Friday, May 30, 2014

Deathkings/Destroyer/Midnite Collective/2014 Vinyl Re-issue Review


  Deathkings  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  sludge/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2011  album  "Destroyer"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  vinyl  in  2014  by  Midnite  Collective.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drums  a  high  seconds  later  which  leads  up  to  a  heavy  sludge/doom  metal  direction  along  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  utilized  in  their  musical  sound  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  aggressive  vocals  start  finding  their  way  onto  the  album.

  After  awhile  clean  singing  is  added into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  parts  which  bring  the  progressive  elements  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  they  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls  at  time s which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  heavy  and  darker  edge  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  stick  to  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction  from  beginning  to  close  of  the  album  and   the  last  track  also  brings  back  some  elements  of  drone  that  where  used  on  the  first  song  as  well  as  adding  a  more  atmospheric  sound  to  their  music  as  well   as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Deathkings  brings  a  more  progressive  approach  to  their  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  having  some  death  metal  and  hardcore  elements  in  their  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathkings  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  sludge/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Halo  Of  The  Sun"  and  "Destroyer".  8  out  of  10.  

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Drunk Dad/Ripper Killer/Eolian Empire/2014 CD Review


  Drunk  Dad  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  free  jazz,  hardcore  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Ripper  Killer"  which  will  be  released  in  July  of  2014.

  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  good  amount  of  reverb  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  hardcore  style  sound  along  with  sludge  style  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  noise  rock  elements  into  the  tracks.

  In  the  slower  sections  of  their  riffing  you  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  in  their  sound  and  they  also  speed  up  at  times  and  add  in  blast  beats,  crust  and  grindcore  influences  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean singing  and  the  guitar  leads  seem  to  be  influenced  by  60's  and  70's  rock  music  and  they  also  add  in  noise  and  percussion  sounds  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  small  amounts  of  clean  playing  while  mostly  sticking  to  a  heavier direction.

  Drunk  Dad  remain  true  to  their  noisy  and  hardcore  approach  to  sludge  metal  while  also  being  a  little bit  more  dark  and  melodic  this  time  around, the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Drunk  Dad  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  noise,  hardcore  and  crust,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Five  pack"  "Light  A  Fire"  and  "Whiskey  Liver".  8  out  of  10.

  

Mist Of Nihil Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. We are Mist Of Nihil a melodic death/doom metal band from Athens, Greece. The band started when 5 different people, who shared the same passion for music, gathered together on July 2013.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the new recording?
2. It's dark ambient. We like to transfer a feeling of impending doom, sorrow and vanity through our music, so that the listener can feel the dark atmosphere of both the melodic  parts  and the heavier mid tempo death/doom outbreaks.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3.  We mainly focus on themes like sorrow, self-integration, corruption of the human soul, nature and darkness. In the next album we are thinking of adding a more story-like structure, even adding a main character of some kind, walking the path of the lyrical themes described above.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mist Of Nihil'?
4. Well, “nihil” translates as “nothing” or “the nothingness”. We like to consider it as a force capable of both good and evil deeds. Now think of the mist as a shroud covering our real selves. The final outcome of this fusion is yours to understand.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. We have played several live shows so far but we think the best show was Greek W:O:A Metal Battle finals where we participated. It was a hell of a show with a big crowd so, it was certainly a great experience for us and we enjoyed it to the fullest. When we are on stage, we try to give everything we have, so that the final outcome will be even better than the studio version of our songs. We believe that a band’s true potential is shown on stage rather on a recorded album, so we give it our best shot in order to entertain the audience and make them enjoy the show through our performance.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6. We are planning to play as many live shows as possible, so that we can promote our music and gain even more on-stage experience. At the same time we compose and rehearse our new tracks, so that soon enough we can have a full length album in our hands.  And this is when the fun starts.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of melodic death metal and doom?
7. The feedback has been very encouraging so far and it seems that people like what we are trying to do and appreciate our efforts.  It seems like there is a crowd in every country, eager to discover bands of this musical genre, even if they are on the other side of the world. The internet has been really helpful in achieving that.

8.Recently Senseless Life, re-issued the demo, do you feel they have done a lot of help when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

8. Yes their help was really important for us! These guys are professionals and they always try to do their best for the bands they are working with.

