Condor/Sangreal/Triton's Orbit/2016 CD Review

  Condor  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2016  album  "Sangreal"  which  will  be  released in November  by  Triton's  Orbit.

  A very  distorted  yet  melodic  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  and  they  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  in t he  music  and  the  songs  start  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  A  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  quite   bit  throughout  the  recording  and  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  later  tracks also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  a  good  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  brings  in a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Condor  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  doom/death  style  that  was  presented  on  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  philosophy,  identity,  and  nationalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Condor  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sangreal"  "Outremer" and  "Roncesvalles".  8  out  of  10. 

Warcrab/Scars of Aeons/Black Bow Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Warcrab  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Scars  Of  Aeon"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Black  Bow  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death metal  growls  and  the songs  also  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge.

  High  pitched  screams  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  gives  the songs  more  of  a  melodic  stoner  metal  vibe  and  mid  paced  sections  are  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Warcrab  takes  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Warcrab  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  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroyer  of  Worlds"  and  "Scars  of  Aeons".  8  out  of  10.

  

Gatecreeper/Sonoran Depravation/Relapse Records/2016 CD Review

  Gatecreeper  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  doom  and  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Sonoran  Depravation"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Relapse  Records.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodies  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  90's  Swedish  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  they  also  mix  in a  great  amount  of  crust  and  d  beat  elements  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  melodic  and  old  school  fashion  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  while  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  past  the  production  gives  the  tracks  a  more  modern  feeling  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Gatecreeper  plays   musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  early  90's  Swedish  death  metal  genre  while  the  doom  and  crust  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  substance  abuse,  apathy  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gatecreeper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  the  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Craving  Flesh"  "Rotting  As  One"  "Lost  Forever"  and  "Grotesque  Operations".  8  out  of  10.     

Ruinous Interview

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

(Matt): Ruinous plays crushing and dismal down tuned death metal. Our debut album “Graves of Ceaseless Death” comes out in November on Dark Descent Records.

(Alex): Well myself (Alex) Matt Medeiros and Shawn Eldridge all played together in the band Funebrarum. We were all unhappy with the situation in the band and left to pursue forming Ruinous. The three of us have a great chemistry and friendship that just works. The band sound is pretty simple just a combination when the  3 of us get together. It’s a real honest and a natural process being in this band. I would say we are for sure what you would call a super pure heavy death metal band without a doubt.

2.You have a new album coming out in November, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

(Alex): Its super heavy and brutal but has a lot of diversity on it as well. We have some fast mid temp and doomy evil aspects. Im very happy with the songs and the production came out great. Very well produced but also keeps its rawness. I had the idea of how Death Scream Bloody Gore sounded when it first came out. That record had the modern sonically sounding production with the dirty rawness. So i think we got the best of both worlds.

(Matt): We definitely wanted the record to have a lot of grit and an old-school feel. I think we got that with massive heavy drums and thick guitars. The songs themselves are brutal and varied, with elements of doom, but with lots of hooks. The songs will get stuck in your head, and your head will get stuck in the wall from furious thrashing! haha

3.All of the band members are extreme metal veterans, what is it that you bring it in this band that you were not able to do with past groups?

(Alex): For me it is just the vibe we get when we get together. Everything comes out different than how i would have written for a Goreaphobia or Incantation record. And that is the magic when you are working with great people.

(Matt): Musically it’s a continuation of what we were doing together before, but now we can actually write songs and make records.

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

(Matt): Lyrically the songs are about the horrors that lie beneath the surface of the mortal world, the torment of eternal damnation and other cheery topics. I take inspiration from all sorts of supernatural horror sources, writers like Lovecraft, Poe, and Clive Barker, horror movies and tv shows.

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

(Matt): Continuing the lyrical themes, our music is Ruinous. I also wanted something that I wouldn’t have to repeat a hundred times, and then spell, when asked “what’s your band called?”

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

(Alex): We have not played live yet with Ruinous but when the 3 of us played with Funebrarum live it is full on high energy. Expect the same but times 10 now without the weak link we had in the past.

