Necrovorous/Plains Of Decay/Dark Descent Records/2017 CD Review

  Necrovorous  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  with  touches  of  grindcore  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Plains  Of  Decay"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  A very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  d  beat  and  grindcore  elements  along  with  some  grim  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  be  heard on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  they  also  bring  in  instrumental  and  a  couple  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Necrovorous  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  old  school  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  grindcore  and  doom  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Necrovorous  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  death  metal  with  elements  of  grindcore  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cherish  The  Sepulture"  "Psychedelic  Tribe  Of  Doom"  "Misery  Loves  Dead  Company"  and  "The  Noose  Tightens".  8  out  of  10.  

Incantation/Profane Nexus/Relapse Records/2017 CD Review

  Pennsylvania's  Incantation  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  dark  doom/death  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2017  album  "Profane  Nexus"  which  was  released  by  Relapse  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  while t he  lyrics  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  doom  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  solos  and  leads  remain  very  true  to  a  dark  style  of  death  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  he  heard  briefly  and  they  also  bring in  a  brief  ritualistic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Incantation  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  doom/death  metal  style  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from  Incantation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Muse"  "The  Horns  Of  Gefrin"  "Xipe  Totec" and  "Ancients  Arise".  8  out  of  10.  

Moonshiner/Self Titled/2017 Demo Review

 

  Moonshiner  are  a  band  from  Bangladesh  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2017  demo.

  Drum  beats  and  heavy  doom  metal  riffs  start  off  the  ep  while  melodies  are  also  used  at  times  and  after  awhile  demonic  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  after  awhile  elements  of  stoner  rock  are  added  into t he  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  add  in  cry  retro  yet melodic  style.

  A  great  amount  of  groove  can  be  heard in  the  guitar  riffing  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  while  also  keeping  everything  very  heavy  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  Moonshiner  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  stoner  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  demo  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Moonshiner  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Demon  Sugar'.  8  out  of  10.  

Row Of Ashes/Let The Long Night Fade/Third I Rex/2017 CD Review

  Row  Of  Ashes  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "let  The  Long  Night  Fade"  which  was  released  by  Third  I  Rex.

  Clean  playing  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments  but  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements.

  After  awhile  the  music  gets  more  heavier  while  the  vocals  start  mixing  in  more  sludge  style  screams  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Row  Of  Ashes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge,  doom, and  post  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  touches  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  dystopian  themes  with  some  influences  from t he  writings  of  T.S  Eliot.

  In  my  opinion  Row  Of  Ashes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hunt  And  The  Herd"  "Mass  Strandings"  and "False  Teeth".  8 out  of  10.   

No Funeral/Livid/Live Fast Die Recordings/2017 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Minnesota's  No  Funeral  and  Livid  which  will  be  released on  August  15th  by  Live  Fast  Die  Recordings  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  no  Funeral  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  crust.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  drone  style  clean  playing  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly.

  Both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  elements  of  crust  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  section, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  death,  drug  addiction  and  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  No  Funeral  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Infection".

  Next  up  is  Livid  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  drum  beats  are  also  added  into  the  song  which  is  18  minutes  in  length  before  introducing  doom  metal  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  into  the  track  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  clean  stoner  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  track  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Livid  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  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,  stoner,  and  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.

Cave Bastard Interview

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



  The band was fully formed by August 2014 in San Diego, CA with a changing of drummers the following year. We're heavy and LOUD, the way it should be.





2.So far you have released an ep and been a part of a split, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?



  The EP is actually an online demo that is of demo quality to get the point across. Our side of the split with BLK OPS was recorded by the mighty Billy Anderson, and he made it sound mighty indeed.





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



  Depression, societal violence, war, chaos, ignorance....most of our lyrics are written inspired by these topics from different views, but our writing won't exactly spell it out for you. You'll have to dig a little deeper and read between the lines.



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



  Originally, we just thought it was cool. After we chose the name, we realized we could create something from it. "Cave Bastard" is something of chaos incarnate; a twisted being deformed by all instances of malevolence, condemned to a life of suffering, and unleashing suffering upon a wretched humanity.



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 top 4 would be with Author & Punisher, Genocide Skin, Nukem, and Necrot. All the bands on those bills were great with a great crowd. We're really fucking loud, with our sound rumbling through your body like a jet engine, and that energy projected from us to get it back from the crowd.



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



  We're embarking on an 8-day tour the last week of August that we're calling the "Chargrilled and Killed Southwest Tour" being joined by our splitmates BLK OPS a few days in. The Southwest in August packs a lot of heat.



7.You have a split coming out with 'Accident Prone Records', are you happy with the support they have given you so far?



  We're stoked on them and they're stoked on us. Couldn't be happier with their support, and we're honored they want us to have a release with the Accident Prone stamp.



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



  So far the feedback has been great, with differing opinions of what they like most of the band, but all positive.



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?



  Our drummer is going on a Southwest tour with his band, Age of Collapse in November to support their new album, "Transmissons."





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



  Ramping up the heaviness and speed while pushing ourselves musically.



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?



  We're fans of death metal and thrash, with some of us fans of black metal, hardcore punk, grind, and crossover. The newest Immolation and Asphyx have been in constant rotation in the disc player in my car. Best death metal of the year.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



Comics, video games, movies, science, technology...too many to list!



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



Buy the record and come to a show. Wear earplugs. On second thought, earplugs won't help.

Humanity Zero/Withered In Isolation/Satanath Records/More Hate Productions/2017 CD Review

  Humanity  Zero are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Withered  In  Isolation"  which  was  released  as  a joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  is very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  stringed  instruments  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  atmospheric  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  all  of  the music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Humanity  Zero  plays  an atmospheric  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  hate  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Humanity  Zero  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "Withered  In  Scars"  "Fading  In  A  Cryptic  Obscurity" "Blood  Redemption"  and  "Premonition".  8  out  of  10.