Sunday, December 30, 2018

Humanity Zero/Proselytism/Satanath Records/More Hate Productions/2018 CD Review


  Humanity  Zero  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Proselytism"which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  More  Hate  Productions.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  and  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  screams  also  adding  in  a touch  of  black  metal  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  speeds  up  and  also  brings  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  onto  the  recording.

  On  this  recording  Humanity  Zero  remains  true  to  their  melodic  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror,  Lovecraft,  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Humanity  Zero  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ruler  Of  The  Ultimate  Void  Of  Chaos"  "Nightmare-Corpse  City"  and  "Dark  Angel  of  The  Four  Wings".  8  out  of  10.

  

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Condor/El valle del Condor/La Caverna Records/2018 CD Review


  Columbia's  Condor  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  heavy,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "El  valle  del  Condor"  which  was  released  by  La  Caverna  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  traditional  metal  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  as  some  screams  also  being  added  onto  the  recording  as  the  album  progresses  and  one  track  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  into  the  music  and  one  of  the  songs  is  an  instrumental  and  there  are  also  some  clean  vocals  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Condor  remains  true  to  their  mixture  of  heavy,  doom  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  philosophy,  identity  and  nationalism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Condor  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  heavy,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "El  paramo  de  Pisba"  "Santa  Rosa  de  Osos"  and  "Raudo  es  el  Cauca".  8  out  of  10.  

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


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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Ferum/Vergence/Everlasting Spew Records/2018 EP Review


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

    

Caged Bastard interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is. It will take time to manage that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

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

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

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

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

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


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

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

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

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

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

Svarthart/Awaiting The Return/2018 Full Length Review


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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

Dimlight/Realm Of Tragedy/2018 Full Length Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Greece's  Dimlight  which  serves  and  an  instrumental  trippy  post  rock  companion  album  to  their  recent  recording  "Kingdom  Of  Horrors"  and  the  album  was  self  released  in  2018  and  called  "Realm  Of  Tregedy".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  the  heavy  riffing  brings  in  elements of  melody.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto the  recording  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style.

  On  this  recording  Dimlight  moves  away  from  the  symphonic  death  and  goth  metal  sound  of  their  previous  releases  to  create  more  of  a  trippy  instrumental  post  rock  album  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Dimlight  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental  post  rock,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Magian  Light"  and  "The  Old  Gods  Yet  Dream".  8  out  of  10.     

Dimlight/Kingdom Of Horrors/2018 Full Length Review


  Dimlight  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  had an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  dark  and  symphonic  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  goth  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "Kingdom  Of  Horrors".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  cinematic  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  vocals  being  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  goth  metal  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  Gregorian  chants  and  elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Dimlight  remains  true  to  their  dark  and  symphonic  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  goth  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a s elf  released  recording  while the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  their  own  dark  fantasy  story  that  revolves  around  the  world  of  Nemorensia.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dimlight  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  and  symphonic  doom,  death  and  goth  metal,  you  should  check out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Red  King"  "Into  The  Thrice  Unknown  Darkness"  "Serpents  Pact"  and  "Bleeding  Sunrise".  8  out  of  10. 

  

Monday, December 24, 2018

Eremit/Carrier Of Weight/Transcending Obscurity Records/2019 CD Review


  Eremit  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Carrier  Of  Weight"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  all  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  after  awhile  drum  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some acoustic  guitars  being  added  onto  the  closing, the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  towards  the  end  the  music  also  speeds  up  and  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Eremit  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  sludge  and  doom  metal  together  and  takes  it  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Eremit  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Froth  is  Beckoning".  8  out  of  10.

Wrath Of Echoes/Progeny Of The Fallen One/PRC Music/2018 CD Review


  Wrath  Of  Echoes  are  a  band  from  Quebec  City,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Progeny  Of  The  Fallen One"  which  was  released  by  PRC  Music.

  Stringed  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  while  the  slower  riffs  are  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  along  with  some  tragic  sounding  keyboards  also  being  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  some  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  clear  vocals  are  also  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks  and  when  screams  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  On  this  recording  Wrath  Of  Echoes  remains  true  to  their  melodic  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wrath  Of  Echoes  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lost  Souls"  "Isolated"  and  "Where  All  Dreams  Die".  8  out  of  10.    

