A Transylvanian Funeral/Gorgos Goetia/Forbidden Records/2013 CD Review

  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  are  a  band from  Indiana  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  as  being  raw  and  primitive  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Gorgos  Goetia"  which was  released  by  Forbidden  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow, mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  on  this  recording, while  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  occult  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  with  some  thrash  influences  and  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  their  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals a re  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal screams  as  well  as  some  chants  and  deeper  vocals  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Crowley,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Percival  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  while  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burning  Astral  Hunger"  "Mars  Exalted  In  Capricorn"  "Pervival  In  Armor"  and  "Hymn  To  Gorgon".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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A Transylvanian Funeral/WarWolf/Forbidden Records/2010 EP Review

  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  are  a  1  man  band  from  Indiana  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with   a  musical  style  on  this  ep  that  I  would  describe  as  being  atmospheric,  raw  and  primitive sounding  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2010  ep  "WarWolf"  which  was  released  by  Forbidden  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  dark  tone  with  primitive  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  they  are  onlu  utilized  briefly  and  bring  a  very  dark,  avant  garde  and  occult  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  atmospheric  sounding  raw  and  primitive  black  metal  riffs  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  with  one  of  the  songs  having  a  death  metal  edge  to it  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  which  are  only  utilized  briefly  they  use  finger  picking  and  full  chords  to  enhance  the  darkness  that  is  coming  out  of  the  music .

  Vocals  are  mostly high  pitched  black  metal screams  as  well  as  some  as  a  brief  use  of  angry  shouting  that  gives  the  music  a  thrash  metal  feeling  in  addition  there  is  a  spoken  word  ritualistic  sample  being  utilized  on  a  couple  of  songs,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Crowley,  Darkness  and  War,  as  for the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  this  recording  with  a  couple  of  the  songs  being  long and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Ghoul  Rising  From  The  Grave"  and  "To  Die  In  The  Dark".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Plutonian Shore/A Transylvanian Funeral/Alchemical Manifestations/Forbidden Records 2012 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Texas's  Plutonian  Shore  and  Indiana's  A  Transylvanian Funeral  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  the  recording  is  called  "Alchemical  Manifestations"  which  was  released  by  Forbidden  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Plutonian  Shore  a  band  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  occult  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  keyboards  bring  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  music,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  atmospheric  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  at  times  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing, while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals are  mostly  grim  sounding  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  some  deeper  vocals  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  lyrics cover  dark  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  recorded  live.

  In  my  opinion  Plutonian  Shore  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  there  music.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Beast  And  The  Mirror"  and  "Path  To  Amenti".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  a  1  man  band  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  primitive  form  of  occult  black  metal.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  primitive  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  black  metal  riffs  that  are  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sounding  in  the  true  black  metal  tradition  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  and  some  spoken  word  samples,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion    this  is  another  great  recording  from  A  Transylvanian  Funeral  who  also  have  the  best  songs  on  the  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  this  band,  you  should  check out  their  music  on  this  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Supreme  Rite  Of  Transmutation"  and  "Moonchild".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  add  this  album  to  your  collection.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Plutonian_Shore/3540313569
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/A_Transylvanian_Funeral/3540277081

A Transylvanian Funeral Interview # 2

1. Can you update us with what is going on with A Transylvanian Funeral these days?
Hails brother...! A Transylvanian Funeral is doing well...there have been a couple of split releases, one with Black Torment with four songs from thew upcoming full length and another split with Funeral Winterdust that has 4 exclusive songs to that release...it only has 50 copies so getting one will be only for the real die-hards and bootleggers. I recently moved to Tucson, AZ and launched my zine, Forbidden Magazine. So far the zine is doing well...we are active online and in print...the first zine was an e-zine and is available at our website... www.forbidden-magazine.com we try to make the coverage and band info as widespread as possible...I have been fucking busy, would be a shorter way of putting it!!!

2. In that last year since the first full length you have put out a split album and then the new full length can you tell us a little bit about the new full length?
Well, the full length is titled the Outsider and it has 12 songs...it is just over 66 minutes long and has some of the best songs I think I have ever written on it...It is a departure from my previous album, the S/T Debut, but still retains a ATF feel to it...like the feeling of having your soul spread over too much cold night air...

3. Tell us about the new album?
My previous collaborator, Sojourner, is not present on this release...nor, do I imagine, he will be on any future releases. I am completely responsible for all writing, performance, recording and production...much like the first album, I also designed the fucking cover art and everything, save for the towers that you will see on various editions which were drawn by my good friend Nate of the Fucking Living Dead / Brainvault Illustration...there will be a Pro CD and Pro Tape Release...the CD will be packaged in a DVD case,like the debut and will have two different covers...the Tape will have it's own cover and include random colored tapes...all hand numbered, all dark, dripping with death and existential madness's...

