Monday, May 30, 2016

While Sun Ends Interview


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



We basically have hput ourselves into promoting the album.
Our previous works were self-produced; with Terminus, we decided to push it further finding  help from a label or making a video for the single track.


We got in touch with Cris from Wooaaargh and now we are ready to release Terminus in August.

2.    You have a new album coming out in August, 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 band has a predominantly death metal sound mixed with progressive and post-metal.We are peculiar in that we have a female vocalist who does both screams/growls and clean vocals.In Terminus we put more attention on building complex vocals structures.

Unlike our past projects, as we said before, we made a decision to have a professional recording that could bring out the layering and the articulated writing. Basically, we sound way more aggressive and modern.


We have always enjoyed the electronic feelings, and especially in the arrangements in Terminus we gave it a bigger space.



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

We wanted to explore different ways in which people aget knowledge. We like to write about society, human being and psychology, and all these things are gathered into the concept of Terminus: Knowledge is a journey from the single human being to a society built on relationships. We get many stimuli from society, as well as it influences our thoughts: take these as steps throughout an infinite ideal spiral, where opposites find their compromise in a continuous synthesis. The latter represents “the new start” of our being as it was at the beginning: it is pretty much more than a horizontal growth. It’s a sort of spread-away, finding ourselves in deeper and deeper layers of existence.



4.    What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'While Sun Ends'?



It all started from the image of the sunset, a moment of the day that is particularly romantic and inspirational. It seemed good to us, as it is also linked to some thoughts we had on the relation between the past, the present and the future. We think that the moment in which the sun is about going away is full of emotions and questions on what was, is and will be.


The words “While Sun Ends” describe that exact moment, the end of the sunlight on earth, and the quest for something beyond that.



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 try to convey our music in the most simple and direct way, focusing most on the sound than on the “image”. We think playing shows is the best way to Know new people that share passions. There isn’t a particular gig we would like to remember: during the past we had the pleasure to play with bands that are now friends, and this is a great pleasure for us.



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



On September we are planning some gigs to promote the album, then we’d like to  tour across Europe during winter. Anyway, we actually don't have shows booked but we are planning to play with bands we really like.new friend! We shall make our best to organize a European Tour to promote Terminus and enjoy the metal feeling across the continent. Finally, we chose the venue for our release party: it's a nice place named “Joe Koala”, where an outdoor stage is set during summer. Hope we will crash the night !





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

The feedback we had from abroad was pretty good, but we have to be sincere… Everyone wanted to meet our singer in real life.



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

Our drummer Enrico is involved in two other Italian “indie rock” bands, called “Le Capre a Sonagli” and “Karenina”; he has released several albums and made many lives all around Italy. Our two guitarists Diego and Massimo were also involved in another metal band named “Dejanira” until a few months ago, but now the group has decided to take a break.



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

We think that Terminus marks a new beginning for us as a band, not only due to the new lineup, but also due to  sound and songs . We are quite glad of how the band sounds, but we really don’t know how our style and sounds will evolve in the future. Perhaps we will experience further with the atmospheric and post rock side, or maybe we will write down a pure death metal album...who knows?! Our writing process usually required a great deal of time because we have never been pushed from major labels or stuff like that: the main purpose behind our music is to fulfill passion in what we do, create a stream for us to be represented. That’s why While Sun End’s music will grow along with the band members, according with the future musical influences of each 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?

Without any doubt, the bands that mostly influenced us (and that we're currently listening to) are Katatonia, Novembre and Opeth among others. We were also massively influenced by the progressive rock movement of the 70, sometimes by post-rock sounds. Our personal influences are various and very different from one another, and this is clearly passed down to our sound.



11.  What are some of your non musical interests?



Oh, they’re various:Enrico is a drum teacher (we know drum is music, but maybe he doesn’t think the same and this is why he wanted to answer this way!!!),  Massimo is a charming pharmacist who loves photography and fishing. Diego is a sound engineer  and he’s working hard to create his own studio; Carlo is a noob nerd studying Neuroscience to become a psychologist, while Stefania is fond of nature, and enjoys having walks, collecting herbs and getting some inspiration for her drawings!





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



It’s our great pleasure to thank Cris from Wooaaargh and Curtis from Dewar PR for helping us in this new adventure! Special thanks also go to Riccardo “Paso” Pasini , who gave us a huge help mixing the album, creating some very nice memories together during our stay in Ravenna! Huge thanks to Serena Caracchi for the past years together and to Davide Capoferri for his guitar solo in our track “Seesaw”. Finally, thank you so much for this interview, it was ages -when we were pupils- since we last had so many question to answer! We hope you will enjoy our album, wishing to play lots of gigs to promote it in the next year!

Friday, May 27, 2016

Grotesque Ceremonium/Demonic Inquisition/Satanath Records/More hateproductions/2016 CD Review

 
 Grotesque  Ceremonium  are  a  solo project  from  Turkey  that plays  a  very  dark  and  blasphemous  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Demonic  Inquisition"  which  will b e  released  in  June  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  is  more  rooted  in  the  more  dark  and  underground  90's  style  of t he  genre  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies.

