Shantak 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?
1) We're now working on a lot of new pieces and ideas and we are endeavouring some kind of non-stop rehearsing campaign in order to be perfect in the upcoming live shows.

    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 demo you had released in 2014?
2) The new album is an original mixture of melodeath and doom metal combined with southern and stoner metal. I don't know how to describe it in its simple and complex "alchemy" of sounds but I can only encourage everyone in listening it and maybe drop an opinion (positive or negative). >From the 2014 demo it differs of course in the quality and the songwriting is more complex and complete. We are still a bit "unripe" but we're developing a curious sound that, we hope, that one day it will bring us far away.


    3.I have read that the band started out as a black metal band, what was the decision behind going into the musical direction that you now play?
3) Cool question! So, playing covers is cool, of course, but is deleterious for the development of new music, new sounds, new bands. Playing covers means destroy new music. It should be only an exercise for future original productions and not a solid aim.
So, once we realised that, we decided to begin playing original music

    4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
4) Lately I'm (Nicola) reading books concerning philosophy (Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Pascal) '800 and '900 literature (Baudelaire, Eliot, Goethe, Holderlin, etc.) . The themes of the newer songs are more deep and they continue concerning literature, philosophy, death, dreams, nature and inner life. Recently I began writing short stories about unique characters (like The Unwept) giving a kind of narrative trait to all the new lyrics. They often concern stories of loss, desperation, death and titanism in a chaotic and tumultuous universe.

    5.I know that the band name came from the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this author and also what are some of the other writers or literature that you have an interest in?

5) Of course. Lovecraft inspired me (Nicola) in the writing of a lot of lyrics and gave me the idea of basing the "guideline" of the band on an abyssal glimmering darkness and a never-ending chaos. It also concerns dreams and the mysterious shades of human mind and this is very important for poetry and art in general. Other authors in which I'm interested are Coleridge, Eliot, Holderlin, Goethe, Poe, Wilde, Baudelaire, Kafka, Keats, Shelley, Verne, Stoker and many more.

    6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6) The best show, so far, was the Release Party of our album For the Darkening at Circolo Colony (BS). We played all the songs from the album plus two new recent tracks that we wrote in the last period. We saw some vids of our performance and we think that is getting better and better show after show. We are becoming more and more skilled and our performances more and more interesting and professional.

    7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
7) Unfortunately, recently, we heve sent a lot of emails and requests to venues and festivals. But no-one seems interested in leaving us play. We're still waiting for answers and requests. So, if you're searching a particular melodic death metal band for your show, we're absolutely available!

    8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of extreme metal?
8) The feedback, so far, is not really good. We hope that in the next months it will be better and more people will get interested in our music.

    9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9) Uhm, I don't know, everything seems so uncertain so far. The world of music is changing and people who listen to metal are not so many after all. Metal music is dying and this is caused by the growing quantity of cover bands and close-minded people who only listens to the same 3 or 4 bands. I only know that we can only hope that one day we will become a great metal band and the people will be better than now.

    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?
10) Our main influences are from Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Insomnium, Black Label Society, Woods of Ypres and, why not, also Type O Negative. Nowadays we're listening to:
Nicola: Insomnium, November's Doom, Funeral, Death, Dark Tranquillity, Gojira, Swallow the Sun, A Forest of Stars, Woods of Ypres, Septicflesh, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Poets of the Fall, Massive Attack, Unkle, Huun-Huur-Tu, This Will Destroy You, Ludovico Einaudi
Federico: Obscura, Death, Beyond Creation, Iron Maidem, Insomnium; Gojira, Meshuggah, A Forest of Stars, Magenta Harvest
Matteo: Woods of Ypres, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Parkway Drive, Swallow the Sun, Gojira, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Korpiklaani, Ludovico Einaudi
Simone: Over Kill, Death, Korpiklaani, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Airs, This Will Destroy You, Ludovico Einaudi, Judas Priest, Pink Floyd
Luigi: Ghost, Lamb of God, Poets of the Fall, Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd,

    11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11) Our non musical interests are:
Nicola: Speleology, Writing, Reading and Photography
Federico: Reading
Matteo: Tuning
Simone: Beer
Luigi: Hanging out with friends

    12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12) Don't let the music die, spread it, be open-minded!

