Gothic/Demons/Loud Rage Music/2017 CD Review

  Gothic  are  a  band  from  Romania  that plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Demons"  which  will  be  released  in  2017  by  Loud  Rage  Music.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  doom metal  elements  in t he  slower  sections  of the  songs  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  clean  singing  is  also  used  at  times  and  the  music  also  adds  in  touches  of  90's  goth/doom.

  Symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  prog  rock  and  there  are  also  some  songs  that h ave  an  80's  melodic  hard  rock/metal  vibe  to  them  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  high  pitched  screams  and  blast  beats are  also  used  briefly  and  classical  guitars  are  added  onto  the  last  track.

  Gothic  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  doom  and  mixes  it  with  death  and  goth  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anguish,  lost  beliefs,  deep  desires and  regrets.

  In  my  opinion Gothic  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  "Disillusion"  "Time"  and  "New  End".  8  out  of  10.   

 

Oksennus/Sokea Idiotti/Caligari Records/2016 Cassette Review

  Oksennus  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  experimental  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Sokea  Idiotti"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  dark, r aw  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  deep  death  metal  growls  and  they  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  and  high  pitched  screams  along  with  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  some  of  the  faster  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  one  of  the  songs  is  all  instrumental  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also brings  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments  and  avant  garde  clean  singing  is  also  used  for  a  few  seconds.

  Okseunnus  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  experimental,  progressive  and  avant  garde  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  existentialism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Oksennus  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  avant  garde 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  "Ekspulso"  and  "Ekstinktio".  8  out  of  10.

Varaha/Self Titled/2016 EP Review

 Varaha  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  doom/death  metal  with  some  goth  and  dark  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled 2016  ep.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  direction  and  add  in  touches  of  goth  and  dark  wave  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  clean  playing  and  clear  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  when  screams a re  utilized  they  add  in  touches  of  black  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  violins  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  direction  and  takes  some  traces  of  90's  influenced  doom/death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  more  modern  post  metal  style.

  Varaha  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  goth  and goth  rock  and  mixes  in  some  doom,  death,  black  and  post  metal  elements  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Varaha  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  mixture  of  goth  rock,  post  and  doom/death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Ghost".  8  out of  10.   

Desteriorot/In Ancient Beliefs/Xtreeem Music/2016 CD Re-Issue Review

  Deteriorot  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2001  album  "In  Ancient  Beliefs"  which  was  re-issued  in  2016  by  Xtreem  Music.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  deep  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  very  old  school  style  of  death  metal and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  grim  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  brings in  a  brief  use  of  synths  while  clean  guitars  are  used  on  one  of  the  songs.

  Deteriorot  played  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  was  very  old  school  for  even  2001  while  also  being  very  heavy  and  dark,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Spirits,  Death,  Ceremonies,  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deteriorot  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Ancient  Beliefs"  "Fallen  Misery"  "Eternal  Darkness"  and  Vile".  8  out  of  10.

Wrath Of Echoes/A Fading Bloodline/PRC Music/2017 CD Review

  Wrath Of  Echoes  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "A  Fading  Bloodline"  which  will  be  released  in  2017  by PRC  Music.

  A  very  hard  sound  with  tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  mount  of  melody  and  after the  intro  depressive  yet  melodic  guitar  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  a great  amount  of death  metal  growls  and  grim  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Half  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  semi  clean  playing  along  with  violins  and  symphonic  elements  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  riffing  is  mostly  done  in  a  doom/death  metal  style and  some  of  the  screams  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  one  track  also  introduces  melodic  vocals  onto the  recording.

  Wrath  Of  Echoes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  melodic  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  poetic  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wrath  Of  Echoes  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  "A  Fading  Bloodline"  and  "Wrath  Of  Echoes'.  8  out  of  10.

Herem Interview

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

After the whole process of finishing the album to be ready release meaning recording, mixing, mastering and hiring an artist to realize  our ideas for an album cover we all sort of needed to take a break from it and let it breathe on its own for a bit.


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?

We wanted to have more dynamics and different nuances so with this in mind we concentrated a lot more in the arrangements for each song. I think this comes across pretty well and listening to the album is like going on this dark and heavy journey where these feelings are represented in very different ways.


3.This is the first album to come out in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Well, playing shows and writing new material mostly. We do this because of our uncompromising passion for the sound of dark death/doom and since that will not put you in the charts or sell very many records we have to deal with our day jobs and other life situations that sometimes need to take priority for a while.


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

The lyrical themes on the new album feature occultism, horror fantasies and overall desperation: Scars is about using the markings of another persons skin to summon the dead into telling their stories and secrets. Snakes tells the story of sex, death and rebirth involved an occult ceremony. Slumber honors H.P.Lovecraft with a horror story filled with ancestral curses, nameless monsters and such. Drowning Steed is a woeful story leading to hopeless death and Edge of the World explores escapism as a way to cope with reality and depression. Fun and cheerful topics, right?


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

I think our our bass player Tommi found it in the bible or something and thought it would make a good name for a band. Nothing special or mystical there I'm afraid.


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?

Umm... I don't know if we are the right people to answer this :) Sometimes you feel like a show was close to shit but the audience loved it and sometimes the opposite.  It depends on so many things. But the fact is that we love playing live and for what we hear is that we sound best live as well. Not to say that our albums sound bad but playing live always brings out something special.