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

(Alex): We are working on stuff yes!

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

(Alex): So far it has been super awesome! People and close friends who have heard the record are all ecstatic about Ruinous. I am super pleased with the responses.

(Matt): The most important thing for me was that the three of us were happy with the record. We are, and now that people dig it, that’s a huge bonus.

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?

(Matt): Kalopsia has a new record, “Angelplague,” coming out in February 2017. It was recorded at the same time as “Graves of Ceaseless Death,” which meant I was doing double duty for several sessions. I’m psyched about the material. It’s simultaneously our most brutal, and our most sophisticated release. Huge moshes. Epic melodies. These two records are the best things I’ve ever done by a huge margin.

(Alex): I have a heavy metal band called Eturnus that i am hoping to release music in early 2017. I am working with some super great musicians with this. Very dark stuff but also very melodic. Completely different than anything I have done before and also something else I maybe involved with in the future.

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

(Alex): I would say the next one will be much darker and musical.

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?

(Alex): It the same stuff I grew up with 60's 70's rock and classical music. Early heavy metal like Maiden and Priest and Celtic Frost, Voivod, Bathory etc.. I really don’t like much new music at all to be honest. Lately in the record player it has been Thin Lizzy, Autopsy, Pink Floyd and David Bowie.

(Matt): I came up in the thrash and punk scene before finding death metal, so bands like Slayer, Gwar, Megadeth and the Misfits are on the eternal playlist. Then classics from Grave, Deicide, Suffocation, Malevolent Creation, etc.

I’m super fortunate that a lot of my friends are in awesome bands, so I’m jamming new stuff from Hammer Fight, Cognitive, Dysentery, Abnormality.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

(Alex): I like fishing and reading about history. Especially Russian history and early cultures. And most importantly just spending time with my wife.

(Matt): Non musical interests? Never heard of em! Haha! When not working or doing band stuff, it’s netflix, video games, books, board games and thinking about music!

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

(Alex): Thank you for your support and everyone lookout for our record November 11th and hopefully see some of you on the road. Cheers!!


www.facebook.com/weareruinous

http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

Old Chapel Interview

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

Pavel: The recording of this album was really long because of troubles with line-up. In fact, the process of writing these songs was much shorter than recording. It was not a good period for the band. And after the last track was recorded the band split up for a year. But since spring of 2016 we try to find ways to form new line-up or gather the previous.

2. You have a new album coming out in November, 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?

Pavel: New stuff is better arranged in comparison with our past releases. Great efforts have been put into production, and I hope it brought the results.

Sergei: We've been trying to make every song special and memorable, with unique mood and feeling in each of them.

Alexei: New sound. It's evil and powerful as it always been but now the quality is higher.

3. Your lyrics cover a great amount of horror topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this genre?

Pavel: It's a good theme for death metal. I don't want to translate any deep philosophical things through our music. That's why I write horror stories. It's a sort of amusement as for me. But sometimes something inner and sick breaks out. You can hear it in 'Towards the End', 'Leaving a Body' and 'Excommunicated from Light' for example'.

Sergei: I'm a fan of horror movies and giallo. It's a great source of inspiration for lyrics and art-works. And it goes well with metal music. For example the last track on our new album is an interpretation of Fabio Frizzi's music to Lucio Fulci's "City of the living dead".

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

Pavel: Just suitable mystical atmosphere. It forms the needed mood.

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?

Pavel: Our performance history is poor. We have no line-up to play shows.

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

Pavel: We even haven't a guitar player. Alexei lives in other city now and it's difficult for us to gather and play again. I don't think that something will change in the near future. But we're still searching for people. I'm very worried of this situation lasting for years. I think of bad carma or something, seriously. Most of people we've been working with were fucking weird freaks with no ambitions. Laziness, complaints, selfishness, emotions instead of work - we're fucking tired of this. Maybe the reason is the city we live in. May be the reason is the specifics of music we play.

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

Pavel: There were some good words about our previous release 'Symptoms of Possession' from different corners of Earth.