9.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
9. Right now we are working on the new songs for the full album and considering the fact that they are almost ready we will possibly enter the studio this fall. Now, on the music direction, we will surely stay true to the melodic death/doom path but we will always try to evolve so that with every new album we present a different point of view than the previous one.

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?
10. There are many bands that have influenced our music, but mostly we share a common passion for bands like Opeth, Insomnium, Daylight dies, Belakor, Dark Tranquility, Ghost Brigade and Swallow The Sun. The milestone for all the band members is surely melodic death metal, but other than that, each one of us has a different way of seeing things so our taste in music  differs from member to member.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. We like hanging out, drinking beer, going to concerts, playing D&D, video games and some of the taller band members like sports, like basketball. A book is always the best alternative, and unfortunately we share an interest in politics and economics, as the unstable political and economical conditions of Greece are well known.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. As written also in the booklet of “Buried Laments”, we would like to thank every single one who has helped us in this journey because without them many things wouldn't be possible. And of course we would like to thank everyone who supports our music and believes in us. Have a good night. Cheers!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Serpentine Path Interview



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

Ryan Lipynsky: Since we recorded the album we took some time off to work on other projects but as of recently we have gone back into rehearsal mode to play our record release show in Brooklyn June 21st.


2.You have a new album coming out in May, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the newer recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Ryan Lipynsky: I don’t think the second album is too much different from the first album. It is more of a development on the first. Tighter execution, better tones, better recording quality and possibly more focused songs.
I used a bit more of my harsh vocal range on this one rather than just staying in the lower register. I also played some lead guitar on several of the songs which I did not do on the first. The biggest difference would be the addition of our second guitarist Stephen Flam.


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

Ryan Lipynsky: Some of the topics on this album deal with religious control and the rejection of this idea, external forces from other dimensions, crumbling power structures, and the futuristic possibility of the enslavement of humanity. You know, a real uplifting positive christian vibe. hahahha

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

Ryan Lipynsky: It is quite simple: It represents the long and winding path of life. As well as the obstacles, twist and turns that the serpent like path presents to us all and how we overcome and process these things. The process of the journey along this path defines who we are as people.


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?

Ryan Lipynsky: Serpentine Path has only played one show ever. So by default that is our best show. Our stage performance was loud and oppressive. It was interesting for me as it was the first time ever i was on stage without a guitar or bass like I have done for all my previous other bands.


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

Ryan Lipynsky: We only have one show booked that I previously mentioned and there is a chance that will be the only one we do, or there is the chance we will do more. We are more of a studio project rather than a full fledged band.


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

Ryan Lipynsky: Very positive. I really things it is amazing that so many people in 2014 embrace and appreciate extreme music. Doom fans seem to appreciate that we come from the harsher darker side of things and offer a nice contrast to the silly happy, safe, hippy “doom” that so many people phone in these days. Death Metal fans appreciate the heavy sounds and approach and can related to the thread of 90’s DM influences that is present in the make up of our sound.


8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that  some of the band members are involved with?

Ryan Lipynsky: I do quite a few bands. I play guitar and sing in The Howling Wind and Force & Fire. I also play guitar in a new band with Jay that is off to a good start. Darren plays drums in a new band called Sheltering Sky and Stephen is still active with working future endeavors with his classic band Winter.


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

Ryan Lipynsky: I see the band staying in the same realm. We are not trying to “reinvent the wheel” so to speak but I could see us experimenting with more textures, tempos and dynamics. Possibly bringing more sonic color to the palette and being more creative and adventurous with songwriting.



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?

Ryan Lipynsky: Mostly doom/sludge and death metal bands like [of course]Black Sabbath, Vitus, Trouble, Pentagram, Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Grief, Burning Witch/Thorr’s Hammer, Amebix [Stephen] and a band called Winter!
Nowadays I am listening to the new Velllenfyre album, Unleashed, Dismember, Rudimentary Peni, Coroner, AC/DC, Dissection, Fleshpress and Oranssi Pazazu to name a few…


11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

Ryan Lipynsky: Occultism is something that I have been reading about and to a certain extent studying for 15 years + now. The more I learn the more I feel I have so much more knowledge to accumulate. I think the occult is something that should be personal and not boastfully blabbered about,  or used as a marketing gimmick through selling albums or t shirts. Symbols have great amount of power but what is done with that power is the key. My views are very simple: learn, adapt and apply.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Ryan Lipynsky: Cooking! I love to cook and it has become a real passion of mine. I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years now and I’m always excited to figure out new ways to cook things and use my creativity in a different realm.


