Obscene/Sermon To The Snake/Horror Pain Gore Death Productions/2017 EP Review

  Obscene  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their ep "Sermon  To  The  Snake"  which  will  be  released  in 2018  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts off  the  ep  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along with  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as well  as  some  mid  80's  style  death  metal  growls.

  A  lot  of  the  music  sounds  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  25  years  ago  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  touch  of  thrash.

  Obscene  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  day  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  doom  and  destruction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obscene  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shadow  Burial"  and  "Blood  Moon  Rats".  8  out  of  10.

  

Caelestia/Thantopsis/EMP Label Group/SPV/2017 CD Review

  Caelestia  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  goth  and  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Thantopsis"  which  will  be  released  on  December  8th  as  a  joint  effort  between  EMP  Label  Group  and  SPV.

  A  very  symphonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  and  they  also  give  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts together  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  female  vocals  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  operatic  and  goth  feeling  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  clean  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

 When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  into  the  music  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  doom  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  riffing  and  a  later  track  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  Caelestia  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to t he  symphonic  mixture  of  goth  and  melodic  death  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Caelestia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic,  goth  and  melodic  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thanatopsis"  "Devil's  Game"  "Travel  To  Eternity"  and  "Lament  Of  The  Sea".  8  out  of  10.

Rise Of Avernus Interview

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



     We have been following a busy touring schedule since we released Dramatis Personae in 2015. We also saw the departure of Dan Warrington, and our new bassist D'wayne Murray entered the fold. We are currently preparing for the release of Eigengrau and the subsequent tours.



2.You have a new album coming out in early 2018, 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 in the past?



With Rise of Avernus, we like to focus on making each release unique, while retaining some elements which can be recognised as 'our sound'. We hinted at this new direction with our last EP, stripping back a lot of the softer and more soporific moments to create something bigger, more aggressive and laden with grandiosity. Eigengrau is a solid step into darker and heavier territory.



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



Eigengrau explores the darker side of the human psyche, experiences at the point of death, religious indoctrination and its negative effects, neural phenomena, archetypes/dream motifs/symbols and the shadow self within Jungian psychology.



4.I know that the band name comes from Greek Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?



'Avernus' is a term for the entrance to the underworld, originating in Italy. The etymology can be traced back to Greece, roughly translating to 'no birds'. It held special significance as Avernus was a volcanic crater which emitted toxic fumes into the atmosphere... any bird which tried to fly overhead would be killed by the gases. As far as an interest in ancient Grecian culture goes, it's more of an interest in human projection, the 'rising of darkness' consciously or subconsciously within an individual and the psychological implications of encountering things we don't quite understand.



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?



It's hard to pick a definitive list of our 'best shows' as every performance has its own feel. That said, our Japanese tour in support of Eternal Tears Of Sorrow held special significance as we were breaking new ground by playing in a foreign country for the first time. We strive to channel the same amount of aggression and theatrics into every show, creating a nightmarish, intense experience.


6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?



We have an extensive Australian tour throughout February and March alongside Once Human (USA), Hollow World and In Death. We're also exploring some options for international shows in 2018.



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



So far feedback has been quite good... We're continually taken aback by how many fans of different genres can find something to enjoy in our music. The interesting part of that for me personally, is staying true to the art and expression which comes from writing music.



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



None currently.



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



Each release from RoA is alway going to be a little different. We firmly believe that a band needs to continue developing and evolving their sound, or risk stagnating. This time we focused on darker sounds, dissonance, grandiosity and driving rhythms. What's coming next? Well... you will just have to wait and see.



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?



We all take musical influence from everything we listen to... As a collective, our tastes run from Pink Floyd to Mayhem, Billie Holiday to Infant Annihilator and most things in between.
A special mention goes to James Last's 'Trumpet A Gogo'. As far as current listening goes, In Becoming A Ghost by The Faceless, Brain Cycles by Radio Moscow, Relentless Mutation by Archspire and Hiss Spun by Chelsea Wolfe are all on high rotation.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?



We all enjoy physical activities, working out, travel and gaming. Ben has a penchant for war documentaries, and Mares is a coffee aficionado.


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



To the person reading this... Whoever you are, where ever you are. We hope you enjoy Eigengrau.

Heavydeath Interview

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

Right now we are doing some small-scale promotion. We are also waiting for the CD version to arrive from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, it has become slightly delayed. But LP and MC were released on time. In addition to this, we will try to make a few shows during the next year.
There is also work going on to release a compilation double CD with mostly demo material. It will probably be released next year. Then there is plans for a split 7” with Excruciation next year.
So the machinery rolls on so to speak.