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

Pavel: I think we should to increase the level of aggression and morbidity in our music. Now I'm trying to write new lyrics in this vein. Also we have two songs written during the creating of 'Visions from Beyond' which don't fit this release. We're about to unleash these strange bastards as a EP or something like that.

9. 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?

Sergei: Old metal, regardless of style. Now I listen to all bands with Wino, all bands with Phil Swanson, Corrosion of Conformity, Down, Pentagram, Alice in Chains, Mad Season and of course Black Sabbath.

Pavel: I can say nothing about influence, but old school death and thrash work always. Also some traditional doom as Pentagram or Gates of Slumber must be mentioned. The newest love of my life is Sweden Vanhelgd. They're motherfucking killers! Oh, yes, and Beethoven of course - that's my very speical disease.
Alexei: Probably, all bands we listen to make some influence on our music. Speaking for myself I mean classic heavy bands like DIO, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, WASP, Helloween… this list is so long, you know... I love early Skid Row so much! Certainly, there are a lot of bands that are more similar with us in genre, headed by Dismember and Entombed. I want to mention some unexpected and interesting from nowadays like Gogol Bordello. They're so cool gypsy punks. Also I listen to a lot of instrumental music like Andy James or Conquering Dystopia.

10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Alexei: No. I think music should not be a carrier of any ideas. Even if I would have such beliefs it must be out of music.

Pavel: Nope, it's exciting while watching movies or reading books. That's an interesting part of world culture just like religion or mythology. But it can't be taken seriously in real life, because I'm sure that the greatest force in this world is the power of your own mind, it can create and kill any god or demon.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Pavel: Reading.

Sergei: Wasting my life and killing time, haha)

Alexei: My job of course - digital drawing and animation. Also I feel an interest in natural sciences, but now I have no time for this little hobby.

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

Pavel: Stay metal and don't forget to check out 'Visions from Beyond'!

Alexei: Many thanks for the attention. Listen to tje new album because it's awesome.

Order the CD: http://store.chaos- records.com/old-chapel-ru- visions-from-beyond-cd/

Algos/Amongst Monoliths/2016 Full Length Review

 Algos  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and   death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Amongst  Monoliths".

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  that  bring  in  a  touch  of  post  rock  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams.

  Death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections at  times  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  all  instrumental.

  Algos  creates  another  recording  that  takes  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  along  with  some  symphonic  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Algos  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  doom  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Metempsychosis"  "Blessed  With  Weakness"  "I  Am Sin"  and  "Poisoned  Well".  8  out  of  10.

Ruinous/Graves Of Ceaseless Death/Dark Descent Records/2016 CD Review

  Ruinous  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  consists  of  members  from  Incantation,  Gorephobia,  Disma,  and  Funebrarum  that  plays  a  very  old  school  form  of  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  doom,  thrash  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Graves  Of Ceaseless  Death"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  A  very  dark, heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  speeding  up  and  adding  in  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  music is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast parts.

  A  great  amount  of  doom/death  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  a  very  dark,  melodic  yet  old  school  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  songs  bring  in a   great  amount  of  grindcore  influences  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Ruinous  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  rooted  in  the  90's  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash,  doom  and  grindcore  along  with  a  more  modern  approach  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark a nd  blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ruinous  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  old  school  death  metal,  doom,  grindcore  and  thrash  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Tombs  of  Blasphemy"  "From  Flames  Of  Malice  Born"  "Plague  Maiden"  and  "Torn  Forever  From  the  Light".  8  out  of  10.

Old Chapel/Visions From Beyond/Chaos Records/2016 CD Review

  Old  Chapel  are  a band  from  Russia  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Visions  From  Beyond"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Chaos  Records.

 A  very  dark  yet  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  death  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  horror  movie  samples  can  be  heard  and  classical  guitars  are  added  on  the  last  track

  Old  Chapel  takes  the  doom  and  death  metal  genres  of  the  early  90's  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  more  up  to  date  approach,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  movies  and  witching  rites.

  In  my  opinion  Old  Chapel  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  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  "Stairs  To  The  Vault"  "The  Nightmare  Room"  and  "Witchboard'.  8  out  of  10.