Shantak/For The Darkening/Sliptrick Records/2016 CD Review

  Shantak  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  melodic  death  metal  with  elements  of  heavy,  thrash  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "For  The  Darkening"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while t he  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  in t he  slow  guitar  riffs  while  the  lds  bring  in  more  of  a  traditional  melodic  metal  style.

  A  great  amount  of  melodies  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  thrash  influences and  high  pitched  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of the  songs  and  all  of  the tracks  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  Shantak  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of   their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  loneliness,  Lovecraft  tales,  love,  nature,  and  literature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shantak  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  melodic  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Disinterment"  "Oath  of  Shadows"  "The  River"  and  "The  Unwept".  8  out  of  10.

Merchant/Suzerain/Snake Charmer Coalition/2016 CD Review

  Merchant  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  psychedelic  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Suzerain"  which  was  released  by  Snake  Charmer  Coalition.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  style  growling  a  few  seconds  later  while  sludge  style  screams  are  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  or  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  psychedelic  and  stoner  rock  onto  the  recording  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  riffs  start  bringing  in  more  melodies  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Merchant  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  heaviest  styles  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  stoner,  psychedelic  and  death  metal  elements  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my opinion  Merchant  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  "Mourning  Light"  and  "Black  Vein".  8  out  of  10.

Cortez/Initial/WOOAAARGH/Get A Life!/2016 12 Inch Review

  Cortez  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  noise,  post  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  "Initial"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  WOOAAARGH  and  Get  A  Life!.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  noisecore  screams  while  you  can  hear  some  post  hardcore  style  melodies  in the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in a  touch  of  djent.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavier  style  which  also  mixes  in  more  post  metal  influences  as  the  album  progresses  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  atmospheric  elements.

  Cortez  creates  another  recording t hat  takes  noise  rock, g rind,  post  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  mixes  them together  to  create  a  very  heavy  yet  dark  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  their  native  tongue  and  cover  dark  and  melancholic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cortez  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  noise  rock,  post  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you are a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should c heck  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mine  de  rein"  "Marasme"  "Notice"  and  "Patriarche".  8  out  of  10.  

Sadhus, The Smoking Community/Agnes Vein/Vault Relics/2016 Split 7 Inch Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between Greece's  Sadhus  the  Smoking  Community  and  Agnes  Vein  which  was  released  by  Vault  Relics  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Sadhus  The  Smoking  Community  a  band  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  drum  beats  and  heavy  guitar  riffs  that  are  done  in  a  doom  metal  fashion  while  the  vocals  are  high  pitched  sludge  style  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  some  dark  sounding  melodies  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  song  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  musical  direction,  the  song  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  alien  abduction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Sadhus  The  Smoking  Community  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Agnes  Vein  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  doom  metal  sound  along  with  some  sludge  style  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melodies  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  guitar  leads  are  also  done  in  a  dark  yet  melodic  direction and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Agnes  Vein  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.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.     

Chronobot Interview

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

We're a cosmic doom band from Saskatchewan, Canada. We like our music fuzzy and spaced-out, just like our heads.


2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

We felt like the sessions for this split went really well, and we were able to showcase the different elements of our sound really well. We recorded live off the floor and we were able to pair the slow fuzz-guitar riffs with the eerie organ and synth taking off to outer space while the riffs hammer down.


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

Outer space, time-travel, but of course also our main inspiration, weed and psychedelics. We give tribute lyrically to the love of getting fucked up together that got us making music as a band in the first place.


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

It's a similar thing with the name, Dave (guitar) came up with it years before the band ever really existed – 'the Chronobot' is a dope-smoking, time-travelling robot from the future, here to lay waste to the present and rain hazy destruction upon us all.


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

describe your stage performance?