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

We have a show coming up in January 14th. It's in a boat called Wäiski anchored to the harbor of Hakaniemi in Helsinki. It's with a couple of local bands Radien and Dead in the Water. Should be cool. Come see us if you can.

https://www.facebook.com/events/344519399248505/


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

Generally very positive. We seem to be receiving very good reviews from Eastern Europe and a lot of presence in US based podcasts as well. I think underground music has a strong worldwide support scene and also we seem to fit pretty well. So thank for all the zines, podcasts and especially fans who have given us support!


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?

Valendis is also handling vocals in Dead Samaritan, whose style includes shades of thrash and death with hints of good ol' dirty rock'n'roll. Dead Samaritan is currently in process of writing material for their third full-length album. other members are also involved in some on and off projects of various musical styles.


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

To be totally honest I don't know. We're on the verge of releasing the physical album on December 16th in Finland and I guess we are waiting to see how it goes. In any case Herem is a death/doom band so I don't see any synths or spandex happening anytime soon.


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?

I would say that the initial inspiration for Herem came from death, doom and stoner bands: Autopsy, Cathedral, Sleep, Electric Wizard, Kyuss, Bolt Thrower, Goatsnake, Carcass, Reverend Bizarre and of course Black Sabbath just to name a few. Nowadays I think we would all just call ourselves as "fans of good music" meaning that any type of music can be good if its done right.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I usually spend my free time going to shows to see other bands, watching movies, playing games and trying to have a good time in general despite of all the shite happening in the world. I think its important to keep a healthy PMA despite of how dark our music is ;)


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

Thanks for hitting us up with this interview! It's been fun. Take care of each other and doom on! Cheers!

-Valendis and Patrick from Herem.

MorphiuM 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?

A few days after the release of the new album the music video had over 45.000 views plus other thousands of reproductions in digital platforms, we started the tour and the first country we visited was China, after that we went back to the Iberian Peninsula where we continued the tour in the main cities. Before ending 2016 we are going to officially present the album and we will be playing around Spain to then depart towards other countries of the european continent in 2017.


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?

This album has been a significant jump in all levels, composition wise its more harmonic and atmospheric, well worked to enjoy the album at home and also with the necessary strength that characterises MorphiuM to enjoy the live shows.

To achieve this we worked with the producer Eugenio Fresco ¨Kuen¨ , the music engineer Marco Barusso and Marco Dagostino. They had worked with Lacuna Coil etc and we loved the sound they acquired. After our journey through Italy to finish off the mixing of the album and the master we can say we're very proud of the final result of the tracks composition wise as well as sound quality wise. It sounds amazing!


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

The lyrics of the album are introspective and talk about the most pure and basic emotions like love or hate. A lot of metaphors are used which enables the message to fit into a social context. Also Self-criticism and the darkest perspective of everything that makes us what we are.


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


We create contrast music, we have brutal passages followed by more melancholic and atmospheric ones. We think our music can drag you to the most primitive and uncontrolled part as well as a passive trance state where pain doesn't exist . Morphine is used to relieve the most extreme pain and also can take you to the darkest areas of oneself if used as a drug.

We like to think our music is addictive and its power is similar to Morphine.


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?

I remember the Festival Hell and Heaven metal fest in Mexico in 2013, Ripollet rock festival in Catalunya, the Hifi Fest in China or the album presentations. On the following 9th of December we're doing the official presentation of The Blackout in the Blackout Fest in our home city, Girona and I'm sure it's going to be one of the best shows until the day.

 The concerts of this last tour are being insane, the crowds don't come to headbang, they come to wave their heads off their bodies. The adrenaline we transmit is contagious and the concerts quickly turn into collective craziness.
I have the sensation it's like a train which is about to derail although I like to think the situation is under control.

What we do we do with passion and it's visible. We put all our frustrations and illusions into this and lots of energy is released.

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

We want to return to Asia and America. If all goes well in 2017 we're going to do some shows in Europe and change continent.


7.The new album was released on 'Mass Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

The music label where I work. We had been with Roadrunner records Spain (Kaiowas Records)  and in other big labels. In the end we decided to do it with someone who could concentrate in us all their energies and that can't get better than a small label which has been working for 20 years like the one i work in where I can take control and make all the decisions.

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

We have a great feedback with United States, mexico and South America.
In Europe we have presence in Spain and we're trying to open up to the rest of countries in which we have fans but we consider we need to work more. We have very good feedback with China and we wish to head towards Japan during 2017 with a long tour around Asia.


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

I picture MorphiuM in more big format festivals on a worldwide level, we will also work hard to continue filling venues out of our country. All of this with hard work and sacrifice since nothing comes for free.

We're a hard working and ambitious band, only time will tell what we can accomplish, what we're clear about is that we're going to put all our strength to achieve it.


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

Some of the bands that have shaped us are bands like Slipknot, Korn,  Marilyn Manson, Dream Theater... we've grown up with their music but as we've gotten older as persons and musicians our musical references have also grown, Porcupinne Tree, Opeth, Meshuggah and many other are references nowadays to us. 


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Our non musical interests are enjoying ourselves 100% with all we do, achieve objectives and see how our work is compensated. The personal satisfaction is great when nobody gives you anything for free and we continue to make our dreams come true. Get to know people and travel doing what we love makes us immensely happy.

There are a lot of hard moments and we sleep very little but it's all compensated!

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

Thank you to all the people who share our music and enjoy it, also thank you to you for dedicating a space of your media, see you soon in a live act presenting The Blackout.



Alex Bace - vocals