy Mind (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Enemy-Mind/263989220299830), Mark is also in the punk/grind/suicidal hardcore band, Complete Failure (http://comfail.bandcamp.com/), and I oversee all the music and assemble BLACK YO)))GA mixes with Chad Hammitt (http://blackyoga.blogspot.com/).


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

Nothing would surprise me at this point. I'd love to introduce an electronic element, but I don't want to interfere with our chemistry. It'll probably remain the same non-formula, but bigger and (hopefully) better.


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

Each and every one of us is all over the place with what we listen to and what influences us. And the youngest of us is 30, so we've been around a while to really experience a lot of different genres and trends. We sit down before or after practice, or at a bar or some type of gathering mid-week, and we talk about the new albums we got, thumb through the latest issue of Decibel, grab the keyboard and queue up whatever has been inspiring us on Spotify. Sometimes it's Ishan, sometimes it's Rush, sometimes it's Locrian... then we go jam, and while I'm trying to go into the next song, the guys decide it's time to drop the entire Reign In Blood album instead. Today I listened to the new Eminem album. You just never know.


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

Legos, semi-healthy food, yo)))ga, the Regular Show and fucking. I also like coffee.


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

Thank you.

Storm King/Everything That's Meaningful In Your Life Will Be Destroyed/2013 CD Review

  Storm  King  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a mixture  of  progressive  death  metal,  thrash  and  doomcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  album  "Everything  That's  Meaningful  In  Your  Life Will  Be  Destroyed".

  "Bad  Love  Clusterfuck"  which  is  also  the  first  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  heavy  old  school metal  guitar  and  bass   riffs  along  with  some  drum  beats  which  also  lead  up  to  power  thrash  style  vocals  and  melodic  guitar  leads  before  adding  in  death  metal  growls.

  "Wipe  You  Out"  begins  with  heavy  and  fast  guitar  riffs,  drums  and  melodic  vocals  before  going  into a  more  hardcore  thrash direction  as  well  as  adding  in  growls  as  well  as  throwing  melody  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  halfway  through  the  song  the  bass  guitars  get  more  powerful  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Napalm" starts up  with  dark  and  melodic  doom metal  guitar  riffs  and  starts  getting  heavier  as  the  song  moves  on  along  with  drums  which  also  leads  to  melodic  clean  singing  vocals  and  after  awhile you  can  hear  bass  guitars  in  the  background  and  halfway  through  the  song  it  speeds  up  and  goes  into  a  more  thrash direction  along  with  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  then  going  for  more  of  a  mid  paced  direction.

  "Surprise! You're  Dead"  which  is  a  Faith  No  More  cover  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  which  also  leads  to  some  death/thrash  style  vocals  and  towards  the  end  dark  sounding  melodies  are  added  into  the  guitar  riffing.

  "Backfire" opens  up  with  fast  death  metal  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  blast  beats  before  adding  in  thrash  style  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  slows  down  adds  in  groove  metal  elements  and  melodic  clean  singing  before  going  back  to  a  more  death  metal  influenced  sound.

  "Retribution"  kicks  in  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  a  few  seconds  alter  thrash  style  vocals  start  to  kick  in  along  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  the  song  sticks  to  a  mid  paced  direction.

  "Adrift"  comes  in  with  heavy  death  metal  style  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and   a  few  seconds  later  the  music  goes  into  a  more  melodic  direction  before  adding  in  growls  and  screams  and  then  the  song  slows  down  and  adds  in  melodic  vocals  but  also  keeping  around  the  death  metal  influence  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  "Eternal  Sleep  Lord"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  that  also  utilize  some  melody  along  with  some  drums  before  adding  in  melodic  vocals  and  then  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats a s  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Song  lyrics  cover  hateful  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  Storm  King  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  progressive  death metal,  thrash  and  doomcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wipe  You  Out"  "Surprise! You're  Dead"  and  "Eternal  Sleep  Lord".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.    

  

Cokegoat/Vessel/Economy Of Motion Records/2013 CD Review

  Cokegoat  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  crust  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Vessel"  which  was  released  by  Economy  Of  Motion  Records.

  "Fear  The  Followers"  which  is  also the  first  track  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  guitars,  drums  and  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  before  adding  in  crust  style  growls  and  a  minute  later  melody  is  added  into  the  song  along  with  synths  creeping  in.

