Sunday, May 31, 2015

My Life's Despair/Invoked With Passion And Pain/2015 CD Review


  My  Life's  Despair  are  a  band  from  San  Diego,  California  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  gothic/doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  death  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Invoked With Passion And Pain".

  Rain and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  demonic  spoken  word  parts  that  also  leads  up  to  a  very  melodic,  heavy  and  atmospheric  doom  metal  sound  kicking  in  along  with  some  synths  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  use  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Operatic  female  vocals  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along  with  a  small  amount  of  whispers and  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing  can also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of t he  riffs  also  bring  an  early  90's  doom/death  metal  feeling  to  the  songs while  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  all  of  the  songs also  stick to either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  My  Life's  Despair  plays  an atmospheric  style  of  gothic/doom  metal  that  is very  heavily rooted  in  the  90's  and  also  mixes  in  influences  from  black  and  death  metal  to  create  their  own  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  love,  suicide and life  experiences.

  In  my opinion  My  Life's  Despair  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  gothic/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "As  Flames Ignites"  "She  Said  Forever"  "Regrets"  and  "In  The  Cosmic  Laboratory".  8  out  of  10.   

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Mizantropia Interview


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


Our band was founded on February 23, 2003 and the same day our first rehearsal took place.

Initially the band was focused on Gothic Rock. With the lapse of time, tastes and preferences of the band members have changed. Today Mizantropia's creativity is a mix of Gothic, Doom, Black, Melodic Death Metal shrouded in a dark romance atmosphere.


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?


The sound of the new album are became more heavy heavy and aggressive than it was in the past earlier. But it happened not only just because our sound engineer did a good job, but because the music itself become became heavier itself. The songs sound exactly as we wanted them to. In general,  this album has a took finished form shape,  from the fist to the last song.


3. This is the first album to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?


This album was created and recorded at the end of 2012. We even filmed «I'm after you» video as a promo, but due to certain disagreements Sergey (lead guitar) and Nastya (drummer) left the band and started their own project. During the whole year of 2013 year Mizantropia remained inactive: rare rehearsals, no new songs. Band members Jack and Max focused on their side project. Release of this album was delayed once more.

So, in the end of 2013, Kate (vocals), Sergey and Nastya decided to work together again to revive Mizantropia as a band and to release this album, “Oblivion”. The result of joint work became crystallized into a new single “Nowhere”: music for that song was composed by Sergey & Nastya during 2013, while Kate’s vocals made it complete. On February 23, 2014, this single was released on the internet. Early in 2015 all current line-up was formed. Bass player  Anton “Lis” (ex-Chaoscult, Death Metal band from Ukraine), and Sergey Voitenko, former Mizantropia guitar player, joined the band. However, exactly namely 2015 is the a proper year for Mizantropia’s the second  studio album of Mizantropia to come into the world on Metal Scrap Records.


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


Love and suffering are considered to be traditional subjects for our lyrics, and new album is no exception. And yet, creating this album as a whole, we tried to speak out a holistic concept: sooner or later, all our feelings, everything aforesaid would be buried in oblivion. In our latest works we start to explore other topics, such as honor, dignity, dedication, devotion, world structure and a man's place in it, among other issues.


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


It means an objection of the “human things” that people possess. We are talking about self-destruction which people aspire to. This is some sort of reluctance to resist their inner animals (in a bad sense) . Everyone wants just to go with the flow like pieces of shit and get a cheap pleasure from this kind of life. It is inherent to all of us. But at the same time, this is the reason for our hatred. Nevertheless, we don’t sing about our hatred to all the people in our songs, but this idea is like a shadow in all of them.


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?


We can't boast of a numerous shows that we have played. The most memorable for us was a Goblin Show (Odessa, 2009), this was our first gig on a big stage with many people; later in 2009 we had a gig in our native town with that guys from Japan named Gothika, who played some kind of electronic music; and our gig with the guys from Italy named Dark Lunacy in 2012, Ukraine.

Our live shows are not surprising at first sight. Grim clothes, hair banging. Everything is quite typical for gothic and black metal. But the atmosphere that we create at the concert is unique.