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 in the past?

First of all, I would say that we are starting to get a good sound that suits our music. Do not think we've got it 100% before but now it feels like the whole sound package suits so to speak. As for the material, it's a mix of new and slightly older songs. But I feel that, on the whole, it feels more varied than previous albums.

3.Over the years you have released a great amount of material, do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?

I personally think about and writing music daily. Often I write music in my head when I drive a car or am in the woods. It is not always the right time to sit with the guitar and compose. But it is clearly an ongoing process for me. We are also trying to make some simple demos and so on.

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

In general, there are some thoughts about the fate of our so-called civilization. There are things to see for those who can, for those who want to. There is ancient wisdom to learn from, both the warnings and the knowledge.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Heavydeath'?

It's hard to find a new good band name these days. I tried to find something that suited the music and the lyrics and the first suggestions were in Swedish “Tung Död” or “Den Tunga Döden”. We had some other suggestions too but then the decision was made that it might be best to have a name in English. And HEAVYDEATH it became. Sure, it may sound a bit primitive and too “simple”. But if you "taste the word" a few times, I think it suits.

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

We have not been so active when it comes to performing live. For various reasons. Best best gig so far was the first at Mörkaste Småland Festival 2015 and actually the only one with the entire current line-up without session members. We need to get more experience playing live together, especially with songs from the new album that fits good live. So I really hope we'll be able to get some more gigs in the next year. There is no “big show” or so, but we do what we do and sink into the music and hope the audience will accompany our musical journey in body and mind. A long obscure trip...

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

No, but I hope, as I said earlier, that we can get our calendars in sync in the next year and that there are some suitable offers from bookers.

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

As I see it, we play a rather “narrow” kind of underground music. Nothing for the big mass I think. But so far, I've only seen good response, from loyal fans to new ones. Also saw that some famous musicians have drawn attention to us which of course is nice. We create and play what we like ourselves and of course it's nice to get support and to hear that others like it too.

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?

I will surely record something with my other bands and projects next year. Nothing is 100% so we'll see what happens. Maybe Runemagick, maybe TFO, maybe Necrocurse, maybe Domedag... Time will tell. Johan is doing some other projects on and off. Daniel is quite busy with Katatonia.

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

As I can see and speculate right now, the next phase will go in the same direction as our new album “Sarcophagus In The Sky”.

11.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?

I listen to various stuff. But as always, I think what you grow up with is the closest to the music heart. So old classic. Everything from old sabbath to early death metal, black metal and doom metal.
Check my personal website http://nicklas.rudolfsson.net for som current Spotify playlists etc.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Be with the family, be out in the woods, etc. But the music, primarily composing, is clearly the main interest and a big part of my life.

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

Thank you very much for the interview. I hope more people want to listen to our new album and support us!

Godless Angel/They Lurk/2017 EP Review

  Godless  Angel  are  a  solo  project  from  Kansas  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  doom,  death,  thrash  and  groove  metal  on  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  released  2017  ep  "They  Lurk".

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  screams  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  slow  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  thrash  and  groove  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  vocals  also  taking  an  influence  from  the  later  mention  genre  along  with  all   of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks a re  long  and  epic  in  length.

   On  this  recording  Godless  Angel  expand  on  their  mixture  of  death, thrash  and  groove  metal  by  adding  in  elements  of  progressive  and  doom  metal, the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  on  some  grisly  murders  in  1973 era  of  Overbrook,  Kansas.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Godless  Angel  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom,  death,  groove,  progressive  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Barn"  and  "The  Sacrifice".  8  out  of  10. 

 

  

Shadowmaster/Self Titled/Seeing Red Records/2017 CD Review

  Shadowmaster  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2017  album  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Seeing  Red  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  and  doom  metal  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing.

  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  yet  high  pitched  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  psychedelic  elements and  spoken  word  samples  also  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  can  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier direction  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  style  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  touches  of  stoner  metal

  Shadowmaster  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shadowmaster  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  "Seven  Witches"  "We  Won't  Be  Alive"  and  "Under  His  Black  Skies".  8  out  of  10. 

