Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Midnight Loss/area de descarga/Entocomphobic Records/2020 EP Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Brazil's  Midnight  Loss  which  continues  the  depressive  black  metal  style  of  their  previous  single  and  the  ep  was  released  in  2020  by  Entocomophobic  Records  and  called  "area  de  descarga".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  suicidal  and  depressive  black  metal  screams  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments.  Clean  playing  also  returns  on  the  later  tracks  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  Midnight  Loss  takes  their  depressive  style  of  black  metal  into  a  more  diverse  direction  that  was  presented  on  the  previous  single.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and r aw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Midnight  Loss  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ultimo  Grito"  and  "amere".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/rea-de-descarga

    

Midnight Loss/Desbotado e Distante/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Single Review


  Midnight  Loss  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  single  "Desbotado  e  Distante"  which  was  released  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  song  which  is  also  over  9  minutes  in  length while  the  vocals  are  mostly  depressive  black  metal  screams.  heavy  riffs  are  kept  in  the  background  briefly  before  adding  in  a  more  dominating  presence  as  the  track  progresses,  spoken  word  parts  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  song  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Midnight  Loss  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  depressive  and  goes  back  to  the  early  days  of  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Midnight  Loss  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  single.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/track/desbotado-e-distante-single

Monday, June 29, 2020

Antissocial/Self Titled/Entocomophobic Records/2020 EP Review


  Antissocial  are  a  solo  project  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  suicidal  form  of  depressive  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  2020  ep  which  was  released  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  programmed  drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  sounding  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  musical  direction,  touches  of  depressive  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Antissocial plays  a  style  of  suicidal  and  depressive  black  metal  that  is  very  lo-fi  and  experimental  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  depression  and  suicide  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Antissocial  are  a  very  great sounding  experimental,  suicidal  and  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Desassossego".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antissocial-ep 

   

Lovesick/Totalmente Quebrada Por Dentro/Entocomophobic Records/2020 Single Review


  Lovesick  is  a  solo  project  from  Brazul  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2020  single  "Totalmente  Quebrada  Por  Dentro"  which  was  released  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  lo-fi  sound  starts  off  the  song  along  with  some  clean  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  evolved  into  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  at  times  along  with  the  track  also  sticking  to  a  slower  direction  and  chaotic  sounding  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly  towards  the  end.

  On  this  track  Lovesick  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  depressive  and  slow  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Lovesick  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  this  single.  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/track/totalmente-quebrada-por-dentro  

Svart Soldat/Ash Tree/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Demo Review


  Svart  Soldat  are  a  solo  project  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  folk  orientated  form  of  atmospheric  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  "ash  tree"  which  was  Entocomophobic  Records.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  demo  and  also  brings  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording .  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  while  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  when t hey  are  utilized  biefly  while  percussion's  are  also  added  on  the  second  track  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  tribal  feeling.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  instrumentals.

  Svart  Soldat  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  folk  music  and  mixes  it  with  atmospheric  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  as  well  as  keeping  the  tracks  very  short  in  length  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw.

  In  my  opinion  Svart  Soldat  are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  orientated  atmospheric  black  metal solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  dmeo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Spirit  Of  The  Forest".

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ash-tree-demo        

Impery/Cristo Fue Mortal/Entocomophobic Records/2020 Full Length Re-Issue Review


  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Venezuela's  Impery  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  an  old  school,  satanic,  occult  and  blasphemous  black  metal  direction  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2019  and  called  "Cristo  Fue  Mortal"  which  was  re-issued  in  2020  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  as  well  as  some  dark  sounding  melodies  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while t he  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences.  A  couple  of  tracks  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  classic  horror  movie  and  introduces  evil  sounding  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  also  add  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals  one  of  which  also  brings  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  onto  the  album  and  the  recording  closes  with  a  cover  of  Sagoth's  "Su  Majestad  Lucier".  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  occult,  Anti  Christianity  and  Blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Impery  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school.  occult,  satanic  and  blasphemous  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Derribo  El  Crucifijo"  "No  Hay  Vida  Eterna,  No  Hay  Tierra  Prometida"  and  "Su  Majestad  Lucier".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cristo-fue-mortal 

     