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


No, we haven’t. Now we are focused on one-off concerts and studio work.


8. On a worldwide level how has feedback been to your music by fans of gothic and extreme metal?


We’ve got a lot of good reviews all over the world. Previously known in the countries of the former Soviet Union only, now we receive acknowledgements from very distant places of the world. This motivates us to continue our work and do our best.


9. Are any of the band members also involved with any other musical projects or bands these days?


For now, only Kate, our singer, is involved in the band named Fever Pitch. Rest of the line-up is currently focused on Mizantropia.


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


As any reasonable person, we hope for the best. We are willing to reach higher levels, produce more professional shows on the bigger stages, constantly improve our recordings and compose better songs.


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?


Surely, metal music, in all its variety. We can name such bands as In Flames, Crematory, Behemoth, My Dying Bride, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir.


12. What are some of your non-musical interests?


Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll. Just kidding. Each of us has some particular interests: sports, parties, cycling trips, tourism, watching TV-shows, photography, etc.


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


Listen good music, visit concerts, support your favorite bands and stay metal.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Officium Triste/Reason/Vic Records/2015 CD Re-Issue Review


  Officium  Triste  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2004  album  "Reason"  which  will  be  re-issued  in June  by  Vic  Records.

  A  very  dark, melodic  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  you  can also  hear  a  small  amount  of  keyboards  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  depressive  melodies  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  keyboards  have  a  more  powerful  sounding  presence  giving  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  as  well as  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  violins  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in a  small  amount  of spoken  word  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  end  of  the  recording.

  Officium  Triste  played  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  as  well  as  utilizing  more  keyboards  than  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  thoughts,  gloom  and  pessimism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Officium  Triste  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  "Silent  Witness"  "Sun  Doesen't  Shine  Anymore".  8  out  of  10. 

Monday, May 25, 2015

Zatokrev/Silk Spiders Underwater/Candlelight Records/2015 CD Review


  Zatokrev  are  a  band  from  Switzerland that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Silk  Spiders  Underwater"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along with  some  powerful  sounding bass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  melodies  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  brings  in  clean  singing  vocals  at  times  and  the  heavier  parts  bring  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  throws  in  a  great  amount  of  aggressive  screaming  vocals  throughout  the  recording  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  brings  in  a touch  of  post  metal  at  times  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  being used  in some parts of  the songs  and as  the album  progresses  the  music  speeds  up  at  times  and also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of blast  beats  while  a  later  track  also  brings  in  a  grief  use of  violins.

  Zatrokrev  creates  an  album  that  is  still  very  heavily  rooted  in sludge  and  doom  metal  but  also  mixes  in  more  post  metal  elements  this  time  around  while  still  also  having  a  touch  of  death  metal  in  their  musical  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In my  opinion this  is another  great  sounding recording  from  Zatokrev  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Runaway  Soul"  "Loom"  and  "Swallow  The  Teeth".  8  out  of  10.     

Opium Lord/Eye Of Earth/Candlelight Records/2015 CD Review


  Opium  Lord  are  a  band from  The United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "The  Eye  Of  The  Earth"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sludge/doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along with  some  melodic  sounds  in  the  background  and  a  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  and  when  vocals  are  added  into the  music  they  are  very  grim  sounding  sludge  screams  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  use  a  small  amount  of  growls. 

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  all  of  the  songs  remain  true  to  a  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there is  never  a  soft  or  weak  moment  to  be  heard  in  any  of  the  tracks  and  the  last  song  is  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Opium  Lord  plays  one  of  the  slowest  mixtures  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  that  has  been  heard  in  a  long  time  taking  both genres  back  to  their  roots,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  misery,  drugs  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Opium  Lord  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  "Pink  Mass"  "Azazel"  and  "KRocdil".  8  out  of  10. 

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Mare Infinitum/Alien Monolith God/Solitude Productions/2015 CD Review


  Mare  Infinitum  are a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Alien  Monolith  God"  which  was  released  by  Solitude  Productions.

