Hanibal Death Machine/Birth/2015 EP Review

  Hanibal  Death  Machine  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "Birth".

  Keyboards  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  an  industrial  metal  sound  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  can  also  get  melodic  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  growls  and  they  also  mix  the  industrial  and  metal  styles  together.

  At  times  the  vocals  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  songs  stick  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  guitar  riffing  and  the  music  also  gets  atmospheric  and  also  mixes  in  elements  of  goth  rock  and  ebm  at  times  while  the  music  has  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  industrial  metal.

  Hanibal  Death  Machine  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  goth  and  industrial  metal  while  elements  of  black  and  doom  metal  can  be  heard  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hanibal  Death  Machine  are  a  very  decent  sounding  industrial  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  Douler"  and  "Stupide  Civilisation".  7/5  out  of  10.

   

Dead Hand/Storm Of Demiurge/Third I Rex/2015 Full Length Review

  Dead  Hand  are  a  band  from  Georgia  that  plays a very  atmospheric  and  heavy  form  of  sludge/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Storm  Of Demiurge"  which  was  released  by  Third  I  Rex.

  Psychedelic  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  melodic  guitar  playing  as  well  as  some  drum  beats  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  the  vocals  also  use  growls  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  the  slower  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  while  the cleaner  sections  of  the  music  brings  in  elements  of  post  rock  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  closing  the  album  with  a  heavier  track.

  Dead  Hand  plays  a  style of  sludge/doom  metal  that  is  very  heavy,  melodic  and  atmospheric and  also  brings  in  elements  of  death  metal  and  post  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  hand  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  sludge/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ground  To  Ash"  and  "Storm  Of  The  Demiurge".  8  out  of  10.

       

Nightslug Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Nightslug: We got a lot of feedback and are busy answering all the requests.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released/

Nightslug: Soundwise we went into a harsher direction, me think. The song structures are a bit more primitive and to the point. The whole album is more diverse in itself refferring to the directions of each song.

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

Nightslug: Nihilism, hatred for the species, depression, ecocide.

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

Nightslug: It came from some slugs crawling on my terrace in the night.

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?

Nightslug: The best shows are the shows where you have the feeling that the sound grabs you by your balls. It can be a basement or a big stage. It has to be energetic. We play without talking between songs, just pure, inexorable and fucked up.

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

Nightslug: We have some offers but are quite limited timewise. But we play some more cool festivals after summer.

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

Nightslug: The feedback was overwhelming. No bad review. A bit suspicious. Listen to that album, it can make you sick. (haha)

8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Nightslug: F.Slug and P.Slug play in the HC band "Burial".  F.Slug has a weird solo project called "Hypnotic Sleep", too and plays drums in "Sun Bather" a new punk band with people from infamous bands like Amdi Petersens Arme, Born/Dead, No Hope For The Kids.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Nightslug: We don't really know yet. I can see us heading into a more Industrial territory. Whatever, it will still be disturbing and hard to swallow, I hope.

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

Nightslug: I can only talk for myself but I'm still influenced by bands like Buzzoven, Godflesh, Winter, Swans, Sabbath, Neurosis etc. I listen to a lot of Killing Joke and David Bowie recently. And Fistula is the best sludge band nowadays.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Nightslug: I like hanging out with my family, spending time with my kids.

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

Nightslug: Thanx for the interview!


all answers by J.Slug

Autokrator/Self Titled/Godz Of War/Third Eye Temple Records/2015 Full Length Review

  Autokrator  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial,  drone,  death  metal  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  album  which   was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Godz  Of  War  Productions  and  Third  Eye  Temple  Records.

  Industrial  metal  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  death  metal  growls  are  added  into    the  music  and  the  songs  also  use  programmed  blast  beats  at  times  along  with  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  slower  sections  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  High  pitched  screams  can  be  heard in  some  parts  of  the  songs and  the  growls  also  get  very  guttural  and  deep  at  times  and  as  the album  progresses  more  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  are  added  into  the  music  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  samples  and  there  is  a  very  dark  sounding  atmosphere  present  in  all  of  the  tracks.

  Autokrator  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  industrial  and  death  metal  and  also  mixes  in  elements  of  drone,  ambient,  sludge  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  very  original  style,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  history  and  oppression.

  In  my  opinion  Autokrator  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  industrial,  death  metal  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Tenth  Persecution"  "Autokrator"  and  "Imperial  Whore".  8  out  of  10. 

Hellrad Interview

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

Robert-We are a four piece group from Philadelphia that got together in August of this past year. We play loud, ugly sludge metal, emphasis on loud.

Dirty Dave-We are what happens if early Sabbath, early Motorhead, Helmet, Unsane and Cripple Bastards fucked and mothered this bastard son of a thousand fathers....if that makes sense.


2.In April you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Robert-On the album we really tried to mimic the sound and intensity of what was happening while we were in our practice room, walls shaking, things falling off the walls. The engineer at the studio basically had us set up and play as if it were a live setting. We used minimal overdubs.

Dirty Dave-Slow and heavy with a nice dose of speed.Nothing new but something very new.We changed the recipe and it tastes great!

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

Robert-The lyrics reflect our surroundings in the city. We recorded in a rather dreary industrial area, addicts and street people all over. Some of the lyrics are personal experiences, but on the whole a product of our environment, a crooked police state.

Dirty Dave-Addictions, neglect, acceptance, indulgence and being a sarcastic asshole.Our part of the country breeds assholes I'm told.

