Oaken/King Beast/Alerta Antifascistca Records/2016 CD Review

  Oaken  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  crust,  noise,  doom,  grind  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "King  Beast"  which  was  released  by  Alerta  Antifascistca  Records.

  A  very  aggressive  sound  along  with  growling  vocals  start  off  the  album  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  melodic  guitar  leads  and  elements of  both  crust  and  grindcore  and  some  of  the  vocals  bring  in  a  touch  of  post  hardcore  along  with  a  small  amount  of  screams  while  the  slower  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  and  sludge  metal.

  All  4  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  some  elements  of  harsh  noise  at  times  and  they  also  add  clean  playing  into  some  parts  of  the  tracks  which  adds  in  a  touch  of  post  rock  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Atmospheric  synths  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  ambient and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  back  up  gang  shouts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

  Oaken  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  hardcore  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  grind  as  well  as  being  very  experimental  and  creating  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Oaken  are  a  very  great  sounding   experimental  mixture  of  crust,  noise,  doom,  grind  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Monastery"  and  "The  Hyena". 8  out  of  10. 
   

The Body/Full Of Hell/One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache/Neurot Recordings/2016 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  album  between  Oregon's  The  Body  who are  in  more  of  an  apocalyptic  doom  metal  and  Maryland's  Full  Of  Hell  which  are  more  of  a  mixture  of  death  metal,  grindcore  and  harsh  noise  and  the  recording  is  called  "One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by   Neurot  Recordings.

  Harsh  noise  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  noise/grind  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  befor  slowing  down  and  adding  in  reverb  noises  while  also  having  an  improv  feeling  on  the  way  the  drums  are  approached.

  Elements  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  harsh  noise  and  drone  and  they  also  do  a  cover  of  Leonard  Chen's  "The  Butcher"  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls.

  The  Body  and  Full  Of  Hell  team  up together  and  mix  their  2  different  styles  together  and  creates  one  of  the  heaviest  mixtures  of  harsh  noise,  crust,  sludge  and  doom  metal, the  production  sounds  very  dark  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  joint  effort  between  The  Body  and  Full  of Hell  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  harsh  noise,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fleshworks"  "World  Of  Hope  And  No  Pain"  and  "The  Little  Death".  8  out  of  10.   

Reveries End Interview

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

We started recording the album already in 2013. When we finally finished it a lot had happened and almost three years had passed. The whole band had changed and grown up. Our vocalist Sariina decided to leave the band and concentrate on her own projects. We know that it wasn’t an easy decision for her, but we also understand that everyone has their own path and that it is best to follow one’s heart towards true passion, wherever it may lead, than to struggle against the gnawing feeling, that something does not feel right. It’s something we all have faced and we understand her decision. Also in the band we all have different situations outside our music and major changes have occurred, which takes away time and energy from the band. However we are happy that the album is out and that it is finally ready, which wasn’t easy, we can tell you that! But more about it later… Now we are looking for a new singer. Hopefully we’ll find one soon because we’re anxious to get back to writing new songs and playing gigs!


2.Your first full length is coming out at the end of February, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Jaakko: The sound is… hopeful, I think. There is hope but also depression by the dark skies above. The songs reflect dark times that we have experienced, but also the joy of playing it all out and gathering the energy into a raging bonfire, releasing the anxiety and transforming it into musical form that can be heard on the album. We were inspired in the process by some great swedish bands and created our own musical expression, combining elements from all the band members. We wanted the outcome to be melodic and melancholic to represent the ‘solitary seeker of beauty’ that is, in my opinion, the character behind the songs. There are beautiful and sensitive atmospheric moments... but then a storm gathers, and all the hell breaks loose as it destroys everything in it’s path. And afterwards there is only silent sorrow left.


3.In 2012 you had released a couple of demos but waited until 2016 to release the full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the 4 year gap?

Veli-Matti: After the demos we concentrated on gigging for some time until we started recording the album in the fall of 2013. Thinking back now, maybe we started making the album too soon. All the songs were not yet ready at the time, and that’s why the whole process took so much time and it started to affect our motivation. But in the end we fought through it and learned a lot from it, and I’m very proud of the result.

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

Veli-Matti: Sariina would be the best person to answer this question since she has written most of the lyrics on the album, but some prominent themes are fear, death, grief and sorrow.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Reveries End'?

