Profane Order/Slave Morality/Sntient Ruin Laboratories/2019 CD Review

  Profane  Order  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  by  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  bestial  form  of  war  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Slave  Morality"  which  will  be  released  on  October  18th  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  A  very  synth  orientated  intro starts  off  the  album  which  also  introducing  grim  yet  tortured  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  very  fast war  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Bestial  black/death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  but  also  keeping  it  very  modern  at  the  same  time  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies,  war  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  elements  of  grindcore  also being  utilized  at  times.

  On  this  recording  Profane  Order  remains  true  to  the  bestial  war  metal  style  that  was  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sound s very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  blasphemy,  anti  religion,  death,  war,  occult  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Profane  Order  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  bestial  war  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Righteous  Spawn(Of  The  Plague  Child)"  "Perverse  Demoniac"  and  "Entrance  By  The  Morning  Star".  8  out  of  10.

BANDCAMP RELEASE    

Avslut/Tyranni/Osmose Productions/2019 CD Review

  Avslut  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Tyranni"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Osmose  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.

  The  riffs  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Some  of  the  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  death  metal  as  well  as  some  demonic  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

Spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also evoking  a  very  dark  atmosphere  at  times  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  hatred,  misanthropy  and  misery  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Avslut  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tyranni"  "Allt  Forgas"  "Pestens  Larjungar"  and  "Andlost  Slaveri".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/zZbQtM66uKU

Qayin Regis/Doctrine/BlackSeed Productions/2019 Full Length Review

  Qayin  Regis  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Doctrine"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  BlackSeed  Productions.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  demonic  growls  which  also  brings  elements  of  death  metal  onto  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  brings  in a   good  mixture  of  modern  and  old  school  influences.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  giving  the  music  more  of  an  occult  atmosphere  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style and  as  the  album  progresses  synths  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  spiritual  gnostic  syncretization  of  Spanish  black  magick,  the  cult  of  death  and  left  hand  path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Qayin  Regis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE "Via  Sincretica  Obscura"  and  "Deo  Aironis".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/ojJaawXTUzU+++

https://blackseedprod.bandcamp.com/album/doctrine

Draept Interview

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



ML: DRAEPT is my studio/recording project where I do all the song writing, playing, recording, producing and so on. One of the general ideas was to invite other musicians to contribute to my songs and recordings. This far both releases features singer Martin Abraham. Most of the recording process is made in my home with my instruments and a computer with a DAW, but some of the stuff is recorded in a proper recording studio. When it comes to the composing or song writing I’ve worked from an idea that I’ve recorded and then let inspiration or whatever do the rest and record what has come to mind at the moment. Guitar is my main instrument so I usually compose on guitar.



2.With this project you have released 2 ep's so far, musically how do they both differ from each other?



ML: The big difference is that I’ve worked more with the songwriting and the production on the second release. The material on both releases has derived from riffs or ideas that I’ve gotten from when I play guitar on my own, and that has inspired me to go on and make songs of them. For the second release I worked the material over more thoroughly and tried different stuff for the arrangements and the different parts. I’ve also experimented with different tunings on the different instruments on each song to create harmonies that sound interesting. I also put more work into mixing the second release.



3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?



MA: Western mysticism and occultism. Eliphas Levi, Israel Regardie and the likes  are currently a big influence in my writing. But also modern writers like HP Lovecraft has left a big impression on me.



4.You also release solo music under your real name, musically how does 'Draept' differ from your solo material?



ML: My other work as a soloartist is either very experimental sort of industrial soundscapes or rhythmic techno songs. With DRAEPT I’ve made music that is more traditional in the sense that I’ve mostly used the normal rock music instrumentation with drums, bass, guitar and vocals. I’ve played in bands from when I was like 16, but this is the first time I’ve released rock or metal or whatever on my own.



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



 ML: The word ’draept’ is a word that means ’killed’ in Swedish and Norwegian, but I’ve spelled it a bit different from how it’s now usually spelled in either of those languages. I wanted the name to match the overall black metal sound of the music and the transgressive approach of that particular genre.



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



ML: The cover art is always kind of a problem for me since I am totally focused on the music and all the different aspects of writing, recording and producing it. When it comes to releasing the stuff I always find myself not having a slightest idea of how I want to present it visually. So usually I just start searching for a picture that I can use and that I think fits the overall approach of the music and then I basically make a cover with that picture. The artwork for the latest release has a picture from a Japanese movie. I haven’t seen the film but I like the picture.