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

Ryan Lipynsky: We are a group of friends not a super group. Thanks.

Dave Brenner | The Earsplit Compound
www.earsplitcompound.com

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Fange Interview


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

Hi ! We are FANGE, a sludge/ harsh noise trio from Brittany formed in late 2013 by Baptiste from Brain Pyramid (acid rock) and Ben from Huata (occult doom), joined by Jean-Baptiste from Zalhietlzi (noise/ambiant). We are digging into a filthy and aggressive sludge/doom riffing with harsh noise parts. We'd like to say that if Nihilist would have played sludge on Sunn Amps with Merzbow as special guest, it would have sounded like FANGE.

2.Recently you have released your first ep, can you tell us a little bit more about your musical sound?
'Poisse' is our very first record, after a short period of composing we had enough material to release an EP. We tried to make our own sound, with a huge amount of distortion, hard beats and aggressive noise backgrounds. Some songs are reflecting our groovy part ("Lucifour", GrĂȘle Molle") some are pure crushing doom/sludge ("Suaire") and we also wanted to had some D-beat/Entombed stuff like "Ammoniac". We are very happy with the massive sound of KKP's mix and Sylvain Biguet's mastering. HM-2 on top of their aggressiveness.

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

We are dealing with human grime and filth, disturbing behaviours, and decomposition of the body due to unbearable heats and acid sweats. We wanted to have disgusting subjects, some topics that we can't stand in real life, feelings that we hate or inspired hatred in mankind in general, but metaphorically turned into degenerated stories. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'FANGE"?|

Fange is the French word for "mire", we were looking for a name that deals with sludge, mud, and hideous fluids. French in the lyrics and our name is a choice that not a lot are making in our country because it is a hard language to sing. But as we only scream, it fits good with the harsh sound we have, and some words are more powerful in french than in english in our opinion.

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

We only had a couple actually, and they were loud and nice. We can say that if you don't have earplugs for our performances, you will suffer.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We have few shows booked for France this year (Yellfest, shows with Huata, Cult Of Occult...) and had some plans for touring but maybe next year when we'll have more songs and experience. 
7.The cd version was released by Cold Dark Matter Records and the cassette by Zugzwang Productions, do you feel these labels have done a lot of help for the band?

Yes indeed, Damien from CDM is a good friend who was really involved into this release, and Jean-Baptiste decided to make some tapes (as we already worked with him a few times with Huata) because the DIY handmade format is always appreciated by the audience. They are a big part of our exposure and we hope that the LP version of 'Poisse' coming the autumn will be enjoyed as well.

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

We have some reviews from foreign webzines and radios at the moment and they are pretty good ! That's really enjoyable to see that doomsters from different places can dig your stuff, the power of the riff is limitless, and we can spread our sound outside our borders. That's a good thing for the sludge scene to see that we have good bands in France that can find audience everywhere.
9.What is going on with the other musical projects these days that some of the band members are involved with?

With Huata we are actually working on our next full-lenght "Lux Initiatrix Terrae" that we'll record this autumn with Baptiste (who recorded the Fange EP and new Brain Pyramid) we also have a new guitar player for our next performances. A lot of good work to do. Brain Pyramid "Chasma Hideout" newest release is done, they are looking for labels and it will crush, pure psychedelic spaced-out rock'n'roll !! Jean-Baptiste is actually working on new songs with Zalhietlzi and we released with Hendiadys (our drone noise duo) a new tape 'VIIV' available on our bandcamp. 
10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We are actually composing new stuff, we want to pursue into our mix of groovy riffs, catchy parts and harsh noise ambiances. We want to develop these three aspects into something more personal and deeper, especially the noises parts. We hope to record a new EP or album in early 2015 and why not a split if everything goes well.

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?

Our music is inspired by sludge band like HALO, Lazarus Blackstar, Cavity, Laudanum, Bongzilla, Noothgrush, early Melvins, the heavy riffing and sound of Entombed/Nihilist/Carnage and many others old-school swedinsh death metal bands, and big harsh-noise sounds. But actually we can listen to many different stuff, from 90's hip-hop to old school death metal, post-punk, indus, grindcore, drone, black metal, space rock etc. The latest Swans, Floor, Young Widows, Eyehategod are awesome in the latest stuff we listened for example.
12.What are some of your non musical interests?