Jaakko: Reveries are the colours we see around us. They can also be distant dreams that our heart yearns after. Also the beauty of sunset and a small sprout flowering up from under the rubble. But eventually the bloom must wither and all the good things must come to an end and death takes over... until new is born from the remains of the old. That is the nature of life. Chaos reigns and the cycle goes on and on. The name is a dualistic sigil that holds both light and dark in its form, representing the music.

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?

Jaakko: We are present and we play from our hearts. The goal is to unite with audience and exchange energy. To paint a picture of a beautiful but forlorn landscape in the listener’s mind. I remember that we were playing at Vastavirta klubi, a small underground venue in Tampere, and I felt more alive on stage than anytime before. I felt connected with the music and people, and that made it memorable. I guess the audience felt the same way too, cause we received a lot of positive feedback after the show.

Veli-Matti: We’ve had a number of gigs at Jack the Rooster in Tampere and it’s always nice there. It feels like home with plenty of friends in the audience. I think people can see from our shows that we love to play our songs live.


7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We’d love to go touring but there is the problem that we don’t have a singer yet. Once we get the lineup together we’ll start doing gigs in Finland and Europe as well.


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

Veli-Matti: I don’t know about fans of those particular genres, but the overall feedback has been pretty positive. I have a feeling our music is appreciated by people with lighter and heavier tastes in music.

Jaakko: I don't know really. I think that there are all kinds of fans. I guess there may be too much colour in our music for those with a more blackened heart.


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

Timo: I recently left my other band Neferion, so Reveries End is now the only band I play drums in.

Jaakko: I stride forwards in the Vesperithian world with Sariina. New material may be coming up for summer! Also I think that Astral Sleep may be slowly rising from deep slumber once again, but who knows from the thoughts of ancients...


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

Jaakko: We shall see. Maybe something acoustic, or maybe something much heavier, I don’t know and that makes it exciting!

Veli-Matti: The new vocalist will probably affect our sound in some way, but I’m sure we will continue our melancholic journey wherever it may take us.


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

Veli-Matti: All kinds of music from jazz and country to black metal have influenced us, but there are bands like Ghost Brigade and Katatonia that have had a greater impact on our music.

Timo: I rarely listen to music nowadays, which is a shame, but I just bought Omnium Gatherum’s latest album Grey Heavens on cd.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Veli-Matti: Movies and tv series are a great passion of mine, and I also do miscellaneous tv and film work for a living. I also greatly enjoy snowboarding, but unfortunately I don’t get to do it often.

Timo: I like coffee. “I grind my own beans.” -Frank Drebin

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

Thanks for the interview! We hope people enjoy our album Edge of Dark Waters, which is released on February 28th by Sliptrick Records.

The Vatican/The Trump Card/2016 EP Review

  The  Vatican  are  a  band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  mixture  of  noise,  sludge,  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "The  Trump  Card"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  Sound  effects  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  is  very  close  to  noise  rock and  once  the  screams  kick  in  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  hardcore  at  times.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  songs  also  avoid  using  any  guitar  solos  and   there  is  also  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  brief  use  of  melody  and  the  whole  ep  also  remains  very  heavy and  brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  while  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  The  Vatican  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  noise,  sludge,  crust  punk,  hardcore  and  grind  and mixes  them  together  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Vatican  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  noise,  crust,  hardcore  and  grind  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Hippie  Hate"  and  "FUCKEDFROMBIRTH".  8  out  of  10.

When Nothing Remains/In Memoriam/Solitude Productions/2016 CD Review

  When  Nothing  Remains  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this is  a  review of  their 2016  album  "In  Memoriam"  which  was  released  by  Solitude  Productions.

  Nature  sounds  and  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being utilized  at  times  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  very  tragic  and  atmospheric  musical  style  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  style  that  is  in  more  of  a  doom  metal  vein.

  When  solos and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  very  melodic  and  depressive  musical  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  utilize  a  lot  of  death  metal  growls  that  are  very easy  to  understand while  some  clean  singing  goth  vocals  are  also  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  the  music  briefly  and  the  songs  also  bring  back  a  lot  of  the  early  90's  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  style  while  also mixing  in  some  more  modern  symphonic  elements  and  when  screams  are  used  for  a  few  seconds  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  there  are  also  female  vocals  on  one  of  the  later  songs  and  they give  the  music  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  When Nothing  Remains  plays  a  style  of  gothic  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  rooted  in  the  90's  while  also  mixing  in  more  modern  symphonic  elements  to  update  the  genre  for  modern  days,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  love  and  tragedy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  When  Nothing  Remains  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Drowning  In  Sorrows"  "Ghost  Story"  and  "While  She  Sleeps".  8  out  of  10. 