  "Buried  In  The  City"  opens  up  with  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  along  with  drums  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  the  song  moves  on  small  guitar  leads  and  aggressive  vocals  kick  in  and  you  can  hear  clean  singing  in  the  background  before  adding  in  sound  effects  along  with  distorted  death  metal  growls.

    "Dogs" start  up  with  heavy  bass  guitars  and  drums  before  adding  in  regular  guitars  along  with  experimental  sounds  as  well  as  growls  and  melodic  vocals  and  as  the  song  moves  on  stoner  rock  guitar  leads  start  coming  in and  out.and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  being  utilized.    

  "End  Of Your  Life,  Pt.  1"  which  is  a  part  of  a  2  song  concept"  opens  up  with  avant  garde sound  effects  and  then  heavy,  distorted  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  kick  in   along  wit h some  growls  and  screams  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  sets  the  pace  for  guitar  leads  to  come  in  and  out  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melodies  and  bass  guitars.

  "End  Of Your  Life,  Pt.  2"  which  is  the  last  song  in  a  2  part  concept  begins  with  noise  effects  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  drums  and  guitar  leads  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  melodic  vocals  are added  along  with  screams  and  the  song  closes  with  noise  effects.

  "Fly  By  Night  Pt.  2"  begins  with  distorted  noises  and    a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitars  and  drums  kick  in  along  with  blast  beats  and  growls  and  a  minute  later t he  song  slows  down  and  gets  more  melodic along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  before  returning  to  a  noise  direction  along  with  bass  guitars  and  then  going  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  "Fly  By  Daylight"  kicks  in  with  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  along  with  drums  and  then  a  mixture  of  clean  singing  and  screams  make  their  presence  known  along  with  melodic  elements  and  then  the  song  mixes  in  sound  effects.

  "Glorious  Dead"  which  is  also  the  last  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  avant  garde  sound  effects  and  a  few  seconds  alter  guitars  and  vocals  become  a  part  of  the  song  it  gets  more  heavy  and  melodic  along  with  some  screams  and  growls  and  after  awhile  guitar  leads  start  coming  in  and  out.

  Song  lyrics  cover  life,  death,  the  moon  and  beyond,  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 t his  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Coke  goat  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fear  The  Followers"  "Dogs"  and  "Glorious  Dead".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

     

Torchure/Beyond The Veil/Vic Records/2013 CD Re-Issue Review

  Torchure  where  a  band  from  Germany  that played  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal along  with  some  elements  of  thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1992  album  "Beyond  the Veil"  which  was  released  by Vic  Records  in the year  of  2013.

  "The  Veil Of  Sanity"  which  is  the  intro  begins  with  dark  sounding  synths  which  utilize  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  along  with  a  mixture  of  screams  and  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  serves  as a  perfect  introduction  for  the  album.

  "In  His  Grip"  which  also  is  the  first  official  song  on  the  album  begins  with  heavy  and  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  a  small amount  of  melody  and  a  few  seconds  later  deep death  metal  growls  start to  kick  in which  also  leads  to  the  song  going  into  a  faster  direction  as  well  as  alternating  between  slow  and  fast  parts  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  synths  before  adding  in  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  as  well  as  blast  beats.

  "Abysmal  Malevolence"  opens  up  with  heavy  and  fast  guitar  riffs  and  solos along  with  some  drums  and  growls  before  going  into  a  more  mid  paced  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  some  dark  sounding  melodies  before  returning  to  the  fast  parts  and  bringing  in some  blast  beats  and  then  the  music  starts  alternating  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "Mortal  At  Least"  begins  with  some  synths  and  whispered  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  alter  spoken  word  parts  start  coming  in  and a  minute  later  death  metal  growls  are  added  in.

  'Resort  To Mortality"  returns  the  heaviness  to  the  album  with  some  dark  sounding  guitar  riffs,  synths  and  growls  and  a  few  seconds later  drums  and  melodic  riffing  are  added  into  the  song  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars,  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  being  mixed  in  with  the  heaviness  as  well  as  some  synths  which  also  lead  up to  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  guitar  leads.

  "Genocide  Confessions"  starts  up  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  along  with  some  drums  and  growls  and  then  the  bass  guitars  kick  in  and  later  on  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  along  with  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  alternating  between  slow  and  fast  parts.