Shadecrown Interview

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

Saku: We are Shadecrown, melodic death/trash/doom metal band from Finland. The band was founded in 2012 and now we're about to release our debut album "Agonia."

2.You have your first full length coming out in October, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous demo and ep?
Saku: Musically this album is quite unpredictable 'cause we combine many genres of metal such as melodic doom and trash metal. But I personally think that this kind of mixing just makes music much more interesting. When we started in 2012, Shadecrown was just a melodic doom metal band but then something happened. These days our songs are much more diverse than back then.

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

Saku: My source of inspiration is life itself. Our songs usually tells about loneliness, sorrow and human frailty.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Shadecrown'?

Saku: "Shadecrown" comes from the word "shade-grown". Basically we just changed one letter. But for me "shade" in this case means some kind of misfortune in life. We all know that at some point of our lives we all have to experience some kind of loss, sorrow or loneliness. And "crown" is something you have to wear for as long as it's your duty. Even through desperate times when it becomes a burden. So maybe "Shadecrown" means burden of life or something like that... But after all it's just a name of the band.

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

Saku: We always try to be very energetic on stage. Hair and sweat must fly! Maybe the best show so far was here in Finland at Pub Markus. A lot of our friends and other drunken people were there. What an awesome crowd!

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

Saku: Yeah, sure! Our plan is to tour as much as possible.

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

Saku: Well, the whole album hasn't been released yet so it's hard to say, but so far the feedback has been very positive! Let's see what future holds.

8.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?

Saku: Actually at the moment all the members are concentrating solely on Shadecrown.

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

Saku: Our music is going to be a little bit more progressive and technically challenching than before. But no major changes in sight.
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?

Saku: Bands that have influenced me the most as a songwriter are Sentenced, Pantera, Insomnium, Testament, Iron Maiden, In Flames, Swallow the Sun etc. Nowdays I listen to all above-mentioned and numerous other bands.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Saku: Almost all of my interests are somehow music-related, but with the band we've been playing NHL on PlayStation.

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

Saku: Huge thanks to all who have supported us, hopefully see you all on tour! Cheers!

Dead End Interview

This interview has been answered by vocalist Bryan Boorsma ( B:) and basplayer – bandleader Alwin Roes ( A:)

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

B: We've been busy planning new shows and a couple of tours to bring the album abroad, we have some great things in store!
A: and believe it or not, we are already working on our new album that’s due June 2017 hahaha

2.You have a new album coming out in September, 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?

B: Of course it differs from the stuff the band did in the past, but we wanted to keep the Dead End sound. The old death, doom, gothic sound.
A: I think the biggest ‘change’ is that we have some new influences from Arjan and Jeroen that give some songs a bit more tempo as it has been in the old days, a new writing duo as in the old days, but yeah, we aimed for the typical Dead End sound and feel, as we read in the many reviews, we succeeded in that.

3.The band was broken up for 21 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

A: in 1993 we left the scene with the farewell 7” Wartime in Eden, mainly because we had 2 side’s within the band, there were me and Micha who wanted the bigger plan for the band, and there were Jeroen, Eef and Gunther, we just started a higer education and were not prepared to do the touring and stuff what was on Dead End’s road to come,
‘Cause Roel ( Vic Records ) wanted to re-release our old songs ( as we did in 2015 on Forever is Not Eternal ) we got in touch with each other again, and when we made a facebook page to let the old fans know we would release this stuff we got so overwhelmed with responses that I decided to jump right back in and this time were going for the kill !!

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

B: Most of the lyrical topics are about a state of mind, feelings or experiences,
And they happen to be in the Dead End style , so also they’re all is in the line of a developed Dead End.

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

A:……… hm , a good question, all we wanted was to stand out in the crowd, so no unreadable logo like some bands have, and not some guttergorekillbloodevilsatan name, this one is loud and clear, and as we see the many posters we are on with our name and logo…. We stand out.



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?