  A  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  screams  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  been  easily  recorded  and  released  more  than  20  years  ago  and  the  songs  stick  mostly  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  none  of  the  songs  rarely  ever  use  any  solos  or  leads  except  for t he  last  track  while  also  always  remaining  heavy  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Incantation's  "Profanation".

  Grotesque  Ceremonium  plays  a  style  of  death  metal t hat  is  very  dark  and  heavy  in  the  90's tradition  while also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  doom  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  blasphemy,  anti  religion  and  Satanism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grotesque  Ceremonium  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  blasphemous  doom/death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Defiled  Spirits  Of  Unholy  Torments"  "Barbaric  Apostasy"  "In  The  Cauldrons  Of  Hell"  and  "Profanation".  8  out  of  10.   

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Blood Moon Hysteria Interview


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

1. Blood Moon Hysteria was founded in 2015 by me, as I wanted to make some heavy and atmospheric metal.Had just ended another band, that was more focused on acoustic guitars and melancholy. It just got boring after some years. So the time was right for me to plug in my Gibson to the Marshall amp,
and make fuzzy riffs.And to create haunting melodies with apocalyptic themes and lyrics.

2.You have an ep coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

2. The musical sound on 'Crimson Sky' EP is a mix of my black metal influences and my love for 70's hardrock and progressive bands. Most of the stuff I grew up listening to.There is a lot of gloomy mellotron, deep bass and great guitar riffs with both melody and disharmony. The vocals are very well integrated and have a cool style that matches the music.It's dark, it's cold, it's hypnotic.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. I get inspired everyday to write lyrics. Just by watching my fellow humans. Wars... Hunger... Religion... Politics... We are doomed and I feed on it. I don't care what happens and I observe the hysteria.
But also some of my own experiences. Like the opening track 'Paranoia'. It's about having a bad psychedelic
trip gone wrong, together with a female friend. And have a true feeling of being lost in time and space. A dark place when intoxicated beyond.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blood Moon Hysteria'?
4. The name comes from religious doomsday prophecies. The things I despise and can't understand.
It is a reaction to the cult and the masses. Even now in modern times, they scream about the wrath of God. And the end is near. hehehe

5.Except for the piano the project is mostly solo, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future?
5. Yeah, looking for permanent members. Or at least someone to work with. I have visions and want this band to grow. And it deserves to be on a live stage in the future.

6.The ep is coming out on 'WormHoleDeath Records, are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
6. So far things are still fresh and new. And the EP is not released yet. But yes, I am satisfied with the support I get from them.They seem to push it. The band has potential and everybody knows.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
7. The feedback so far has come from my close friends in Norway and european underground press.
Awesome reviews and kind words indeed. Looking forward to get some responce from fans of metal around the world. But they have to wait a few weeks. The official release date is june the 16th.

8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
8. Blood Moon Hysteria is the main focus right now.

9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
9. For the next five years I will work hard and exclusively on this band. If it pays off, I will continue for many fullmoons. I have dreams...

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. When I was young I only listened to KISS. My very first memory is Creatures of the Night.
A few years later I discovered Black Sabbath and so on. At age ten, I heard Slayer for the first time. It was in 1990 when Seasons in the Abyss came out. It was the most badass music I have ever heard at that time.
Three years later it was all about 420 and Pink Floyd. Until 1994 when my buddy from school had a brother who played in Gehenna. They released First Spell and we got hooked on norwegian black metal.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
11. 420, beers, Playstation, random pussy.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Join your local rock n' roll cult !!
Thanx for the support. Cheers



Thank you in advance!!

Best Nat

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Revenience Interview


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

Debora:​​ Revenience was actually born in 2015, while recording the “Daedalum“ album, but
before that we have been friends and we  have beeing playing together for years. We had
some songs and lot of ideas and so we finally decided to produce an LP… then, after a
number of changes in the line up, the project took its final shape.
Our “new story” is just at the beginning

2.In January you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound
that is presented on the recording?

Debora:​​ It is a female ­fronted modern metal proposal, that recalls echoes from the very first
step of gothic/symphonic trying to rearrange them by mixing with electronic, dark and
progressive contaminations. The result is a mix of articulate rythmic patterns and cinematic
atmospheres, something we are rather proud of, but which is still continuously evolving… we
put lot of effort in improving that!

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

Debora: ​​Basically the lyrics deal with emotions in general: different states of perception
induced either by ambiental or inner mutations, elaboration of memories, stratification of
experiences in order to build a complete human being, amongst others...the idea is always
to portrait an emotion and let the listener experience it directly from the music, or at least this
is our greatest hope.

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

Debora: ​​Revenience isn't an actual word, but the word “reveniens” in latin means “someone
who came back”, from which the word “Revenant” originated, which is something  coming
back from death. We took inspiration from that or, in a more general way, we thought about
the concept of a strong renewal after a moment of “death”, a temporary shutdown where
there is no certainty at all.
It sounds rather dark but if you think about  it is a positive message: the only thing that you
can do in a moment like that is to change and, if you are lucky/strong enough, evolve. We
loved the image and we choose it definitely because “Daedalum” itself came out in a
moment of “revenience” for the band, so basically destiny did the job for us.