Impery/II - La Mirada Muerta De La Serpiente/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Re-issue Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Venezuela's  Impery  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  an  old  school,  melodic,  satanic  and  occult  black  metal  style  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  2017  and  called  "II  -  La  Mirada  Muerta  De  La  Serpiente"  which  was  re-issued  in  2019  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier musical  direction.  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  adds in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  one  track  being  an  instrumental  and  introducing  ritualistic  soundscapes  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed,  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses a  brief  use  of  choirs  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Impery  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school,  melodic,  satanic  and  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lilith  Diosa  Del  Iniferno"  "Altar  de  Fuego,  Cruz  de  Fuego"  and  "La  Mirada  Muerta  De  La  Serpiente".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/la-mirada-muerta-de-la-serpiente     

Impery/Ars Goetia/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Full Length Re-Issue Review


  Impery  are  a  duo  from  Venezueal  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  satanic  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Ars  Goetia"  which  was  re-issued in  2019  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Demonic  voices  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  some  dark  sounding  melodies  which  also  adds  an  influence  of  death  metal  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  and  synths  also  are  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  being  an  instrumental  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  and  as  the  album  progresses  guitar  solos,  leads  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  the  outro.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Goetia  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Impery  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school,  satanic  and  occult  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "La  Llave  Del  Grimorio"  "Dantalian"  and  "El  Ars  Goetia".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ars-goetia

  

Gloom Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Gloom started as a one man band back in 2001 or 2002. First demo was recorded in 2004 but it never got any bigger attention, it was only distributed to friends in our hometown. After the first demo things slowed down. I made only few songs and after that it was more than 10 years of silence. Then we had an idea with the guy from Nekrokrist that we should remake the songs from the demo and make few new ones to get full length album. And here we are.

2.In June you have an album coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
The style is the same that was on the demo and we didn't want to chance that. Its pretty much old school black metal in style of music. Songs are meant to be raw and simple with clear guitar riffs.

3.Most of the music is also very heavily rooted in the classic black metal style, do you feel that the old school style of black metal is a lot more aggressive and raw than the modern style?
Well I cannot say that, its not that black and white for me. Both have their strengths and if done right they are equal to my ears.

4.Both of the band members are also in Nekrokrst SS', what is it that you bring into this group musically that you are not able to do with your other band?
Actually we are not both in Nekrokrist, I've never played in it. These bands are completely different as I make all the music and lyrics (so far).

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that the band has explored so far with the music?
Topics are quite dark and primitive. Like hate, death and suicide. I wanted the lyrics to match the music. Simple, raw and fierce. For Gloom its the only way. And for me black metal isn't any peace and love kind of thing and I hope it sounds like that on the album.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gloom'?
I figured the name very soon after I made the first songs. It was quite clear what kind of music I wanted to do and the word gloom was most describing one.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
We gave only album name and artistic freedom to the artist himself, so the cover image is from the depths of his imagination and it ended up being perfect for this album.

8.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?
Can't say for sure about the future, but at least for possible live shows we will get few more players. But for now and considering recordings, we can do everything just the two of us. But can't deny it wouldn't be nice to have drunken rehearsals with full band but we can do it and have done it already with just two of us.

9.So far there is very little information on the band online, is this intentional or do you plan on getting more exposure as time goes on by?
Well there is not much of information to give, like only names of who did and what but I think that's irrelevant. We just do our music and thats it. Like this interview should be enough of information.

10.The new album is going to be released on 'Spread Evil', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Gloom hasn't have any interaction with any labels before but things have worked out really smooth so far. Though Nekrokrist has had collaboration with Spread Evil and from that point of view it was familiar.

11.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Too early to say on a bigger level. We've heard that people mostly like it, but in the other hand the ones saying that are usually our friends or close to that so you cannot always know if they compliment only as a courtesy. On a worldwide level, only feedback I am aware of are only few reviews of the album and they've been ok.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We have talked that this is our style and we will not chance it, at least not too much when speaking of full length albums. We have some ideas of cover songs or different versions of our own songs but thats kind of it. So biggest or only change could be in the terms of production.

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on the music of 'Gloom'?
I've grown up listening to bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum, Emperor so they definitely left a mark into everything I create. And of course Nekrokrist, cannot ignore that without it I don't know if I ever had started Gloom.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
No.



https://youtu.be/6GtCLisM6hc

Drudenfuß/Sklave Des Abgrunds/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Demo Review


  Drudenfuß  are  a  duo  from  Costa  Rica  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  satanic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  demo  "Sklave  Des  Abgrunds"  which  was  released  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  A  very  distorted  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  while  also  introducing  grim  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  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.