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

Robert-The band is named after the LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device). It's basically a crowd control machine that emits levels of loudness that can break your eardrums or cause people to vomit. It throws ones equilibrium off to the point of incapacitation. They are used by the police.

Dirty Dave-We're too lazy to come up with a name lol It comes from that awesome sonic weapon the police love to use, the lrad.destroying eardrums is our goal.

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

Robert- Our shows are loud and chaotic. The best show we've done so far in our short existence was probably with Weedeater and King Parrot from Australia. 

Dirty Dave-We opened for WEEDEATER and Parrot King in Philly. That was a very fun show. I like the friends and family shows the best, but who doesn't like being surrounded by friends and fam. I'm looking forward to seeing that circle grow.

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

Robert-We are headed out on a two week tour of the U.S. in October.

Dirty Dave-.Touring? Looks like October we'll be hitting up the east coast of the states .

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

Robert-There's been a little interest thus far, but we are still in the very beginning stages of our existence. Taking our live show out to the people and touring is our primary focus now.

Dirty Dave-A label would be nice. Right now nobody's biting but we are still a very young band with a lot of patience.

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

Robert-Very positive.

Dirty Dave-So far very positive.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Robert-Right now we are all focused on Hellrad.

Dirty Dave-We're all open to jamming with/in other bands. Hook has ETT and Bad luck 13. I have my noise project Warsaw and a noise/hip hop project Dirty Ali. That's about it for steady side projects I can think of. There's probably more. I think Kelly Clarkson should do a song with HELLRAD. She probably smokes good weed.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Robert-Our songwriting has become a bit more refined in terms of developing our sound and structure of songs, but we are basically the same group of people that we were when we came together.

Dirty Dave-Forward

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?

Robert-There are too many to say here, but a few are Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Swans and Laughing Hyenas.

Dirty Dave-That's the million answer question! Vocally I'd say 70s Alice Cooper, SkinnyPuppy, AnalCunt, Ol'DirtyBastard...Billy Holiday and on and on. As a band I'd say we have alotta 70s-90s metal/punk/rock influences. As a whole there's not much we don't listen to.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Robert-We all mostly just work our day jobs. Otherwise, we write music and play music.

Dirty Dave-People and how we are all brothers and sisters that need a hug once and a while after all the drugs n booze are gone.


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

Robert-We would love to come over to Europe and share our music with the people there, and continue to do the things that make us who we are, four guys that want to crush every show and make people feel at once nauseous and ecstatic.

Dirty Dave-Yes we're potty trained and make for good house guest if you would like to let us crash at your house when we come to your town \m/

Lanthanein Interview

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

Lanthanein is a project that we have been brewing for quite some time, writing songs just for art's sake. The themes and ideas were transformed to taste, according to the stages of our lives, until last year, when conform with the result, we decided to start recording.


2.In April you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It is difficult to describe the sound, because we seek to rescue the essence of death doom / gothic '90s with the actual sound, of course with our limitations. At least that was the idea, and the responsible for the album to sound like it sounds was Matías Takaya from AV Studio. At first it was going to be more orchestral, like BSO, but we ended simplifying some things and give a little more prominence to the band itself.


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

We're basically influenced by gothic literature, the classic struggle between good and evil, philosophy and the vicissitudes of the human being, the spiritual suffering and self-discovery, fantastic literature, etc. For the first full length, everything revolves around a story that contains a little of everything said before, so it will be a concept album.


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

Etymologically, the term "lanthanein" comes from the Greek, meaning “staying hidden”. It's simple, but represents us because we have several years working with this project somehow in the shadows, making music just for our pleasure ... until now, who we decided to bring it to light.


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?

The idea is to keep the duo as a creative engine, and include musicians to bring the set to live, that's one of our biggest challenges.


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

We have received several proposals, some very interesting. So here we are assessing what is best for us, but we are close to agreeing with one.


7.On a worldwide Level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic and doom metal?

For now, for the short time he have our album, we had a very good acceptance, better than we expected, and not just in the world of metal. That encourages us to continue with this that we like. And we hope to reach many more


8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

Marilí was until recently part of a baroque ensemble. She is currently with a scholarship in Switzerland and strengthening his career as opera singer.

And I’m the guitarist of a hardcore punk band called Disnomia and I’m recording a solo project between the drone and industrial black metal.


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

We are currently working on what will be our first full album, arranging and finalizing details before entering in the studio. It will have 10 songs, which will expand the range and concept of Lanthanein. We hope to have it ready by the end of this year or early next year. That would be our next step, after that, the objective is to establish ourselves as a band to play live.


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

The influences are many, yet none at the same time, that is, we are imbued with the "doom death", the early "gothic metal", metal in general, but when we are composing we don't have references, only we get carried away by the inspiration. The same goes for classical music, we have incorporated and use elements of it, but everything is finished reducing to arrangements, because we can not classify our music as classical. Anyway, if we have to name some bands that prompted us to create this project could be Devil Doll, Dargaard, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Saturnus, Draconian, earlier Tristania, Theater Of Tragedy, Within Temptation and After Forever, Agathodaimon, Siebenburgen, Carnarium, King Diamond, Therion... and a long etc that still we keep hearing. Other than that, Marilí is also currently listening Liliana Herrero, Silvio Rodríguez, Messiaen, Fauré, Ravel, Duparc, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky…

I, further than all variants of doom, (traditional, stoner, psychedelic, drone, funeral, death ...) am hearing a lot rockabilly, bluegrass, country ...