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

Debora: ​​the last show at Live23 (Alessandria) was one of our bests and It makes me
heartily smile while thinking of it. That night I really felt a great response from people, really
attentive to our songs and really involved in the atmospheres of our sound. And I think that
they also really took part of the synergy we had while playing. It is a strong emotion to see
such feedback from the audience listening to your own songs.
I think that our performance on stage is centered on that: we have fun and we love sharing
our feelings with people. We’re definetly carefree and spontaneous (most of all Michele,
ahahah! ) and there’s lot of energy and enthusiasm; also we really work hard for having the
right sound, so that the atmosphere we create in our songs might be as immersive as
possible .

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

Debora:​​ Just now, toghether with our label (Sliptrick records) we are planning a tour in
Europe for next autumn, probably in the north/east.

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

Debora: ​​We’re having lots of positive feedback worldwide, we were also surprised from a
great response form South America! Plus it seems that in russia there are lots of
downloads…
Goth metal fans appreciate our music indeed, but we were very happy to find out that also
many extreme metalheads and people not listening to metal at all really like our songs!

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

Debora:​​ for what I am concerned I don’t really have side projects, but still I’ve been doing
some sporadic collaboration with other bands as a guest in some songs.
As for the other guys from the band, they indeed have other projects on which they are
working, some of which are on hiatus, some are in the background and some are simply
proceeding at a different pace.

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

Debora: ​​Right now we are focusing a lot on the promotion of “Daedalum” realeased just this
year, with our main purpose beeing to play live as much as possible in Europe for sure and
then outside Europe when the time comes. In the meanwhile we are working on new music
and new songs… By the way, soon there will be news, you just sit tight!

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?

Debora: ​​For sure symphonic and gothic metal were a starting point, but it’s not just that: we
are deeply influenced by progressive metal /rock, electronic, movie soundtracks, pop, or
even more extreme metal. Well at least this is what we feel like when we play our songs.
As for me in particular, currently I’m listening a lot to artists such as Lana del Rey, Amy
Winehouse, Tory Amos, Nothing but Thieves… it’s easy to see that I don’t strictly have a
metal background. Also the other guys listen to really a great deal of different music genres,
from the most classic to the latest. We think that this is giving our music a lot of facets, a
sound the we feel rather personal.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Debora: ​​I really like a lot Gothic and Thriller literature and fiction. I’m also a lot into unsolved
mysteries of lost civilizations, like the ancient Egypt. I know that Pasquale and Fausto too
share this interest with me, other than fantasy fiction, while Michele and Simone are more
into sci­fi and actual science (physics, biotech, astronomy…), plus RPGs and chinese
martial arts also...
Let’s say that we really read a lot!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for this interview and thanks to you, reader, for your interest in sharing a little
time with us and our thoughts. We hope we’re seeing you headbang at one of our shows, we
can’t wait to meet you there!
Please, keep following us on socials and on our official website, lots of news are to come.
Cheers!


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Yeti On Horseback/The Great Dying/Medusa Crush Recordings/2016 CD Review


 Yeti  On  Horseback  are  a  band  from  London,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  psychedelic  and stoner  form  of  sludge/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Great  Dying"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Medusa  Crush  Recordings.

  Avant  garde  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  sludge  style  screams  while  the  riffs  bring  in  the  heaviness of  doom  metal  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  growls  at  times  along  with  a touch  of  post  hardcore  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  in  certain sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  samples  from  David  Lynch's  films  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  one  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals.

  Yeti  On  Horseback  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  mixes  it  with  a  great  amount  of  stoner  and  sludge  elements  along  with  a  touch  of  psychedelia  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Yeti  On  Horseback  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viking  Mushroom  Tae"  and  "Elephant  Man".  8  out of  10.

  

Monday, May 23, 2016

Arkadia/Aspirations & Reality/Inverse Records/2016 Full Length Review


  Arkadia  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of heavy,  doom,  and death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2016  album  "Aspirations  &  Reality"  which  was  released  by  Inverse  Records.

  Clean  guitars  and  drum  beats  start  off  the  album and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile t he  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  soem  death  metal  growls,  high  pitched  screams  and  melodic  guitar  leads  being  introduced  to  the  recordign  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  90's  doom/death  metal  influences.


  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  clean  singing  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  being  in  a  modern  style  of  melodic  death  metal  and  synths  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  a  touch  of  goth  metal while  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  as  the  album  progresses  they  bring  an  instrumental  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  there  is  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  Arkadia  creates  a  recording  that  sees  them  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  direction  while  still  having  some  doom  and  goth  metal  elements  in  their  musical  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

 In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Arkadia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  death  metal  or  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aspirations  &  Reality"  "Foundation"  "Spitting  Image"  and  "To  Those  it  may  Concern".  8  out  of  10.  

