Ophis/The Dismal Circle/F.D.A Records/2017 CD Review

  Ophis  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Dismal  Circle"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  F.D.A  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  depressive  melodies  and  after  awhile  deep  death  metal  growls  start  to  make  their  presence  known.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  playing  is  also  utilized  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  done  with  a  more  modern  take  on  the  genre  and  on  the  last  track  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  and  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Ophis  plays   a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  suffering,  death  and  demonic  enchantment  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ophis  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Engulhed  In  White  Noise"  and  "Shrine Of  Humiliation".  8  out  of  10.

The Moth/Hysteria/The Charming Man Records/2017 CD Review

  The  Moth  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  thrash,  death  metal  and  rock  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Hysteria"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  The  Charming  Man  Records.

  Death  metal  growls  and  heavy  riffs  start  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal  which  is  done  with  a  modern  touch  along  with  some     melodic  vocals  also  being  utilized  on  some  of  the  tracks.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  while  the  slower  riffing  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  some  of  the  riffs  also  adding  in  the  melody  of  stoner  rock  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  getting  more  progressive  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction.

  The  Moth  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  thrash,  death  metal  and  rock  music  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Moth  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  thrash,  death  metal  and  rock  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Empty  Heart"  "Slow  Your  Pace"  "Loose"  and  "Jupiter".  8  out  of  10. 

Horse Head/Terminal/2017 EP Review

 

 Horse  Head  are  a  band  from Arizona  that  plays  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their   self  released  2017  ep  "Terminal"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some high  pitched  screams  and  death metal  growls  are  also  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  A  great  amount  of  guitar  amp  reverb  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  elements  of  doom  metal  while  half  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  while  clean  playing  also  returns  briefly  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times.

  Horse  Head  plays  a  style  of  sludge  metal  that  is very  slow  and  heavy  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Horse  Head  are  a  very  great  sounding  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Inferno"  and  "Price  We  Paid".  8  out  of  10.

Odradek Room/A Man Of Silt/Hypnotic Dirge Records/BadMoodMan Music/2017 Full Length Review

  Odradek  Room  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  mixture of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "A  Man  Of  Silt"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records  and  BadMoodMan  Music.

  A  jazz influenced  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  symphonic  and  epic  sounding  keyboards  which  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  edge  as  well  as  the  riffing  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  high  pitched  screams  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and epic  in  length  as  well  as some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic  vocals  and  elements  of  post  rock  are  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction,  saxophones  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Odradek  Room  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  progressive,  melodic  death  and  atmospheric  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  thoughts,  feelings,  dreams  and  philosophy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Odradek  Room  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  and  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  "Selfness"  "Rain  Trip"  and  "Divide".  8  out  of  10.

    

Forgotten Forests/Rebirth Beyond/Spirits Of The Ash MMX/Acclaim Records/2017 Compilation Album Review

  Forgotten  Forests  are  a  band  from  Bulgaria  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  compilation  album  "Rebirth  Beyond/Spirits  Pf  The  Ash  MMX"  which  was  released  by  Acclaim  Records  and  consists  of  material  that  was  recorded  in  2010.

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  compilation  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  heavier  riffs  and  melodic  guitar  leads  being  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  while  the  acoustic  parts  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  being  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  as  well  as  the  music being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  the  main  focus  is  mostly  on  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Forgotten  Forests  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  melodic  death  metal  with  90's  era  doom/death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  spirit,  soul,  nature,  mind,  darkness,  and  eternity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Forgotten  Forests  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  "Doomed  Blazing  Star"  "Fighting  In  The  Age  of  Midst"  "Final  Hope"  and  "Nameless  Face".  8  out  of  10.

 Also featured on http://aeafanzine.blogspot.com/

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.