B: We've played a couple of great shows the past year, including Metaldays, Dutch Doom Days and Lucky Rocks and we have many great ones coming up, like Veghel Deathfest with Unleashed.
A: on stage we try to give the audience a total show, sound, looks, stage setting, all is taking extra care of, everything counts if you want to make a difference…

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

B: Yes, a lot actually. We try to visit as many countries as possible.
A: there’s one coming up soon we are not allowed to tell it yet, but also we are going to do Stockholm, Karlstad and Gotenborg, and we are looking forward to that one, its kinda in the belly of the beast you know, we are pretty Scandinavian influenced, so were curious how we are received there. But also we are going back to Lithuania in a few months, we had a blast there last year, so its great to go back and see our friends again. Belgium Germany Portugal and france are also on the plan but non confirmed yet.

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

A: well, 5 out of 5, 8,5 out of 10, 8 out of 10 and so on… every single one until now was great. But also phrases like: ”best album of 2016,” “ brilliant “ and the one I liked the most:” Like a modern day Black Sabbath meets Death Metal “… all cool stuff.
Old and new fans, reviewers we don’t now personally and some of them are known as pretty critical, so we are very proud so far.
B: Pretty good, we were excited to find out what the responses of the old-school fans were and they are beyond our expectations. It blows our minds.

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

B: Our drummer Harald also plays in Pictura Poesis and he is also playing together with Alwin and ex-Dead End member Jeroen R in Into The Arcane. Jeroen G sings in a Rammstein tribute band Vannstein and I play in Deathwalker.

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

B: I believe we are going to keep on doing what we do. Make music, play shows and just have a good time.
A: Dead End is reborn, and we proved with this new album, in this new line-up we are still Dead End with what we do now, I think we are ready to evolve, we got very close doing this new album and the chemistry is very good, what the next album brings us nobody knows, we were kinda looking very focused on staying in the Dead End style with this album, and we proved we could, and not even with making much extra effort, it came natural actually.
 so the new album is gonna be a challenge in many ways, but it will be Dead End. That’s for shure.

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?

B: We've mostly let us be inspired by the old death/doom metal with a bit of gothic here and there.
A: the nice thing is that we don’t even share the same likes, Arjan is more into the more brutal bands, and Jay ( Jeroen Gijsbers ) is more thrash and rock’n roll metal stuff, Harald has a very wide taste also, from symphonic to slam hahahaha, me, I have my phases, I can listen to bands like Dark Tranquility for a while and than all of a sudden I have Manowar or Candlemass spinning in my car-radio. But I think that’s a good thing, I think the variety of our likings and who we are makes this band, age’s between 26 and 44, from different parts of the country and not all having the same taste brought us were we are now, we think with an open mind, and end up like Dead End…. And so far, this seems to bring us a perfect result. And we like it !!

Krypts/Remants Of Expansion/Dark Descent Records/2016 CD Review

  Krypts  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Remnants  Of  Expansion"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  doom  metal  direction.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  and  a  great portion  of  the  tracks  are very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  vocals  bring  in a  small  amount  of  screams  and  when t he  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  can  be  heard  along  with  an  instrumental  track  before  returning  back  to  vocal  tracks  and  the  last  song  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  chants.

  Krypts  creates  another  recording  that  mixes  death  and  doom  metal  together  while  being  mostly  influenced  by  the  90's  style  but  adding  in a  more  modern  twist,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraftian  Horror,  Spirituality,  and  Ancientry.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Krypts  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  Include  "The  Withering  Titan"  and  "Transfixed".  8  out  of  10. 

The Von Deer Skulls/The Rest Is Silence/2016 Full Length Review

  France's  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  have returned  with  a  new  album  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  post  doom  metal  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "The  Rest  Is  Silence"  which  will  be  released  in  October. 

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  along  with  some  whispered  vocals  start  off  the  album  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while t he  vocals  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness of  sludge  and  doom metal  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  and  post  rock  elements  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  on  one  track  the  music  also  speeds  up  for  a  fe  seconds  and  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental at  times.

