Yob/Clearing The Path To Ascend/Neurot/2014 CD Review

  Yob  are  a  band  from  Oregon  that  plays  a  stoner  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Clearing  The  Path  To  Ascend"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Neurot.

  Drones  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  and  a  minute  later  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  screams,  growls  and  melodies  are  added  into  the  music  while  also  keeping  around  the  clean  singing    and  as  time  goes  on  by  drones  and  clean  guitars  start  returning  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  at  times  on  the  album  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  added onto  the  recording  they  are  kind  off  buried  beneath  the  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs,  all  4  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful.

  Every  song  stands  out  on  its  own  while  the  band  always  remains  true  to  their  heavy  doom  musical  sound  as  well  as  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  stoner  and  progressive  rock  elements  into  the  songs  as  well  as  taking  a  melodic  style  of  70's   doom  metal  and  mixing  it  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  psychedelic  70's  rock  sound  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  music  from  beginning  to  end  sticks  to  a  slow  pace  and  never  adding in  any  fast  or  mid  paced  parts.

  Yob  creates  some  very  heavy  yet  melodic  doom/sludge  metal  with  their  music  while  also  standing  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  genre  as  well  as  having  the  perfect  balance  between  being  melodic  and  progressive  and  their  heavy  side  is  some  of  the  heaviest  doom  metal  you  can  possibly  here,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythology  and  esoteric  spirituality.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Yob  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nothing  To  Win"  and  "Marrow".  8/5  out  of  10.      

Confrontation Interview

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

We are Confrontation, a doom/death project based in the western part of the Netherlands. Started by me (Sven Post) begin 2014 as a one man studio project without any plans. I was hanging with my good friend Roy of Funeral Whore (where I also did some session and studio work before) and we were listening to some music we individually working on, Roy was immediately siked about this project so we discussed the concept and right after that he came with lyrics. We are both interested in WW2 so searching for a concept was not a big deal and Confrontation became more serious as I had planned. 

2.Recently you have released your first ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We are both inspired by old Swedish death metal and I am also a big doom fan. Swedish death with slow doom riffs works really well,  two of my favourite styles combined so it felt really natural for me. Massive, low tuned and slow, but with the right groove.

3.The ep was a 20 minute concept based on the last 2 years of WWII, can you tell us a little bit more about your song lyrics?

Well, we are actually talking about the weapons mostly the Germans were using during the war. We are not talking about the death, we are talking about what brings the death. Can you imagine how it is if you hear the recognizable sound of the v1 bomb (the Fieseler Fi 103) and you know that it will devastate everything around you and you know there are coming more? This kind of weapons are the most brutal in its kind, because there is almost no way to protect yourself against such brutality. The p.1000 Ratte is a different story. It was a prototype of a tank that was bigger than the biggest tank exist. No one wants to confront such big piece of iron that is built to be a undestructable killing machine. At last there was exhaustion, it is not really a weapon, but exhaustion is one of the most frightening way to die, because it takes time. This war goes beyond genocide so it is a good subject to write about.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Confrontation'? 

Such weapons like the V1 bomb or the P.1000 Ratte (which we choose as subject on the Fieseler EP) are quite confrontated right? That is where the name came from.

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?  

For the records I am quite sure it stays just us. It works so much faster. I can write and record when I want without discuss the songs with other musicians. Also, Roy is someone I fully trust. If he say something he will do it immediately. I don't have to wait for him. He is someone that I can build on, he comes with great ideas and he knows exactly what he is doing.

6.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project? 

We haven't done any live shows yet because  it's just a project. It is possible that we are going to do some shows in the future, but only if that are interesting shows to do, with good underground bands. If we do this project live, we will do it with the whole entourage on stage like visuals etcetera. It must be dark and intense, I want to play a impressive set. Also we must rehearse with session members before we hit the stage, so it can take some time.

7.According to the fb page page you are looking for a label to release the ep on vinyl, have you had or received any label interest?