Sunset Forsaken/Chameleon Waters/Redefining Darkness Records/2018 Full Length Review


  Sunset  Forsaken  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  darkened  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Chameleon  Waters"  which  was  released  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  as  well  as  utilizing  some  black  metal  screams  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  depressive  atmosphere  at  times  as  well  as  adding  in  some  influences  from  the  90's  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  style  but  giving  it  more  of  a  modern  touch,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slow  direction.

  Sunset  Forsaken  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  sounding  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  black  metal  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  poetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sunset  Forsaken  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  and  melodic  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sweet  Endless  Torture"  and  "Catharsis".  8  out  of  10.    

Cold Colours/Northernmost/2019 Full Length Review


  Minnesota's  Cold  Colours  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  melodic  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  gothic  metal  and  the  album  will  be  self  released  in  2019  and  is  called  "Northernmost".

  Nature  orientated  soundcscapes  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  death  metal  growls  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  synths.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  goth  metal  feeling  and  there  also  some  interludes  before  some  of  the  tracks  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Cold  Colours  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  melodic  mixture  of  doom,  death  and  gothic  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Cold  Colours  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  doom,  death  and  gothic  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nightmare"  "From  This  Pain" and  "The  Pale  heart".  8  out  of  10.  

Painthing/Where Are You Now.../Solitude Productions/2018 CD Review


  Painthing  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  depressive,  atmospheric  and  depressive  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Where  Are  you  Know..."  which  was  released  by  Solitude  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  slow  and  heavy  riffs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  as  well  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  90's  influences  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  clean  vocals  are  also  utilized  at  times,  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic guitars  can  also  be  heard  and  female  vocals  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Painthing  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric,  depressive  and  melodic  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Painthing  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive,  melodic  and  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Widow"  "Psychosis"  and  "To  Live  Is  To  Fight".  8  out  of  10.  

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Clegane/Father Merrin/Sleeping Church Records/Almost Famous/2018 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  France's  Clegane  and  Father  Merrin  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Sleeping  Church  Records  and  Almost  Famous  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Clegane  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  along  with  some  clean  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  both  of  their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  guitar  riffs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  stoner  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  both  of  the  tracks  stick  to  a  slower  direction  along  with  the  bass  guitars  also  being  used  as  a  lead  instrument  as  well as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  aggressive  screams  and  the  guitar  leads  also  stick  to  more  of  a  retro  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  loss,  oblivion  and  the  heavy  wight  of  living  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Clegane  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  TRACK  "Through  Wounds". 

  Next  up  si  Father  Merrin  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  sound  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  old  school  style  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  an  aggressive  style  of  stoner  metal  as  well  as  the  music  also  capturing  the  heaviness  of  sludge  metal.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  most  of  their  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  also  getting  very  semi  melodic  at  times  as  well  as  a  few  growls  and  screams  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto t he  closing  track,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Father  Merrin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "A  Prophet-Self  Denied".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10.    

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Tombtoker Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Brandon: We're kind of like Black Sabbath mixed with Helmet with death metal vocals. We're all really good friends outside of the band. It started with me and nick just trying to put some slower songs together for fun and eventually we brought in some friends to flesh it out and everything came out sounding alot better than expected.


2.You have an ep coming out in December, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on this recording?
Brandon: Slow and dark was the goal. A few of us were in a really fast hardcore band called Enemy Insects, so this time around we wanted to slow things down a bit. It's basically that band without the fast parts haha

3.The band members come from 'Enemy Instincts' and 'Roomrunner', what was the decision behind leaving those bands to form a new one?
Brandon: I think those bands just kinda fell apart after a while. We didn't leave them to do this. They were over and this just kinda happened. We have a big group of musician friends where we are from. So every band is members of another band. It's really about hanging out with your friends and having a good time for us.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Mark: I usually get ideas for lyrics from something I read in the news, from a movie, TV show or something, which I find interesting enough to look into some more then I write a story about it. They'll range from mythology/fantasy to sci-fi to gore with some humour thrown in there. Whatever I feel like writing about at that time.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Tombtoker'?
Brandon: it's a name I've had in my back pocket since the early 2000's. I just never had a band that sounded like it could be called tombtoker. This bands sound seems to fit pretty well with it. I know it may sound like it, to some, with that name, but weed isn't our identity. Not that we're against it.