From movies to drawings/paintings, also literature, and of course beers, drugs and Jacques Chirac.
13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

HM-2 Forever ! Thanks a lot for your interest, looking forward to make your ears bleed with new songs.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Incantation/Dirges Of Elysium/Listenable Records/2014 CD Review


  Incantation  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  their  dark  and  blasphemous  death/doom  metal  sound  that  they  are  very  well  known  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Dirges  Of  Elysium"  which  will  be  released  by  Listenable  Records.

  A  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom/death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  guitar  leads  and  evil  sounding  melodies  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  a  more  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  direction  along  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  and  a  touch  of  grind  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  deep  growls.

  The  album  continues  the  tradition  of  previous  recordings  combining  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  with  slow  and  dark  doom  metal  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  tradition  and  the  fast  parts  also  have  a  more  powerful  presence  on  this  recording  than  they  did  on  the  previous  albums  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  There  is  a  very  dark  occult  atmosphere  being  invoked  with  the  melodies  and  slow  riffing  and  the  band  also  adds  in  a  few  very  long  and  epic  in  length  songs  and  even  after  more  than  20  years  the  band  still  remains  one  of  the  heaviest  doom/death  metal  bands  of  all  time  and  the  fast  parts  are  as  brutal  as  any  modern  day  brutal  death  metal  band  but  done  in a  more  dark  and  old  school  manner  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  high  pitched  screams.

  Incantation  continue  the  tradition  and  sound  they  are  known  for  taking  the  most  fast  and  heavy  form  of  death  metal  and  mixing  it  with  dark  and  evil  sounding  doom  metal  as  well  as  showing  younger  bands  how  this  style  is  meant  to  be  played,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  professional  and  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  blasphemous,  horror  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Incantation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  will  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bastion  Of  A  Plague  Soul"  "Portal  Consecration"  "Impalement  Of  Divinity"  and  "Elysium  (Eternity  Is  nigh)".  8/9  out  of  10.

  

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Mist Of Nihil/Buried Laments/Senseless Life Records/2014 EP Review


  Mist  Of  Nihil  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Buried  Laments"  which  was  released  by  Senseless  Life  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  more  heavy  and  melodic  parts  which  leads  up  to  a  doom  metal  sound  along  with  some  depressive  solos  and  leads  which  also  bring  a  post  rock  feeling  to  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the  music  changes  a  bit  and  starts  going  for  a  more  melodic  direction.

  Vocals  that  are  utilized  on  the  ep  are  all  death  metal  growls  and  screams and  the  band  also  mixes  in  the  early  90's  style  of  doom  metal  with  melodic  death  and  also  has  a  more  old  school  than  modern  feeling  with  their  songs  as  well  as  having  a  mixture  of  both  acoustic,  clean  and  heavy  parts  with  the  main  focus  being  on  the  later.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  ep  progresses  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  always  remains  in  a  slow  to  mid  paced  direction.

  Mist  Of  Nihil  create  a  very  melodic  and  depressive  old  school  sound  with  their  mixture  of  death  and  doom  metal  going  back  to  the  forgotten  melodic  sides  of  those  genres  from  the  90's  and  updating  them  for  the modern  day,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mist  Of  Nihil  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  death  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Days  Of  Wrath"  and  "Buried  Laments".  8  out  of  10.

Haast's Eagled/Self Titled/Senseless Life Records/2014 CD Review

 
  Haast's  Eagled  are  a  band  from  Wales  that  plays  a  stoner  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  self  titled  2014  album  which was  released  by  Senseless  Life  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  keys and  a  clean  musical  direction  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavy  70's  orientated  doom  metal  direction  but  with  a  more  powerful  and  modern  sound  along  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  evoking  a  more  stoner  vibe  to  it.

  When  melodic  vocals  find  their  way  onto  the  album  the  music  really  starts  getting  more  old  school  and  retro  in  sound  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  doom  metal  guitar  leads and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  bring  in  elements  of  both  classic  and  progressive  rock

  Al  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  while  also  remaining  true  to  a  stoner/doom  metal  sound  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  they  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  on  the  last  song  the  music  starts  going  more  a  more  psychedelic  doom  metal/rock  sound.

  Haast's  Eagled  have  a  very  retro  and  old school  sound  wit h their  mixture  of  stone r and  doom  metal  while  also  bringing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  death  metal  to  update  the  music  for  modern  days,  the  production  is  very  professional  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Haast's  Eagled  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should c heck  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viking"  and  "The  Eye  Of  God".  8  out  of  10.

