Aseroe/Self Titled/Grey Matter Productions/2018 EP Review

  Aseroe  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Hungary  and  Greece  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2018  ep  which  will  be  released  on  August  24th  by  Grey  Matter  Productions.

A very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  grim  black  metal  screams  and  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  tracks  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  modern  and  melodic  atmospheric  style. 

  Aseroe  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  original  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Greek  and  cover  depression  and  mental  instability  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aseroe  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Seclusion".  8  out  of  10.    

Kult Of Eblis/Templo de la Serpiente Negra/Morbid Skull Records/2018 CD Review

  Kult  Of  Eblis  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Templo  de  la  Serpiente  Negra"  which  will  be  released  on  August  31st  by  Morbid  Skull  Records.

  A  very  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  female  vocals  and  tribal  drum  beats  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  thrash  pitched  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  elements  of  South  American  black/death  metal.

  When  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  melodic  occult  chanting  being  used  briefly  as  well as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  ritualistic  elements  also  return  on  some  of  the  later  songs.

  Kult  Of  Eblis  plays  a  style  of  occult  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  ritualistic  sounding  while  also  having  a  lot  of  90's  influences,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Spanish  Occultism,  Black  Magick,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Voodoo  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Kult  Of  Eblis  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vudu"  and  "Lepaca  Lilith".  8/5  out  of  10.

  

Vetrarnott/Scion/2018 EP Review

  Vetrarnott  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  pagan/black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  ep  "Scion".

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  brign  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  raw  feeling.

  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  epic  and  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  growls a re  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  as  well as  the  music  getting  very  progressive  at  times  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental  before  closing  the  ep  with  a  heavier  track  which  also  brings  in  melodic  guitar  leads.

  Vetrarnott  plays  a  style  of  pagan/black  metal  that  is  very  progressive  while  also  having  its  raw  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vetrarnott  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Tide'  and  "La  Voice  degli  Dei".  8  out  of  10.  

Eriphion/Doxologia/2018 Full Length Review

  Eriphion  are  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  traditional  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album  "Doxologia".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  latter  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount of  90's  influences  but  also  adds  in  some  modern  traces.

  Eriphion  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  traditional  black  metal  style  of  his  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eriphion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  traditional  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Worship"  "Welcome  To  The  Nightmare"  and  "The  Immortal".  8  out  of  10.  

Snorlax/Splintering/Caligari Records/2018 Demo Review

  Snorlax  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  doom, death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  demo  "Splintering"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari  Records.

  Distorted  noises  start  off  the  demo  going  into  into  more  of  a  faster  and  heavier  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  slow  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  grindcore  influences  are  also  mixed  into  some  of  the  faster  parts  of  the  songs,  spoken  word  samples  and  harsh  noises  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Snorlax  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Snorlax  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Righteous  Virtue"  and  "Dehumanisation".  8 out  of  10.

Scars Of Sodom Interview

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

Scars of Sodom formed in 2010/2011 as a two man band consisting of Lord Slayer and Morbius. After recording our first ritual ‘Retribution of the Wicked’ we expanded our line up which aloud us to play live.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that has been presented on the recordings you have released so far and also the progress that you have made musically over the years?

I think sonically Scars of Sodom would be classed as a Death/Black Metal band. Our first release ‘Retribution of the Wicked’ was like stepping out into the abyss where as our new material is like tearing the guts out of it.

3.All of the band members have been a part of plenty of different bands, what is it that you are able to do musically with this band that you have not been able to do with your other groups?

I think because of all the different band each member has been apart of we all bring something new to the table. Collectively we cover many genres within metal and formulate it into Scars of Sodom, be it Heavy, Speed, Death, Thrash or Black Metal.

4.A lot of your lyrics are occult themed and one track is Thelmic, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in Occultism?

I have always been attracted to Occultism, Horror, Psycho Drama so it was only natural that the musical aspect of our lives mirror that fascination.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Scars Of Sodom'?

The inspiration was at the bottom of a bottle of Jack Daniels. For meaning, read the bible chapter on the story of Lot if you are curious about Sodom.

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 stage performance is manic, always bloody and brutal.
Our first few performances we wore priest and bishop garb and vomited blood from skulls. We still vomit blood but we have evolved from those priestly days.

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

Absolutely! Check our Facebook page for up dates on where we will be. We have a date set in Melbourne in November so come out and see us especially if you haven’t yet.

8.The last album was released in 2014, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?

We have done a few shows and have been writing new tracks some of which will be on the next release ‘Annihilation of Souls’.

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

We have some labels we are talking to right now.

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

The response has been pretty good we had an Italian label press our first release ‘Retribution of the Wicked ‘ onto cassette tape. We have also had positive feedback from other parts of Europe and America.

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?

Anatomy, Cemetary Urn, Belligerent Intent - Check their social networks for updates.

12.There is a new album coming out later this year, what can we expect musically once it is released?

The new material is leagues ahead of what we have done before, ‘Annihilation of Souls’ will definitely Annihilate.

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

Bands like Slayer, Sepultura  Metallica and Kiss were the foundation for me musically. There was always a hunger for faster, louder and darker bands so major influences were also with the likes of Samael, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Sarcofago, Rotting Christ and Beherit.
Lately I have been listening to Midnight, Batushka, Rotting Christ, Nocturnal Graves and Watain.

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

Thanks for the Q&A. Check our social for updates and gigs. Annihilation of Souls is coming to destroy. Hail!

All My Sins/Pra Sila - Vukov Totem/Saturnal Records/2018 CD Review

  All  My  Sins  are  a  band  from  Serbia  that  plays  a  raw  form  of  pagan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Pra  Sila  -  Vukov  Totem"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Saturnal  Records.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  second  wave  style  without  sounding  outdated  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style.

When  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  have  their  melodic  moments  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  used  at  times  and  one  track  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  can  also  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  All  My  Sins  plays  a  style  of  pagan  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  atmospheric  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Serbian  and  cover  the  wolf  and  his  symbolism  in  Serbian  and  Slavic  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  All  My  Sins  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vukov  Totem"  and  "Opsena".  8/5  out  of  10.