  A  very  distorted  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  that  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  also  dominate  throughout  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  a  lot  more  heavier  and  death  metal  growls  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths.

  A  good  portion  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  and  the  clean  singing  vocals bring  in  elements  of  epic  doom  metal  into  the  songs and  some  of  the  screams  and  whispers  bring  a  touch  of  black metal  onto  the  recording.and  some  of  the  sound  effects  also  bring  an  experimental  feeling  to  the  recording  while  the  synths  also  bring  in a  touch  of  ambient  at  times  and  all  of the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  musical  direction.

  Mare  Infinitum  plays  a  very  slow  musical  style  that  combines  the  epic  traditional  doom  and  doom/death  together  with  a  great  amount  of  ambient  and  atmospheric  elements  to create a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  pain  and  loneliness  themes  along  with  some  lyrics  inspired  by  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Mare  Infinitum  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alien  Monolith  God"  and  "The  Sun  That  Harasses  My  Solitude".  8  out  of  10.  

   

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Jointstereo/Circles/Another Side Records/2015 EP Review


  Jointstereo  are  a  band  from  Russia that  plays  a   progressive  mixture  of  doom/death  metal,  atmospheric  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "Circles"  which  was  released  by  Another  Side Records.

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off   the  ep  and  also  brings  in  elements  of  both  progressive  and  post  rock  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  melodic  and  when vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  in  a  clean  singing  direction  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  ambient,  atmospheric  and  depressive  rock  elements  into  the  songs.

  All  of  the  music  sticks  to  a very  slow  musical  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and   after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  more  heavy  doom  metal  elements  as  well  as  some  screams  and  growls  that  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  death  metal  which  they  also  combine  with a  touch  of  post  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  calm  and  heavy  parts.

  Jointstereo  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  for  a  modern  style  of  progressive  and  post  rock/metal  which  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heaviness  of  doom  and  death  metal  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark, mythological  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Joinstereo  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  doom/death  metal,  atmospheric  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  " Ouroboros"  and  "Fractual  Universe".  8  out  of  10.

 

The Atrocity Exhibit/Self Titled/Wooaaargh/2015 7 Inch Review


  The  Atrocity  Exhibit are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  crust  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2015  7  Inch  which  was  released  by  Wooaaargh.

  A  very  fast  and  distorted  noise/grind  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  brutal  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  crust  style  vocals  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  being  mixed  in  with  the  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  melodies  being  used  at  times.

  Spoken  word  samples  can  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  recording  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  bring  in  a  heavy  dose  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and all  of the  songs  are  very  short  in length  with  the  longest  one  being  close  to  3  minutes.

  The  Atrocity  Exhibit  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  the  speed  and  brutal  grindcore  and  crust  in  with  the  slower  sections  of  sludge  and  doom metal  to  create  some  very  raw,  heavy  and  aggressive  music,  the  production sounds  very  raw yet  powerful  at  the  same  time while  the  lyrics  cover  violent, hateful,  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Atrocity  Exhibit  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge, crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "God  Shines  On  Fools"  "The  Value  Of  Nothing"  and  "Violent  World".  8 out  of  10.   

Temple Of Dagon/Revelations Of The Spirit/Black Voodoo/2015 EP Review


  Temple Of  Dagon  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of doom,  death,  thrash  metal,  crust  and  stenchcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2015  ep  "Revelations  Of  The  Spirit"  which  will  be released  in  June  by  Black Voodoo.

  Avant  garde  ritualistic  music  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  starts  gettign  heavier  and  adds  in  more  of  an  old school  death/thrash  style  which  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  crust  and  stenchcore  and  the  vocals  also  bring in t hat  same  element  along  with  a  few  growls  and  high  pitched  screams.

  Guitar  leads  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  few  tracks  that  are  long  an d epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear a  decent  amount  of  melody  in some  of  the  guitar  riffs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  while  the  slower  sections of n the  music  bring  in  a  heavy  dose  of  doom  metal.