  

White Mist/Self Titled/Senseless Life Records/2013 EP Review


  White  Mist  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2013  ep  which  was  released  by  Senseless  Life  Records.

  A  very  clean  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  female  vocals  before  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  taking  the  music  into  a  more  dark  and  heavy  direction  and  when  they  bring  in  solos  and  leads  the  recording  starts  having  a  more  melodic  edge to  it  as  well  as  having  a  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  Both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  which  gives  the  music  an  early  90's  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  feeling  and  when  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  a  medieval  folk  atmosphere  while  also having  traces  of  progressive  rock  and  they  also  get  a  bit  more  heavier  on  the  second  track  as  well  as  adding   in  melodic  male  vocals.

  White  Mist  have  a  sound  that  goes  back  to  the  early  to  mid  90's  style  of  atmospheric  doom/death  metal where  female  vocals  where  one  of  the  main  elements,  the  production sounds  very  dark  and  old  school   while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  White Mist  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmosphere  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Isolation".  8  out  of  10.

  

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The World State/A Castle For The Battles/2014 Single Review


  The  World  State  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  avant  garde  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  single  "A  Castle  For  the  battles".

  Male  and  female  vocals  start  off  the  song  before  going  into  a  more  avant  garde  and  symphonic  metal  direction  along  with  elements  of  doom  and  gothic  metal  as  well  as  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music on  this  song  has  a  more  catchy  sound  than  what  was  featured  on  the  previous  album  I  reviewed  while  also  being  very  experimental  at  the  same  time..

  Song  lyrics  on  the  song  dark  themes,  while  the  production  on  the  track  is  very  professional  sounding.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  song  from  The  World  State  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  and  avant  garde  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  song.  8  out  of  10.
  

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Asilo Interview


1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Manuel: We started as a sludge/doom band, but in time we have incorporated different elements to our music that deviates us from that label. It is hard to label Asilo under one genre and that is something we are willingly thriving for all the time. It is much better to just listen than me talking to you about how it sounds, but if you need a rough guide I can say our influences come from various backgrounds including Swans, Amebix, Dystopia, Iron Monkey, Khanate, Corrupted, Killing Joke, Drudkh, Melvins, His Hero is Gone, etc.
Sebastian: Maybe we can be described as Third World Sludge, anyway it’s always about sludge.
Sebaxxxtian: In our facebook page, there’s a detailed bio of the band

2. Recently you have released your first full length, how would you describe the musical sound of the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Manuel: Our distinctive sound is driven by drums and two basses. No guitars. This characteristic gives us a wider range to play around in the studio with arrangements that include ambient sections, samples, noise generators, Theremin, saxophone, piano, synths. We like to work our music in the studio and we do it a lot. Still the final sound is always crusty and sludgy with an industrial touch, or at least that is what we are aiming at. Comparing to what is was before, we can say now it has better structure and dynamics, we are leaving the drone behind a little bit in benefit of more variety in the atmosphere of the music. The vocals also changed, now they are much more hardcore than the old sludge/death rants of the beginnings.
Sebastian: Maybe it’s a bit quicker and intense than the old stuff. I think that the original idea of the band was taken and rebuilded with more intensity and power.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Manuel: The topics are mainly politically charged, most of them with a metaphoric approach to the subject in hand, making them less explicit and less cynical than the typical politically charged lyrics we take our influences from (Dead Kennedys, Discharge, Dystopia, Disrupt, you name it). We cover many topics concerning capitalism, ecology, and sometimes local subject matters from the place we live like war and degradation of human life in the third world, etc.
Sebaxxxtian: Most of us grew into the punk culture, which it’s very alike to us not only in a musical way but also in terms of spirit or message. So, for me, asilo in a way is our contribution to the punk culture, but in our own way.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Asilo'?
Sebaxxxtian: asilo stands for the mental institution, for the Crass song “Asylum”, is also the word in Spanish for retirement home for old guys. There’s a connection between all these meanings which are related to the band nature. The name was given by asilo’s ex member Federico, who started the band with Ignacio and me.