Rutsa/Self Titled/2016 EP Review

  Rutsa  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of sludge  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2016  ep.

  Ambient  style  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  a  very  heavy  bass  guitar  sound  along  with  some  drums  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  after  the  high  pitched  screams  kick  in  the  music  starts  to  speed  up  and  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Grindcore  elements  are  mostly  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  growls  and  crustcore  style  shouting  while  also  adding  in  spoken  word  samples  at  times  and  some  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  the  reverb's  also  bring  a  touch  of  harsh  noise to  the  recording.

  Rutsa  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge  and  grindcore  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  crust ,  noise  and  death  metal  to  create  some  very  dark  yet  heavy  music,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rutsa  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Funnit"  and  "Silma".  8  out  of  10.

Reveries End/Edge Of Dark Waters/Sliptrick Records/2016 CD Review

  Reveries  End  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melancholic,  progressive  and melodic  mixture  of goth  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Edge  Of  Dark  Waters"  which  will  be  released  on February  28th  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along with  some  female  vocals  and  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  leads  up  to  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  sound  which  also  mixes  both  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together  and you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

   When  screams  are  added  onto  the  music  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  depressing  sounding  melodies  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  modern  prog  metal  elements  at  times  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  melancholic  ballads  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  songs  stick  to  mostly  a  slow  mid  paced  direction  with  only  a  small  amount  of  mid  paced  parts.

  Reveries  End  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  doom  and  mixes  it  with  prog  and  goth  metal  along  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  and  melancholic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Reveries  End  are  a  very  great  sounding  melancholic  and  progressive  mixture  of  goth  and  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unwind"  "Tomorrow's  Fool"  and  "Reveries  End".  8  out  of  10.  

  

   

 

Recitation/Carrion/Indisciplinarian/2015 EP Review

  Recitation  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Carrion"  which  was  released  by  Indisciplinarian.

  A  very  distorted  drone  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  heavy  guitar  riffing  that  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  doom  metal  direction  and  after  a  few  minutes  growling  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  giving  the   27  minute  track  a  90's  doom/death metal  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  add  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  song  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

 Recitation  plays  a  half  hour  epic  track  that  takes  a  90's  style  of  doom/death  metal  and  gives  it  a  touch  of  psychedelia  and  drone  to  creating  some  very  dark  and  heavy  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Recitation  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10. 

The Burning Dogma Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Well, since now we’d thought about find reliable solutions in order to present a live show as close as possible to the recording quality level. It took some time, some technology issues and of course a lot of practicing. In the meanwhile, we’d also keep on writing some new materials.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
It’s been a big step forward for us from “Cold Shade Burning” (release on may 2012) and “No Shores of Hopes”, in each single meaning. What was merely mentioned on previous works it’s now became the core of our sounds. Electronic and Dark style influences has finally reached the topic and we worked hard to make them work along with our classical Death metal groove.

3.This is the first release to come out since 2012, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
Actually, we had gig a lot promoting Cold Shade Burning ‘till September 2013. Then we suffered some line up change and once we closed this issued, in springs 2014 we started to compose and create what has become “No Shores of Hope”.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Lyrics are carried out by Andrea, our singer, basically conceiving an apocalyptic vision on human conditions and self-destroying behavior but giving always from a point of view that try hard to look where the light is out of this ruins’ dust.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Burning Dogma'?
Nice question!! Well, the name of the band has been inspired by a verse contained in Morbid Angel song “From where the slime live”, but we made it our own as a philosophical concept: be free from all that dogma and  constrictions that force your mind to underlay to fears and ghosts that are synthetically created to indoctrinate humanity for second and hidden purpose, i.e. economical, political, religious and so on.   

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?
Well, honestly I don’t remember a precise show much more better than others, I mean every time it’s a special emotion to get on the stage and play as loud as we can. One of our main goal is to provide a visual performance done by dynamic choreography along with strong sounds to those who come to our show.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
So..in order to warm up we got a gig in Milan on 5th March sharing the stage with other hot band as Deathless Legacy, Insidia etc.. and then on 9th of April having the release party of our new album.  