Yes, a Polish label named "Kampf records" will release the Fieseler EP on pro-tape within 2 months, limited to 111 copies. They had working with Funeral Whore before with the full length called 'Step into Damnation' so we know they are good guys with professional tapes. For vinyl we are still searching.

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

I get a lot positive feedback. I get emails from all over the world to tell me this project is great, and i see a lot people that are sharing the Fieseler EP on social media such as facebook etc. I never expect that. Also I must admit the death metal scene, and especially the old school are people that are really dedicated to the music. No scene is so strong and loyal as the death metal scene.

9.What is going on with the other musical projects or bands that the band members are a part of these days? 

I have a three piece band (called Post), a stoner rock band heavy influenced by the seventies with good friends and the best musicians I know. We are just finished with recording our second album. Roy is really busy with his old school death metal band 'Funeral Whore', one of the best and hardest working band in the Dutch underground scene if I might say that

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

I am almost finished with writing the full length for Confrontation so within now and 2 months or so I will record the drums, bass and guitars. Roy is the man behind the lyrics, he is much more creative with lyrics than I am so he is doing his thing. There are so many weapons and methods they used during WW2 to write about, that we stay with the concept WW2.

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

Bands such as old Entombed, early Grave (the 'Into the Grave and You''ll Never See era), Entrails, Incarceration, Smothered, Entrapment and Massive Assault are some  favourites here. Nowadays I listen also a lot obscure and depressive bands like Dispersed Ashes, Abigail Williams and Coldworld. I am also a big classic rock fan. Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Led Zeppelin are the bands that brought me into music.

12.What are some of your non musical interests? 

Nothing, I live for music. I don't like sport, I don't watch television (besides a good movie) or documentary The only interest I have besides music are my family; my wife and son. I am quite a gear freak and i am often busy with collecting guitar, amp or recording gear, I don't have time for other crap.

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

Thank you for your time and interest in Confrontation. You can follow us athttp://www.Facebook.com/confrontationhm2

Midnite Congregation, Verse 1/Midnite Collective/2014 Compilation Album Review

 

  This is  a  review  of  a  compilation  called  "Midnite  Congregation,  Verse  1"  which  was  released  by  Midnite  Collective  in  2014  and  we  will  review  the  songs  one  by  one.

 Splith*!%  starts  off  the  compilation with  "Saur"  which  starts  out  with  a  very  slow,  and  heavy  sound  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  using  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  song  is  eight  minutes  in  length  and  after  awhile  dark  sounding  melodies  start  to  find  their  way  into  the  song  and  also  make  the  song  sound  a  lot  more  doomier  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Next  up  is  Ancient  Altar  with  a  demo  version  of  their  song  "Tidal"  which  starts  off  with  distorted  drones  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  which  leads  up  to  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  angry  shouts  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  proto  metla  guitar  leads  find  their  way  into  the  song.

  Next  up  is  Pigeonwing  with  their  song  "Bone  Grease"  which  starts  out  with  some  bass  guitars  that  are  the  lead  instrument  on  this  song  and  they  also  bring  in  an  old  school  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  there  are  no  regular  guitars  on  this  song  and  after  awhile  growls  are  added  into  the  music.

  Next  up  is  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  with  "Drughammer"  which  starts  out  with  a  slow,  dark  and  melodic  guitar  riff  being  going  into  a  more  old  school  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  sludge  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  song  brings  in  a  70's  style  of  sound  but  with  more  heaviness  and  a  modern  approach  to  vocals.  along  with  the  song  being  close  to  8  minutes  in  length  and  towards  the  end  melodic  chants  find  their  way  into  the  song  and  they  close  the  track  with  some  spoken  word  parts.

  Next  up  is  Beneath  Oblivion  with  "Turn  To  Stone"  which  starts  out  with  distorted  and  heavy  guitar  riffing  and  a  minute  later  high  pitched  screams  and  stoner  style  melodies  which  are  also  added  into  the  solos  as  well  find  their  way  into  the  music  and  they  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences  into  their  musical  sound.