  

  


Sunday, May 22, 2016

Blood Moon Hysteria/Crimson Sky/WormHoleDeath Records/2016 EP Review


  Blood  Moon  Hysteria  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Crimson  Sky"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  also  mixing  in  a  dark  atmosphere  and  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  an  avant  garde  clean  singing  style  and  keyboards  when  they  are  utilized  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  haunting   musical  direction.

  Black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  the  music  briefly  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  while  some  tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  goth  and  death  rock  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or mid  paced  musical  direction  and  psychedelic  elements  are  added  on  the  last  track.

  Blood  Moon  Hysteria  plays  a  very  melodic  style  of  metal  which  also  mixes  in  atmospheric  elements  along  with  a  touch  of  goth,  avant  garde  and  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Blood  Moon  Hysteria  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Paranoia"  and  "Labyrinth".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Longhouse/Earth From Water/Sunmask/2016 CD Review


  Longhouse  are  a  band  from  Ottawa,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Earth  From  Water"  which  will  be  released  on  May  27th  by  Sunmask.

  Clean  playing  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drums  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  introducing  sludge  style  screams  and  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  melodies  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  post  metal  while  also  mixing  in  some  70's  metal  elements  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  slow  and  mid  paced  parts  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length

  Longhouse  plays  a  musical style  that  takes sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  with  with  a  very  heavy  vocal  approach  to  create  a  very  dark  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  various  spiritual  and  occult  concepts.

  In  my  opinion  Longhouse  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  "Eternal  Forest"  and  "Earth  From  Water".  8  out  of  10. 

The Weir/Calmness Of Resolve/Sunmask/2016 Vinyl Review


  The  Weir  are  a  band  from  Calgary,  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  ambient,  doom,  sludge  and post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Calmness  Of  Resolve"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Sunmask.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sludge  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and after  awhile  melodic  guitar  leads  become  a  part  of  the  recording  while  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  at  times.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  they  are  also  able  to  mix  in  ambient  in  the  clean  guitar  parts  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  all  instrumental  while  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  The Weir  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  the  heaviness  of  doom  and sludge  metal  and mixes  it  with  post  rock  and  a  guitar  orientated  style  of  ambient  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Weir  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ambient,  post,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Old  Country"  and  "Rust".  8  out  of  10.

Subterranean Disposition/Contagium And The Landscapes Of Failure/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2016 CD Review


  Subterranean  Disposition  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  an  avant  garde  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Contagium  And  The  Landscapes  of  Failure"  which   will  be  released  in  June  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Nature  sounds  along  with  some  clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  also  having  some  experimental  sounds  in  the  background  while  the  clean  guitars  are  also  used  on  the  later  tracks  as  well  and  all  oft he  musicla  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Saxophones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  elements  of  post  rock  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  also  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  edge  and  their  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  which  are  done  in  more  of  an  operatic  style.  and  a  later  song  also  introduces  violins  onto  the  recording  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a very  slow  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Subterranean  Disposition  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  doom/death  and  mixes  it  with  avant  garde  and  experimental  music  along  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create a  style  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Subterranean  Disposition  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Embittered"  and  "A  Life  Long  Slumber".  8  out  of  10.

 

(EchO)/Head First Into Shadows/BadMoonMan Records/Solitude Productions/2016 CD Review


  (EchO)  are a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Head  First  Into  Shadows"  which  will  be  released  on  May  23rd  as  a joint  effort  between  BadMoodMan  Records  and  Solitude  Productions.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minutes  atmospheric  synths  along  with  melodic  yet  depressive  guitar  leads  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music  and  all  of  the  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  start  out  in  more  of  a  clean  singing  fashion.

  Slide  guitars  can  be  heard  in  the  music  briefly  and  the  music  also  alternates  between  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  mixing  in  more  death  metal  growls  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  slight  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  mostly  a  very  slow  musical  direction  while  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  psychedelic  feeling  and  the  last  track  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  violins.

  (EchO)  plays  a  style  of  doom  and  death  metal  that  is  very  melodic,  progressive  and  atmospheric  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  loneliness,  dreamlike,  sorrow  and  loss  themes.

  In  my  opinion  (EchO)  are a very  great  sounding melodic  and  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "This  Place  We  Used  To  Call  Home"  and  "Order  Of  The  Nightshade".  8  out  of  10.

  

  

   

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

While Sun Ends/Terminus/WOOOAAARGH/2016 CD Review


  While  Sun  Ends  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  post  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  doom  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Terminus"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  WOOAAARGH.

  Ambient  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and after  a minute  female  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  prog  metal  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal s creams  onto  the recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  a  very  dark,  progressive  and  melodic  style  while  they  also  mix  female  vocals  in  with  the  heavier  parts  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  brings  in  electronic  music  elements  while  the  songs  also  alternate  between  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  quite  a bit  throughout  the recording  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  while  the  songs  usually  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  cleaner  sections  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  post  rock.

