Siempre Guerras/Cristo Quebrado/Loneraven Records/2018 Full Length Review

  Siempre  Guerras  are  a  band  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  groove,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Cristo  Quebrado"  which  was  released  by  Loneravn  Records.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  acoustic  guitars  also  being  used  briefly  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  groove  metal  style  shouts  while  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences, when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  acoustic  guitars  also  make  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  slide  guitars  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.

  Siempre  Guerras  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  groove,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Siempre  Guerras  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  groove,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cristo  Quebrado"  "Piranhas"  and  "En  El  Silencio".  8  out  of  10.

Ferum/Vergence/Everlasting Spew Records/2018 EP Review

  Ferum  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Vergence"  which  was  released  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  Morbid  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  fast  riffs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Cianide's  "Funeral'  before  closing  the  ep  with  an  outro.

  Ferum  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  mental  and  physical  states  of  asphyxiating  discomfort  and  desolation  taken  from  everyday  experience.

  In  my  opinion  Ferum  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Siege  Of  Carnality"  and  "Funeral".  8  out  of  10.

Pulchra Morte/Divina Autem Et Aniles/Ceremonial Records/2019 CD Review

  Pulchra  Morte  are  a  band  from  the United  States  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Divina  Autem Et  Aniles"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Ceremonial  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  has  a  lot  of  90's  influences  but  modern  at  the  same  time.

  Screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  as  well  as  one  song  being  an  instrumental  which  utilizes  stringed  instruments,  acoustic  guitars  and  rain  sounds  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction,  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  heavier  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording.

  Pulchra  Morte  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  has  a  lot  of  old  school  influences  while  also  adding  a  more  modern  take  on  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  Aliester  Crowley,  Austin  Spare,  Israel  Regardie  and  Terrence  McKenna  and  cover  Hermetic  Philosophy,  Travelling  Dimensional  Barriers,  Hallucinogenic  Communication,  Ritual  Magick  and  Conspiracy  theories.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Pulchra  Morte  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Ritual" "Fire  And  Storm"  and  "When  Legends  Die".  8  out  of  10.   

    

Caged Bastard interview

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

Caged Bastard  is a project that reflects the artistry within the main songwriter “Muhammad Oun” also known as “Shargoroth” where he experiences multiple genres of extreme music.

2.So far you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

 Mostly experimenting with different styles of extreme music, but then there’s the usual grindcore/ death metal main influence.

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

Sexism and double standards within music scenes. The bar is set so low for men, if they’re not a sexual abuser people consider them a good guy which is complete bullshit. Men still use subtle forms of emotional and mental manipulation to keep you in your place, then they trick you into comforting and supporting them when really it’s not your responsibility to educate these people. There is an unspoken boys will be boys mentality within the music scene, and it’s in place because people don’t want to admit things they or their friends have done in the past have hurt or manipulated non-men, and they are still suffering from their actions.

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

Society has a big influence on the name. The way they look at different people (like metalheads for example) that makes the individuals feel disengaged so therefore caged.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?

It should have been a picture of a dying tree. Instead I went the beautiful tree which is like a contradiction of the living which could be beautiful on the outside but terrifying and horrible on the inside.

 6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

There is just one member on the band and that’s Muhammad. Lee and Mariam just collaborated on the EP

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

Since I’ve only played shows in Tunisia there hasn’t been a good one so far because of the misunderstood metal community in the country. As far as stage performance, it’s just me “Muhammad” with a guitar, a laptop and a midi controller to generate noise and most of the time I just do it for me and hopefully the crowd responds positively.

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

There is. It will take time to manage that.

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

Sure, I’m looking for a label that is interested in my musical style

 10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of experimental, sludge and grindcore?

It wasn’t really spread because of the lack of promotion of the material, but the reaction so far has been positive.

11.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?

(Mariam Benjemaa) I play guitar, noise and do vocals for Diploid (Australia). Currently working on a new album to be released in 2019

(Lee Fisher) i'm involved full time in 3 studio projects. Fawn Limbs, Alphanumeric, and Infinite Nomad.

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

The full length hopefully we’ll be out late next year. Right now I’m just sticking to the stuff that I’m doing for next EP.

13.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?

Girndcore/sludge/noise/powerviolence/ black and death metal. Nowadays I’m listening “Mustafa ozkent” and “khan tengri”. There are plenty of bands that influence me it will take a will to name them all.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Collecting vintage stuff like Hi-fi, and video editing.

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

A pleasure doing this interview and stay tuned for the next projects from  Caged Bastard.

Horrisonous/A Culinary Cacophony/Memento Mori/2019 CD Review

  Horrisonous  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "A  Culinary  Cacophony"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Memento  Mori.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  slow  doom  metal  riffing  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  screams  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  songs  also  bring  in    great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  and  the  way  the  songs  are  produced  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  feeling,  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  always  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Horrisonous  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  plague  and  disease  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Horrisonous  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kuru  Worship""A  Tale  Of  Matriphagy"  and  "The  Number  Of  The  Feast".  8  out  of  10.

Svarthart/Awaiting The Return/2018 Full Length Review

  Svarthart  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Awaiting  The  Return".

  Nature  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  the  guitar  solos  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  synth  orientated  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Svarthart  remains  true  to  their  90's  influenced  style  of  doom/death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  grief,  loneliness  and  the  human  mind  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Svarthart  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Waiting"  "Harbringer"  and  "Dawning".  8 out  of  10.

ONO/Cloaked Climax Concealed/Transcending Obscurity Records/2019 EP Review

  ONO  are  a  band  from  Slovakia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "Cloaked  Climax  Concealed"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  adding  in  some  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  sludge  style  screams  being  used  at  times.

  A  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times  as  well  as  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  a  hallucinogenic  trip  and  the  music  also  sticks to  a  slower  direction.

  ONO  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  industrial,  sludge,  atmospheric  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  alien  dimensions  and  parallel  world  themes.

  In  my  opinion  ONO  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  industrial,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Crown  Unknown".  8  out  of  10.