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

While music is our life, we share other interests like literature, read and write, cinema, travel and discover new landscapes, design, photography ... eat haha. For my part I’m also interested in Geology and football, (big fan of Club Atlético Boca Juniors).


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

We just want to thank you for the space in the blog, and encourage readers to join us in this new world we are beginning to create with Lanthanein, the EP is just a small sample of it, stay tuned to the news.

Vintage Warlords Interview

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

   Conor Byers: It really came together organically. Thomas and I worked together for a little while and I used to blast my Ipod over the main speakers. We figured out real quick that we had a lot in common as far as musical tastes go. Behemoth, Celtic Frost, Tryptikon, Paradise Lost, Gojira etc. I was in a band at the time that wasn't really my style and Tommy asked me what would my "dream band" sound like? After talking about how much I love doom/death metal we realized we were both on the exact same page. He wrote some stuff and had me listen to it and I was an instant fan. I knew right away this was something that was right up my ally. He ended up getting a new job but we continued to email back and forth until we had the blue prints for what eventually became Vintage Warlords. It's so rare to find two people that are on the same page and just clicked right away like we did. I couldn't be happier about how seamless this process has been.

2.In May you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

   Thomas:  The music is very bleak, abyssmal, hopeless, and soul crushing. As most good bands do, we tried to invoke the bands that have inspired us to create our own unique vision. I think we have achieved that with "The Invisible Foe" and we will continue to develop our sound as time goes on.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
    
   Conor: Some of the stuff that ended up becoming "Orange to Gray" and "Exodus of Souls" I had already written pieces of before this whole thing came about. I've always been fascinated by war. To be more specific I've always been interested in what it's like playing a very small role in a massive army. In chess terms, what is it like being the expendable pawn? Does the teenage soldier that died in a ditch because frost set in over night feel like he died a glorious death? What is glory for that matter and who does it shine down upon? I really wanted to bring THAT side of war to the forefront. Not the epic battles with the shining metal, with heroes and villains and all that, but more the psychological aspect. What's going through a soldiers mind when they're sitting around in the cold and damp and just waiting?  War is a lot about waiting... Battles are 5% of what a soldier goes through.
   "Orange to Gray" is very much a love song. "Can I wash the blood from my skin? So that I may touch your face again" Here's a soldier a million miles away from home doing terrible things wondering if he's even worthy of making it home and seeing his long lost love. "How can a man like me find salvation after all the wretched things I've done" is the reflection of a career soldier who wants to understand his place in the world once war is finished with him. I also wanted to make sure that all of the lyrics could be applied to any culture or any time period. I purposely threw pieces of different cultures and time periods into "Exodus of Souls" for example. I mention both Valhalla and Tartarus which are after-life concepts from separate eras and cultures. I don't know of anyone that has taken this approach to writing about war despite the plethora of bands out there that write about swords and sorcery and all that. This is my take. The bottom line is I have no interest in being Hammerfall with growling. The idea of taking a more cerebral approach to the subject appeals to me more.

4.In your past bands you played more of a black or death metal style but on the ep you go for more of doom/death metal style, what was the decision behind going into this musical direction?

 Thomas: Honestly, that was our goal from the beginning. Conor touched on it a bit in the first question, but we decided to go this route through chatting at work and brainstorming. We challenged ourselves by asking the question,  in a perfect scenario, what would we like to be playing? - Vintage Warlords is what came out.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Vintage Warlords'?
  
   Conor: My lyrics focus on the nuances of war and both Thomas and I are inspired by all of the bands we grew up on. We're a new band but with a healthy amount of respect for all of the bands that we enjoy that helped lay down the foundation for what we are doing. Vintage Warlords suites us.

  Thomas: Conor came up with the name and as he said, it was inspired on his very unique focus on war. The psychological side of war, the waiting, the wondering, the fear, the anxiety, paired with battling the elements, are things that all soldiers of any time period have faced.... Hence Vintage Warlords...
 
6.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?

   Conor: We haven't discussed it too much but I've always felt that even if we bring others into the picture it'll be in a sort of mercenary role. Hired guns if you will. I think Thomas and I work so well together because we are completely on the same page... bringing another perspective in could muddle our vision for what Vintage Warlords is now and should be in the future.

  Thomas:  Hard to say at the time, but couldn't agree more with Conor.

7.The ep was released on Redefining Darkness Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

   Thomas: That's a bit of an involved answer. I am actually the owner of Redefining Darkness Records and sister label, Seeing Red Records. I decided to release Vintage Warlords as the label's debut release more or less as an experiment. If I was going to make any mistakes or have any hiccups on a first release, I'd rather fuck up my own then someone else's. Haha
    Redefining Darkness and Seeing Red Records came from having a lot of friends in the industry that either  are involved in new bands, or are still playing with their original band, but have amazing side projects. I think thats how most labels begin...I have a lot of friends that are making great music that I want to help get out to the rest of the world. I've just recently started reaching out to other bands whom I've stumbled across and really dig.
     Redefining Darkness has a number of releases coming soon including classic Decrepit releases on vinyl, From the Hellmouth (featuring Alan Cassidy of Black Dahlia Murder), Xul (Canada), and some other surprises. Likewise, Seeing Red Records has some releases scheduled for Summer/Fall including Gore Punch (featuring members of System Divide, Malignancy / Fear Factory), Haul (Indonesia), Mutilatred, Serpent Speech, Axe Ripper, True Cross and Shit Life.