  Temple  Of  Dagon  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to the  early 90's  day  of  doom,  death,  thrash metal,  crust  and  stenchcore  but  done  with  a  more  modern  take  on  those  genres,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  on  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Temple  Of  Dagon  are  a  very  great  sounding mixture  of  doom,  death,  thrash  metal,  crust  and  stenchcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Evocation"  and "Nexus  Of  Reality".  8  out of  10.   

Friday, May 22, 2015

Lying Figures/A World Of My Own/2015 EP Review


  Lying  Figures  are  a  band  from France  that  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "A  World  Of  my  Own".

  A very  dark and melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  starts  getting  heavier   and  after  the  intro  the  band  starts bringing  in more  atmospheric  doom metal  elements  along  with  some  clean  singing  vocals  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched screams  which  they  all  mix  together.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of early  90's  United  Kingdom  doom/death  metal  influences  in the  bands  musical style  and  clean playing  can  also  be  heard  in certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  slight  black  metal  influence  in  the bands  musical  style  at  times and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  melodic  vocals  also bring  in a  touch  of  goth  at  times.

  Lying Figures  plays a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is very  melodic  and  atmospheric  and  also  stays away from  keyboards  and  violins  to  create more  of  a  heavy  sound,  the  production sounds  very  professional  for  being a  self  released  recording  while the lyrics  cover  dark and  melancholic  themes.    

   

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Albatross/Fear From The Skies/Transcending Obscurity India/2015 CD Review


  Albatross  are    Band  from  India  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  heavy,  power,  thrash,  death  and  doom  metal  with some  avant  garde  and experimental  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Fear From The Skies"  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  India.

  Ritualistic  sounding  bells  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  weird  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the  intro  the  clean  parts  remain in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  music  and  avant  garde  and  psychedelic  feeling  along  with  some  vocals  that  are  done  in  a  clean  and  melodic  voice.

  After  awhile  the  music starts  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  that  brings  elements  of  prog  metal  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  in a melodic  musical  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses the  band  starts  getting  more  heavier  and  starts  incorporating  thrash  style  riffs  and  power  metal  vocals.

  You  can  hear  the  more  technical  side  of  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  some  screams  that  are  raspy and  the  slower sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  traditional  and  epic  doom  metal  and  there  are  also  a  few tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  in certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Albatross  creates  another  album  that  combines  heavy,  power,  thrash  and  doom  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  an album  that  is  very  diverse  and  has  a variety  of  many  different  metal  styles,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gothic  literature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding recording from  Albatross  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  many  different  metal  genres,  you should  check  out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Jugglehead  The  Clown"  "Children  Of  The  Cloud"  and  "A  Tale  Of  Two  Tyrants".  8  out  of  10. 

  

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Ilsa/The Felon's Claw/A389 Recordings/2015 CD Review


  Ilsa  are  a  band  from  Washington  D.C  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  death,  doom  metal  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album "The  Felon's  Claw"  which  was  released  by  A389  Recordings.

  Death  metal  growls  and  sludge/doom  metal  style  guitar  riffing  starts  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  speeds up  a  bit  and  adds  in elements  of  crust  and  d  beat   along  with  high  pitched  screams  making  their  present  known  at  times  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  raw  and  melodic  sounding.

  All of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  have  a  very  powerful  sound to  them  and  some  of the  albums  add  melodies  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  of  the  tracks  are also  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses blast  beats  can  be  heard in  the  faster  parts  of the  music  which  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  grindcore.

  Ilsa  creates  another album  that is  very  heavy  keeping  their sludge  and  doom  metal  influences  while  also  adding  into  more  crust  and  old  school  death  metal   elements  this  time  around,  the production sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another great  sounding  recording  from  Ilsa  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "25  Cromwell"  "Pandolpho"  "Enter  The  Void"  and  "Song  Of  The  Saw-Blade".  8  out  of  10.

   

Ovenizer/SWM/Norwegain Pope Records/2015 Full Length Review


  Ovenizer  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form of  post  metal  with  some elements  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album "SWM"  which  was  released  by  Norwegian Pope  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound to  them  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  mostly  clean  singing  while  they  also  bring  in  growls  and  screams at  times  and  the  music  mixes  post  rock  in  with  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  style  of  metal  while  some  of  the  screams  are  influenced  by  black  metal.