  While  Sun  Ends  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  progressive  death  metal  but  also  adds  in  elements  of  black,  doom  and  post  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humans,  society  and philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  While  Sun  Ends  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive,  post  death  metal  band  with  elements  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cycles"  "Seasaw"  and  "Elevation".  8  out  of 10.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Leather Glove Interview


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

Leather Glove was created as a studio project.  Once Earhammer ramped up into a full time job (by '08), things got too busy to focus on being a musician myself.  After many years of this, I became afraid there would be a disconnect between myself and the artists tracking and mixing here.  Being an artist who understood extreme music kept me busy.  It was imperative that this remained the case.  Around that time, I was challenged with recording bands down tuned and the next layer deeper than the previous.  It was invigorating! 

This inspired me to do 3 things:
1) Create a recording project and use my studio for art again
2) Challenge myself with hard shit to work with
3) Still write my style but use talented drummers I respect in order to sculpt a different sound for each release 

The end result of each release is meant to sound disgusting and oppressive.

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

For this demo, Leather Glove merged D Beat, Sludge, Doom, Noise rock all going through a Death Metal filter played on a very slow turn table.  The goal was to create a project that would place importance on the music over production.  The grosser and nastier, the better.  An antithesis to a majority of modern brutal and tech death metal productions where everything is clean and triggered sounding.  This was and is meant to be a very primitive, raw and visceral experience.  Thanks to Chad (Necrot, Atrament, Rude) for banging the skins on this release.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

If I extrapolated on the lyrics too much, I would have to kill you...  You seem like cool people.  For that, just know it usually covers very oppressive subject matters, which can take a turn to "so over the top its just plain ridiculous at times" like the title track "Skin on Glass".  "Rods of Steel" covers Classism.  "Conduit to Misery" covers the subject of being force fed pharmaceuticals.

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

The project which I plan on always keeping a dark undertone will evolve its sound over time.  The need to find a name that is neutral to genres was important.  Leather Glove can paint both a brutal, comforting or a sexy mental image upon first sighting.  Leather Gloves have many associations from hiding fingerprints while making attempts to burglarize, murder and sabotage to keeping warm, protecting your hands to down right sleazy and sexual content.  Its weird how inanimate objects develop such associations.  In my head, someone could see the name "Leather Glove" and think "what the fuck kinda music is this going to be?"

5.With this project you record everything by yourself but have experience playing in other bands, how would you compare the 2?

Well, I borrow drummers for this as there is no desire to get good enough at them to pull it off.  But other than that I do everything.  The process is slightly different.  I have a very specific sound in mind while writing riffs / songs.  With Brainoil, Deathgrave and other previous bands there are tendencies, skill sets and interests that vary from member to member.  When riffs get thrown into a band environment, one has to be willing to see it soar in a different direction than intended.  When doing Leather Glove, there is only a drummer to bounce riffs off of.  So I write whatever I feel like knowing it can be layered exactly as intended once the beat is discovered.  The drummer has a lot of input due to their ability and desires on how to treat the riff.  But in the end, there is only 1 other person beyond myself to weigh in on song structure.  Believe it or not, it makes a big difference. 

6.You have played in plenty of bands for the past 20 years, what is it that motivates you to keeping going after 2 decades?

A desire to create and refine myself and music is what keeps me alive.  I received my first bass 25 years ago and knew so much could be done with it.  Real music is an organism that constantly evolves for those who pay attention.  It can't be mastered and should not be tamed.  Knowing this has signed me up for a life long journey of music.

7.You have also engineered plenty of albums over the years, can you tell us a little bit more about it?

Its my full time job.  Not only do I feel honored and lucky to have such a career, but it also keeps one humble and in check.  I've produced 100's of records at this point that involve many directions of extreme music.  I still live hand to mouth and see musicians whose talent is so superior to "professional" artists that its criminal they are working pizza joints and coffee shops.  A few bands I've worked with (other than my own) are Graves at Sea, Vastum, Noothgrush, Lecherous Gaze, Saviours, Badr Vogu, Amber Asylum, Iron Lung, Asunder, Necrot, Worm Ouroboros, Extra Action Marching Band, and Lycus.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your solo material by fans of extreme metal?

So far, so good.  Its cool to hear people enjoy the noise in my head.  No deaths or casualties in relation to listening to the stream, so my slate is clean.

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?

Brainoil - writing our 3rd LP.  Really happy with the direction its going in and feel this will be our best effort to date.

Deathgrave - 2 songs short of our 1st LP.  Very excited about the music on this as well.  It will crush all our previous records in my opinion.  Split 7" with Endorphins Lost is at the pressing plant and probably won't be out in time for our SW tour in June (common story these days). 

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

2nd release will be very similar but slower and noisier.  3rd release will be much faster.  After that, who knows?  But it will be messed up somehow as avoiding too much 4/4 is a hobby of mine.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on the project and also what are you listening to nowadays?

As far as this release, Deep gross and terrifying sounds was the end goal.  Many elements created the underlying basis for this release. But a few notable ones were merging tempos akin to Coffins, Grossness of Undergang, Grooves of Brainoil, and repeating chromatic phrases with delayed guitars inspired by Zeni Geva and Swans.  I am on a new musical tangent every week it seems so a list would be futile.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I enjoy hanging out with my partner Fern, hiking, camping, reading and films (especially dissecting the foley and scores within them).