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

   Thomas:   Quite honestly, I'm humbled by the fantasic response. Everyone into death/doom have been very receptive and we have received quite a bit of press from online as well as print media. Always stoked to find another review out there, and there are still a bunch popping up being that the EP has only been out for about a month now...feels like much longer...haha. Hoping the positive feedback will continue, we're very happy with how the EP turned out, and can't wait to get to work on new material.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
 
  Thomas: Speaking of new material...yeah, it probably won't be for quite a while. Besides running both of these labels which are brand new, I still have a pretty demanding day job that I am fond of, I have a family / kids, and to top it off I have a slew of other projects waiting to be released. I have a grind band called To Dust which will be releasing a split 7" on Give Praise Records this Summer with Bent Sea (Dirk Verbeuren, Shane Embury, Sven De Caluwe's grind project). I also am just wrapping up a death metal project called, Humanity is Cancer, with Lyle Cooper (ex-Faceless) who completely crushes on this album - very stoked for people to hear this! So, to answer your question, hopefully sometime in 2016 will see a new Vintage Walrords.


10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
 
  Conor: I'm influenced by so many groups and artists that its hard for even me to tell you what has influenced me. I love doom and death metal. Paradise Lost, Novembers Doom, My Dying Bride, Serpentine Path, Behemoth, Gojira, Katatonia, Vallenfyre, Shape of Despair, Swallow the Sun, anything Tom G. Warrior has done etc. I could go on forever!! But I've also spent a lot of time listening progressive metal or symphonic metal which had definitely influenced my need to tell stories with my songs and coming up with concepts instead of just writing lyrics. As far as what I've been listening to lately, it's been getting warmer and for some reason when the sun comes out I listen to a lot of Devin Townsend. Haha Katatonia is on my regular playlist and I've been a big fan of what Monolord has been doing recently as well their record from last year "Empress Rising" blew my mind.

    Thomas: Like Conor, I am also influenced by a myriad of different styles, but for this particular project, Celtic Frost and Triptykon were the two major culprits. The newest Vallenfyre was also a big inspiration to writing this record. Otherwise, we were just trying to create an old school vibe (ala My Dying Bride, old Paradise Lost), with a modern spin.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
   
    Conor: I'm an enormous Cleveland sports fan!! My Cavs are in the middle of the NBA finals so that's big for me! I love to play video games as well.. Big fan of Dragon Age, Diablo 3, the new mortal kombat game is sick! I'd have to say reading is one of my favorite pastimes tho. George R. R. Martin, Joel Shepard, and Joe Abercrombie!! I love everything Mr. Abercrombie has written!! I've read the First Law trilogy countless times!!

 
    Thomas: Well, as my fiancée can attest, I spend pretty much all my freetime on music in some form, but I love spending time with her and my kids the most. I enjoy the outdoors and exercising, and my other passion is food and drink. I actually work in the beer industry working directly for a brewery, so I get to indulge on the drinking side quite a bit!

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

   Conor: Vintage Warlords is something that we love. In the end all we can hope is that there are other like minded metal heads out there that love what we're doing as much as we do.

  Thomas: I guess I would just say to keep supporting bands and small labels. How tough is it to purchase a $3 - $6 album on bandcamp, where a band or label actually receive the majority of funds? Bandcamp has been a blessing for small labels and DIY bands to be able to get their music to the world while still being able to earn more than a penny from their art. These days labels, managers, booking agents are looking for anything they can to steal a percentage from, so please don't forget the bands and smaller labels that are actually helping to continue to sustain and grow  the metal community worldwide.Thanks for the support and please check us out if you have not already. Cheers!

Lying Figures Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new ep?

We broke up with Ludo (bass player) after the release of the EP, replaced by Fred with whom we had already worked on 'Words here are nothing' from the first demo 'From nowhere to nothing'. With this new line up, we have done promotional things: interviews, EP's reviews, and gigs of course.


2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Actually, 'A world of my own' was published in May 2014, but we needed time to settle this line-up story and various things before focusing on the promo...Since 'From nowhere to nothing', our music has become more personal, there are more harmonies between the guitars, songs are more complex, closer from what we are looking for.


3.The band has been around since 2008 but waited until 2013 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the 5 year wait?

We faced so many line up problems that we couldn’t release anything, that’s why. And of course in 5 years, the writing level increases so we preferred to forget some old songs to focus on new ones.


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

Our subjects are sensibly the same than the debut. Thibault write lyrics about madness on every kind : human madness, mental torture, obscurity of our world. We all have a darkness part in our hearts, our feelings... & some things more abstract.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Lying Figures'?

'Lying Figure' is a disturbing creature in the game 'Silent Hill'

It's a dark universe who speaks to us


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

We have played with some great bands like Goatess (swe), Father Merrin (F), Oruga (F), SunStare (F) in 'doomworld' but also more bands from death metal, heavy, thrash, etc.

Our music can match with many kind of metal bands.

On stage, we can unleashed ourselves, our sound is heavy, powerful and the public seems to like our presentations.



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

We hope to play more often in France and Europe , booking a tour would be great too


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

Some labels have already contacted us, but we’re waiting to record the first album to seriously look for a label who can be really interested by our music.


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

We always received some good reviews from different webzines around the world. Moreover most of our orders from the bandcamp come from east Europe and US so we guess our music is appreciated worldwide. Some great doom death metal bands seems to like our sound, it is a great honor to have their congrats


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

Charles (drummer) play also guitars in Ataraxis (death metal) , Thibault (vocals) sing also in Octavion (indus metal) and he have 2 solo projects: Deinos Mastema (black metal) and Rotten Mood (post rock)


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

We’re currently writing some new songs. We play two of them live. We’re becoming more demanding with our music, we try to built bigger songs to make the Lying Figures concept evolve. I think we’ll have a new album for September 2016, we hope so, but nothing sure about that.