  Closing  the  compilation  is  Funerary  with  "Coerced  Creation"  which  starts  out  with  distorted  drones  before  going  in  a  very  heavy  funeral  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  a  few  seconds  later  which  gives  the  music  a  more  black metal  feeling   and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  evil  sounding  melodies  and  death  metal  growls  are  added  into  the  music.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  doom  and  sludge  metal.  8  out  of  10.   

The King Is Blind/Bleeding The Ascension/2014 EP Review

  The  King  Is  Blind  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  which  they  call  'monolithic  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Bleeding  the  Ascension".

  A  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  growls  and  screams  being  added  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  epic  sounding  melodies  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  whispers  and  at  times  you  can  hear  clean  playing  in  the  music  which  gives  the  recording  a  more  atmospheric  feeling.

  After  awhile  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  adds  in  a  more  old  school  style  of  death  metal  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  King  Is  Blind  creates  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  styles  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  they  show  you  can  still  be  heavy  without  having  to  follow  modern  trends,  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  war  and  anti  christian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  King  Is  Blind  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mors  Somnis"  and  "War  in  Christendom".  8  out  of  10.

    

Confrontation/Fiesler Fi 103/2014 EP Review

  Confrontation  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "Fiesler  Fi  103".

    War  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  slow  early  90's  style  doom/death  metal  sound  which  leads  up  to  growls  being  added  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  dark  sounding  melodies  are  added  into  their  slow  yet  very  heavy  sound  and  2  thirds  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  second  track  starts  off  with  air  raid  sirens  before  going  into  a  more  old  school  Swedish  death  metal  direction  as  well  as  mixing  it  with  some  melody  and  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  the  band  sticks  to  a  slow  and  heavy  sound  on  all  of  the  3  tracks  with  no  blast  beats  or  fast  playing  ever  being  utilized.

  Confrontation  go back  to  the  early  90's  style  of  doom  metal  and  keeps  everything  slow,  dark  and  heavy  as  well  as  ignoring  all  modern  trends  of  the  past  20  years,  the  production  has  a  slow,  dark,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  World  War  II  themes  without  having  a  political  agenda  whatsoever.

  In  my  opinion  Confrontation  are   a very  great  sounding  old  school  doom/death  metal  band  an d if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Confront  Exhaustian"  8  out  of  10.   

SadhuS (The Smoking Community)/Self Titled/2014 Full Length Review

  SadhuS  (The  Smoking  Community)  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2014  album.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavy  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  background  bong  smoking  noises  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  bands  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  sludge  screams  are  added  into  the  music.

  After  awhile  the  band  starts  adding  mid  paced  sections  into  their  slow  doom  metal  sound   along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  are  also  some  deeper  vocals  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  playing  being  used  at  times,  on  some  of  the  later  songs  they  band  speeds  up  a  bit  and  adds  in  the  energy  of  punk  rock  into  their  musical  sound.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  influences  from  blues  and  classic  rock  being  added  into  their  guitar  leads  and  riffs  while  the  main  focus  of  the  recording  is  on  a  heavy  doom/sludge  metal  sound  which  also  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  death  metal.

  SadhuS  (The  Smoking  Community)  creates  a  very  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  their  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  adding  in  some  punk  and  classic  rock  elements  to  give  their  sound  more  of  an  edge,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  pot  smoking  themes.

  In  my  opinion  SadhuS  (The  Smoking  Community)  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burned  by  Hand"  "Stevaro"  and  "Bampoola".  8  out  of  10.  

Columbian Necktie/Twilight Upon Us/2014 CD Review

    Columbian  Necktie  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  sludgecore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Twilight  Upon  Us"  which  will  be  released  in  August.

  A  very  heavy  sludge  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music  also  has  a  good  amount  of  doom  metal  influences  along  with  a  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  paced  riffs  as  well  as  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  get  more  dark  and  atmospheric  along  with  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  sound  effects.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  great  amount  of  distortion  and  on  of  the  tracks  also  sees  a  slight  black  metal  influence  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  in  the  background,  as  the  album  progresses  melodic  guitar  leads  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  give  the  music  a  70's  rock  feeling  while  the  rhythms  stick  to  a  more  heavy  sludge  and  doom  sound

One  of  the  later  tracks  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  the  psychedelic  sounds  from t he  first  track  being  brought  in  again  and  the  band  also  utilizes  some  clean  guitars  briefly  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  sound  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of   fast  riffing  and  blast  beats,  the  last  track  is  over  10  minutes  and  also  shows  a  more  experimental  side  to  the  bands  musical  sound.