4. How would you describe the sound and lyrical content of the new album?
The sound is somewhat more produced than the debut, although it really took less time to engineer than the first album...I worked with a different drum program to create the music, so that will be the most immediate difference...I experimented with the depth of the sound more, as I felt the debut album was very dry sounding and wanted a bigger atmosphere with 'the Outsider', which I think I accomplished well...the songs are also some of the longest I have written, which was a method I wanted to utilize to create a greater sense of atmosphere and mood...the lyrics of each song are tied together, sometimes obviously and at other times more indirectly...there is a 'concept' running through the album although it was not my original intent...

5. What are some of the inspirations for the new album?
the inspiration for the album happened closer to the end, when I began to see all the similarities between the songs lyrical content...the last song written was the title track, 'the Outsider', and is a variation of the H.P.Lovecraft classic of the same name...the story was the first of his I read that had a profound effect on me...it may have been the first story I read of his, period...either way, the story is such a strong basis for horror that the similarity was unavoidable...I wanted to write a song titled 'the outsider' for sometime, as I usually start songs with a title in mind, for whatever reason...it is the initial impression that a fan can have of your music and 'the outsider' has a certain ring to it, i suppose...the songs are unified with a story of death and rebirth, tormenting eternal life and the strange 'premonitions' one sometimes receives that offers a glimpse at their past lives, astral double or dual existence...'the Outsider' is the final track on the album as well...

6. What is it that you hope to achieve with the newer material?
I definitely have no interest in re-creating the same album over and over...I have said that since before the first album was ever finished recording...I wanted a clearer sound, a bigger sound, a more 'intelligent' album than I had previously released...having said that, don't expect my next release to bear any likeness to 'the Outsider'...growing as a songwriter and as an artist is far more important to me than catering to elitist fans who are 'trve kvlt' etc...there are so many aspects of extreme metal that I enjoy, my goal is to pursue each in their own regard, paying my respects to the art the best I can...to not grow as an artist, i think, is a disservice to one's self...

7. What direction do you see the music heading into on the next release?
oh, i don't know...there is a lot of shit i am really into....right now, I am listening to the new Pest, really digging it...been listening to Deiphago and Prosanctus Inferi alot...I wouldn't mind doing something in the whole 'bestial' genre...would like to do some noise/drone work as well....whatever it may be, it will be dark as fuck...i think that the noise/drone stuff and bestial destruction metal is sometimes just as dark as the more traditional black metal, just because it is more difficult to comprehend...it really takes a trained ear to listen to some forms of music...at some point, it is no longer music...it is music concrete...that is one aspect I would like to take...another part of me also wants to find a drummer and bassist and write, record and perform as a live band...having since relocated, that is more of a possibility...if I find allies for live rituals, i would love to re-release the debut and the outsider as a live or full band release...the sound would be fucking killer, to say the least...

8. How has the feedback been so far to the newer material?
I have only made a few songs available for listen, namely 'Premonitions' and 'Worship a Dead Fucking Goat'...so far the fans have been happy to support the songs and I haven't heard anything negative...I am really happy with the songs as well...like I said, I think they are some of my best and they were not influenced by Sojourned either, which was not really a bad thing, but these are solely my vision...

9. Recently you started Forbidden Magazine, can you tell us a little bit about the zine and if you are planning on moving up to a paper zine?
Forbidden Magazine grew out of my frustration with the zine i previously worked for...I realized I could do everything myself and not have to rely on anyone else and thought I could do a better job that way...the bands who take time to answer fucking 35 question email interviews in the middle of a crazy tour have to be respected and their word has to be recited...i didn't feel the bands, labels, PR, fans or anyone I was working with was getting the coverage they deserved...so i started my own thing...I found out that you always rely on other people...I couldn't do Forbidden Magazine without all the killer contributors I have...everyone really does their best...I stress to everyone the reason we are doing what we do is for the betterment of the artists...not for us to have some position of notoriety or anything...I still want to launch a streaming radio station, but haven't had the time to find someone to help me set it up...!!! Issue Zero is available for download on our website and you are free to print it out, distribute it or put it on your website, torrent p2p or whatever the fuck you want...the only paper copies I made of it went to Hells Headbangers Records, who have a lot my respect from the killer artists they release on multiple formats...Issue One is a monster of an issue and is almost done...it will be printed 1000 copies, with Pro CD compilation in every issue...$6.66! Trades are welcome for ad space too, fuckers! Get in touch!