12.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?

Many sounds from doom death scene like Paradise Lost, Daylight Dies, Saturnus, Katatonia, Anathema,etc

But also bands from black metal, death metal, pop-rock too why not..

Each one of us have different influences.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Horror movies, mangas, literature...


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

Thanks for this interview, support the underground

stay doomed !

Derketa/InDeath We Meet/Ibex Moon Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Derketa  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  been  around  since  the  mid  80's  and  plays  a  very  dark  and  heavy  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "In  Death  We  Meet"  which  was  will  be  re-issued  on  June  16th,  2015  by  Ibex  Moon  Records  and  also  contains  bonus  tracks.

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some bells  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  also  very  dark  and  melodic  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  start  dominating  the  songs.

  A   good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  the   music  starts  adding  in  more  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the music  remains  true  to  the  90's  era  of  death/doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  album  remains  true  to  a  very  dark  and  heavy sound  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  they  also  close  the  re-issued  version  of  the  recording  with  a  cover  of  Sepultura's  "Troops  Of  Doom".

  Derketa  remains  true  to  the  doom/death  metal  sound  that  they  have  been  known  for  and  creates  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  nightmares  and  curses.

  In my opinion  Derketa  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  "Goddess  Of  Death"  "Until  Our  Death"  and  "Witchburned".  8  out  of  10.  

   

Khemmis/Absolution/20 Buck Spin/2015 CD Review

  Khemmis  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner, sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Absolution"  which  will be  released  in  July  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later t hat  also  become  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  elements  of  retro  and  stoner  rock  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  70's  influenced  clean  singing  vocals.

  Deep  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  psychedelic  sounds  at  times  and  there  are  also  a  few  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very   musical  direction  from beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Khemmis  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  slowest  and  heaviest  parts  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  touch  of  death  and  post  metal  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Khemmis  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  "Serpentine"  and  "Antidiluvian".  8  out  of  10. 

Moanaa/Descent/2014 CD Review

  Moanaa  are  a  band  from  Poland  that plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "Descent".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some elements  of  indie  and  post  rock  and  after  a  few  minutes  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  and  also  adds  in growls  that  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  that  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  a good  portion  of t he  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Psychedelic  sounds  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of   clean  singing  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  a  rough  yet  melodic  tone  at  times and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  atmospheric  and  the vocals  also  start  to  incorporate  more  high  pitched  screams  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Moanaa  plays  a  style  of  sludge  metal  that is  very  heavy,  melodic  and  atmospheric  sounding  and  also  adds in  elements  of  hardcore,  post  rock  and  death  metal  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while the  lyrics  cover  personal  struggles  and  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Moanaa  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sunset  Growing  Old"  "Zero"  and  "Away".  8  out  of  10.       

Lanthanien/Nocturnalgica/2015 EP Review

  Lanthanien  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  symphonic  and  gothic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  2015  ep  "Nocturnalgica".

  Depressive  sounding  keyboards  along  with  choirs  and  a  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  elements  and  after  awhile  operatic  female  vocals  start  becoming  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Deep  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along  with  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  as  the  ep  progresses  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  orchestras  and  elements  of  classical  music  into  their  gothic/doom  sound  and  there  are  also  some  parts  where  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  plays  in  a  few  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  being  utilized.

  Lanthanein  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  melodic  style  style  of  gothic  doom  metal  that  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion Lanthanein  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  gothic  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  "Nocturnalgica" and  "A  Orillas  Del  Silencio".  8  out  of  10. 

Trapped Within Burning Machinery/The Fifth Elements/Midnite Collective/Black Voodoo Records/2015 Full Length Review

  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  heavy  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album "The  Fifth  Element"  which  will  be  released  in  July as  a  joint  effort  between  Midnite  Collective  and  Black  Voodoo  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  clean  singing  vocals start  to  kick  in  giving  the  music  more  of  a  post  rock  feeling  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavy  and  melodic and  also  adds  in  sludge  style  high  pitched  screams  and  doom  metal  riffing  along  with  a  few  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

There  seems  to  be  a  good  balance between  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  a  melodic  post  metal  feeling  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  doom/death  metal  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  a  small  amount  of  growling  vocals  and  some  parts  also  bring  in  a  very  atmospheric  and  depressive  feeling  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.   

  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  some  of the  more  modern  post  and  sludge  metal  sounds  and  mixes  them  with  90's  style  doom/death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Existence,  Misanthropy,  Industrialism,  and  Drugs.

  In  my  opinion  Trapped  Within  Burning  Machinery  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Korben  Dallas"  and  "Mr  Shadow".  8  out  of  10..   

Hellrad/Things Never Change/2015 CD Review

  Hellrad  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  stoner  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Things  Never  Change".

  Air  raid  siren  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  distorted  reverb  which  leads  up  to  a  more  heavy  and  dark  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  also  very  heavily  mixed  in  with  sludge  and  spoken  word  samples  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  stoner  rock  style  melodies.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are long  and  epic in  length  and  after  awhile  grim  screams  start  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  growls  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  also add  in  influences  of  70's  rock/proto  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful sound  to  them and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they remain  true  to  the  styles  of  sludge,  stoner  and  doom.

