Cold Colours/MMXIV/2014 EP Review

  Cold  Colours  are  a  band  from  Minnesota  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  depressive,  atmospheric  and  gothic  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "MMXIV".

  Clean  and  distorted  playing  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads which  leads  up  to  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  along  with  elements  of  70's  progressive  rock  and  then  blackened  death  metal  screams  start  to  become  a  part  of  the  music  along  with  some  growls  and  they  also  mix  the  clean  and  heavy  parts  together.

  Violins  can  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times  and  all  of  the  musicla  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  band  mixes  in  a  lot  of  depressive  melodies  in  their  gothic  approach  to  doom  and  death  metal  along  with  some  black  metal  elements  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  gothic  metal  parts  sound  even  more  powerful  when  the  band  goes  into  mid  paced  mode.

  Cold  Colours  continue  their  depressive  and  melodic  gothic  doom/death  metal  sound  of  the  previous  album  while  also  showing  a  great  amount  of  growth  as  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive,  nature  and  heathenism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cold  Colours  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive,  gothic  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "From  This  Pain".  8  out  of  10..

https://www.facebook.com/coldcoloursmetal

  

Katakombi/Self Titled/Hamahakki Music/2014 EP Revire

  Katakombi  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2014  ep  which  will  be  released  by  Hamahakki  Music.

  Experimental  and  avant  garde  musical  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  powerful  bass  lines  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  synths  becoming  a  huge  part  of  the  music,  after  awhile  you  can  start  hearing  clean  guitars  coming  in  and  out  which  slowly  leads  to  a  more  heavier  musical  direction.

  You  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  being  used  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  the  band  never  loses  its  avant  garde  and  atmospheric  sound  which mixes  in  perfectly  with  the  doom  metal  style  the  band  brings  out  in  their  musical  sound  and  once  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  have  a  more  grim  and  spoken  word  approach  to  them  and  once  they  get  aggressive  they  use  screams  and  growls  that  bring  in  more  sludge  and  death  metal  elements.

  Once  the  recording  gets  past  the  first  track  which  is  over  13  minutes  the  music  starts  having  a  more  straightforward  doom/death  metal  approach  along  with  a  good  amount  of  sludge  elements  while  still  being  very  experimental  and  the  slow  riffs  the  band  brings  out  in  their  musical s tyle  makes  the  music  sound  very  heavy.

  Katakombi  create  a  very  original  sound  with  their  music  taking  the  slowness  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  mixing  it  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  as  well  as  throwing  in  a  lot  of  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounds  to  create  a  musical  style  they  can  call  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Katakombi  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  doom  and  death  meta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should c heck  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Vaaru  Kuu".  8  out  of  10.    

      

Desert Lord/To The Unknown/Under A Serpent Sun Records/2014 CD Review

 

  Desert  Lord  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  stoner  rock  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "To  The  Unknown"  which  was  released  by  Under A Serpent Sun  Records.

    A  very  slow  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  bass  guitars  which  leads  up  to  some  melodic  blues  rock  vocals  and  the  music  starts  mixing  doom  metal  and  70's  rock  together  and  after  awhile  the  vocals  start  mixing  in  more  aggressive  sounding  screams  in  with  their  melodic  approach  along  with  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  enhance  the  stoner  and  70's  retro  rock  sound s of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  adds  in  more  tripped  out  effects  into  their  musical  sound  as  well  as  adding  more  melody  into  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  on e of  the  later  tracks  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  small  amounts  of  spoken  word  parts  and  a  power  ballad   while  the  main  focus  remains  on  a  very  heavy,  doom  metal  sound  and  they  also  remain  true  to  a  slow  sound  with  no  fast  parts  or  blast  beats  ever  being  added into  their  musical  style.

  Desert  Lord  played  a  very  70's  orientated  form  of  doom  metal  with  their  music  but  with  a  more  updated  and  modern  sound  that  also  has  elements  of  stoner  rock,  sludge  and  a  small  dose  of  death  metal  being  added  into  their  musical  style  vocal  wise,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Desert  Lord  are  a  very  great  sounding  stoner/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forlorn  Caravan"  and  "Become  Aware".  8  out  of  10.   

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.facebook.com/DeathkingsMusic

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

Mist Of Nihil Interview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.facebook.com/Mistofnihil

Serpentine Path Interview

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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


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

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



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

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


11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

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


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

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


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

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

Dave Brenner | The Earsplit Compound

www.earsplitcompound.com

https://www.facebook.com/serpentinepath