  Columbian  Necktie  creates  a  very  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  their  sludge  sound  which  also  mixes  both  metal  and  hardcore  together,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  painful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Columbian  Necktie  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludgecore  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Guiding  Light"  "Weep  For  The  Future"  "Sleepwalking"  and  "Ready  To  burn".  8  out  of  10.  .

Ommadon/V/Domestic Genocide/2014 CD Review

  Ommadon  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  instrumental  form  of  drone/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "V"  which  will  be  released  by  Domestic  Genocide.

  Distorted  drone  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  and  drums  are  added  into  the  music  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  you  can  also  hear  some  noises  being  utilized  in  the  background  along  with  the  first  track  being  close  to  50  minutes  in  length.

  After  a  few  minutes  of  playing  the  same  riff  over  and  over  again  the  riffing  starts  to  change  a  bit  while  also  remaining  in  a  pure  doom  metal  direction  and  after  30  minutes  the  drones  start  sounding  a  lot  more  powerful,  the  second  track  starts  out  with  some  distorted  drone  noises  which  are  all  mixed  in  with  some  riffing  that  has  a  very  dark  and  melodic  feeling  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  very  heavy  again.

  Ommadon  sticks to  a  very  slow  and  heavy  sound  throughout  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  drones  at  times  which  makes  their  instrumental  music  sound  a  lot  more  darker  and  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Ommadon  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  drone/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "VI".  8  out  of  10.  

The Von Deer Skulls Interview

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

Peter : The band was created late 2012, where we had the idea to create a band in which the visual would be as much important as the music. Initially I was here just for the visual stuffs, such as artworks, videos, making the costumes… Then they asked me to do the guitars, so I say yes, we decided the band name, the direction that we want to give to the project and that’s it.

Hektor : Yeah, I play with Freke since a few years, and Freya his brother comes with us from time to time, and we looked to work with a visual artist, so we contact Peter to see what we could do.

Freke : After some time it made totally sense to do something new with Peter as guitarist, me to the drums and vocals and Hektor as bassist.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is present on the new recording?

Freke : Peter write most of the songs, because he arrived with some compositions and that begun like that.

Peter : Yes, I had already some ideas which had not served from past, so we have rework them in a new way, more both ambient and doom. It was quite natural.

3.According to the fb page, you label your music as 'wood rock', can you tell us a little bit more about the tag?

Peter : In fact it’s difficult for us to describe what we’re doing, so this label come from the first piece of music we wrote as a band, the song and video-clip "B*tches Of The Wood". And I think at last it’s not completely stupid because sounds from the wood are really in the way of our music.

Hektor : And you know, in Brittany we don’t have desert but we have full of cool woods, in addition to that Desert Rock is already taken (Laugh). No, seriously, it allows us to not be stuck in a genre. We make rock music, sometimes heavy, often Doom and Post-Rock for the ambient parts, so it’s that the Wood Rock for us, the possibility to do some electro parts if we want.

4.What are some of the themes and concepts the band brings out with its music?

Freke : Ask Peter it’s him who imagine our universe.

Peter : Yeah, this band is my playground, the place where I can do whatever I loved, but on what I don’t have always the time. Here I can do the photos, the videos, the costumes, I create the website, the graphical elements, and of course the painting, because, first of all I’m a painter (www.peterskull.com). So the themes are like it’s Halloween all along the year, and from it that changes with the things I read, see or listen.

5.All of the band members share the same last name but are not related to each other, what was the decision behind addingSkulls to the name 'Von Deer'?

Freke : Yes, we’re not related, it’s just something like the Ramones. And the name itself come from the fictional biography of the band, and because our costumes have often some antlers and skull face.