  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style.  One  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  riffing  avoiding  any  melody  and  focusing  on  power  chords  as  well  some  acoustic  guitars  also  being  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Drudenfuß  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  in  the  90's  demo  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Drudenfuß  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  satanic  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Died  For  My  Savior's  Will".  8  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sklave-des-abgrunds-demo    

Ombdue/Feliz Aniversario(2406)/Entocomophobic Records/2019 Demo Review


  Ombdue  are  a  solo  project  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  very  suicidal  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  demo  "Feliz  Aniversario(2406)"  which  was  released  by  Entocomophobic  Records.

  Semi  clean  playing  starts  off  the  demo  while  also  taking  the  place  of  an  acoustic  guitar  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  depressive  black  metal  screams. After  awhile  the  riffing  also  starts  to  speed  up  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length  and  also  capturing  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere.

  Omdue  plays  a  style  of  suicidal  and  depressive  black  metal  that  is  somewhat  clean  and  acoustic  sounding  while  also  being  very  raw  at  the  same  time.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression  and  suicidal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ombdue  is  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  and  suicidal  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Wasted  Love".  7/5  out  of  10.

https://entocomophobicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/feliz-aniversario-2406-demo      

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Worship/Sacrificial Forest/Nailed Nazarene Industries/2020 EP Review


  Worship  are  a duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  very  satanic  and  occult  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Sacrificial  Forest"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by Nailed  Nazarene  Industries.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking and  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  tortured  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  a  couple  of  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  adds  in  some  depressive  touches  at  times.  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bass  guitar  riffing  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  and  the  whole  ep  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  raw  musical  direction. 

  Worship  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  in  the  90's  tradition  along  with  some  depressive  elements  and  also  using  the  bass  guitar  as  a  lead  instrument.  The  production  sounds  very  dark and    raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness,  Death  and  Pestilence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Worship  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  satanic  and  occult  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ode  To  A  Cold  Moon"  and  "Ritual".  8  out  of  10.

https://nailednazareneindustries.bandcamp.com/album/sacrificial-forest           

Brood In Black/DCLXVI/Blasfemas Records/2020 EP Review


  Kentucky's  Brood  In  Black  have  returned  with  a  new  ep  that  goes  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  raw,  satanic  and  occult  mixture of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "DCLXVI"  which  was  released  by  Blasfemas  Records.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  he  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  also  mixing  in  some  elements  of  old  school  death  metal.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  mix  in  the  raw  brutality  of  war  metal,  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Brood  In  Black  bring  more  death  metal  elements  into  their  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  takes  out  all  of  the  thrash  influences  to  take  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Demonology,  Occultism  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Brood  In  Black  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  satanic  and  occult  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spawn  Of  The  Devil"  and  "Oath  Of  Satanic  Loyalty".  8  out  of  10.

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Silenced Minstrel Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Hi everyone! This is Silenced Minstrel from the one-man-band Silenced Minstrel, playing black metal with death metal and Nusantara influenced gothic elements. I’ve just released my fourth album “Volume 4” online not too long ago and I’m currently looking for a record deal from any interested parties.

2.So far you have released 4 albums with this project, musically how do they both differ from each other?
My debut album “Volume 1” was a mishmash of materials from my former band, thrash metal stuff that I done from the mid 90’s (before I formed a band) and also some experiments I did after the band broke up, experimenting on new sounds like keyboards, synths and MIDI orchestra among other things. The sound is still quite “erratic” at this stage, where I used drop tunes for some of the old band material, and standard tuning for both the before and after songs.
The second album “Volume 2” was more of a gothic death metal showcase, with an extensive use of keyboards and synths, strong melodies and a bit of atmosphere, whereas the lyrics contained dark poetry, vampirism, psychotic musings and lots of depression.
“Volume 3” was an experiment of mixing dark heavy riffs with MIDI orchestra; with lyrical content of spiritual negativity. There’s a lot of anger, hatred, depression and some damning philosophy thrown in between. This is also where I ditched my gothic tendencies for a more metal dynamic, wanting to drop the sentimentality for something that reflects the harsh reality.
And the latest one “Volume 4” saw my music taking a step further from the previous one, concentrating only on guitars, bass, drums and vocals. This time I aim for chaos and damnation on all the tracks, both chord progression-wise and lyrics-wise.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years with the music?
I was struggling with clinical depression for more than a decade so my lyrics are mostly psychotic, erratic, incoherent and…suicidal? If you look at the song “Misery, Revisited” (Volume 1) that song was written on the onset of my disorder, and from there you can imagine how all my lyrical content would sound like. Whereas the lyrics to “I Shall Miss Quintessa” and “Another Black Year” (Volume 2) were taken from my unpublished anthology called “Paintings Of My Minds”, a collection of poems that I wrote when it was at its peak, when I actually hated playing music but I pressed on nevertheless. I also wrote about automatic writing, Sufism and undead love affair in between and, thankfully, by the end of the decade I’ve recovered. Hence a part of my third and all of my fourth album sounds a bit “happy” in a metal sense. Depression opens a floodgate of creativity but it comes at a huge cost, which I thankfully didn’t pay for it.