10. Any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the fucking interview brother! I appreciate the support...I return all fucking email so get in touch!!! www.atransylvanianfuneral.com www.forbidden-magazine.com www.forbidden-records.com

A Transylvanian Funeral/The Outsider/2010 CD Review

A Transylvanian Funeral are a one man black metal band from Indiana that has also had their music reviewed in this zine and has  been  interviewed in here as well and this is a review of their 2010 album "The Outsider".

Drums alternate between slow to fast drumming that also utilizes a lot of brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are only used on occasion to enhance atmosphere with a little bit of piano playing, as for the bass playing it sounds very powerful with a lot of bass leads that are easy to hear and this is probably the strongest bass playing that I have ever heard on a black metal album.

Rhythm guitars have a lot of fast and mid paced black metal riffing with a little bit of a thrash, death metal and classic influence's and some of the slower riffs have a doomy feel to them with some melody and there  is some open string soft riffs that are used as intros on some of the instrumentals, lead guitars when they are utilized are mostly melodic without a lot of guitar solos.

Vocals contain a good amount of variety with some high pitched black metal screams that have a goat metal edge to them at times, mixed in with some whispered vocals, deep growls and a little bit of clean singing. while the lyrics cover some occult themes that have a left hand path feel to them as well as lyrics about darkness and death, as for the production it has a very raw but professional feel that captures all of the sounds coming out of the musical instruments.

In my opinion A Transylvanian Funeral have made an album that is even better than the one that they put out last year and this is probably one of the most original black metal albums that has came out in the last few years, if you are a fan of brutal and evil black metal you need to get this album in your collection. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Worship A Dead Fucking Goat" "A Ghoul Rising From The Grave" "Dismembered By Spirits" and "The Outsider". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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A Transylvanian Funeral Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band?

A Transylvanian Funeral began in March of 2008. Sojourner and I were in my studio playing guitars and came up with the song Asmoday Unbound, and it really took off from there...we wrote the 13 tracks that are on the album in roughly two months. Once there were three or four songs, I began passing out free demos at shows and record stores. Sometime when the album was ready to be released, Sojourner lost interest in working on the project and I have been doing everything myself, which is fine. I enjoy what I am doing and am not slowing down...relying on others slows me down.

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?

Aggressive. Violent. Dark. Evil. There is a lot of different influence in my work, especially thrash but I try to incorporate as much as I know into the music and lyrics. It is definitely not mall metal bullshit and it never will be. Someone asked me what the sound was like and started naming of all these bands like Disturbed and White Chapel and I had to explain to this person that those bands and A Transylvanian Funeral have nothing in common...I don't hate those bands, that would be a waste of my energy...I just don't care about them...I suppose a good definition would be that ATF is a vessel for the darkest aspects of my higher self to manifest...

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

The name A Transylvanian Funeral to me, means ritual and mystery. Every society has funeral customs, rituals and ways of doing things. Transylvania is meant to extend a sense of mystery to something that is familiar, such as a funeral. Ultimately, it is for the listener to decide.I think that the Transylvanian part of the name has a gothic sound to it or something and maybe that gives people the wrong idea...my idea of goth is the Sisters of Mercy or Skinny Puppy, not exactly black metal, but definitely something I enjoy more than some shit I've heard that is gothic...to me, black metal is the most gothic music you could have...whatever that means...

4. What does black metal mean to you and what inspired you to play this kind of music?

I have no tolerance for commercial music and I wanted to get as far away from the way I was doing things as I could. I don't care to play live, I don't care to make the scene or any of that shit...all that does is take away from the song. I can record a song and it will outlive me and everyone I know where as I can play a show and maybe someone will remember it. Black metal is a way of doing things the way you want to do them without any regard for what other think. ATF is a vessel for my own creativity and not an outlet for scenes, clubs, promoters, etc.

5. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?

The lyrics encompass things that interest me...occult and satanic perspective and knowledge. Some of them tell stories, some relay a feeling or message. I hope the listener is able to gather their own meanings from what I write about. My next release may not even have lyrics just to do something different and allow more interpretation from the audience. I really wanted the lyrics to be strong enough to stand on their own as a form of poetry as well.

6. What direction do you see the music going into on future releases?

I definitely want to incorporate more atmosphere and doom elements into my next release. I have a lot of good keyboard sounds but don't want to do the whole symphonic metal thing...I don't really care for that stuff...Keys would be used to add more atmosphere and gloom, not melody lines...I really wouldn't be using string sounds or anything...more along the lines of sound textures from sources like the ARP 2600.