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of goth, doom and death metal?
As far as we know, we had only very and encouraging feedback from different kind of listeners. Die hard death metal fan has enjoyed our personal way to feed our style with dark fashioned tunes as goth and traditional metallers has appreciate our research for an extreme metal not barely done by chaotic blast and iper brutal riff.
Seems like we shoot it right, isn’t it?

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
We got a lot of friends in our national metal scene, so from time to time some of us are involved in other project but at the end of the day all the actual component are fully focused on The Burning Dogma.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Honestly we wanna emerge and rise to upper level both in commercial and artistic side of the story. So be known by the musical system as a reliable performer on stage and as a great creator of odds and emotional tunes.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Well, all band members has their own hype on specific styles, but most of all, our sounds has been influenced and forged by classic smashers as Carcass, Entombed, Bloodbath mixed up with Dark and EBM tunes as Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance, Hocico, Christian Death etc..
Currently I’m just looking through out underground acts, as Plateau Sigma, Despite Exile and so on…

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Well, all of us got their own jobs so out of our musical duties our interest are focused on careers. Anyway we really appreciate painting, arts, and of course wine!!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Let me thank you all for this great opportunity that will help us to spread our spell as far as possible.
Then get on our Facebook or Sliptrick page and take a minute to hear our sound!! You’ll not regret it!!!

The Burning Dogma/No Shores Of Hope/Sliptrick Records/2016 CD Review

  The  Burning  Dogma  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "No  Shores  Of  Hope"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  atmospheric  synths  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  getting  more  heavier  along  with  the  fast  parts  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also  keeps  the  atmospheric  sounds  and  they  also  use  death  metal  growls  and  screams  that  also  add  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  the  music.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  add  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  there  is  also  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  industrial  and  electro  music.

   There  are  also  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  female  and  male  melodic  vocals  that  also  add  a  touch  of  goth  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  darkwave  atmosphere  and  some  of  the  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  prog  metal while  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  in  briefly   and  the  last  3  tracks  have  a  concept  to  them  and  they  also  introduce  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  to  the  recording.

  The  Burning  Dogma  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  electro,  goth  and  industrial  along  with  a  touch  of  black  and  prog  metal  to  create  a  style  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  life,  death,  social  and  poltical  themes  of  the  left.

  In  my  opinion  the  Burning  Dogma  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  electro,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Breach"  "Feast  For  Crows"  "Hopeless"  and  "Nemesis".  8  out  of  10.

 

  

 

Camel Of Doom/Terrestrial/Solitude Productions/2016 CD Review

 Camel  Of  Doom  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  experimental mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Terrestrial"  which was released  by  Solitude  Productions.

 A  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off the  album  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  that  add  element s of  sludge  onto  the  recording  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  you can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that are  present  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  and  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  influences  of  industrial  and ambient  make  their  presence  known  in  the  songs.

   They  also  bring  in  a  soundscape  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  with  no  fast  parts  ever  being  utilized  and  on  one  track  the  vocals  get  semi  melodic and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  onto  the  recording  briefly  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  they  close  the  recording  with  an  instrumental  dark  ambient  track.

  Camel  Of  Doom  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  in  an  experimental  style  of  sludge  and  stoner  metal  with a   touch  of  hardcore  while  elements  of  ambient  and  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  are  added  onto  the  recording  to  create  a  musical  style  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space  and  scientific  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Camel  Of  Doom are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Circle  Has  No  End"  "Nine  Eternities"  and  "Sleeper  Must  Awaken".  8  out  of  10.
 

Apathy Noir/Across Dead Waters/2016 Full Length Review

  Apathy  Noir  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Across  Dark  Waters".

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  as  well  as  adding in  violins  at  times  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar leads  and  death  metal  growls  also  make  their  presence  known  on the  recording  and  they also bring  in  more  of  a  depressing  style  of  doom  metal.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  more  of  a  progressive  style  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  elements  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  slow  and  dark  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Apathy  Noir  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is very  slow,  melodic and  atmospheric  while  also  mixing  in  progressive  elements  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  melancholy,  suicide,  death,  and  despair  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apathy  Noir  are  a  very  great  sounding melodic  and  progressive  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beyond  the Sea"  "Death  Of  Hope"  and  "Dark  Waters".  8  out  of  10.