4.According to the facebook page you also have an interest in the occult, shamanism and new age, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the esoteric arts?
Though this statement may never be taken seriously by the outside world but I was actually born a clairaudient psychic, meaning that I can hear not only the dead but also lower and higher spirits. However all my abilities were kept in check until my father died, and that’s when all systems switched on! Guided by my “whitelighter” uncle I learned about accessing my abilities, a bit about eastern mysticism, contacting the fae folk and also some Sufism. I remember talking to my late grandparents at their graves, joined an entourage to stay on top of Mt Ophir for three days just to seek treasures of the Orang Kayangan (High Elves) among other things. I also supplemented my eastern mysticism with western new age spiritualism, where I discovered my knack for scrying, automatic writing, reading the Tarot and the Elder Futhark runes and also noninvasive healing. And since I was suffering from depression at that time my foray into this part of reality actually helped facilitate my healing—I never took any anti-depressant meds at all but still I recovered.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Silenced Minstrel'?
Superficially it means my voice sucked, something I found out earlier on in the 90’s when thrash metal was all the rage and everybody wanted to be James Hetfield. So I went out of the spotlight and concentrated on songwriting and arranging until my old band broke up, right at the time when metal was not in demand anymore! So I resorted to take on the vocals again, after hampered by my attempts to find any suitable vocalist to carry my songs.
But on a deeper context, it represents my internal grouses with God, where I always questioned on why does somebody with good looks and voice always gets the best jobs whereas a committed songwriter like me didn’t get the full package, e.g, talented but bad voice and ugly looks; much less, gets signed!
Add in to all that my inherent introvertedness, always didn’t get a chance to speak my mind and always be the last to know of everything, I found out that I work best from the shadows, observing people’s mistakes and foibles and then finish them off when they’re down on their luck. It is universally known that stepping on other people’s faces--those that used to step on yours--when they have no more fight left in them; evokes a sense of justice and satisfaction.
In conclusion, Silenced Minstrel hates humanity thus he resorts to sing songs for the dead.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The picture shows an image of a restless angry spirit with his mouth welded to the inverted crucifix (evoking a sense of vengeance from beyond the grave that can only be met via metal music) and superimposed with an image of a small child (representing lost innocence in pursuit of material stability)…my proverbial middle finger to humanity and its narrow-minded perception of normalcy.

7.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience playing in full bands, how would you compare the 2?
I missed playing in a full band in truth. When I picked up my instrument my dream is the same like any other stoked teenagers: to be a part of a successful touring band. I missed the enthusiastic planning, the pre jamming hangouts, the thrashing of studio equipment, the post-jamming hangouts, the reviewing of the badly recorded rehearsal songs on some Walkman over our drinks as we laughed ourselves silly and then our pledge to do it again same time next weekend. Times that by a hundred when some organizers found out about our music and invited us to play in a gig, times that by a thousand when some fanzine editors agreed to interview us, and times that by a million when some metal label approached us to sign a record deal!

8.In the past you have also worked with 'Depressive Illusions' and 'Vibrio Cholerae Records' on the physical copies, do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?
Yeah, it was one of my friend’s ideas because he got ties with some eastern European labels looking for Asian metal stuff, so I said what the heck and sent two albums in. Thanks to these two labels “Volume 2” and “Volume 3” found its way to the Russian and Ukrainian underground music market. Unfortunately that’s just about it. Not a reply from them at all. Maybe because of competitions from local metal bands made my music got lost in the tide but I don’t mind. At least in the future somebody will find these two albums and appreciate them.

