Moonscape Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
I formed the project in late February 2015, when I started writing what eventually became the "Entity" album,  and I decided early on that I wanted it to be a one man project. I've been in a few bands over the years, but I've always felt more comfortable working on my own rather than in the collective of a band. When I first formed MOONSCAPE I just wanted to make the best record I possibly could, without limiting myself to just one specific genre. That way you really never know what the end result will be until you get there. Basically, MOONSCAPE is just me writing lyrics, composing and recording music, and when it comes to guitar solos and certain other instrumental work, outsourcing is the key, haha!

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?


It has a very varied expression, as you can probably tell from all the bands I mentioned as influences earlier, but I like to think it's a lush blend of melodic death metal, symphonic/progressive metal, a bit of doom, black metal and progressive rock mixed together in a nice atmosphere.


3.The lyrics on the album have a concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about the song writing?

To begin with, I actually just wrote down words that I felt fit the music, both rhythmically and phonetically, so there really was no intention of making it a concept album. After a while I realized that you really don't just write words. They have to come from somewhere, so I knew I was writing something of a personal nature, though it's not based on real events.


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


It was actually a word that came to me. I thought it had a nice ring to it. The same thing as with my lyrics, really, sometimes you just come up with something that fits.


5.Currently the band is a solo project, are you open to working with a full line up?

As of right now, no. I enjoy working the way I do, and it gives me the freedom to make the music I want, without having to compromise. I'm open for collaborations, but it needs to feel right.


6.On the album you had a few guests, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?


Including myself there are actually 15 instrumentalists and singers on the album. I realized early on that I needed help to tackle lead and solo parts, so I got in touch with players that I felt could add something great to the music. Some of them didn't work out too well, but the ones that ended up on the album are simply magnificent. Given the fact that the concept featured three characters, I felt I had to have three different singers to give the story more credibility. I found Matthew Brown, who portrays the protagonist, Jim Brunaud who appears as the "Father" character, and Kent Are Sommerseth (Unspoken) who does the growling parts as the "Demon".
I had Andreas Jonsson (ex- Spiral Architect), John Kiernan, Leviathan (ex- Unspoken, Kvesta), Alex Campbell (Seek Irony), Simen Ådnøy Ellingsen (Shamblemaths), Noah Watts and Justin Hombach (AeoS) on guitar solos, Diego Palma and Jon Hunt on keyboards, David Russell on piano and Sean Winter on tenor saxophone.

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

I've actually received a few offers, but none of them felt right, really. I've only been looking for a label who'd might be interested in releasing the album on vinyl, but no luck so far.

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


I've actually just begun doing promotional work, but so far the reviews have been very good. I'm sure there'll be more feedback once the album is released.

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

I'll probably just keep on working the way I do. As I mentioned earlier, I feel very comfortable with my current situation, so I see no reason to change it. Musically I'd like to expand my expression in a bit more progressive direction, but we'll see.

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?


Edge of Sanity's "Crimson" was a huge inspiration when I started writing "Entity", alongside In Flames, Dark Tranquillity etc. I have always wanted to make an album similar to "Crimson", because it really made an impact in my musical development when it came out in 1996. Later on I discovered 70's progressive rock acts like Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield etc. I wanted to keep the heavy, yet melodic guitars that all those Swedish melodic death metal bands did back in the 90's, and also incorporate elements and variations from the 70's prog scene.
I rarely get to sit down and listen to music anymore, since I am a single father, but when I find the time I tend to prefer older Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Deep Purple, Yes, Black Sabbath etc.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?


I'm a big fan of old sci-fi, especially the old Star Trek series. Otherwise I collect vinyl records and coins.

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

If anyone would like to get a copy of the album, be it physical or digital, please visit my BandCamp page (moonscape.bandcamp.com) or contact me via my Facebook page (@MoonscapeNorway). At last, I'd like to thank you for the album review, and for showing interest in my project! 

Thera Roya/Masterful Universe/2017 EP Review

  Thera  Roya  are  a  band  from  Brooklyn,  New  York  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Masterful  Universe"  which  will  be  released  in  September.

  Melodic riffing  starts  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  along  with some  aggressive  sludge  style  screams  a  few  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  adds  in  the  fuzzy  stoner  rock style  at  times.

  A  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in   a  very  melodic  fashion  along  with  the  first  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  second  song  to  give  the  music  more  of  a  drugged  out  atmosphere  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction  along  with  some  elements  of  post  rock.

  Thera  Roya  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  sludge  and  post  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hopeless,  confused  and  nihilistic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Thera  Roya  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Static  Transmission".  8 out  of  10.