  

 

Za La Thu 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?



We are writing and recording vocal tracks to three songs that will either be released as a demo sometime this year and/or will be released on the next album. The demo is titled "Psychotronic Generator" and it has three parts. Part one is "The Outer Ether Soul Eaters". The instrumentation on these three songs, should appeal to fans of progressive technical death metal. The primary musical influence was the  Obliveon - Fiction of Veracity demo from 1989 , Nocturnus and Pestilence - Spheres. While those bands and albums highly influenced the work on these three songs they have my own distinctive style and are currently being laced with Katera's unique vocal delivery. The music is highly technical and very strange.



2.In October you had 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?



Zā Lä Thü is the existential processes of Anarcho - Mysticism in a ritualized heavy metal format. You could call it Chaos Magick Metal if you like. I recently heard someone refer to us as Witchcraft Metal and I thought that was a rather nice description.



We create musick that has a covalent bond between many different forms of metal that may at times appear strange and unusual. The lyrics are saturated with incantations, spells and personal rituals. Our song structures can vary greatly from song to song creating an unpredictable arrangement. I think we appeal to practitioners of the occult and open minded metal fans looking for something different.



The difference in my older music and my new music is that I felt it was very important to create brain itch as to allow my spells to become empowered by the listener through the art of hearing.



3.Your lyrics go very deep into the occult and your website also shows that you have a good knowledge of both the Eastern and Western variety, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?



Magick is real and when you know this to be true, nothing else matters. All other conquests in life seem void and without substance. I am an Anarcho-Mystic and I bend and bow to the Vril and offer all praise to the goddess of chaos. Hail Eris ! ! ! Twenty Three!



The year that the universe truly opened up to me was in 1994 when I had sex with a powerful psychic. The universe expanded and collapsed upon my mind. The experience altered my entire being, transformed my consciousness and awakened me to ultimate reality. I then began to experience psychic phenomena on a regular basis and the symmetrical chaos of being was alive with synchronicity. Soon after I began to see energy flowing through all things . I also realized that I could generate Vril with the power of my mind. My life has never been the same. I use Zā Lä Thü as a vehicle to issue spells and incantations into reality to effect change to occur in conformity with my will.  My advice to anyone that wants to increase their power is to first seek out a powerful psychic or energy worker and then have sex with them. This is a quick and pleasurable path toward immediate results or you can take the path of the moralist and spend the next 40 years meditating at which time you might get lucky. Consciousness effects consciousness, surround yourself with your desire.



4.Originally the project was known as 'The Awakened One' and then 'Aethyria', what was the cause of all the name changes and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name ;Za La Thu'?



The history of the band name goes back to a time when I lived in Atlanta around the year of 1994. I was receiving a trance channeling from a very talented psychic. While she was in a trance she provided me with a multiplicity of otherworldly data, she also told me that I had a spirit guardian named Zā Lä Thü. She said that this guardian was reaching out to me and would guide me.



All previous bands names that I have used in the past never felt right. I was always trying to find the right name and then one day it dawned on me. My spirit animal is Heavy Metal and my guide is Zā Lä Thü. The first song I recorded as a one man band was in or around the year of 1994 or 1995 and was titled Zā Lä Thü. I think it is fitting that it is the only name that has ever felt right.



5.In a past interview you said there would never be a fb page for the band and now there is one available, what made you change your mind over the years?



I highly oppose Facebook and all forms of social media because they are being used as tools of enslavement. Regardless of my hostility towards social engineering, propaganda and mind control. Katera finally convinced me to make a page so that people would have easier access to what we were doing. However, I encourage people to delete their profile and refuse to use the service. On the other hand, if you choose to stay please subvert the timeline and bend the meta-data.



6.Originally the music project was solo and now has expanded into a duo, are you also open to working with other musicians?



If you are a musician, a lyricist or even a magician that would like his or her rituals put to music get in touch. We are always looking to meet people that would like to work with us. We would primarily love to find a drummer that is local but we are willing to work with someone from out of state even if it is only for recording purposes. zalathu@gmail.com



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



I am only interested in signing a deal with the devil. However, in Alabama there is a church at every crossroad.



8.Your early stuff had more death and black metal influences but the newer music has more of an industrial and occult rock approach, what was the decision behind going into this direction?