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

Thank you for the interview.  Special thanks to Mattia (co-releasing tape), Chad (drums), and Boo Boo Danger (artwork).  May 20th will be the release date where:

1)  The whole demo will stream on www.cvltnation.com

2)  Tapes and Digital Downloads will be available through both Sentient Ruin and Leather Glove's Bandcamp

3)  I will have digital downloads and/or streaming on itunes, spotify, youtube, soundcloud and many other digital domains.

Feel free to spread the word and thank you for reading this far!

Monday, May 9, 2016

AlgomA Interview


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


Well, since the recording and release of the new split, we have been recording our track for our next split with Hooded Menace. Which is coming out on Doomentia Records sometime later this year. We've been playing live shows both locally and out of town. We have been setting up a tour for June in Southern Ontario, which is shaping up to be really awesome! We love playing Southern Ontario, we have a lot of great friends down there and love playing with new bands too! We've also been doing some jamming and working on writing some new songs.


2.Recently you where a part of a split, 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?

I think the recordings on our recent split with Chronobot are a lot more raw and aggressive sounding, This isn't your pretty polished metal! haha This is really gritty stuff. Not for the masses at all. I think our previous recordings are also very raw, but on the split material we recorded live off the floor, which gives it a a very raw and abrasive sound. I think our tracks on the split are a lot more aggressive and I also think the vocals are a lot more angry and intense on these recordings. Overall, the new material compared to the old material, we are still writing the same slow sludge filled tracks. Very down-tuned, distorted, ugly stuff.


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

Well, we have two songs on the recent split with Chronobot, one is about ancient Tuberculosis, called "Phthisis". It's the third song in our disease trilogy ( the other songs in our disease trilogy are on our first album "Reclaimed by the Forest", "Tertiary Syphilis" and Extinct Volcanoes"); and the other song is called "Electric Fence", about Camp 14, a labor camp in North Korea. All our lyrical topics and subject matter for all our music is definitely dark and depressing subjects. Songs about death, torture and rabid dogs. We like to choose unique topics and talk about things from a different perspective. Our upcoming song for the Hooded Menace split is about a stunt man having a very bad accident. It's a very depressing tale! We're a sludge band, we're noisy, heavy and abrasive, songs showing the darker side of life just fit for this kind of music.


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

The steel mill in my city used to be called "Algoma Steel" before it was sold and changed it's name. We were inspired to name our band "AlgomA" because our music is heavy as an iron bar! Boyd and I were sitting in his basement after a jam, and we looked up at the steel support beams with the name AlgomA stamped in the side of them and we thought it was perfect! There is also something really dirty, gloomy and depressing about an old steel mill, it fits well for a sludge band!


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 some awesome shows with other great Canadian bands like Chronobot, the Golers, Horse Lung, Biipiigwan, Black Tremor, and IRN. Some of the best shows were down in Toronto, It's always great getting down to play in the big city. Playing with our buddies in Shit Liver is always a great time too! It's too hard to pick just a few, it's always a great time!! We really enjoy playing live! Sludge is great music to experience live, it's loud and very intense! The crowds get fully immersed in the heavy down-tuned riffs. As far as our stage performance goes, it's 3 dudes on stage, lots of feedback and screaming at you! haha We like to rock and enjoy ourselves. It's a sonic wall of chaos and feedback!!! it's pretty standard rocking out, no choreographed dance sequences or anything! haha


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

This summer we have a tour planned for Southern Ontario. We'll be playing in Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, London and a few more. We also have a few local shows to play as well. In July we are playing a show with Iskra, a cool blackened crust/grind band from British Columbia, so that should be a lot of fun too!


7.Recently you where a part of a split with 'Chronobot', what are your thoughts on the other band that had participated on the recording?

We love Chronobot!! Awesome guys, really easy going and fun dudes! They write some killer doom riffs and deadly tunes! We played live with those guys back in 2014, it was a ton of fun and we really hit it off! Gotta show some love for our fellow Canadian doomsters! It would be great to meet up again sometime for a show and smoke a bowl or two! Hopefully we do that sooner than later! Cheers to the Chronobot boys!


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of sludge, doom metal and noise rock? 

We've gotten really great feedback from the doom/sludge fans. We are really proud and happy about that! Local fans who were never really exposed to sludge before are also really digging us too! We appreciate everyone who comes out to our shows! We received some great reviews for our first album "Reclaimed by the Forest". The new split with Chronobot has been really well received too, everyone seems to be digging it, so that's awesome!!


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

We are currently writing new songs for our next full length, so that's been a lot of fun! We're writing tons of slow stuff, but we might also have a few faster tracks as well. We're not exactly sure when the next full length will be out, sometime in 2017 most likely! Who knows what the future holds, but our music will always be noisy and heavy, I don't see us changing musical directions.


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? 