  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  creates  an  album  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  post  doom  metal  style  while  still  having  some  experimental  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  the  Von  Deer  Skulls  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  post  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fall  Of  The  Raven"  "The  Birth  Of  The  Freak"  and  "Swan  Song".  8  out  of  10. 

Shadecrown/Agonia/Inverse Records/2016 CD Review

  Shadecrown  are a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal with some  thrash  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Agonia"  which  will  be  released  in October  by  Inverse  Records.

 Armospherric  synths  and  acoustic  guitars  which  are  also  used  on  other  tracks  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  melodic  yet  melancholic  sounding  guitar  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  heavy  riffs  that  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound   to  them.

  The  songs  also  alternate  quite  a  bit  between  the  heavy  and  soft  parts  throughout  the  recordings  and you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of doom  metal  elements  in  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal growls  along  with  some  whispers  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  some  of  the  later  tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  thrash  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  clean  singing  and  touches  of  goth  metal as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  high  pitched  screams and  there  is  also  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.   

 Shadecrown  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  of  doom  and   death  metal  and  mixes  them  with  some  goth  and  thrash  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shadecrown  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  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  "Led  Astray"  "Walk  Through  Hell"  "Tear-Stained  Heart"  and  "Drown".  8 out  of  10. 

Skeleton Of God Interview

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

We're psyched for the re-release to be in our hands and contemplating releasing a couple new songs in the near future.
>
> 2.Your last album was released in 2008, 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?

We consider it a progression, it's similar to the original vision but evolved.
The newest stuff has more of a death metal, psych, doom vibe. The early 90s stuff has more of a straight up "brutal" death metal vibe. We consider both psychedelic and weird variations of those styles.

>
> 3.There has been no new material in the last 8 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
We've been busy with our personal lives and other musical pursuits.
We're both creative, motivated people; there are many more interests we pursue.
>
> 4.The band was broken up for more than 10 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
We broke up because we had other goals to pursue , Erik was working on Napalm America, I moved to Arizona to work on my BFA. I Can't recall what Tim and Joel were up to.
We just couldn't keep it together. I regret not being more serious at the time.
After not really communicating for years we just happened to cross paths again. As soon as we stared hanging out we decided we should work on a new recording. It was great, we got to know each other again and realized our chemistry was still there. After the recording was under way we contacted Joel and and he flew out to Colorado to lay down the bass tracks. Was great to have everyone (sans Tim) back in the studio.
Joel passed away in 2015, the re-release is dedicated to him!


>
> 5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explored on the last album?
>
The lyrics are based on the visions / hallucinations I experienced on a Salvia Divinorum trip. It was frightening and enlightening; you literally see "inside" yourself. Trying to put the experience into words was a challenge but it worked out fairly well, they were close to interpreting the visions I experienced.
The themes deal with personal perspectives on spirituality, paranoia, failure, success, family/friends, enlightenment, politics etc...


> 6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Skeleton Of God'?
When I came up with the name it just rolled off my tongue joking around.
At this point it represents the "remains" of naïveté, I guess, ha.
>
> 7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
>
The best shows were with Carcass (on their Necroticism tour) and Anal Cunt (on the Morbid Florist tour).
Stage performances were energetic and straight forward, no bullshit or gimmicks, most of the time anyway.

> 8.The last album is getting re-issued on 'Everlasting Spew', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
>
It's a new label, we're the first release. We're very honored to be involved with an upstart with such a clear, professional vision.

> 9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to you music by fans of death metal?
>
We've alway received a lot of great feedback!
Primordial Dominion was a bit challenging for death metal purists who were hardcore Urine Garden fans but most people have warmed up to it. We've always included "psychedelic" and progressive elements in the music, we never wanted to repeat ourselves.