  "Apathetic"  kicks  in  with  drums  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  growls  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  music  goes  into  a  faster  direction  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  which  also  open  up  to some  blast  beats  from  the  drums  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  slow  and fast  parts  and  you  can  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background.

  "Depression"  comes  in  with  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  along  with  some  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  riffing  gets  more  melodic  and  you  can  also  hear  some  songs  in  the  background.

  "Vortex  Of  Thoughts"  which  also  is  another  intro  begins  with  some  dark  sounding  synths  and  experimental  sounds  and  you  can hear  humans  breathing  in  certain  sections.

  "Beyond  The  Veil"  the  title  track  as  well  as  the  last  song  on  the  album  opens  up  with  some  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drums  and  a  few  seconds  later  growls  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  guitar  solos  and  leads  a  minute  later  which  also  leads  to  the  guitar  riffing  utilizing  some  melody and  towards  the  end  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  some  blast  beats.

 Song  lyrics cover  nihilism  and  insanity, while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  recorded  and  you can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording a s  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Torchure  where  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  His  Grip"  "Resort  To Mortality"  "Depression"  and  "Beyond  The  Veil". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Live Evil/3 Altering/MetalGate Records/2013 CD Review

  Live  Evil  are  a  band  from  the  Chezch  Republic  plays  a  mixture  of electronic  music  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "3  Altering"  which  was  released  by  MetalGate  Records.

  "Cause  Of  Man  Who  Killed  All  The  Idols"  which  is  the  first  song  on  the  album  starts  off  with  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffs  and  leads  along  with  some  electronic  music  elements  in  the  background  and  a  few  seconds  alter  industrial  style  vocals  that  also  utilize  some  melodic  parts  come  into  the  song  along  with  some  shouts,  drum  programming  and  gothic  sounding  synths.

  "Blackout"  begins  with  some  gothic  and  industrial songs  before  the  drum  programming  and  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  the  vocals  kick  in  along  with  some  shouts  and  halfway  through  the  song  there  is  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads.

  "Deep  Cut"  starts  out  with  some  EBM  sounds  before  adding  in  drum  programming  which  also  leads  to  some melodic  clean  singing  gothic  vocals  and  then  some  heavy  guitar  and  bass  riffs  kick  in  along  with  some  melody  being  added  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  the  vocals  getting  more  aggressive  along  with  a  small amount  of  black  metal  screams  before  going  back  to  the  more  normal  ones.

  "Platonic  Blue"  kicks  off  with  some  synths  and  a  few  seconds  later  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  drum programming  start  to  kick  in  and  then  the  music  gets  soft  again  along  with  some  gothic/industrial  rock  vocals  before  getting  heavy  again  as  well  as  alternating  between  the  2  different  sections  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  after  awhile  aggressive  screams  come  in  for  a  few  seconds.

  "Remind  Me"  hits  off  with  some  synths  and  drum  programming  before  adding into  heavy  guitars  and  aggressive  vocals  as w ell  as  mixing   synths  and  melodic  vocals  with  the  heavier  parts  and  towards  the  end  there  is  a  brief  use  of  melodic  guitar  and  bass  riffing.

  "About  Them"  has  its  beginnings  with  heavy  guitar  riffs,  drum  beats  and  melodic  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  synths,  screams,  growls  and  melodic  riffing  start  becoming  a  part  of  the  song  and  the  song  closes  with  and  aggressive  scream.

  "Spirit  And  Water"  has  its  start  with  some  trip  hop  style  synths  and  drum  programming  before  the guitars  come  in  and  make  the  song  heavier  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  which  start  mixing  in  some  death  and  black  metal  elements  after  awhile.

  "Hope  Of  Broken Soul"  starts  off  with  electronic  music  elements  and  a  few  seconds  later  programmed  drum  beats  along  with  some  guitar  riffs  start  to  kick  in  and  then  the  song  starts  alternating  between  electronic  and  metal  parts  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  which  also  get  aggressive  at  times.

  "Saddest  Romancy"  which  is  also  the  final  song  on  the  album  starts  off  with  some  screams  being  adding  in  programmed  eats  and clean  guitars  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  before  alternating  between  the gothic  and  metal  parts

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  poetic  and  philosophical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cause  Of  Man  Who  Killed  All  The  Idols"  "Platonic  Blue"  "Spirit  And  Water"  and  "Saddest  Romancy".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.