6. The band members all come from different places Germany, Canada and Scandivia, how did you all meet and also how does it work out when it comes to getting your music recorded?

Hektor : Like Freke said, it’s fictional. We’re bored of traditional biography, nobody want to know where we’re really born or what brands we wear or anything. So we decided to create this history which makes sense with our universe with the photos or the videos.

7.One band member is the son of the Canadian forest, the other semi-deer, sem-wild boar and the other is the brother of the Norse goddess Freya, do you feel you can play music a lot better than humans?

Peter : Haha, same answer than the last questions. It’s like our totems in fact, this allows us to disconnect ourselves and to focus on music

8.According to the fb page the band is singed to Night Light Studios, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Peter : The Night Lights Studio is something I created there a few years to gather all my artistic projects. Because, I made paintings, but also video-clips for other bands…

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of underground music?

Freke : For now we have good returns from peoples, they are often puzzled. We even surprised to send CD in Germany or Finland lately. We do music for us first of all, but it’s cool to have good feedback. And sometimes it’s less good, but it also allows to improve ourselves for the new songs. But on the whole we are surprised and happy about the very cool reception.

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Peter : We work on new songs currently, but we don’t know if it will be a full length or a long EP. This will be for the end of 2014 or in the first quarter of 2015.

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

Peter : I’m a big fan a jazz, rock in the main, of course heavy stuffs, electro, post-rock… A lot of different things actually.

Freke : Nowadays, I listen a lot of indus rock.

Hektor : I’m huge fan of stuffs like Sunn O))), Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Pelican, but also Radiohead, Kadavar or Jesus Lizard.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Peter : In fact mainly everything that has relationship with art in general. 

Hektor : Z movies, old vampir movies, painting.

Freke : All the taxidermist stuffs, literature, we’re all fan of Poe.

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

Peter : Thanks for all, stay tuned for the next chapter.

Hektor : All hail the king!

Freke : Thank you for the interview.

---

www.peterskull.com

http://www.facebook.com/Skull.Peter

The Von Deer Skulls/IT's Time To Paralyze/2014 EP Review

 

The  Von  Deer  Skulls  are  a  1  man  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  rock,  industrial  doom  metal  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2014  ep  "It's  Time  To  Paralyze".

  Avant  garde  sounds  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  and  after  the  ep  the  music  starts  having  a  more  drone  feeling  to  the  guitar  playing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  screams  being  mixed  in  with  the  spoken  word  parts  and  there  is  also  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  There  are  a  lot  of  post  rock  elements  present  throughout  the  ep  and  the  music  can  be  very  experimental  at  times  and  the  doom  metal  guitars  have  an  industrial  feeling to  them  at  times  and  the  keyboards  and  sound  effects  enhance  the  avant  garde  elements  of  the  music  along  with  a  couple  of  brief  interludes  and  on  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  has  a  very  dark  and  drone  orientated  sound  to  it  as  well  as  the  heaviest  song  on  the  ep  along  with  some  industrial  traces.

  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  creates  some  very  interesting  and  weird  music  that  is  very  dark,  experimental  and  sometimes  very  heavy,  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  raw  sound  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness.

  In  my  opinion  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  post  rock,  experimental,  industrial,  doom  metal  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Way  To  The  Shadow"  "The  Paranoid  Rooms"  and  "Bitches  of  The  Wood".  8  out  of  10.        

 

  

The Manipulated/Neon Messiah/2014 Full Length Review

  The  Manipulated  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal,  sludge,  noise  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Neon  Messiah".

  Clean  playing  and  drones  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  heavy  doom/sludge  metal  guitars  and  you  can  also  hear  a  bit  of  noise  rock  in  the  bands  musical  sound  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  being  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile  dark  and  distorted  melodic  guitar  leads  become  a  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  sound.