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?
Manuel: We are very chaotic on stage, we try to create a huge raw wall of sound, using only our basses, drums and vocals, and we leave most of the extra production to the studio except for some noise generators and the sax. Khanate is a good reference to us at the moment of how to sound live. A thick wall of noise, with lots of bass, cymbals, screaming and feedback. Still I don´t have a favorite show yet, I feel that we still have work to do in the live performing area of our music.
Sebaxxxtian: It’s rawer and noisy than the studio recordings. We are very comfortable with both sides of the band, in studio and live.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Manuel: We play most of the time in Buenos Aires, at least once or twice a month, but we are planning to go to Chile, Uruguay and possibly Brazil in the near future.
Sebaxxxtian: me also would like to tour inside our big country and meet local scenes.

7. In the last few years the band was a part of a few splits, out of all of the splits you have done, which band did you enjoy working with the most?
Manuel: It is hard to pick one, at least talking from my behalf, I really like all of them and each have their own characteristic that make them so unique. Tzara (http://tzara.bandcamp.com/) was our first split band and it was nice to do a live split with them since both of us had some recordings that could be used for that. FracciĂłn George Best (http://fracciongeorgebest.bandcamp.com/) was a nice fast and hardcore counterpart to our death/doom songs, like the splits Corrupted used to do with grindcore and crust bands. And Neh Czneg (http://nehczneg.bandcamp.com/) was great also, like the opposite of the FGB split: we did the sludge and Markus (from Neh Czneg) did the drone. Also check the remixes he did from that split, they kick serious ass.
Sebaxxxtian: I’m very excited in share a record with Desidia, for me, they’re the best band in our country (http://desidiadelahumanidad.bandcamp.com/).

8. The new album came out on Zann's Music, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Manuel: Zann’s Music (http://www.zannmusic.com.ar/) is a free label managed by me (Manuel) and two more friends. This label supports no style in particular, but it is focused on the human aspect of the music, it tries to support bands that have an ideological affinity to us, that is: free access and free distribution of music and information. The releases are in CD and tape formats. Digital editions are available for free and the physical editions are priced only to cover expenses. Many bands support these ideas, and from many different styles (and places around the world) like industrial/ambient/noise (C-Men, Fragmented Landscape Collapse, Life, Cheating Spouses Caught on Tape, Death GutiĂ©rrez, Florido Pensil), sludge/doom (Hemisferia, El Caos Reptante, Uroboros, Asilo, Desidia), drone (Sarghuma Incoxis, Silence in First Degree, Bhutan, Lengua Mortuoria), grindcore (The Black Meat Procession, Motociclistas Suicidas en el CĂ­rculo de la Muerte), hardcore punk (Tzara, Teen Terror Idols), heavy psych (Gran Cuevo, Stilte, JĂ©nifer PĂ©rez) Post rock, (Joseph Merrick, PĂĄramo) black metal (Human Bait, Homunculi), folk (Anne Des, The Twin Leaves) and so on.
9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, doom metal and crust?
Manuel: It is hard to say, fans of fast paced crusty hardcore don’t like our slow parts (which is most of our songs), fans of sludge tend to love our raw sound, and people who like extreme music in general have reacted positively to the original and experimental sound of our music, so I guess we can´t complain.
Sebaxxxtian: We enjoyed the fact that people from many and diverse scenes could gather in our gigs and have a good time.

10. Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects these days?
Manuel: Yes we are, our drummer SebastiĂĄn Ferreyra plays in a highly recommended death/sludge band called Uroboros (http://cultodeuroboros.bandcamp.com/) and I play in Stilte (http://stilte.bandcamp.com/), Gran Cuervo (http://www.grancuervo.com.ar/), Tzara (http://tzara.bandcamp.com/), among others, all of them can be found in the Zann’s Music catalog.

11. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Manuel: Our immediate future is heading toward a more industrial, repetitive sound, think of Godflesh and early Swans. Expect some more songs in that vein.
Sebaxxxtian: I’d like to go more into Corrupted, Asunder sound and also these sludge/crust bands like Dystopia, Grief, Artimus Pyle.
Sebastian: We are planning many splits before start thinking about second full length, even we are start planning a new EP. From my drums, I’ll try to play stuff in the vein of Khanate, Monarch and more industrial beats like the end of our song “Arquitectura del Silencio”.