> 10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

I have a band called Devil Worshipper, it's a heavy, "psychedelic rock" project. Erik has helped me out with some drumming and recording so it has some SoG "soul".
Erik has a studio and records bands from time to time. He also works on music of his own, more in the electronic realm.
>
> 11.Are there any plans to release new material in the future?
Yes. Hopefully a couple new songs early next year.
>
> 12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your current music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
My influences are all over the place and always have been, it's hard to nail down any primary influences as they relate to SoG but here are some that were and have continued to be interesting and or influential to some degree: Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Pentagram, Kiss, Devo, Iron Maiden, Hellhammer, Bathory, Slayer, Mercyful Fate , Dark Angel, Destruction, Death, Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Fatal, Napalm Death, Immolation, Godflesh, Cathedral, Entombed, Suffocation, Carcass, Dark Throne, Satyricon ,Can,  Melvins, Sleep , The Cows, Soundgarden...

Some the stuff I've been listening to on repeat lately: Jex Thoth, Autopsy, Disma, Thee Oh Sees, Dead Moon, Om, Brian Jonestown Massacre, old Megadeth (Killing..., Peace), Wooden Shjips, Zeke, Fungal Abyss, Satyricon, Godflesh, Black Sabbath, Pentagram , Trypticon blah, blah.....


>
> 13.What are some of your non musical interests?

I make art = illustrations, sculptures, paintings etc....

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

Thanks for the interest and support! \m/

Skeleton Of God/Primordial Dominion/Everlasting Spew Records/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Skeleton  Of God  are  a  band  from  Nederland,  Colorado  that  plays  a very  brutal  and  psychedelic form  of  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  doom  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2008  album  "Primordial  Dominion"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  September  8th,  2016  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  distorted  sound  starts off  the  album  along  with  some  heavier  guitars  and  high  pitched  grindcore  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  you can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and t he  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  psychedlic  and  experimental  elements.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Skeleton  Of  God  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  death  metal  while t he  doom, g rind  and  psychedelic  elements  gives  them  more  of  an  original  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death, sex, psychoses,  and  esotericism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Skeleton  Of  God  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  doom  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tentacle  Gears"  "Dark  Energy"  "Eyeland"  and  "Journey's  Twilight".  8  out of  10. 

  

  

Aeternitas Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Well the most important act after finishing the recordings was to find a new label, which took some time. But finally and luckily we found our new label Massacre Records and are honoured to be part of the Massacre family now. Because some of their early bands such as Theatre of Tragedy had a huge influence in the beginning of our band.

2.You have a new album coming out in October, 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?
Our new songs are kind of modern symphonic metal, which means we have catchy chorus parts with strong melodies highlighted by our two singers Alma and Oliver. As basis we work with metal riffs and rock parts and – of course – we use huge orchestra arrangements in a lot of songs.
In comparison to our two early albums we are straighter now. At that time we had much more different genres combined such as Death Metal and a variety of different vocal parts and singer. And on our last album – the gothic-rock Musical "Rappacinis Tochter" – we had less metal parts and more Musical elements.

3.This is your first full length album since 2009, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
As mentioned above the 2009 album was a gothic-rock Musical that we performed on stage in a real Musical show for over 50 times in different theatres for about 5 years. That was a huge fun but also a huge work to manage the shows and the complete staff and it left us little time for being creative and write new songs. After some years we saw that we cannot handle such a project for second time. So we had to think of what should be the new style for the next songs and albums and finally we came to our modern symphonic metal presented on our new album "House of Usher". But it was a long way until the final result. That's the reason for the long period from our last album release.

4.The lyrics on the new album are based on the E.A Poe story 'House Of Usher', what was the decision behind putting this story to music?
The last album was based on a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne a companion of E.A. Poe. So apart from all the musical changes we wanted to maintain the gothic-novel topic within the new album and came to the extraordinary short story "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Poe, which fits perfect to our new musical concept.

5.I know that the band name means  'the  personification of eternity' in Roman mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
The band name results from our first album "requiem" – also a concept album –which was a real requiem based on the original Medieval Latin Mass lyrics. Herein the Latin words for eternal and eternity, aeternus and aeternitas, were important and thus seem to fit best for the band name.