  Hellrad  takes  the  slowest,  darkest  and  heaviest  style  of  sludge,  stoner and  doom  metal and  mixers  them  together  to  create  their  own  approach  to  the genre,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  drugs,  addictions  and  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hellrad  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  "Street  Zombies"  "Dope  Fiend  Jesus"  and  "15  Years  And  COunting".  8  out  of  10. 

Crimson Sky Interview

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

We are the ones who never stop searching for something new, hidden and constantly present in our inner realms. Actually, our music and lyrics tell better about it. If you seek a more exact answer, it can be found in our biography.

Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The musical sound is reflection of our dreams, aspirations, and even visions. It’s full of passion and tranquility, anger and relief, cosmic sadness and epic joy… We felt this music under our skins. Thus, it cannot be squeezed into one frame of some specific genre… We usually call what we do – atmospheric doom metal, which only obliquely elucidates the sound we make. It differs from the debut album in that it is much more mature and thought-out. Moreover, the musical structure of “Transcendental Trip” seems more sophisticated.

This is the first full length to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
We are not a commercial band that aims to produce albums one after another. Moreover, we are not professionals who can easily release discs, being sure of their uniqueness. We experimented much during rehearsals, but many improvisations never turned into full compositions. So, during these years, we rehearsed and performed in different Ukrainian cities and towns, trying to realize how the audience accepts us. We were invited to perform at Global East Festival-2011 and Metal Heads Mission 2012, where we presented songs from “Rising”. Overall, we gained an experience.

The band was broken up for a few years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
It was broken up because we were not there J Well, it was not actually the split, but a long pause after which Bohdan finally found those, who can accomplish his dream. However, it cannot be called reformation since it was the beginning of a totally new band.

What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
We wanted to create new myths and stories, which embodied our inner worlds. However, we also focused on symbols from legends and fiction. For instance, we made our own perception of Mag Mell (Irish mythology), a blissful underworld, which can be achieved through noble death or magnificent glory. Warriors in our song get there with the help of Aimend’s kiss, “goddess in vermeil”, sun deity. The theme of godlike creatures is continued in “Ember of deities”, which symbolizes decay of humankind, transformation of gods (through the example of Egyptian ones) into remorseless castigators, and domination of Selene (moon goddess), who ruins hallow treasures of people because of their desire to become superior to deities… In other songs, we envision communication between alive woman and her deceased beloved, who comes into her dreams and tells about his path in afterworld; there also hallucinations of split mind, when the demon penetrates a vulnerable consciousness and makes a girl fight with malicious voice inside her head; we portrayed the loss of truth and essence of life, sorrow and devastation of the Mother Earth, but we also imagined enlightenment and renaissance of this world. There are many ideas behind our lyrics, which should be explained one by one. Moreover, they acquire new sense every time you read or listen to it. There are so many metaphors you should be patient to unravel. Thus, it would be great if people could immerse into this labyrinth of lyrics and ask us about the meanings.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Crimson Sky'?
It was invented by our male vocalist, who wanted to give this name a shade of dark romanticism – the sky is getting crimson at sunset, which is a period of a beautiful natural metamorphosis, its transformation into night. Crimson sky can symbolize a bridge between the day and the night, when the sun and the moon exchange their energies. As our guitarist Serhii says, it’s a crack between worlds. Anyway, everyone of us sees something different in this simple name.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
As we mentioned, those shows were Global East Festival-2011 headlined by Helloween and Metal Heads Mission 2012. The concert with Mournful Gust and Fleshgore in Krivoi Rog remained a memorable event, and our performance as the supporting act of Haggard in Kharkiv was an outstanding experience.
Our stage performance is a fiery melancholy, ejection of inner lightnings, and immersion into music trance.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
It would be great to conquer Europe one day. Anyway, it is unlikely that we will perform with the same line-up.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of gothic, doom and death metal?
As we remember, there were no negative opinions, especially concerning the last album. However, we’re known better here in Ukraine. Some love us there, some criticize, some simply do not understand this style, but we definitely have our audience. We are still waiting for new reactions of the world.

What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Anton and Serhii experiment on black and death metal. Myroslava and Anatoliy experiment on jazz from time to time, and see the future with jazz fusions. Liudmyla does not take part in previous projects anymore.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Ideally, it would be an experimental project with the focus on metal, but with diverse music adornments (maybe some authentic instruments, such as jaw harp, lyrichord, and pipe).

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?
Shining, Haggard, Draconian, Swallow the Sun are among those bands, which influenced our music. Our tastes encompass different kinds of metal, rock, jazz, and blues, as well as neo folk and world music.

What are some of your non-musical interests?
May they be hidden within our comfort zones. So, let’s say – never-ending self-actualization and discovery of the Universe.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
It was nice to answer your questions, which refreshed our memories about who we are)) Hope that this interview will attract more music adherents around the globe to our album “Transcendental Trip”. It would be terrific if our songs resonated with minds, souls, and spirits of different people.

Church/Unanswered Hymns/Battleground Records/2015 CD Review

  Church  are  a  band  from  Sacramento,  California  that  plays  of  doom  metal,  sludge,  drone,  ambience  and  psychedelic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Unanswered  Hymns"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by Battelground  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  heaviness  of  sludge  starts  to  kick  in  and  melodic female vocals  can  also  be  heard  at times  and  the  music  also  utilizes  death  metal  growls  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  All  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  high  pitched  sludge screams  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  are also  some  parts that also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  clean  playing  that  also  gives  the songs  more  of  a  70's  and  psychedelic  feeling  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  add  more  of  a  dark  and  melodic  feeling  to  the recording  and  the  whole  album  always  sticks  to  a  very  slow  and  dark  musical  style.