6.The album title and cover have an Egyptian theme to them, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the history and mythology of Egypt'?
Nick: So this is something that I kind of pursued. Brandon was experimenting with the scale-set that was very "Egyptian", in the audial sense. So that was the jumping-off point. It was something I had never really heard before in the "doom/stoner" metal scene, and I thought it fit perfectly. Especially in a world that usually consists of distinctly European influence. Combine that with the idea of the name "Tombtoker" and it started to come together. Ancient Egyptian culture and mythology is something that's struck a nerve with now-modern humanity. It's a perfect mix of being VERY old, to the point we aren't *really* sure of what we know, But, it's also amazingly documented compared to other "ancient" civilizations of the time. The idea of "being old, but not forgotten" really rang a bell in my head. Combine that with the Egyptians famous penchant for dedicating themselves to extremely long projects of culture, and a world-view that extended beyond "the world" itself. I took a fair amount of care in making sure we were channeling that atmosphere, without also using it as a hokey one-off exploitation of that part of human existence. The final aspect is tied into the second, which is just the absolutely grand scope of that old mythology. It extends out, even more, than a lot of the European mythos (which is so prevelent in this kind of scene). A lot of Egyptian mythology is very intertwined with itself. It builds on itself, it has aspects of what people were learning at the time worked into it's stories. I think that fit our approach to our songwriting perfectly. When we went with the name "Tombtoker," we wanted it to sound to a first-listener like they had uncovered something old, but something that still felt fresh. If you can come up with a different description of a mummy, I'd like to hear it. When we chose that imagery, all I had to do was send a shitty phone recording of one of our songs to our good friend John DeCampos, with an even shittier pencil-drawing of my concept and he just ran with it and created an image that, I think, very perfectly describes our sound.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Brandon: 420fest at Metro Gallery in Baltimore was def a highlight. We just played at Skidrow Garage in York, PA a couple weeks ago and that ruled. We just kinda go out there and bang em out. Our drummer is a beast so we really gotta turn up.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the ep is released?
Brandon: Well the record release show is gonna be at this gnarly fest in Baltimore called December Doomsday December 8th. With Weedeater, Heavy Temple, Unearthly Trance, Black Lung, and Foehammer, on the bill it's sure to crush. We'll def be lining up a small tour soon.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of stoner, sludge and doom metal?
Brandon: It's been great. Way more than we expected. People message us all the time about playing shows and wanting physical copies. The record has been getting great reviews. We were just gonna put out 2 song singles ourselves and play a few shows but we ended up having labels hitting us up right after we dropped the first one. Seeing Red Records and Metal Swarm will be putting out cds and tapes. We've been fortunate enough to play Baltimores 420fest with Heavy Temple, Haze Mage and some other rad bands. Now this December Doomsday fest. It's def been good.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Brandon: I think we're still developing our sound. Coffin Texts is made up of riffs I've had for 10 years, as well as some new stuff so it's gonna be interesting to see what we come up with starting from scratch all together.

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?
Brandon: Black Sabbath, Dystopia, Helmet, Morbid Angel, The Jesus Lizard. I've been listening to alot of Weedeater and Heavy Temple. Getting pumped to play along side them at December Doomsday Fest Saturday December 8th at Metro Gallery in Baltimore. Did I mention that's our record release show?

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Brandon: I know we're all into video games. Shout out to that Red Dead Redemption 2! Drunk discgolfing is also a thing. haha

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
Brandon: Buy our new record Coffin Texts, out December 7th on Seeing Red Records and Metal Swarm Records! Cheers!

Sunday, November 18, 2018

The Ocean/Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic/Metal Blade Records/2018 Full Length Review


  Germany's  The  Ocean  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  progressive  and  atmospheric  mixture  of  sludge  metal  and  post  hardcore  from  previous  releases  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2018 album  "Phanerozoic  I:  Palaeozoic"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Blade  Records.