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?
Manuel: My all-time favorite bands are Godflesh and Neurosis, so that is something I am always trying to put into the songs I write or arrange. Nowadays I am listening to mostly noise rock: Big Black, Shellac, Unsane, Zeni Geva, Pigs, Cows, Tyranny is Tyranny, Slint, etc, a lot of the old Touch & Go and Amphetamine Reptile back catalogue, which is an aspect I also like very much but I don´t know if that fits into Asilo. We’ll see.
Sebaxxxtian: at home, classic bands: The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths, etc; pre war music like country blues, jug bands or trad jazz; hip hop like MF Doom or Wu Tang Clan, early hardcore and punk music like Unbroken, Black Flag or Discharge. Old shit is the best. Last albums I like: New Swans is sick as always, new Liars album, new Chuck Ragan and Against Me!, the last from Column of Heaven, and Bleed The Pigs.
Sebastian: Nowadays I’m into Allochiria, Shining (Nor), Los Random (Argentina). But my favorites are always Melvins and Black Cobra, love those bands, love those drummers. Other bands I like a lot are Dragonauta, Judas Priest, Converge, etc.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?
Manuel: Physics and engineering. I am a PhD in Electrical Engineering and my day job is as a researcher for the Instituto de TecnologĂ­as en DetecciĂłn y AstropartĂ­culas (http://www.iteda.cnea.gov.ar/) and teaching for the Universidad de San MartĂ­n (http://www.unsam.edu.ar/).
Sebaxxxtian: Veg food and Boca Juniors.
14. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final word or thoughts?
Manuel: Thanks for the interview and thanks for listening to our music, I am always grateful and amazed at people liking or at least paying some kind of attention to what we do. Thanks a lot.
Sebaxxxtian: There’s a lot of amazing bands, not only in our country but also in whole Latinamerica. There’s a vast and rich hardcore / punk / underground metal scene in these country that is still unknown for people in other countries around the globe, not only USA. I invite you to meet it, using Facebook, Youtube, Bandcamp etc.
And once again, thanks for being interested in us.

Asilo on Internet
Facebook
Bandcamp
Last.fm

estoesasilo@gmail.com

Monday, May 5, 2014

Fange/Poisse/Cold Dark Matter Records/2014 Full Length Review


  Fange  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Poisse"  which  was  released  by  Cold  Dark  Matter  Records.

  Dark  and  distorted  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  spoken  word  samples  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  sludge  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  screams  and  the  band  also  bring  in  elements  of  experimental  music  and  mix  it  in  with their  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  good  amount  of  reverb  and  distortion.

  On  the  later  tracks  the  band  brings  in  more  harsh  noise  sounds  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  while  also  remaining  true  to  their  sludge  metal  sound  and  they  also bring  in  the  energy  of  hardcore  punk  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  makes  the  album  more  upbeat  and  mid  paced  at  times.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  band  also  start  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  crust  and  grind  elements before  returning  to  a  slower  direction  along  with  spoken  word  samples  being  added  in  a  few  sections  of  the  recording  that  also  bring  a  very  ritualistic  feeling  to  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  song.

  Fange  create  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  with  their  approach  to  sludge  metal  as  well  as  adding  in  traces  of  harsh  noise  and  experimental  as  well  as  evoking  a  ritualistic  feeling,  the  production  is  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sounding  and  the  lyrics a re  written  in  French  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Fange  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cloches  Fendues"  and  "Lucifour".  8  out  of  10.  

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Morbo/Addiction To Musickal Dissection/Memento Mori/2014 CD Review


  Morbo  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death/ddom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Addiction To  Musickal Dissection"  which  was  released  by  Memento  Mori.

  A  very  heavy  mid  80's  death  metal  sound  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  and  screaming  style  vocals and   the  band  also  brings  in  a  mixture  of  slow  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  onto t he  album  the  music  also  starts  having  a  more  early  90's  feeling  to  it  as  well  as  incorporating  more  blast  beats  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  gets  a  bit  more  brutal  as  time  goes  on  by  while  also  remaining  true  to  a  more  old  school  direction.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  band  start  bringing  in  a  sound  that  is  equally  influenced  by  both  the  Swedish  and  American  styles  of  90's  death  metal  but  done  with  a  more  dark,  raw  and  underground  approach  as  well  as  adding  in  more  slow  and  doom  metal  orientated  stuff  and  the  music  really  starts  heading  for  a  more  doom/death  metal  orientated  sound  and  the  last  track  incorporates  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  70's  rock  influences  in  their  old  school  death  metal  sound.