  Church plays  a  musical  style  that  has  some  roots  in  traditional  doom  but  also  mixes  in elements  of  sludge,  death  metal,  drone  and  psychedelic  rock,  the  production sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Church  are  a  very great  sounding  mixture  of   doom  metal,  sludge,  drone,  ambience  and  psychedelic  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Stargazer".  8  out  of  10.        

Algos Interview

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

I would describe Algos as a Melodic Death/Doom metal band, with hints of pretty much everything that inspires me, ranging from black, folk and classical. This freedom is what i believe appeals to some of the listeners and makes me love writing/recording my music

2.So far you have released 2 ep's and a full length,  how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on those recordings?

The first EP (Misery Loves Solitude), which i started calling more of a demo nowadays cause of bad judgment back in the day, was a bit of an experiment on my behalf, It was the first time i recorded anything, and i started learning vocals weeks before that i think. I wanted to make a  Doom metal EP but that quickly went off road when writing From The Depths which has more of a melodic death vibe and that stacked around for the rest of the album with exception of Now she sleeps (The acoustic track of the EP)

As a result of that song i decided to make the Fragmented acoustic EP, which is something quite scary to do in a metal community, but I’m really glad i did.

After that i combined both writing styles a bit and The Death Of Seasons started to come together. Which is now the main style i will try to upkeep but maybe some more acoustic stuff included from time to time!

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music?

All lyrics are about personal topics and depression, i like to write lyrics that are a bit vague to others but that will be very clear for those that know what it's about. But still make them enjoyable and open to interpretation

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

Algos is the Greek spirit of depression, which comes right back to the lyrical theme.
I didn't want a name I’d regret later by making it a spur of the moment thing and this is what really stuck with me

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with another label or do you prefer to remain solo?

I prefer to remain solo due to how personal it all is to me, i have a spot open for a mate of mine who is a drummer but that just didn’t fit in , time wise, for the last album so that might be something that will change. I have a drum kit available but i tried recording it and, well, the current sound is a lot better. Haha

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

I have received some label offers but nothing that i really considered yet, If something comes along that i feel is right for me i will surely do it but I’m not going to rush into poor decisions just to get my music out there.

7.The new album has been promoted through WeakLight promotions, can you tell us a little bit more about this company?

WeakLight promotions is doing a great job helping me spread my music which i failed to do at earlier albums. I'm horrible at promotion and i got in touch with  the guy running this and it's a great experience so far,

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

So far, except the occasional internet trolls, it's been amazing.  I was afraid it was  going to be a love it or hate it album cause of the diversity in genres but i haven’t really heard anything about it, in a negative light, that i found to be out of place or i didn’t enjoy reading.  Some people not liking certain songs or aspects of it are mostly told to me in a nice and productive way so i can't complain about the reception of the album and the fan response

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I don't see myself being in a full band for multiple reasons but i am going to keep doing Algos, and i already got 20 minutes done for the next album.  I'm also doing more side projects now like vocals for Il Vuoto and will probably be writing an album with a fellow solo artist.  So basically, More Algos, and more projects hopefully.

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

Some of my main inspirations are , In Mourning, Daylight Dies, Swallow The Sun, Woods of Ypres, Dax Johnson, Enshine. This list goes on pretty long, All of these have the element of desperation in their music that i love.

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Wilderun, Angelmaker, Disperse, Mechina and even The Offspring for nostalgia.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I'm very much into fitness and bodybuilding, not much of a pit person at concerts though strangely..

Besides that I’m a bit of a computer nerd, massive fan of the Dark Souls gaming series for example.  So if I’m not writing/listening to music I’m probably gaming or throwing weights around.

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

Thanks a lot for the interview and the awesome review. And thanks to the people reading this and all the support I’ve been getting since the debut release. Been getting messages from people that really had an amazing time listening to the album and that's all i really wanted to achieve with this project so that means the world to me.

Jointstereo Interview

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

Arthur: Jointstereo was born November 9, 2008 (the day of the first full lineup rehearsal) in Krasnodar (Russia’s southwest). Over the next two years, we recorded several trial demos and finally released the Lineout studio single in 2011. Jonas Kjellgren (a Swedish producer and co-founder of Scar Symmetry) was positively impressed by the release and offered to mix and master our debut full-length album. Refract The Fears (the debut LP) was released April 13, 2012 and gained positive acclaim from public, although did not reach wide audience. Several months later, I temporarily left the band due to creative and managerial disagreements. After my return in 2013, several singles were recorded, and we started working on the second album tentatively titled Break The Circles. In the heat of the record session, the project became virtually disbanded and ended up being a studio duo. Me and Yuri decided to finish the recorded material and release it as Circles. EP.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ form the stuff you have released in the past?

Arthur: Initially, the release was intended to be a full-length sequel of the Refract The Fears debut album. However, as most band members had left the project during the record session, we finished the material and released it as an EP. The result is a kind of atmospheric rock with a touch of progressive flavor that now drifts towards post metal while giving up on doom death features typical of our debut album. Conceptually, record sessions were all about achieving live and natural sound; hence the rock legends of the past used as a go-by during mastering and the numerous analogue devices in the record path. The release therefore can be viewed as an eclectic and post-modernistic one (in a good sense of this word).

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

Arthur: Similar to the debut full-length album, lyrics mostly deal with the dark states of mind; however, new concepts are widely based on religious and philosophical views and scientific theories thus going way beyond personal feelings and self-reflections.