9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Cold I guess? Apart from some Asian fans on my Facebook pages that’s just about it. I did send ads to some metal discussions groups over there concerning my band’s progress but so far it’s been the same.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?
Sadly most of them are just hobby bands now, playing free gigs organized by close friends in the underground scene (don’t you just love cronyism?) doomed to be raided at any moment by cops even though all requirements have been met. I never heard of any of them getting a record deal, going out touring overseas and such so yeah, I am among the tiniest of minority so to speak.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
Maybe I’m going to keep on getting better and better as a songwriter and producer, learning new skills and upgrading to better equipment. Maybe I’m going to get signed, maybe not, but one thing’s for certain, maybe I’m going to try my luck in playing in a band again. I’ve observed for a long time that most metal labels would sign a full band instead of solo artists because the former has a tangible track record like the list of shows performed, zine interviews, newspaper articles etc, where they can gauge the band’s worth. But for solo artists like me? Not so much. This is not fair but hey, that’s how things have been since the beginning.

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?
A lot of old school black metal bands especially from 90’s Scandinavia scene, old school metal bands like Deeds of Flesh, Immolation, etc, and Norwegian goth metal bands like The Sins Of Thy Beloved, Tristania and Theater Of Tragedy. My list of listening is quite erratic, sometimes I’d go all 90’s Scandinavian black metal, sometimes I’d listen to US death metal but The Sins Of Thy Beloved influenced me a lot when I was about to form a band back in the late 90’s.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
I’d like to thank Mr Zach Moonshine of Metal Devastation Radio and  Occult Black Metal Zine for this interview. It really amped my motivation a bit replying to these questions! Till next time everyone. All hail!
MDR CEO
Zach Moonshine

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Hi everyone! This is Silenced Minstrel from the one-man-band Silenced Minstrel, playing black metal with death metal and Nusantara influenced gothic elements. I’ve just released my fourth album “Volume 4” online not too long ago and I’m currently looking for a record deal from any interested parties.

2.So far you have released 4 albums with this project, musically how do they both differ from each other?
My debut album “Volume 1” was a mishmash of materials from my former band, thrash metal stuff that I done from the mid 90’s (before I formed a band) and also some experiments I did after the band broke up, experimenting on new sounds like keyboards, synths and MIDI orchestra among other things. The sound is still quite “erratic” at this stage, where I used drop tunes for some of the old band material, and standard tuning for both the before and after songs.
The second album “Volume 2” was more of a gothic death metal showcase, with an extensive use of keyboards and synths, strong melodies and a bit of atmosphere, whereas the lyrics contained dark poetry, vampirism, psychotic musings and lots of depression.
“Volume 3” was an experiment of mixing dark heavy riffs with MIDI orchestra; with lyrical content of spiritual negativity. There’s a lot of anger, hatred, depression and some damning philosophy thrown in between. This is also where I ditched my gothic tendencies for a more metal dynamic, wanting to drop the sentimentality for something that reflects the harsh reality.
And the latest one “Volume 4” saw my music taking a step further from the previous one, concentrating only on guitars, bass, drums and vocals. This time I aim for chaos and damnation on all the tracks, both chord progression-wise and lyrics-wise.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored over the years with the music?
I was struggling with clinical depression for more than a decade so my lyrics are mostly psychotic, erratic, incoherent and…suicidal? If you look at the song “Misery, Revisited” (Volume 1) that song was written on the onset of my disorder, and from there you can imagine how all my lyrical content would sound like. Whereas the lyrics to “I Shall Miss Quintessa” and “Another Black Year” (Volume 2) were taken from my unpublished anthology called “Paintings Of My Minds”, a collection of poems that I wrote when it was at its peak, when I actually hated playing music but I pressed on nevertheless. I also wrote about automatic writing, Sufism and undead love affair in between and, thankfully, by the end of the decade I’ve recovered. Hence a part of my third and all of my fourth album sounds a bit “happy” in a metal sense. Depression opens a floodgate of creativity but it comes at a huge cost, which I thankfully didn’t pay for it.