  A  few  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  playing  and  the  band  always  keeps  their  heavier  material  in  a  slow  and  doom  metal  orientated  direction  and  they  also  ad  in  bariton  guitars  and  soundscapes  to  make  the  music  sound  more  experimental  and  some  of  the  alter  tracks  also  sees  the  band  adding  in  elements  of  post  rock  into their  musical  sound  as w ell  as  some  psychedelic  sounding  noises  on  one  of  the  later  tracks.

  The  Manipulated  creates  a  very  heavy  sound  with  their  music  that  uses  no  vocals  and  concentrates  more  on  a  sludge/doom  metal  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  noise,  experimental  and  post  rock  in  their  musical  sound  and  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  The  Manipulated  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  doom  metal,  sludge,  drone  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Neon  Messiah"  and  "Sky  Burial".  8  out  of  10.     

Fractured Spine/Memoirs of A Shattered Mind/Inverse Records/2014 CD Review

  Fractured  Spine  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  experimental,  atmospheric  and  gothic  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Memoirs  Of  A  Shattered  Mind"  which  was  released  by  inverse  Records.

  Dark  sounding  atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  noises  and  programmed  beats  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  along  with  some  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  feeling  to  them  and  they  also  bring  in  a  gothic  rock  feeling  into  their  musical  sound.

  After  awhile  deep  death  metal  growls  start  popping  up  in  the  music  and  the  drums  also  bring  in  semi  blast  beats  and  there  are  also  some  spoken  word  samples  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  more  gothic  side  of  90's  doom/death  metal.

  The  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  the  band  uses  are  very  melodic  while  they  can  also  be  very  aggressive  sounding  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  starts  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  albums  musical  sound  along  with  a  good mixture  of  both  heavy  and  soft  parts  and  after  awhile  there  are  more  elements  of  shoegaze  and  post  rock  being  added  into  the  song  structures  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  violins  and  classical  guitars  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  more  heavy  and  atmospheric  direction.

  Fractured  Spine  create  a  very  original  soundign  recording  with  their  music  beign  heavily  rooted  in  a  doom/death  metal  direction  and  they  also  add  some  black  metal  influences  in  the  vocals  along  with  the  atmosphere  ambient,  shoegaze  and  post  rock  and  th e  melody  of  gothic  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Fractured  Spine  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  atmospheric,  gothic  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  To  Me"  "Deprived  By  Light"  and  "Shallow".  8/5  out  of  10.     .

  

Father Merrin Interview

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

A (vocals): Well, FATHER MERRIN was born at the end of 2009 after the demise of our previous band CIRCLE OF HATE. At first we wrote new stuff and completed the line-up with a bass player. We started playing live in 2011. In 2013, we recorded our first official release, a CD / digital EPentitled All Is Well That Ends In Hell which saw the light of day on 2014, may 9^th.. Earlier this year we also inducted a new guitarist so that I could concentrate on singing, and so far everything is working well.

2. So far you have released a demo and an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

S (drums): The "demo" was in fact a one-track CD-r distributed in order to get booking. It was a fast recording since it took us half a day. This track, « Hellride » was re-recorded for the EP because it is kind of a landmark for FATHER MERRIN.

A (vocals): The EP is a more accomplished vision, more arranged music, fuller also. All Is Well That Ends In Hell is no demo but a real mini-album. We worked with skilled people for recording, production and artwork which is an extension of our musical landscape. We didn't want to have any regrets and we almost succeeded.

3. 3/4 of the band members use to be in 'Circle of hate' is this newer band a continuation of your older band?

S (drums): FATHER MERRIN is a different beast to us. When we founded CIRCLE OF HATE itwas like "Hey, let's play some ASPHYX-oriented stuff!". By doing so, we set limits to our creativityand that appeared to be a mistake. There was also a lack of time, especially from our singer at the time, so our motivation went by... When we began working on FATHER MERRIN, the only rule musically speaking was: "no rule at all!". We just wanted to improve our songwriting and play live as much as possible.

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

A (vocals): Without wanting to create unnecessary mysticism here, it is difficult to explain our words. We are the two band members that write; mine speak of religions, of the manipulation of the masses through faith, events, and things that can lead human beings to religion. And of course, excess from the present and the past. But we don’t preach, freedom of worship has a real meaning to us and we have pro, nor anti-religious speech. But these words are an outlet for me, you are free to read and understand.