Some of the bands that we have been influenced by are definitely the Melvins, Eyehategod, Boris, KIttens, Black Flag , Shallow North Dakota, and ton a more! We're basically influenced by a lot of different music genres, like sludge, noise rock, hardcore punk, etc. Lately I've been listening to Discharge, Scholastic Deth, 16, Pyramido, Melvins, Of Spire and Throne, Trees, Buzzoven. plus lots of death metal and other punk stuff! Everyone in the band has very eclectic taste in music.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

We all have a bunch of different interests...watching movies, playing video games, cooking, photography, writing, hiking, among others. Myself, I collect a bunch of different things like dvds, cds, vinyl, video games, and books. I like to go searching through pawn shops and thrift stores for cool junk! haha



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

Thanks for the interview!! Cheers to all our fans and supporters!! Tune low, play slow.. Sluuudge!!


Bandcamp link - https://algoma62.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-chronobot
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Saturday, May 7, 2016

Ceremonia/La Existencia Humana Debe Ser Un Error/2015 Full Length Review


  Ceremonia  are  a  band  with members from France and Columbia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "La  Existencia  Humana  Debe  Ser  Un  Error".

  Drum  beats  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  starts  to  go  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  the  screams  have  a  black  metal  tinge  to  them  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  speeds  up  briefly on  one  of  the  tracks  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  keyboards. 

  Ceremonia  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  and  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Latin  and  cover  depression,  lonliness  and  suffering.

  In  my  opinion  Ceremonia  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Amanecer  Fallido"  and  "Existencia  Humana".  8  out  of  10.     

Friday, May 6, 2016

The Drowning Interview


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

We’ve been playing live, at home and abroad since completing in the studio. We’ve also been busy with pre promotion for the new album “Senescent Signs” as well as working on material for the next album.



2.      You have a new album coming out in June, 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?

We entered a different studio from previous albums with producer/engineer Joe Thompson who has previously worked with fellow Welshmen Desecration as well as bands such as The Rotted and Overoth. We knew we were going for a whole new production. The writing being very intense leading up to this we felt was a whole new take in itself.



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 the time span?

After the 2011 album Fall Jerusalem Fall and the departure of vocalist James Moore it kind of left a hole in the band. At a local show we were introduced to Matt Small who was performing that night with a local metal band. After a few rehearsals we knew that he was the man for the job. 2012 saw us performing shows across the UK still promoting the previous album (FJF).  Joe Thompson and his colleague approached us and soon we began talks of recording a new album.  We hit the studio summer 2013. The recording process was going well, and then bad news came from Joe telling us of massive technical problems with the software of which the recorded material was sadly lost along with all back up. Not only did we suffer this blow, four other bands at the time also lost their material. Morale was low for the band after this, still performing shows but with no album to promote. January 2014 saw us back in the studio to start from scratch, and this time with all technical problems behind us we hit this new recording head on.



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

Lyrically there's an overall theme of the break down of things, society, relationships the sense of self; of decay and the passage of time, the fact that you can reflect on what has gone before and the helplessness experienced when you realize you are a victim of what has gone before. The individual tracks fundamentally are based in personal experience and the artwork reflects the themes of decay and of being haunted by what has gone before.



5.      What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name “The Drowning”?

In the beginning the name came to me (Mike) in more of a ritualistic murder sense, The Drowning.  As time has gone on with the themes of the albums and lyrics alike you can use The Drowning in a wider context whether drowning in sorrow, passion, or even anger.



6.      What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performances?

We’ve had some fantastic shows over the years, from playing our hometown to as far away as Malta and Europe. Crowd response has always played a part to how we perform. We feel as a stage band we give a lot more energy and aggression than many other bands in the genre, giving the crowd true entertainment.



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

We set off this spring for shows in the Netherlands and will be booking a lot more when the album is released to see us through the year.



8.      The new album is coming out on Casket Music, are you happy with support that thy have given you so far?

To be truthful as a label they do very little - so we become the promoters, organizers, managers etc. We have recently signed up with Imperative PR who are acting on our behalf. We have a great relationship with the guys at Imperative and are very happy with how we’ve been treated so far.



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

You will always find there are divides in genres. People who love death will only love death. People who love doom will only love doom. So being a combination of the both can get mixed reactions. Generally our music is well received as we capture not just the above but other elements of metal.



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

We always continue to work very closely as a band, and new ideas are always brought forward, enabling us to try different angles of writing but still retaining the true sound of The Drowning, which we believe will hold us in good stead for the future.



11. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Ok, this is interesting, as players we come from different backgrounds, I myself (Mike) from a young age was brought up on thrash metal as well as heavy metal, which moved on in time to black metal/dark metal. Jason came from a more commercial scene even going back to American rock. Steve as a drummer was influenced by a lot of the 80’s glam rock as well as the more intricate progressive metal. These days I’m (Mike) very into the neo folk scene along with a lot of the German dark metal bands, which have influenced my writing over the years.



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

Drinking, if you count that as an interest?  Steve’s a professional Tattoo artist, I myself (Mike) am big on horror movies, cooking and collecting American made guitars. Matt seems to have an obsession with medieval weaponry, sporting an impressive collection.



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

The Drowning are here, and will be for many years to come. Pushing harder and further and continuing to fly the flag of British Doom Metal!