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?
Some of the best shows we had were on the Wave and Gotik Treffen Leipzig. The different venues all over the town and the atmosphere is very special and always a pleasure to be part of it. We had also some great shows during our theatre shows on our Musical tour e.g. in a very old and nice theatre.
With the new songs we returned to a straight rock performance with lots of fun on stage.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We had and will have some single shows with our new songs and hope to perform on some festivals next year. Everyone who is interested in seeing us live in the future should follow us on our socials to be up to date.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of goth metal?
We always had lots of fans and positive feedback from the Goth Metal scene in Middle and South America and also from Russia although we never played live in these regions.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
After lots of changes in the past our main goal is now continuity. We are always working to improve ourselves but will follow the path which we are on with "House of Usher".

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?
In the early years there were the godfathers of Gothic Metal "Paradise Lost" and also mentioned above bands like "Theatre of Tragedy". In the younger past "Within Temptation" had an influence in our current style.
Personally I also listen to modern American Metal bands such as Alter Bridge.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Although I didn't find much time besides music, job and family I am interested in good modern TV series.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
This question always reminds me to consider some very intelligent and philosophic last words… Till then I would say: Enjoy our music and enjoy all good music and give the music the value it deserves.

Harri Kauppinen Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your solo project?

A: Hi there mates, i'm a singer-songwriter from Finland releasing my debut album at 30th September.

Earlier i was a singer of the dark-metal band called Beyond The Dream. When we decided to end that band it was right time for me to explore some new ways to do my music and wrap my emotions.

I'd buy my first acoustic guitar few years back and that led me to do music the way you can hear on my upcoming album. There is still a darkness in those songs but they are covered up with fragile singer-songwriter style, like a folk singer doing heavy songs, y know!

2.You have your first solo album coming out in September, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

A: Humanity and uniqueness. Those were the production guidelines when the album was in the "making -phase". We tried to capture the feeling by taking long takes when recording, and i'm quite sure that you can hear that. And hopefully you can enjoy that too.


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

A : The lyrics are poetic version of mans every day life. There is no need to write down every detail from your basic day, 'cause that is just too boring. But when you color the things a little bit and but them into your musical world the words grow into their places.

Let's take an example, the song called "Maa palaa". The lyrics are basicly about the frustration about the day-to-day traditions, go to work - do your job - pay your bills...etc. that is how you get yourself into the choking fog and don't know how to get out. The story is written like the story about the Phoenix-bird, burn yourself out and rise again, stronger than before.


4.What are some of the things are able to do with your solo project that you where not able to do with your previous bands?

A: That's simple, to do things exactly how i want to. If i want to play acoustic guitar little bit off key to make it sound disturbing, i am able to do that, heh.

5.Do you have any live shows planned for the future?

A: At the moment, no. First, i like to know how people will receive my music and there is still many things open about playing live, am i doing it solo, duo or with a band...


6.The album is coming out on 'Concorde Music Company', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

A: The Concorde Music Company is for artist who are willing to invest to their own release. The label is offering help for production, distributing and marketing.


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

A: There haven't been so much feedback yet, 'cause the release is not out, except the promos. The Maa palaa-single and other previews have received quite good feedback, surprisingly good actually. I'm playing around with quite hazard elements when i'm making my music, but that is just interesting to me. And of course, i'm happy if it's interesting for someone else too.


8.Are you also involved with any other musical projects these days?

A: Musical projects, no, but i do write lyrics, and help recordings, for others bands when asked. I don't need another musical project or a band to interrupt me. This arrangement let me focus 100% on my own music.


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

A: I hope that i'm able to explore deeper into my music and see what it has to offer. When i've found the new paths in this gloomy-musical creation, then it is time for the new album. When it is? I really don't know yet.


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?

A: Nowadays i do listen a lot of dark-doom metal and Finnish folk-singers and of course they will effect my music. But there is still "a number one band" for me and it is Cradle of Filth, even i've been not so thrilled about their few latest albums. That band has been a main influence for me since i was a kid and started to play music.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

A: The basic answer, movies and books. Even i do not read enough and that's a little shame. I watch movies alot, maybe cause it's easier...that is a lame excuse, i have to make myself to read more!


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

A: There is a wolf inside every man. The wolf that is ready to kill the weaker one.
Tame that beast down and check out my debut album, out 30.9.2016.