S (drums): My lyrics differ from A's because they are more a combination of fiction stories and personal feelings. But it is clear that religious solemnity is what fits the best to doom metal, so I often think that A's lyrics are better for FATHER MERRIN.

5. I know that the band name came out of the movie and book 'The Exorcist' what the decision behind using it as a band name?

A (vocals): Our drummer is in fact a hidden son of Linda Blair!

S (drums): Haha! No, there was no decision indeed, just suggestions for a cool sounding band name. It's only afterwards that I felt it had the religious solemnity connotation that I mentioned above. And it was also a link with some of us' passion for horror movies, and movies in general. On top of that, it's cool to see that those who don't know this name (yes some still don't!) find it mysterious.

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?

A (vocals): For our performance and the stage / sound conditions, I would say our show with SURTR and CHILDREN OF DOOM in Metz last year. But we have great memories of each date,be it for anecdotes, meetings, amazing feedbacks, aftershows. Our shows are heavy andpowerful, with a breath-taking atmosphere. Come out and see us on stage and you will know!

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

A (vocals): We work very hard to be able to play soon. If you read these lines and like your music strong and powerful, do not hesitate to contact us. We, like dead girls, don’t say no! We have very interesting contacts but concert places and promoters supporting doom metal are very few...

8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

S (drums): We hardly got little attention when we contacted labels for the release of the EP. Only one label was enthusiastic but they couldn't release our CD before next fall, so we decided tofinance it ourselves. But we will certainly work with em on a future release. Beside that, we are currently searching for a label in order to have All is well... released on vinyl.

A (vocals): For the moment, we work with distributors or mailorders and with Metal Heart Media for promotion, people who keep the underground alive.

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

A (vocals): People from many countries (Greece, Germany, Ukraine, Finland, USA, England...)seem to enjoy our music. So far all feedbacks are very flattering, even if we stay very confidential for the moment. But this is just the beginning...

10. When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

A (vocals): It's very nice to hear that a first full-length is awaited, but we will take the time necessary to make it far better than what we proposed so far. The first ideas are really excellentand I look forward to play them on stage, but don’t expect an album before 2016 I think. Our exorcism sessions are very exhausting and the promotion of All Is Well That Ends In Hell is very important for us.

S (drums): Regarding the musical direction, I don't think we'll change a lot but there will be surely new elements as some of our new ideas tend to prove. We introduced our personality on All IsWell... and the next step would logically be to affirm it.

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

A (vocals): Each one of us listens to very diverse and varied bands, this is also why our music is not only made of doom metal. But in general, FATHER MERRIN members love CANDLEMASS, CATHEDRAL, CELTIC FROST, ASPHYX, BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN unanimously.

S (drums): Yeah. Concerning my current favourites, I have to mention the latest LOUDBLAST and CLUTCH, DEATH RIDES A HORSE from Denmark, and also the entire MAIDEN catalogue (as always) and the Roadrunner era of KING DIAMOND, but that changes every week or so!

12. How would you describe your views on Occultism?

S (drums): In FATHER MERRIN occultism is limited to the words of some songs, which do not necessarily reflect our personal beliefs. Moreover, each member of the band may have a different opinion on the matter. But as a band, we do not preach in favor of the occult, nor do we have a religious or political message to sell. We just develop themes that interest us and try to do it intelligently. And this can sometimes lead us to place ourselves in the shoes of characters who are not like us as individuals.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?

A (vocals): Apart from FATHER MERRIN, we have a more “normal” existence of course, we do not claim to live on the margins of society. All I can say is that if some of us are still looking for their path, one of us always finds the path to the bar!

S (drums): I must add that even outside of the band, our lives are still very marked by music: records hunting, gigs, writing reviews and live reports and so on...

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

A (vocals): A true and sincere “thanx” to you and your readers for your support and now, no more words and more music on www.fathermerrin.bandcamp.com. True masses should sound like ours!