7.With the exception of a session vocalist you record all the music by yourself, are you open to expanding into a whole band or do you prefer to keep 'Draept' as a studio project?



ML: I would say that Martin is more than a session singer. He has written all the lyrics and arranged the vocal parts and he has also given me input and feedback on the final mixing of the songs. I consider him a big part of the whole project. He is also a very good friend of mine and we’ve had musical collaborations since about ten years back. We also played together in the same band for seven years. So there is more to him singing on the recording than the fact that he has a great voice for those songs. When it comes to expanding DRAEPT into a proper band I am totally open to that idea. With the right people and a plan I think it would be a great band.



8.All of the material with both musical projects has been released on 'Entartete Muzak Productions', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?



ML: It is simply a name to release my music under and a way for me to keep track of copyrights and such.



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



ML: The reactions I’ve gotten are all positive. But with all the music released today it is hard to get through to people. I love the possibilities of the internet with cheap and easy ways to release music, but so does everyone else also. The result being that there is so much music released that it is impossible for anyone to keep track of everything that might be interesting to check out.



10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?



ML: A third release with DRAEPT is planned and partly recorded already. Besides from that and having a full time job I also play guitar with my band KHARVA and work with a bunch of other music projects. I want to keep some of them a secret so for now I won’t tell more than that. There’s really more going on than I have the time for. But I love making music. That is what keeps me going. I don’t make any money from it. At least not enough to live on. But it keeps me alive spiritually.



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?



ML: I listen to so much different music and I like to discover music that I haven’t listen to previously. I try to keep my mind open to music and learn from it to develop myself as a musician. With DRAEPT there’s an obvious influence from the bands in the black metal scene. I love the early Norwegian stuff like Darkthrone but also bands like MGLA and Blut Aus Nord to name a few.



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



ML: Yes. Thanks. And to everybody else: Love one another.

https://www.facebook.com/draept/

Griim/Pope Art/Purity Through Fire/2019 CD Review

Griim  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  depraved  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Pope  Art"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Purity  Through  Fire.

   Synths  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  guitar  noises,  programmed  beats  and  tortured  black  metal screams  being  introduced  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  as  well  as  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  a  nightmare.

    Elements  of  ambient  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  guitar  riffing  sticking  to  a  slower  direction.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  atmospheric  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  Classical  music  sounds  can  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  tracks  also  bringing  in  hip  hop  style  beats.  and  some  songs  also  introduces  elements  of  industrial  and  electro  music  onto  the  recording,  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

 As  the  album  progresses  the  screams  also  get  more  depraved  and  depressive  sounding  as  well  some  evil  sounding  laughter  being  added  into certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  and  a  later  song  sees  the  music  speeding  and  also  adding  in  a  small  amount of  blast  beats,  demonic  growls  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  there  is  also  some  session  work  from  Mutiilation's  Meyhna'ch  and  Obskuritatem;s  O.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  disturbing,  violent  and  blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Griim  are  a  very  great  sounding  depraved  and  experimental  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Welcome  to  My  Nightmare"  "Solitude  In  heaven"  "Guiding  The  Flesh"  and  "A  New  Kind  Of  War".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/4fjKVuUkrVs 

Morkvind/Myrkvidr/2019 Full Length Review

  Morkvind  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  folk  influenced  form  of  viking  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Myrkvidr".

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  elements  of  folk  music  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  album  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Paganism.  Darkness  and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morkvind  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  influenced  viking  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nattens  Sjal"  "Vindur"  and  "Northstar".  8 out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/user-720974605/sets/moerkvind

     

Alcest/Spiritual Instinct/Nuclear Blast Records/2019 CD Review

  France's  Alcest  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  post  black  metal  and  shoegaze  from  their  previous  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Spiritual  Instinct'  which  will  be  released  on  October  25th  by  Nuclear  Blast  Records.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  melodic   guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Elements  of  post  rock  and  shoegaze  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  riffs  also  utilize  a  lot  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard,  female  vocals  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  French  and  English  and  cover  existential  anxiety  and  spirituality  themes.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Alcest  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Protection"  and  "Spiritual  Instinct".  8  out  of  10.

 https://youtu.be/Tn7wvu8R4Wk