     

LMDA/II/2017 EP Review

  LMDA  are  a  band from France  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  by  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  power  violence  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "II".

  A  very fast  and  brutal  sound  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  grindcore  screams  and  aggressive  power  violence  and  hardcore  style  shouting  and  most  of t he  tracks  are  short  in  length.

  A  lot  of  sludge  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  riffing  while  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo picking  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  music  always  remains  brutal.

  LMDA  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  power  violence  and  sludge  metal  mixture  of  previous releases,  the  production  sounds  very  heavy  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  LMDA  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  power  violence  and  sludge  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Self  Made  God"  and  "Epervier".  8  out  of  10.

    

I Klatus/Nagual Son/2017 Full Length Review

  I  Klatus  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric mixture  of  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Nagual  Son"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  psychedelic  elements  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  sludge  fashion  along  with  their  melodic  moments  and  a  few  growls  and  when  the  music speeds  up  a  small amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  clean  playing  also  gives  the  music  a  more  desert  and  stoner  rock  feeling  and  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also used briefly.

  I  Klatus  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  getting  more  psychedelic  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Shamanism,  Occultism,  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  I  Klatus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  psychedelic,  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent  Cults"  "The  Alvinist"  and  "Funal  Communion".  8  out  of  10.

  

Uttertomb/Necrocentrism - The Necrocentrist/Caligari Records/2017 EP Review

 

  Uttertomb  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  necrological  form  of  death  metal  with  touches  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2017  ep  "Necrocentrism-  The  Necrocentrist"  which  was  released by  Claigari  Records.

  Thunder  and  rain  sounds  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  darker  and  heavier  musical  direction  which  is  also  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  while  also  utilizing  a  small  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  have  their  brutal  moments  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  stick  to  a  very  chaotic  yet  old  school  style  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while t he  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  Uttertomb  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  early  90's  while  also  mixing  in  the  raw  energy  of  the  South  American  style  along  with the  darkness  of  heaviness  of  doom  metal  to  create  a  very  dark  yet  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Uttertomb  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ascension  Ritual"  and  "The  Necrocentrist".  8  out  of  10.

71TonMan/Earthwreck/Black Bow Records/2017 CD Review

  71TonMan  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Earthwreck"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Black  Bow  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  high  pitched  screams  are  also used quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  Dark  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  can  be  found  in  some  of  the  riffing  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  drones  being  added  into  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  spoken  word  parts  are  used  briefly  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  on  the  last  track  the  music  speeds  up  a  little  bit  and  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  71TonMan  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  heaviest  forms  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  to  create a  very  heavy  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  fictional  post  apocalyptic  world.

  In  my  opinion  71TonMan  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Negative"  and  "Spiral".  8  out  of  10.      

I, Forlorn Interview

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

I, Forlorn is my doom metal project, something i've been wanting to do for about 10 years now
This project focusses on the darker side of music  , i wanted to create something atmospheric and real.

2.So far you have released a demo and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

The demo was just an early preview to let people see what i was working on so it's basically a simpler version of whats going to be on the album.
I'd describe the album as dark, intense and haunting.

3.The lyrics have a concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about the song writing?

I don't want to say too much about it, but the songs portray some personal stuff that happened to me in the past 2 years.
Every song has it's theme, and i hope people will give their own interpretation and feel drawn in without knowing the exact story

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I, Forlorn'?

I wanted to convey that feeling of being lost, it kinda came to me instantly that this was the right name


5.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with any other musicians or do you prefer to remain solo?

I've had some guest offers, and i might look for live members at some point. But this album was way too personal for me to accept anything that wasnt done by me
Might have some fancy stuff lined up for next release though, although it's a bit early to say

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

Haven't received any interest, i only released 1 demo song really at this point so the reach is not quite there yet for such grand things


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

I'm anxiously awaiting the response to the entire album but the people that found this project so far have been nothing but fantastic.
Sold more pre-orders than i anticipated and im extremely grateful for how nice people have been about it


8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

I am doing some guest work from time to time but my main other project is Algos, which is a Melodic Death Metal project.


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

I'd love to just keep doing this really, being able to write down your sorrows and have people get something out of it, is quite something
If it would financially support me that would be wonderful but that just seems incredibly unlikely

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

Some of my main inspirations were Trees Of Eternity, Woods Of Ypres and old Swallow the sun.
As of late i've been listening to Aether Realm, The Chant and TPR

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I'm very much into bodybuilding, it's probably my 2nd biggest passion next to music. And i play unhealthy amounts of PC games from time to time

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

Thank you for the interview and i hope you'll enjoy the album when it's released