Crown/Natron/Candlelight Records/2015 CD Review

  Crown  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Natron  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Candlelight  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  bass  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  there  are  also elements  of  electronic  music  being  utilized  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  clean  playing  and  melodic  singing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Growls  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  some  of  the  songs and  they  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  elements  of  doom  metal  and  there  are  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples and  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music speeds  up  at  times  and  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  while  some  of  the  fast  parts  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  sludge  and  doom  metal  style.

  Crown  continues  the  sludge  and  doom  metal  mixture  of  previous  recordings  while  also  experimenting  with  newer  elements  to  take  their  sound  to  another  level,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Crown  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Words  You  Speak  Are  Not  Your  Own"  "Apnea"  and  "Flames".  8  out  of 10.

Hanibal Death Machine/Birth/2015 EP Review

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

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

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

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

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

   

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

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

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

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

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

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

       

Nightslug Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

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

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

Nightslug: Thanx for the interview!


all answers by J.Slug

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hellrad Interview

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Robert-Very positive.

Dirty Dave-So far very positive.

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

Robert-Right now we are all focused on Hellrad.

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

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

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

Dirty Dave-Forward

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

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

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

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

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

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


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

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

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

Lanthanein Interview

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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

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


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

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


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

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


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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

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


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

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