  Acoustic guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  give  the  music  a  neo-folk  feeling  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  that  are  also  influenced by  folk  metal  at times  and  the  music  also brings  in  a  touch  of  progressive  metal  and  the  whole  album  mostly  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  mixes in  a  lot  of  elements  of  doom  metal  while  some  songs  also  do  speed  up  briefly  and  brings  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  and  almost towards the  end  psychedelic  sounds  are brought  into  the  music  briefly.

  Overnizer  plays  a  style  of  post  metal  that  is  very  modern  and melodic  and  also mixes  in doom,  death  and  a  touch  of  metal  to  give  their  music  a  heavier  style,  the  production  sounds very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover    dark  and  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion Ovenizer  are  a  very  great sounding melodic  post  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satan's  Washing  Machine"  "S.I.B  Standard  Issue  Breathing"  and  "Watch".  8  out  of  10. 

   

Undergang/Doden Laeger Alle Sar/Dark Descent Records/2015 CD Review


  Undergang  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Doden Laeger Alle Sar"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Dark  sounding clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going into  more  of  a  raw  death  metal  direction  that  also  utilizes  blast  beats  and  guttural  growls  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  incorporating  more  doom  metal  elements  as  well  as  sticking  to  an  early  90's  style  of  sound  and  the  faster  sections  also  bring  in a   touch  of  grind.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  high  pitched  screams  at  times  and all  of the  musical  instruments  have a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  mostly  avoid  any  solo  or  leads  to  focus  more  on  a  heavy  and  dark  sound  while  they  do  appear  briefly on  the  last  track and have a  melodic  sound to  them.

  Undergang  creates  another  album  that  is  in an  early  90's  doom/death  metal  direction  and  as  always  avoids  any modern  trends  and  sounds  to  create  some  dark,  raw  and  heavy  music, the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  death,  insanity,  darkness  and  suffering.

  In  my  opinion this  is another great  sounding  recording  from  Undergang  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Jomfroblodbad"  "Ad  Ligbitum"  "Kogt  i  Blod"  and  "Dodsfald".  8  out  of  10.   

   

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Apneica/Pulsazioni...Conversione/Club Inrerno.Ent/2015 CD Review


  Apneica  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  post  form  of  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  dark  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Pulsazioni...Conversione"  whichwill  be  released  on  May  21st  by  Club  Inferno  Ent. .

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  adds  a  good  amount  of  post  rock  style  melodies  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  mixing  in  more  of  a  heavy  doom  metal  style  along  with  some death  metal  growls  that  also  use  high  pitched  screams  that  also  adds  a  black  metal  influence  onto  the  recording. 

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in length  and  the  songs  also  alternate  between  both clean and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  bringing  in  clean  singing  vocals  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  even  more  of  a  melodic  post  metal  influence  onto  the  recording  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  the  last  track  is  all  instrumental.

     Apneica  plays  a  musical  style that  takes  the  atmospheric  gothic  doom/death  metal  sound  of  the  80's  and mixes  in  with  the  more modern  post metal  style  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,   the  production sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  the  fragility  and  passion  of  humanity.

  In  my  opinion    Apneica   are  a  very great sounding  post doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Alba  Artificiale"  and  "In  Orbita".  8  out  of  10.

 

Nightslug/Loathe/Lost Pilgrim Records/2015 LP Review

  
  Nightslug  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  heavy  form  of  sludge  metal  with  the  energy  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Loathe"  which  was  released  by  Lost  Pilgrim  Records.

  A  good  amount  of  reverb  and  distortion  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  which  leads  up  to  a  very  heavy  sludge  metal  sound  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  some  elements  of  doom  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  some of  the  other  tracks  the  music  goes  into  a  mid  paced  direction  and  also  mixes  in  the  raw  energy  of  hardcore  punk  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  distorted  and noisy  sounding  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  dark  and  heavy  musical  direction.