7. What are you listening to nowadays and what are some good bands or releases that you would recommend?

I was on a compilation from the Zine Beyond the Dark Horizon with a couple bands that really impressed me such as Teutoburg Forest and Profundis Tenebaraum...Hod, Hydra, Bestial Holocaust, Mythology, Graves at Sea, Catacombs, RuneMagick, I could list a hundred or more!

8. What are your main influences music wise or non music wise?

I grew up on a lot of thrash...I didn't get into extreme stuff until a few years ago...I was always a big Morbid Angel fan. I was always into the darker stuff in life...I'm not really a negative person but I am dark and have dark interests...I never had any religion forced on me growing up and was lucky enough to be somewhat kept away from it. I read a lot and don't watch TV so I have a lot of time to be creative.

9. What role does Satanism, Left Hand Path and Occultism play in the music and life?

When I was a teenager and read LaVey, I was really intrigued to find something that I could relate to but as I get older, I have a lot less interest in Satanism...I am not a joiner of things, I am a fucking leader...I don't lean on others or seek acceptance...I don't need a social network of like-minded individuals to surround myself with...and honestly, that is all I see religion as. A good friend of mine is a Master Mason and talked to me a lot about joining but I never did and never will. Same with the Golden Dawn or other group magick networks...I don't really have the confidence in others to become a part of something like that...my interest and influence for the occult is solitary and is based in the foundation of creativity...Creating music is my ritual...creating anything is a ritual...to me there is no limit as to what an individual can do as long as the proper ritual is used...

10. What are some good books or films that you would recommend?

I read anything by Crowley that I can get my hands on even though I think of his work as Judeo-Christian...A lot of the books I have read say the same thing or have slight variances between the rituals but Crowley's work is so shrouded in mystery and code that it really leaves the reader wondering...which I think is extremely important...I don't really watch movies...I enjoy good visual works of art but never devote the time to a movie...it's just not my thing.

11. How would you describe the black metal scene in Indiana?

I wouldn't describe it. The only bands that I know of are Fog, Christ Beheaded, Hordes of Nebulah and A Transylvanian Funeral...I saw Fog live about ten years ago and they were great...there is a extreme metal fest coming up in Indianapolis in May I believe...I can't tell you who will be there other than Hod, from San Antonio...Like I said, earlier, I don't really care about the scene...I have played live in bands my whole life and don't care about it right now.

12. Any final words?

Thanks for the interview! I have shirts on the way...should be ready by May 1st, 2009 and you better hurry if you want a copy of the album...I have less than 20 left and when it gets reissued, there won't be a free button or sticker...There will also be new music on the way as soon as these shirts are done...thanks again and don't hesitate to send me a message!!!http://www.myspace.com/atransylvanianfuneral

13. Thanks for the interview

A Transylvanian Funeral/Self Titled/Third Eye Audio 2009

  A Transylvanian Funeral is a 1 man band from Indiana that plays a raw and primitive form of Satanic/Occult black metal and this is a review of their self titled 2009 album.

Drums on this recording are really fast with some blast beats mixed with a lot of primal aggression, while the bass playing which is kind of mixed down really low sounds dark and it is all rhythm with no bass leads but it still has a dark tone that gives the music a really evil edge.

Guitars on this evil recording are mostly fast rhythms that contain a lot of old school influences that bring back memories of the forefathers of black metal and there is a lot of cacthiness in the guitars which is something that is missing in a lot of modern black metal there are some slow depressing riffs used on occasion which gives the music an original sound instead of jumping on the trend bandwagon.

Vocals seem to have a war metal edge to them even though I would not really classify this band as being that style and there are some high pitched black metal screams as well, as for the production on this recording it sounds very professional and you can hear all of the instruments.

Lyrics on this recording cover al ot of ground on the metaphysical side there are songs about Pwcca a demon from Wales that is kind of like their Satan in their demonology, Asmoday a grand duke from the lesser keys of Solomon and also a driving force behind this zine, astral projection, wars between black magickans, and some other left hand topics, the lyrics seem to be very straightforward and I would like to see them expand on future releases from this band.

In my opinion this is a really good release and I am looking forward to future releases from this group, if you are a fan of old school black metal with a modern edge I would advise picking up this album and so far this is the best release of 2009. Standout tracks include "Asmoday Unbound" "Hammer of the Witch" " Lunacy" and "Way of the Magi". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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