4.According to the facebook page you also have an interest in the occult, shamanism and new age, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the esoteric arts?
Though this statement may never be taken seriously by the outside world but I was actually born a clairaudient psychic, meaning that I can hear not only the dead but also lower and higher spirits. However all my abilities were kept in check until my father died, and that’s when all systems switched on! Guided by my “whitelighter” uncle I learned about accessing my abilities, a bit about eastern mysticism, contacting the fae folk and also some Sufism. I remember talking to my late grandparents at their graves, joined an entourage to stay on top of Mt Ophir for three days just to seek treasures of the Orang Kayangan (High Elves) among other things. I also supplemented my eastern mysticism with western new age spiritualism, where I discovered my knack for scrying, automatic writing, reading the Tarot and the Elder Futhark runes and also noninvasive healing. And since I was suffering from depression at that time my foray into this part of reality actually helped facilitate my healing—I never took any anti-depressant meds at all but still I recovered.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Silenced Minstrel'?
Superficially it means my voice sucked, something I found out earlier on in the 90’s when thrash metal was all the rage and everybody wanted to be James Hetfield. So I went out of the spotlight and concentrated on songwriting and arranging until my old band broke up, right at the time when metal was not in demand anymore! So I resorted to take on the vocals again, after hampered by my attempts to find any suitable vocalist to carry my songs.
But on a deeper context, it represents my internal grouses with God, where I always questioned on why does somebody with good looks and voice always gets the best jobs whereas a committed songwriter like me didn’t get the full package, e.g, talented but bad voice and ugly looks; much less, gets signed!
Add in to all that my inherent introvertedness, always didn’t get a chance to speak my mind and always be the last to know of everything, I found out that I work best from the shadows, observing people’s mistakes and foibles and then finish them off when they’re down on their luck. It is universally known that stepping on other people’s faces--those that used to step on yours--when they have no more fight left in them; evokes a sense of justice and satisfaction.
In conclusion, Silenced Minstrel hates humanity thus he resorts to sing songs for the dead.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The picture shows an image of a restless angry spirit with his mouth welded to the inverted crucifix (evoking a sense of vengeance from beyond the grave that can only be met via metal music) and superimposed with an image of a small child (representing lost innocence in pursuit of material stability)…my proverbial middle finger to humanity and its narrow-minded perception of normalcy.

7.With this project you record everything by yourself but also have experience playing in full bands, how would you compare the 2?
I missed playing in a full band in truth. When I picked up my instrument my dream is the same like any other stoked teenagers: to be a part of a successful touring band. I missed the enthusiastic planning, the pre jamming hangouts, the thrashing of studio equipment, the post-jamming hangouts, the reviewing of the badly recorded rehearsal songs on some Walkman over our drinks as we laughed ourselves silly and then our pledge to do it again same time next weekend. Times that by a hundred when some organizers found out about our music and invited us to play in a gig, times that by a thousand when some fanzine editors agreed to interview us, and times that by a million when some metal label approached us to sign a record deal!

8.In the past you have also worked with 'Depressive Illusions' and 'Vibrio Cholerae Records' on the physical copies, do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?
Yeah, it was one of my friend’s ideas because he got ties with some eastern European labels looking for Asian metal stuff, so I said what the heck and sent two albums in. Thanks to these two labels “Volume 2” and “Volume 3” found its way to the Russian and Ukrainian underground music market. Unfortunately that’s just about it. Not a reply from them at all. Maybe because of competitions from local metal bands made my music got lost in the tide but I don’t mind. At least in the future somebody will find these two albums and appreciate them.

9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
Cold I guess? Apart from some Asian fans on my Facebook pages that’s just about it. I did send ads to some metal discussions groups over there concerning my band’s progress but so far it’s been the same.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?
Sadly most of them are just hobby bands now, playing free gigs organized by close friends in the underground scene (don’t you just love cronyism?) doomed to be raided at any moment by cops even though all requirements have been met. I never heard of any of them getting a record deal, going out touring overseas and such so yeah, I am among the tiniest of minority so to speak.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
Maybe I’m going to keep on getting better and better as a songwriter and producer, learning new skills and upgrading to better equipment. Maybe I’m going to get signed, maybe not, but one thing’s for certain, maybe I’m going to try my luck in playing in a band again. I’ve observed for a long time that most metal labels would sign a full band instead of solo artists because the former has a tangible track record like the list of shows performed, zine interviews, newspaper articles etc, where they can gauge the band’s worth. But for solo artists like me? Not so much. This is not fair but hey, that’s how things have been since the beginning.