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

Arthur: As you probably know, Joint Stereo is a term in audio engineering. Roughly, it’s a trick used to reduce the size of audio file, and this encoding technique is based on the summation of left and right channels and their subtraction at the same time.
When I was something like 17, I was fond of dualism in philosophy and just started to be interested in audio engineering. The idea of two opposites becoming something integral but preserving the differences really impressed me. To me, it looked like something universal, you know, and I thought it would be a great name for the band. Later, the space character has disappeared and a lot of other meanings appeared. Loud and quiet, aggressive and calm, hard and soft, etc.

Yuri: And after we became a duo, this name suits us even better. Our music is a sum of both of us, but it isn’t flat because of our differences.

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?

Arthur: We write the new songs as a duo, and we feel quite comfortable. However, we record songs with help of session musicians, and when we will return to the live stage, we will need a live band. Who will it be, and will they become the members of Jointstereo, only time will tell.

6.The ep was released on Another Side Recordings, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Arthur: Another Side Records is a sublabel of the Ukrainian heavy metal label Metal Scrap Records. Another Side Records is focused on more atmospheric and progressive music. They are great people and professionals, and they are really passionate about their work.

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

Arthur: Circles. EP is our first official worldwide release, so we haven’t had time to understand. As I said, our debut album gained positive acclaim from the fans of such genres, but the international audience wasn’t wide enough.

8.Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects?

Arthur: No, but we have many ideas beyond Jointstereo and some of them are even beyond rock and metal music. If it develops into something, most likely we will work on it together.

Yuri: Right, we have an excellent rapport, and we perfectly complement each other’s ideas.

Arthur: I had a collaboration with another local metal band Aura One when temporarily left Jointstereo. We even recorded a nice single ‘Follow The Silence’, but soon I left Aura One and came back to JS.

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

Arthur: Within a year I guess. We have just begun working on the new songs, and the concept isn’t clear enough yet. I believe our music will evolve in the same direction, and there will be more progressive and atmospheric features and less death metal, etc. But who knows. It’s all about feelings.

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

Arthur: When I was a kid, my parents were fond of classical symphonic music, jazz and rock, especially art and progressive. From the cradle I was listening to Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Buxtehude, Ravel, Gershwin, Pink Floyd, ELP, The Doors, Yes, Gentle Giant, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield, Black Sabbath and so on. Over the years, I became a fan of almost all kinds of interesting, intelligent, atmospheric and emotional music. I have very broad tastes in music. Of course, at different times I prefer different genres. Jointstereo was founded when we were the huge fans of Katatonia, Tool, Anathema, Opeth, October Tide, Tiamat and some other rock and metal bands. You can hear the influence of such music in our debut album. I even made a nod towards some of my favorites in my lyrics. Attentive listener will find these references. Nowadays, I mostly listen to atmospheric and progressive rock, acoustic rock, chamber rock (baroque pop), trip-hop, retrowave electronic music, etc., and the heaviest part of my basic playlist is post-metal, I guess. Oh, I really love the latest Katatonia live release ’Sanctitude’ and 2015 ‘Hvel’ LP by Árstíðir. The latest Callisto album is also amazing to me. Of course, sometimes I listen to doom death, progressive and math metal, but only in the very special mood. Actually, I can talk about my favorites for a really long time, so I’d better stop right now.

Yuri: Since childhood, I was an almost omnivorous music listener. My cassette mixtapes were a dish consisting of Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Therion, Metallica, Mummy Troll, Darkseed, Tiamat, Nirvana, and it was seasoned with B.B. King and Gary Moore. Later, my tastes have become sharper. Now my playlist usually includes Katatonia, Tool, Gojira, A Swarm Of The Sun, sometimes the best of the rising math metal stars like Tesseract and Architects. I think you can find an influence of the unique combinations of my favorites in each of my works. Sometimes I do notice that when analyzing our recordings.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Arthur: In short, I’m a loving husband, a Master of Fine Arts, an IT enthusiast, a video game fan and a fan of cooking. I’m also really interested in religions, philosophy and natural science. And I’m a huge fan of beards, yeah.

Yuri: First of all, my non musical interests are my family and my friends. I always try to find a way to spend more time with them. I also love nature in all its aspects, I like to travel, I’m fond of fine arts. Besides that, I love discussions, ‘cause they provide an opportunity to understand people and to learn a lot. In general, the pursuit of information is one of my main interests.

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

Arthur: Thank you guys. This is our first international interview, so it’s a great honor for us. And addressing the audience, we hope our music will bring you lots of pleasant moments. From Russia with great love to each and every one of you. Goodbye.

Yuri: I subscribe to what was said by Arthur. Thanks for the interview. Bye.

Vintage Warlords/The Invisible Foe/Redefining Darkness Records/2015 EP Review

  Vintage  Warlords  are  a  duo  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "The  Invisible  Foe"  which  was  released  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  Clean  yet  disorted  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  dark  and  heavy  musical  musical  direction  that  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melodies  at  times and  once  the  growls  kick  in  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  doom/death  metal  direction  that  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  sludge  and  all  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  styles  of  doom  an d  death  metal  and  there  are  also  some  parts  that  also  bring  in a small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  there  are  some  riffs  that  are  slightly  influenced  by  grind  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  add  in  even  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  feeling  to  the  recording.

  Vintage  Warlords  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  also  update  the  style  with  a  touch  of  sludge  to  make  the  music  sound  more  modern,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  dark  and  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vintage  Warlords  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Exodus Of  Souls".  8  out  of  10.