Dreamgrave Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Dömötör Gyimesi: Dreamgrave was a project born as a traditional 90s gothic metal band of mine, and founding member Zoltán Tamási. The name stayed, and while I rebuilt the band several times from scratch my musical interest also moved towards a more progressive sound. In the 2012-2016 era - where I date the emergence of the real band known as Dreamgrave to - finally became a solid act.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
Dömötör Gyimesi: our sound marries traditional progressive metal with influences of symphonic, gothic, extreme metal and jazz, featuring female soprano vocals alongside both clean male singing and death metal growls. Doesn't say much, right? We're musical storytellers. I think we definitely have a unique approach of how we use different musical ideas to express the emotional roller-coaster, which I can call the most important objective of Dreamgrave.

3.The band has been around since 2009 but so far has only released a demo, one full length and and an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?
Dömötör Gyimesi: though the spine of our debut LP Presentiment was ready years before we released it, it was extremely difficult to find the right people who can participate and play on the record. I really wanted to not become a one-man band. I wanted to do something unique and fresh. The years before 2012 gone wasted in stagnation. That's why we date the start of Dreamgrave to 13th of September, 2012, to the first rehearsal when Marcsi, János and I started to work on Presentiment together.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Dömötör Gyimesi: if you take a closer look on Presentiment or Monuments you'll realize that we always work our ways around a more or less abstract concept, which not just adds an extra layer to the mood and atmosphere to our music, but keeps it open to the listener's imagination. The thoughts we've put into the records are clearly perceptible by taking our physical releases, walking through the texts and lyrics in the booklets and traveling the journey we invite the listener to.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dreamgrave'/
Dömötör Gyimesi: Dreamgrave is about dancing on a blade’s edge: every human being is driven by high hopes and dreams. The longer one fights for those dreams, for self-definition, pursuing pure happiness the more fragile they become, the more their dreams get vulnerable and at the end even the strongest are able to give up. Dreamgrave is the very place where these crystallized and invaluable efforts remain and tempt forever.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Peter Gilian: to be honest, for us every show has some special vibe to it. Connections born between the audience and us, on a metaphysical level. That's why we can't choose between club concerts or big festival shows, we rock both damn hard! In a couple of months we'll release a live video taken earlier this year in Budapest. That will worth a thousand words.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Dömötör Gyimesi: we plan two different tours for next year in the EU. Things have changed a bit since we started negotiations with our new label, so fingers crossed!

8.The ep was released on 'Prog Heaven Hungary', Can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Dömötör Gyimesi: it's Hungary's one and only progressive music label, mainly focusing inland. It's a small DIY label and a concert tour.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of progressive, goth and doom metal?
Péter Gilián: reviews and feedback from both the media and the fans are great! With Monuments we see a much wider audience has started to recognize our music. Of course there are some people who expected more heaviness. They can relax, as the first chapter of the Monuments trilogy we've just released is the softest one of them!

10.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
Dömötör Gyimesi: Dreamgrave shares Tomi, our drummer with various killer bands like MYTRA, Niburta and All But One. Peti is also involved in some alternative bands.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Dömötör Gyimesi: we already have several ideas pinned down for the next chapter in the trilogy. As for now the demos show some more extreme, yet psychedelic direction, and there's an agreement in the band that we'll keep feature new instruments on every record.

12.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?
Dömötör Gyimesi: I don't really know. I'm quite certain that every single album we're listening to and like will somewhat influence the melodies, the structures and the overall feeling of the songs we create. We all are coming from really different musical backgrounds: Marcsi is huge fan of Anneke van Giersbergen, and have black metal roots, but also loves Hungarian folk music and has an academic degree in singing. Tomi is more into modern metal, while Peti would vote here for jazz, whilst Krisztina for classical music and Volbeat! :D Dreamgrave is a damn melting pot, you see? My roots are coming from the late 80s and 90s: early Paradise Lost, Alice Cooper, a lot of hair metal (I love Warrant!) and my favourite guitarist is Eddie Van Halen. Of course we have several common idols, like Opeth, Steven Wilson, The Gathering, Paradise Lost, Katatonia, Anathema. In these days I'm personally really into Leprous for example.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Dömötör Gyimesi: Krisztina started to do paintings a couple of months ago and she also studies playing the cello. Marcsi, Tomi and Peti are doing music for a living and they are really into it, I mean they are 100% dedicated for it. My free time is totally consumed by making the band running: doing the management, graphical, video works, composing, and shitloads of teeny-weeny stuff. When I have enough of running the business Krisztina and I are touring Europe with my motorcycle and cornering in the mountains.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Dömötör Gyimesi: I always try to emphasize how important is to support good and independent bands. It's the ONLY way you can keep metal a fresh and living thing, so keep it up!
Live your dreams with full of your hearts, bury yourself deeply into good music and never give up!