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?
A lot of old school black metal bands especially from 90’s Scandinavia scene, old school metal bands like Deeds of Flesh, Immolation, etc, and Norwegian goth metal bands like The Sins Of Thy Beloved, Tristania and Theater Of Tragedy. My list of listening is quite erratic, sometimes I’d go all 90’s Scandinavian black metal, sometimes I’d listen to US death metal but The Sins Of Thy Beloved influenced me a lot when I was about to form a band back in the late 90’s.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
I’d like to thank Mr Zach Moonshine of Metal Devastation Radio and Occult Black Metal Zine for this interview. It really amped my motivation a bit replying to these questions! Till next time everyone. All hail!
MDR CEO
Zach Moonshine

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Saturday, June 27, 2020

Putrid/Grave Desecration/Satanic Union From The South/Totalitarian Hate/2020 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Peru's  Putrid  and  Grave  Desecration  called  "Satanic  Union  From  The  South"  which  which  was  released  by  Totalitarian  Hate  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Putrid  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  thrash  and  death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  dark  soundscapes  and  spoken  word  samples  while  also  introducing  chaotic  guitar  leads,  heavy  riffs  and  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  their  side  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  Elements  of  thrash  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.

  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  faster  riffing  and  all  of  their  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  and  brutal  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Baphomet,  Occultism  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Putrid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal, you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Chaos  Baphomet".

  Next  up  is  Grave  Desecration  a  band  that  plays  a  satanic  form  of  black/war  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  church  style  choirs  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  Elements  of  war  metal  are  also  added  into  their  music  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  bestial  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  sounds  of  torture  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  bringing  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  classic  horror  movie.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  ads  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  church  choirs  also  returning  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Satanism,  War,  and  Blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Grave  Desecration  are  a  very  great  sounding  satanic  mixture  of  war  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Crucificcion".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  war,  satanic  black,  blackened  death  and  blackened  thrash  metal.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Putrid/3540321237

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Grave_Desecration/28043

        

Blasphemovs War Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.We are a band from the outskirts of the city of Caracas, Venezuela, founded on December 25, 2018. Of the founding members there are only 2. Spektral (Bassist) and Kaos Mortiferiis (Drummer). We have gone through several lineup changes to the current one. Various musicians have passed through our ranks but had not penetrated within the scheme, the sound and our concept. We became up to 5 members and little by little we became 3 with the arrival of Tempestus (Guitar and vocals) who, with his influences from Finnish black metal, fit perfectly into our work. Our goal has always been to raise the face of Caracas Black Metal since basically there are no more bands of the genre and well, it is known that even in Venezuela there are a few true militants who continue working on it.

2.SO far you have released a demo, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
2.From the beginning we were born as a Raw Black Metal band. The influences of our first guitarist were more attached to old-school Norwegian black metal, but with Tempestus joining the compositions we were redirected to the Finnish style. In our recordings we want to preserve that dirty and primitive style of the bands of the crudest bands in northern Europe.

3.Some of your lyrics cover Satanism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
3.Of course. Kaos Mortiferiis who deals with lyrics, has always had that assiduity with the black arts and anti-Christianity. At first only as a curious reader, especially from A. Crowley and then later as a militant of Satanism. Later, he became interested in anti-cosmic Satanism, Kabala and Chaos.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music so far?
4.Blasphemovs War is basically "A war band". We are against the falsehood of Christianity and the Semitic and Abrahamic religions, the weakness of humanity, death and darkness, outside of what we already mentioned about our militancy in anti-cosmic satanism (218).

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Blasphemovs War'?
5. As we said earlier, we are a horde of warlike attitude. We are radical in our concepts, with very direct lyrics against what we attack. From the beginning we have declared ourselves in battle against everything already explained, without any decorum. We are firm and we remain entrenched in our logic.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the demo cover?
6. Basically, that cover is our presentation to the world. We did not want to show our faces clearly since our concept is not showing them. Our logo as a battle shield, our weapons (Our instruments) and from our bunker. It was all done as a way to show that we exist and are working hard.

7.Has the band had any opportunities do any live shows?
7. We should have debuted in public on May 30 but due to quarantine and confinement by Covid 19, the event has been postponed by the producer. We have already made some links outside Venezuela to play our music. Our projection is basically outward, since here in our country there is almost no militancy for black metal because it is a genre that the Venezuelan "scene" likes very little.