Our performances are high volume, and high energy. We like to come out and crank it, and give it all we've got. Playing live is a hell of a feeling and it feels like we connect with audiences the most when we're all fucked up and banging around together.


We were lucky enough to play with Weedeater a couple years ago, so that show is up there in terms of our best. On tour in Lethbridge, Alberta in 2013 was one fucking hell of a show, too, and playing Kamloops with our buds in Hemptress for the first time, in late 2013, was incredible. The parking lot party that night was insane and by the time everyone played we were all trashed as one, but everyone just layed it down. Then in 2014 on our eastern Canada tour, when we met the AlgomA guys, actually, that show was fucking nuts. It was a destroyer. Quebec city on the same tour as well... there's more but I guess if we had to pare it down those are some of the standouts!


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

We've got a couple shows here in city, in June and in September – we'd like to get back out on the road but we're also focusing on getting our next full-length written after these back to back splits so the immediate focus is on that.


7.in the last year you have shared split's with both 'Hemptress' and 'AlogomA', what are your thoughts on the other bands that had participated on the recordings?

We don't have enough good things to say about those bands. Hemptress from Kamloops, BC are the best guys you could ever meet, and they know how to play rock and roll. Greasy fuzz jams, and motherfucking sick guitar playing. And just some of our best bros in the world as people besides rocking so hard as a band!

Meeting AlgomA was one of the best moments of our entire trip East, and they treated us so well. And honestly, they crush. Holy fuck they're devastating live, going on after them was one of those moments where you're watching them, thinking “how the fuck do we play after these guys, they're so fuckin heavy”. Like smashing your face into a brick wall, sonically. Love it!! And we've talked about doing a split release with them ever since.


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

Pretty good so far! No crazy breakout success or anything, but that's the norm obviously, and not why we got into this kind of music. But we've shipped out some records and our debut CD to all over Europe and the support online seems really good. It's rad to know that people outside of our immediate area at all are listening to what we're doing!


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?

Scott (bass) is in Hashfiend, with Quinton, our former bass player, who actually played on the split haha. Which is rad cause they're both our bros and we all like to play together! Cody (drums) is in Hexensabbat, a black metal band gearing up for their first release, and Darius (organ/synth) is in Ave Sol.


10.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into

musically during the future?

Hoping by next year!! We'd like to keep pushing the envelope of comfort, of how fucked up and spaced out we can get and what different elements of rock and doom we can meld together.


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?

Sabbath and Hawkwind are what we built this band on haha. Obviously we're fans of Sleep and the Wizard too, and all the rest – there's some real hard-tripping bands out there these days. Currently digging Causa Sui, Electric Moon, Papir... but that's just me, we all listen to different stuff too so I know the other guys are rocking some other rad bands.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Cody's pretty into farming, I think he's actually seeding right now honestly. He's all about vintage tractors. I'm into books, lately sci-fi; I just finished the Dune series. Scott digs his football, I know he's already counting down til the season, Dave's been in on the beta of the new Doom. We all got some different shit going on haha.


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

Yeah, thanks for having us guys, as always, smoke weed, drink beer and have yourselves a fuckin time

The Von Deer Skulls/Bitches Of The Wood/Wraith Productions/2016 EP Review

  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  are  a  band  from  France  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  post  rock,  industrial  doom  metal  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Bitches  Of  The  Wood"  which  was  released  by  Wraith  Productions.

  Experimental  and  avant  garde sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  heavy  guitar  riffs  and  sludge  style  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  a touch  of  post  rock  in  the  bands musical  style  while  the  songs  also  alternate  between  the  more  experimental  and  heavy  parts.

 You  can  hear  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  in  the  songs  and  industrial  along  with  hip  hop  elements  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  the music at  times  along  with  some  clean  electric  guitars  and  when  drum  beats  are  utilized  they  are  mostly  programmed.

  The  Von  Deer  Skulls  goes  into  more  of  an  experimental  direction  this  time  aorund  while  still  mixing  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful w hile  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  experimental,  sludge,  and doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Way  To  the  Shadow".  8  out  of  10.