  An  ambient  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  keyboards  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  atmospheric  musical  direction  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Elements  of  sludge  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  growling  direction  which  is  also  heavily  influenced  by  hardcore  along  with  some  clean  singing  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive  structures  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  and  stringed  instruments  can   also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  of  the  later  songs  is  an  instrumental. 

  On  this  recording  The  Ocean  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  and  progressive  mixture  of  sludge  metal  and  post  hardcore  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  abstract,  philosophical,  globalization  and  modern  age  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Ocean  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cambrian  II:  Eternal  Recurrence"  "Silurian:  Age  of  Sea  Scorpions"  and  "Permian:  The  Great  Dying".  8  out  of  10. 


Caged Bastard/Straight Hate To God/2018 EP Review


  Caged  Bastard  are  a  band  from  Tunisia  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  sludge  metal,  grindcore  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Straight  Hate  To  God".

  A  drone  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  demonic  voices  in  the  background  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  screams  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  along  with  some  elements  of  harsh  noise  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  elements  of  grindcore  can  also  be  heard.

  Caged  Bastard  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  experimental,  noise,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Caged  Bastard  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  noise,  grindcorte  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "True  Colors"a nd  "Inferior".  8  out  of  10.    

Saturday, November 17, 2018

SOL/Before We Disappear/Van Records/2018 CD Review


  SOL  are  a  solo  project  from  Denmark  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental.,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Before We  Disappear"  which  was  released  by  Van  Records.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  sludge  style  riffing    while  angry  shouting  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Stringed  instruments  van  also  be  heard  at  times  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  slower  riffs  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times,  vocals  also  add  aggressive  screams  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  male  clear  singing,  when  acoustic  guitars  are  used  briefly  they  add  in  elements  of  neo-folk.

  On  this  recording  Sol  takes  his  mus  into  more  of  an  experimental  direction  while  still  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  decay  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  SOL  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wave"  and  "Eastern  Sky".  8  out  of  10.

Tombtoker/Coffin Texts/Seeing Red Records/Metal Swarm/2018 EP Review


  Tombtoker  are  a  band  from  Baltimore,  Maryland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  doom  metal  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep "Coffin  texts"  which  will  be  released  in  December  as  a  joint  effort  between  Seeing  Red  Records  and  Metal  Swarm.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  melody  at  times  as  well  as  the  vocals  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  sludge  style  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  more  of  a  stoner  metal  style  while  elements  of  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  d  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  little bit  but  the  main  focus  is  more  on  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  Tombtoker  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  mixing  in  some  hardcore  punk  and  noise  rock  influences  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Karmic Link 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 album?

Hello! This is Stathis from Karmic Link (est. 2006). First of all, thank you for this karmic interview! After some years of creative silence (been producing our 3rd studio album) we signed a global deal with Italy's Rockshots Records. ''Dark Metropolis'' album was released October 19 and we are already receiving great reviews from the press around the world. We have 2 official audio tracks out (''Random Phantom'' and ''Dark Metropolis'' title track) and we will soon release a video-art clip  for the song ''Your Fire Will Burn for Centuries'' which is dedicated to the philosopher Giordano Bruno.

2.Recently you have released a new album, what are some of the things the band has done different musically with this recording that you have not been able to do on your previous releases?

I would say that one of the main differences that the band is doing differently in our new album is NOT featuring female soprano vocals anymore like we did with our two previous albums ''No light but rather darkness visible'' and ''Esoterica''. This is a new karmic path we are following serving our music art and have conscientiously chosen to record/perform darker, gothic male vocals with a punk attitude and touch, even some guest - brutal - vocals to dress the music and our mystical lyrics. The keyboards do not have a leading role anymore, the keyboard orchestrations have moved in the background of the whole production creating a dystopian atmosphere while we have boosted the rhythm / lead guitars and drums more to provide a heavier sounding experience to our fans.

3.While there has been a good amount of singles released over the years this is your first full length since 2010, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

Me and Evan Hensley (our guitarist, bassist) were members of Greece's Nightfall and we were working a lot on releasing two Nightfall albums with Metal Blade records. At the same time we were also laying down ideas for the new Karmic Link album. Last but not least, I had to pause my music activities in 2015 when my daughter Jenny came into this world and decided to focus on family for some time.