8.The demo was released on 'Entocomophobic Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
8. Entocomophobic Records is a small digital label of a Venezuelan compatriot, based in Cancun, Mexico who has been supporting bands of various genres in the Venezuelan underground and from the beginning was very receptive to our music and our work. It already has countless bands in its catalog, not only Venezuelan but also Latin American. Much good black metal is available there.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
9. Even with the precarious sound of this recording, the receptivity of the Venezuelan and Latin American blacker community to whom the work has been shown has been incredible. We have played in Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay, Guatemala, Mexico and by a stroke of luck we showed our material to some friends in Singapore. We never thought of going that far with just two songs with such a primitive recording. We have always joked with the fact that if we like our work this way, we cannot imagine what the public's reaction will be with a more pro recording, although we always want to keep that dirty and old-school sound that has characterized us and that only in the under is preserved. That respect for the analog and handmade that very little is available today.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10.  Well, we would like to show ourselves in North America (USA and Canada), that they listen to us in Europe and see that despite all the difficulties we have in Venezuela to record and produce quality material, we are working on it. That some important seal is interested in our works and thus our message can spread throughout the world.
We are in the process of pre-production of our first EP but we are going little by little due to the high cost that its realization represents for us at the moment since for no one it is a secret that the Venezuelan economy is a disaster thanks to the communist regime that keeps the country in bankruptcy.


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?
11. We are directly influenced by old school Raw black metal, chaotic and primitive sound. At the level of musical composition, Kaos and Tempestus. We are based on Bands such as Darkthrone, Satanic Warmaster, Sargeist, Behexen, Horna, the first wave of Deathspell Omega and thus even the Norse Beastcraft. On the other hand, because Kaos Mortiferiis comes from that Dissection vein and some classic Nordic Black Metal bands for their lyrical compositions, in addition to being a fervent follower of the South American underground. Spektral is a little more attached to classic black metal. Bands like Dark funeral, Watain, Mayhem and Inquisition.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12.Kaos Mortiferiis is a journalism student, he is an athlete, a merchant and therefore a nationalist and anti-communist idealist. He also plays in another band of Satanist ideals but heavy / hard rock type. Future plans include forming a Black / Thrash metal band. Married to Spektral who is also a swimming athlete mother of a 7 year old girl, a fan of vampiric and obscurantist literature.
Tempestus is a father of a family, he works in a food company and is about to receive his second son. He works solo on another black metal project.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. We want it to be clear that we will always remain firm and on the fight foot, giving our face for Venezuelan Black Metal. Few of us seriously work for this cause in our country, with a true vocation, conviction and devotion to our work. We understand black metal as a philosophy, a way of life, something that is not for everyone and it really matters little to us if someone comes out to criticize us. We do not make music to please everyone but it is satisfying for true fans of this genre to take the time to spend some of their time listening to us and having a positive opinion. That means we are doing well. Hail!!!


Moonworshipper/13 Fullmoon Nights Of Loneliness/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2020 EP Review


  Moonworshipper  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  depressive  black,  doom  metal,  avant  garde  post  rock,  soundtrack,  trip  hop,  melancholic  pop  music  and  jazz  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  ep  "!3  Fullmoon  Nights  of  Loneliness"  which  was  released  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  A  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  only  track  on  the  recording  is  over  25  minutes  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Depressive  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  add  in  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  as  well  as  some  jazz  music  style  keyboards  and  pianos  also  being  utilized  briefly.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  an  avant  garde  vibe.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  also  adds  in  some  post  rock  elements  and  the  music  also  adds  in  some  trip  hop,  pop  and  psychedelic  influences,  spoken  word  parts  are  also  brought  into  the  music  for  a  few  seconds.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Moonworshipper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  depressive  black,  doom  metal,  avant  garde  post  rock,  soundtrack,  trip  hop,  melancholic  pop  music  and  jazz   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

 Bandcamp      

Friday, June 26, 2020

Vassafor/To The Death/Iron Bonehead Productions/2020 CD Review


  Vassafor  are  a  band  from  New  Zealand  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  occult  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2020  album  "To The  Death"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Ritualistic  chants  can  also  be  heard  in the  background  briefly  before  evolving  into  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  evil  sounding  melodies.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  having  their  chaotic  moments.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  elements  of  war  and  death  metal.  Touches  of  90's  era  doom/death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  instrumental  can  also  be  heard  and  the  vocals  also  start  getting deeper  and  bestial  sounding  on  the  later  tracks  as  well  as  the  closing  song  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  album  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Death  Worship,  Cyclical  Warfare  and  Galactic  Entropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vassafor  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  The  Death"  "Eyrie"  and  "Singularity".  8  out  of  10.

http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/vassafor-eyrie