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Leather Glove/Skin On Glass/Sentinent Ruin Laboratories/2016 Demo Review


  Leather  Glove  are  a  solo  project  from  San  Francisco, California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  crust,  grindcore  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  demo  "Skin  On  Glass"  which  was  released  by  Sentinent  Ruin  Laboratories.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  demo bringing  in  blast  beats  along  with  some  deep  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  crust  punk  elements  throughout  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  mid  80's  and  early  90's  influences.

  When  the  music  slows  down  it  brings  in  more  of  a  sludge  and  doom/death  metal  style  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and   while  the  first  song  was  very  fast  the  other  2  stick  to  a  slower  direction  while  also  having  its  fast  moments  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  brief  use  of  drones.

  Leather  Glove  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom/death  metal  while  also  having  some crust  and  grind  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark, raw, h eavy  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Leather  Glove  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  crust,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Rods  of  Steel".  8  out  of  10.

  

 

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Seeming Emptiness/Heavy Rain/Rain Without End Records/2016 CD Review


  Seeming  Emptiness  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  ambient,  post,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Heavy  Rain"  which  will  be  released  on  May  28th  by  Rain  Without  End  Records.

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  and  elements  of  post  rock  a  few  seconds  later  and  once  the  drums  and  distorted  guitars  kick  in  the  music  starts  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  heavier  guitar  riffing  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  and  all  of  the  songs  are  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  dark  ambient  are  added  into  more  of  the  songs  and  all  of  the  tracks  stick  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  and  rain  sounds  are  also  utilized  briefly  on  the  closing  track.

  Seeming  Emptiness  plays  an  instrumental  musical  style  that  takes  ambient  and  a  modern  style  of  post  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  more  melodic  and  depressive  style  of  doom/death  metal  to  create  something  very  original  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Seeming  Emptiness  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  ambient,  post  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dispatched  Fortune"  "Heavy  Rain"  "Heirless"  and "Enliven  The  Dust".  8  out  of  10.

Grave Siesta Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?


We are now in the process of writing new material. We also try to play as many gigs as possible. Gig offers are always welcome.



2.last year in June you had 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?


Our new material is more tight, raw, nasty and furious than the previous material.  Taito also now uses his voice in much more pronounced way.


3.This is the first album to be released in 4 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time period?


Since we all have day jobs and all, we cannot do this 24/7/365. Our next release will come out faster though. The band has been there to keep things together no matter what happens in the band members private lives.


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

Lyrical concept has been pretty much the same since the beginning. Short stories about life and death and usually fucking things up in between. Man is the scum of the earth and to deal with that we tend to fuck others up unless we get screwed ourselves. There are no happy endings but still the reality is usually more harsh than this nihilist fantasy world.


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

It has several meanings, one is related to finnish proverb which translates something like "time enough to rest when dead". It can also mean that death is just one phase in the circle.


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?

Our best show was probably at a mini-festival called Dooomstock, back in 2011, since it was sold out. We always aim to perform very loud and energetic shows. The “funniest” gig was probably a one where the police arrived because of the noise. Also it´s been a pleasure to play in Tallinn couple of times.

We like it raw and simple: to play the songs live with fury, sweat and beer!


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

Not really. Since we're not a name band we just cannot plan these things ahead. We will play any gig that we can get. At this point there is one gig booked in June, at Helsinki at Lepakkomies (one day before Tuska-festival, if you’re coming..)

8.The last album was self released, are you open to working with another label again in the future or do you prefer to be independent?

It depends. We really don't want go into details with our previous deal. But let's just say, that if we could get at least semi decent deal from some label, then of course we would take that. Otherwise we stay independent.

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

Mainly very positive. Actually the worldwide feedback has been much more positive than the feedback from Finland. Local metal media has labelled us as some sort of Reverend Bizarre copy band, which is not the case at all, if you have heard the music. Some of our songs are heavily influenced by Pentagram though, maybe it comes from that.

10.What is going on with 'Rite' these days, a band that also shares a couple of the same members?

Sami ja Juha also plays in Rite, though Rite has been on some kind of hiatus past years. But there have also been rumours that Rite will hit the stage next autumn. You never know...


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

The general direction will be pretty much the same as in Piss & Vinegar. But of course there will some changes. For example some of our new songs do not sound doom metal at all, while still being really heavy and abrasive.


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?

Our main influences are doom metal, sludge metal, death metal and even some black metal. (Who would have guessed?). And bands like Pentagram, High on Fire, Celtic Frost, Entombed and even some Primordial.

Taito: I listen to a lot of non-metal music as well and try to keep up with new releases at least those available on streaming services. Generally not top-40 chart stuff but spanning different genres.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Mikko: Hitting the gym and sitting in seedy bars.

Taito: Food, beer and running.

Juha: Family, TFW Helsinki

Sami: Staying alive

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

Spread the word of Grave Siesta, dig into the new stuff and get us playing near you! And if you want to order the awesome  “Piss & Vinegar” vinyl, send us mail: gravesiesta@gmail.com !!