With the name change in 2012 and the chaotic musical direction we have taken since then, I think I have finally created an egregore that I can approach with free belief. I do not have to appeal to anyone or anything, all expectations as to what I will do have been obliterated and I am left in a musical state of liberation. My old approach did not allow for me to be able to traverse multiple genres of music. I am now free to do anything I want.



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



 
We have received letters and orders from people in several different countries that tell us they really respect what we are doing and several have showed us a great deal of support. We continue to make new friends each week. The most common thing people say to us is, when can I see Zā Lä Thü live? However, until we can find more band mates this will be very difficult since I am currently playing all instrumentation myself.



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



I hear Banjos...



In the future, I see anarchistic and mystical forms of black/death punk.



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



I do not pay attention to very many new bands. While I was working on music for the last few demos which were compiled into the album; I let go of any judgment towards my creativity. I just went with it and allowed my self to experiment. I had no interest in trying to fit into any genera, trend or style. The metal world is swamped with an immeasurable amount of generic bands. I wanted to create something that had it's own character and it's own unique sound. Therefore I did not look outside of my self for inspiration, by design everything came from within. My goal was to not replicate any contemporary or archaic trends.



When I listen to metal I primarily listen to 80's and early 90's death, black and thrash styles of metal. Some of my favorite bands are Pan-Thy-Monium, Fall of the Leafe, Pestilence, Incantation, and OM.



Over the last year I have listened to Le Trio Joubran and Seyed Khalil Alinejad  more then anything else.



As for new bands, I really like Iron Reagan, Allegaeon and Nails. I also love a lot of the old school bands that keep putting out great albums like Rotting Christ, Napalm Death, Vital Remains, Darkthrone and Autopsy.



If you look inside my mp3 player this is what you will find.



Slayer, Metal Church, Exodus, Overkill, Coroner, Kreator, Testament, Sepultura, Sodom, Detente, Fear of God, Annihilator, Vio-Lence, Forbidden, Celtic Frost, Mercyful Fate, Watchtower, Trouble, Sanctuary , Nevermore, The Great Kat, Nuclear Assault, Helloween , Morbid Angel, Possessed, Pestilence, Napalm Death, Obituary, Incantation, Death, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Gorguts, Phantasm, Pan-Thy-Monium, Deicide, Meethook Seed, At The Gates, In flames, Unleashed, Entombed, Dismember, Carcass, Fall of the Leafe, Dissection, Skeletal Earth, Obliveon, Atheist, Nocturnus, Cynic, Pestilence, Origin, Necrophagist,  Impaled Nazarene, Beherit, Samael, Rotting Christ, Darkthrone, Bathory, Venom, Order From Chaos, Master's Hammer, Emperor, Enslaved, Immortal, Burzum, Arcturus, Mayhem, ABSU, 1349, Khold, Dornenreich, Helrunar, Ophthalamia, Primordial (Ireland), Candlemass, Solitude Aeternus, My Dying Bride, Anathema, Cathedral, dISEMBOWLEMENT, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy, Sleep, Om, Black Flag, Agnostic Front, Wild Flag, The Misfits, The Accused, The Cramps, The Dayglo Abortions, The Crass, G.B.H., Circle Jerks, Discharge, The Subhumans, Dead Kennedys, Christ on a Crutch, Cryptic Slaughter, Sacrilege, The Ramones, Bad Brains, Corrosion of Confomrity, Bad Religion, Fear, Murphy's Law, Suicidal Tendencies, Sonic Youth, The Clash, Godflesh, Ministry, Electric Hellfire Club, Dead World, Einsturzende Neubauten, Psychic TV, Nurse with wounds, Liabach, Current 93, Old Pitch Shifter, Old Lady Drivers, Tori Amos, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, Nikhil Ranjan Banerjee, Manilal Nag, Mita Nag, Ravi Shankar, Vladimír Václavek, Daniel Landa, , Django Reinhardt, Al Di Meola, Dead Can Dance, New Order, Depeche Mode, Madness, Eurythmics ,Bill Monroe, Peter Rowan ,Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Beastie Boys, Danzig, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Exciter, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Manowar, Queensrÿche, Symphony X, Yngwie Malmsteen, , Vinnie Moore, Jeff Loomis, Jason Becker. etc....



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



First, thank you for the interview we really appreciate it.

Second, I would like to invite everyone to hear our album for free at http://www.zalathu.com .



Arise! Female Serpent Worshipper! Arise!