  Morbo  stick  to  an  old  school  direction  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording  basing  their  music  in  80's  death  metal  while  also  adding  a  great  amount  of  the  early  doom/death  metal  sound  in  their  slower  material,  the  production  is  very  dark  and  old  school  sounding  and  the  lyrics  cover  violence,  gore  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morbo  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pagan  Seducer"  "Rending"  and  "Anesthesia".  8  out  of  10.  

Friday, May 2, 2014

The Great Sabatini Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
Just getting the new album "Dog years", prepped for release and gearing up for some touring in may/june. The set list will be comprised of mostly new material so we're trying to get the new songs tight.

2.Recently you have recorded a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
This record is pretty diverse in terms of song writing but the feel and energy to the whole record is captured in the same direct way. We tried hard to make a record that was more straight forward, raw, live-sounding and abrasive than our past efforts, but also clearer, bigger and slicker than our other albums too. It's a fine line to walk t I feel like we accomplished our goals with it. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
Most of the songs relate to our experience with this music in our lives, and the choices we made in order to take it outside of our parent's garages when we were younger. Some of the lyrics are about people we've known or characters who personify the music in one way or another. All of the songs seem to indirectly be about dealing with choices you've made. It's not too serious though... we try to obscure any overt significance to the words. If anyone bothers to read the lyrics, they are, for the most part, indecipherable. 

4.What is the  meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Great Sabatini'?
It is simply an inside joke with various meanings that a friend of ours came up with years ago. We'd prefer to keep the meaning hidden so that perhaps the music will speak more for the band than our dumb name. 

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?
We've played a lot of memorable shows. One that comes to mind is a basement show we did in Duluth, Minnesota a few years ago. I was pretty sick but it was a party and this tiny room was full of awesome energy. The P.A system took a shit so I just screamed into people's faces and they gave all of that rage and energy right back. We also played an amazing show in Hamburg last year. The reaction was crazy... it was another small room but it was full and people were giving us back everything that we were putting out on stage. Those seem to be the best shows for us. We always try to be as energetic as possible, because that's the place where the music is coming from. It's some kind of bottomless well of energy and soul in us. Even when I'm sick as a dog, that energy comes to the surface when we play. So, it's always great when people feel it and react in kind.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We'll be touring North America throughout May and June, and possibly in the fall. Some shows in Europe in 2015 might be on the horizon as well. 

7.The new album was released by Solar Flare Records, do you feel this label has been very helpful for the band?
Of course. It feels like a nice natural progression from where we were when we released our last record via No List in 2012. In fact, we were introduced to Solar Flare by Lee, who runs No List out of Winnipeg. We are a shrewd bunch when it comes to our music, and we won't let just anyone put their hands on it. We trust the Solar Flare folks with something very, very important to us. I know we're in good hands.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer material by fans of extreme music?
It's still early, but through touring and getting feedback from people via the internet, the reaction from people outside of Canada is always humbling. Sometimes it's hard to know where we fit among the insane amount of music out there which falls under the title "extreme", but we do what we do from the heart and when folks hear us or see us, they seem to recognize that and it's pretty awesome.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Who knows. We are pretty open to experimenting with the way we do things, and always have been. We have some ideas on the table but all I can say is that we'll approach writing new material the way always have... trying to hit it from a new angle and challenging ourselves to be better song writers, players and artists in general.

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?
I was revisiting a lot of my favourite old punk and hardcore records while writing some of the material on Dog Years, and maybe that shines through a bit on Side A of the record. Just classics like Bad Brains and Black Flag and the Ramones, records I grew up with. So, that spirit was present pretty early on when I was coming up with riff ideas for the record. But we all absorb a ton of music and a lot of it finds it's way into our writing process. Lot's of genres and styles. Right now I am enjoying the newest OFF! record, The Dead Ranch record "Antler Royal", an Eric's Trip album called "Purple Blue", Metz, Ken Mode (all of their records), Kowloon Walled City... their last album "Container Ships" is real popular with all of us right now.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We all enjoy movies, and comedy. Podcasts... podcasts about comedians and movies. We all relate to those things together... it's something we all chat about and listen to in the van quite often.

12.before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
Not much... just thanks to everyone for supporting us somply by listening and sharing our music among your friends. We love to play out ith our music and to make records. Any chance that we get to validate this ridiculous thing we've done with our lives by interacting with friends and fans is beyond our expectations. Thanks for being interested.