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

We have always been intrigued by how the great minds of the past like philosophers, scientists, writers, whose ideas and theories are eternal can approach and explain the events in our modern global chaotic world. The first track ''Random Phantom'' is inspired by the sci-fi writer Robert Anton Wilson and the trilogy of novels '' Schrödinger's Cat'' where every-day characters strive with quantum probability events that they can't control, just like in real life. ''Dark Metropolis'' is inspired by dystopian theories about our future where advanced technology will be merged with our biological structures creating a dark society ruled by Artificial Intelligence (the Singularity). ''Your Fire Will burn for Centuries'' is dedicated to the life of the dark philosopher Giordano Bruno who was burned at the stake for his heretic theories by the Roman Inquisition. In our first album we explored the post 9/11 global series of conflicts between the powers of the West and the East using metaphysics (a branch of philosophy, not ghost stories...) and ''Esoterica'' album was a concept story about a female protagonist whose life dramatically changes working as a new anchor in a big TV network. Don't get me wrong, we also have some simple rock songs about personal love stories...hehe

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Karmic Link"?

At some point a book about Dalai Lama fell in my hands and by reading the whole book I was totally awed with the story of a British journalist who ended up meeting Dalai Lama in Tibet without ever having this meeting in his initial plans. He even went through hell, imprisoned or abducted in some Asian country before embarking on the right path. Sometimes you have a definite plan and life throws you in the opposite or alternative direction without asking. Was this fate? A higher invisible hand? Or just life is random? You name it. I named my band Karmic Link!

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

The artwork depicts the Devil in female form and she is coming to get you...haha...no. I prefer to spur different explanations and meaning with our audio and visual art. The female form could be an advanced AI robot that is plotting a rebellion against its creators and humanity, our dark future metropolis where humans and the machines have merged. Another meaning could be a symbol for a new role for women in the 21st century, a power role in our societies or a dark symbol of the new birth of ideas, technology and science leading humankind to space exploration and other breakthrough innovations that will evolve our species.

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

100% multi-cultural performance experience. I remember one of our past gigs in Linkoping in Sweden where people that did not know about Karmic Link before where thrilled to attend our gig because a Greek, an American and some Swedish metalheads were part of the live gang sending karmic echoes across the venue...nice times! We have been more of a studio band than a live band to be honest because everybody lives in a different country, but you never know what the dark future holds...

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

We are preparing an official press release to be launched early 2019 with plans for the next 4th album and some live shows...stay tuned!


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of progressive and goth metal?

Our new album was released less than a month ago, it's a bit early for final conclusions but the early feedback has been great. I think our past fans were intrigued and challenged with the new overall music direction (male vocals for example) and production but I am sure we will gain new fans who appreciate what we tried to express and achieve with ''Dark Metropolis''.

10.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?

You should check out Dark Hound, the Nashville (USA) based pure heavy metal band of our guitarist and good friend, Evan Hensley.

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

Our future will be marked by our past: I think that Karmic Link have a personal sound and experimental artistic identity even if we have been changing our production from album to album. We like being influenced by different music styles and creating intense dramatic emotions with our music. Imagine a tree with a strong stable root consisting of Mediterranean passion, Scandinavian coldness and American aggressiveness in sound, all blended under the vision of Karmic Link which generates versatile fruits and branches.

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?

Very influenced and always listening to the OST of ''Twin Peaks'' TV series, Blade Runner OST, Barry Lyndon and other Kubrick movies OST, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, drum n' bass music, Giovanni Batista Pergolesi, Dead Can Dance, Chet Baker, underground black metal bands, and so many other great fuc*ing artists worldwide!

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Exploring forests, a bit of gambling, travelling, reading, smoking hookah with friends, cooking, drinking rum, the usual good stuff in life!

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

I would like to dedicate our new album ''Dark Metropolis'' to my 3-year old daughter, Jenny Kassios. She is the biggest influence and all the light of the universe to me. She's also slowly becoming a good musician.

Thank you very much for this interview!
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