  Nightslug  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  metal  but  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  crust,  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  angry  and  pissed  off  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Nightslug  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Loathe" "Under  A  Bane"  and  "Tainted  Throne".  8  out  of  10.       

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Vihaan Interview


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

Vihaan was formed in 2012 by Lorenzo Piccirilli as solo project based just outside of Detroit, MI. The focus is on the music, songwriting, and a range of influences from modern progressive death metal, 70s prog rock, and jazz fusion.


2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

People familiar with Opeth’s material will be be accustomed to the sound; lots of lengthy songs with dark vocals, complex, yet groove laden rhythmic passages, and constant gyration between the extremes of total chaos and softer progressions. I like to layer sounds and include instruments with many types of timbres. Nothing written is overly complicated, but I think the final product is complex and deep.


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

The lyrics are purposely vague and open to interpretation. The lyrics are fairly eclectic, dealing with paradoxes, and current and personal events.


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

Vihaan means “a new dawn” in Hindi and “hatred” in Finnish. I wasn’t aware of the Finnish meaning until later, however I believe the dual meaning reflects the music quite nicely.


5.The band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?

The band still is a solo project, I brought on long time friends Chris Burrows (drums) and Anthony Lipari (Vocals) to fill out the sound in the original recording. We are jamming the record currently in preparation for potential live shows.


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

N/A


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

We are looking to play a couple local shows in the near future.


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

I am not looking for a label and it probably wouldn’t make sense right now for a big label to sign Vihaan. Perhaps in the future.


9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the extreme and progressive metal genres?

It has been small but positive. I think this is a great launchpad for future albums and there is quite a bit of sonic diversity in the debut. It was a long and drawn out writing process, with some of the original recordings and final mixing spaced out by two years. In the end, a distillation of my best material made the cut, but in the future I plan to keep the incubation time (from start to finish) much shorter.


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

I see the project going from one extreme to the other and constantly pushing the envelope. Although I’m pleased with how Invicta turned out, I want to take more risks and push limits with at least parts of the next release. Whatever the sound and genre it happens to be, I want it to be intense to listen to.


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?

I listen to plenty of progressive metal, Opeth, Cynic, Lamb of God, Devin Townsend, and Between the Buried and Me, to name a few. Some artists outside of metal have been influential as well, such as Kimbra, Camel, Almost Free, Chvrches, and Hiatus Kaiyote.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Outside of music, I enjoy reading books on finance and building computers.


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

Wooden Stake/A Feast Of Virgin Souls/Razorback Records/2015 CD Review


  Wooden  Stake  are  a band  with  members  from  both  California  and  New  York  that  plays  an  occult  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  the  2015  album  "A  Feast  For  Virgin  Souls"  which  was  released by Razorback  Records.

  Ritualistic  sounding  bells  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  dark,  melodic  and  heavy  doom metal  direction  and  a  few  seconds  later  death  metal  growls  and  screams  start  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Clean  singing  female  vocals  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  very  dark and  melodic  musical  direction  and  spoken  word  ritualistic  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  elements  of  traditional  metal  and  NWOBHM  can  be  heard in  some  of  the  riffs  along  with  the music  getting  a  little  bit  more  upbeat.

  Wooden Stake  plays  a  musical style that  takes  a traditional  style  of doom  metal  and  mixes it  with  the  heaviness and  darkness  of  death  metal to create  a   sound  of their  own, the  production  sounds very professional while the  lyrics  cover  the legend of  Elizabeth Bathory and  the  1871  gothci  nover 'Carmillia"by  Joseph Steridan.

  In my  opinion  Wooden  Stake  are  a very  great sounding  occult  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  "Rise  From  The  Bleeding  Coffin"  "Cross-Scalded  Flesh"  "Hanging  From The  Inverted  Cross"  and  "Curse  Of  The  Cauldron  Countess".  8  out  of  10.   

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Mizantropia/Oblivion/Metal Scrap Records/2015 CD Review


  Mizantropia  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  extreme  form  of  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Oblivion"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  synths  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  very  90  orientated  gothic/doom  metal  sound.

  Acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  modern  goth  and  prog  metal  elements  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  a  very  melodic  musical  direction  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  briefly.

  Mizantropia  plays  a  style  of  gothic/doom  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  also adds  in  a  touch  of  death,  black  and  modern  metal  to  make  their  music  heavier  fro  this  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  love  and  sorrow  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mizanthropia  are  a  very  great  sounding  extreme  gothic  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Castle"  "Tomorrow  Never  Comes"  "Fragments  Of  The  Void"  and  "Insomnia".  8  out  of  10.

    

Friday, May 1, 2015

Abjvration/The Unquenchable Pyre/Caligari Records/2015 Cassette Review


  Abjvration  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays an  old  school  mixture  of  death  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "The  Unquenchable  Pyre"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari  Records.

   Distorted  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  after  a  few  seconds  guitar  riffs  are  added  into  the  music  and  they  also  use  melodies  at  times  and  they  also  add  in  the  sounds  of  people  suffering  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  doom  metal  direction  and  adding  death  metal  growls  into  the  music  and  the  songs  also  have  a  very  dark  feeling.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  an  early  90's  doom  metal  sound  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  a  very  dark,  melodic  and  old  school  style  when  they  are  utilized    and  you  can  also  hear  a brief  use  of  screams  and  chants  in  some  of  the  tracks  and  when the  music speeds  up  brutal  blast  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  Abjvration  plays  a  style of  death/doom  metal  and  avoids  any  of  the  modern  trends  of  the  last  20  or  more  years,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  heavy  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness. death  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Abjvration  are  a  very  great sounding  old  school  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  "The  Dessicated  Womb"  and  "The  Clawed  Redeemer".  8  out  of  10.

Rolling Through The Universe Interview


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

Since we were in the studio, we have been building a new practice space and honing the songs to keep them fresh in our minds.  The album has just been released so not much has happened yet.  We are booking a west coast tour this June and will be playing a local gig on May 18....Aside from that,  just the seasonal allergies and over consumption of adult herbs, and beverages.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

The sound of the album is more full than our previous albums.  The songs tend to touch most of our inner thoughts, which is really noisy.

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

We write a lot of about the universe, consciousness, culture and society... all that neo-psychedelic intellectual rhetoric. That said, not much of it is distinguishable and is just meant to add to the sound, to become another instrument in the dusty sound that we produce.

4.Originally the band was all instrumental, what was the decision behind adding vocals into the music?

A tin can.  Really it was singing into a tin can that made it come to life. REVERB REVERB REVERB!


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Rolling Through the Universe'?

We are all rolling through this universe... Did you forget that we are on a some what of a round planet?


6.Originally the band was from North Dakota but now lives in Oregon, what was the decision behind the move, and also how would you compare the two states?

Well, ND is pretty much a cultural/environmental wasteland, so moving to Portland was an amazing and rewarding experience.  The Band was moved here to escape a life of monotonous cycles of self-harm and lack of good beer.

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

We opened for Yob and it was the best show ever.  Our stage performance was sort of like Yob's, but more on the funny side of things:)

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

Yes: we will be touring the southern west coast in June! In late august we will be touring the northern part of the US. In spring we plan to do a European tour, as most of our album sales/interest are incorporated over seas.

9.The new album was released on Hidden Temple Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

We have been an independent band the inteire time.  Our music does not fit the regular day to day scedule of most labels so we created our own.  You never make money in the music industry, why not go down with your own fucked up idea?

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge, doom and post metal?

Really early to ask this question but, it seems to be taking hold in Europe and Mexico, oddly enough.... by taking hold we mean, people who have been downloading our new album overseas.  This is a first for us to see the interest spark so quickly.  Its like a flame that will keep burning.  We hope it consumes the planet.

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

Forward.

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?

Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, heart.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Coconut oil, wet pants, spicy tuna, bearded clams, shredding pussy, and Totino's Pizza Rolls.

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

Don't ask this question in an interview!