Cien/Maledictio/Old Temple/2023 Full Length Review

 

   Poland's  Cien  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  depressive  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Maledictio"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Old  Temple.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  some  of  the  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  a  deeper  and  grimmer  touch.  Clear singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  nihilism,  misanthropy  and  spiritualism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  from  Cien  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wounds  Of  Atonement"  and  "A  Curse  That  never  Withers".  8  out  of  10.

  https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/cie-maledictio    

  

Cien/Redemption/Godz Of War Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Poland's  Cien  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  depressive  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Redemption"  which  will be  released  in  November  by  Godz  Of  War  Productions. 

  Dark  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  yet  depressive  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  One  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  a  later  tracks  also  introducing whispered  vocals  into  the  music,  at  times  the  vocals  also  get  very  deep  and  angry  sounding  and  the  music  also  has  its  progressive  moments.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spirituality,  misanthropy  and  nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Cien  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Hour  of  Justice"  and  "Virtues  of  Death".  8 out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Facebook

YouTube

  

  

Cien/Sickness Called Mankind/Old Temple/2019 EP Review

  Cien  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  cold  and  gloomy  form  of  depressive  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Sickness  Called  Mankind"  which  was  released  by  old  Temple.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  some  melodic  guitar  leads  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  depressive  black  emtal screams. All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while t he  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Some  of   the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  one  of  the  songs  being  a  cover  of  Roykssopp's  "What  Else  Is  There"  which  also  adds  in  some  touches  of  goth  and  post  rock  and  the  last  2  closing  songs  are  re-mixes  by  Exurge  that  also  add  some  elements  of  electronic  music  onto  the  recording,  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  suicide,  anti  humanity,  pain  and  suffering  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cien  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  cold  and  gloomy  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sickness  Called  Mankind"  and  "What  Else  Is  There".  8out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Cien Interview

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

C. (vocals): Hi! After the recording session we focused mainly on a few live shows: two gigs in Czech Republic followed by F.O.A.D Fest that took place at the beginning of December in our home town. Besides, the new year will bring a minor personal change in our line-up, we will release some official statement regarding it soon.

P. (bass guitar): It is also worth mentioning that we have some additional tracks that have been recorded and mixed along with “Fate” session – they will be released as either EP or some split in the future. However, currently our main focus is to promote the band’s latest album “Fate”.

2. You have a new album coming out in December, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released on the past?

C.: I am very pleased with the final sound of the new album. It’s more dirty and obscure comparing to “Ecce Homo” so it suits our music better. Additionally, each instrument is properly and clearly exposed on “Fate”.

P.: I was not involved in writing of “Ecce Homo” so it is difficult for me to refer to that album. What I can say is that practically all band members contributed to the creation of “Fate”. Speaking of music quality, the rhythm section on “Fate” is vivid and intense. Personally, I find overall sound of “Fate” more organic, natural and powerful comparing to “Ecce Homo”.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

C.: I always explore misanthropic areas in my lyrics. I like to depict contempt for the human kind and glorify death in all its forms. Basically, this is the message that has been sent out by the band since the very demo called “Anti-Humanity”.

4. I know that the band’s name means 'Shadow' in Polish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

C.: A man is always afraid of what shadows can hide because this may be dangerous in many ways causing anxiety and uneasy feelings. Does it go hand in hand with our music? Yes, I think so – it tends to be disturbing, its destiny is to ask what happens next and to question the future.

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

C.: Well, there have been many good concerts that we’ve played, so it is a little bit difficult to point out a specific one…For sure the recent F.O.A.D. Fest was one of our best shows, at least in my opinion. Regarding my stage performance, I always try to focus on sounds that are surrounding me at given moment and ignore the rest as non-existent. I even tried some self-mutilation on stage once. I definitely avoid any verbal contact with the audience, which – taking our music and its message into consideration – seems quite understandable.

P.: It’s true, the recent two-day-long F.O.A.D. Fest in Cracow was probably the biggest venue that we have played so far and we all have very good memories of it. The band’s stage image is rather classical, some of us wear corpsepaint during the shows to mark our black metal attachment. And the concert itself is always a pure emotional energy that we share with the audience.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

C.: We are currently setting some details regarding shows for the next year. We already have some dates confirmed and that is optimistic.

7. The new album is coming out on 'Old Temple', are you happy with the support that they have given you over the years?

C.: We can’t complain about cooperation with “Old Temple”.

P.: Oh, it’s true, we get along with the label very well. The owner of “Old Temple” is an awesome guy, I can tell you that!

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

C.: We noticed that information about the band was spread worldwide after the release of the latest album. It was e.g. “Black Metal Promotion” that was very helpful with an abroad promotion. So far, the feedback has been positive and we’re very glad for that!

P.: I also came across a few reviews in different languages and the general abroad reception of “Fate” seems to be really favorable so far.

9. Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

C.: No, as of today none of us plays in any other band nor contributes to other side projects.

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

C.: By gaining further experience and continuously developing our musical skills we plan to release the next album even better that the last one. We definitely have not reached our summit yet.

P.: The band is consequently stepping ahead and with each our release we try to present more mature vision of our music. The upcoming albums will refer to their predecessors because we try to create coherent music yet still incorporating some new elements and introducing new concepts. However, it is way too early for any details, the music will speak for itself when the time is right.

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

C.: I do not partake much in the process of music writing so it is difficult for me to answer that question. When it comes to lyrics, my inspiration is derived rather from surrounding reality and the life itself than from other musical influences.

P.: Our intention was to keep “Fate” in line with our original sound and atmosphere without drastic deviation from a style generally called black metal, that’s why you probably may hear some tunes common with Polish bands like Furia or Mgła. Obviously, our latest album has a few marks of resemblance to the bands that are our inspiration, but I believe that anyone would be able to recognize genuine style of Cień in the first place. We all listen to different music, not only different metal genres, but we even reach beyond extreme music on a daily basis – the list of bands is really long.

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

C.: Do what you think is proper for you and be vigilant as the death never sleeps…

P.: Thanks for the interview. Stay strong and support black metal!

Bandcamp

Facebook

Myspace

YouTube

Cien/Fate/Old Temple/2017 Full Length Review

  Cien  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  very  cold  and  gloomy  form  of  depressive  black  metal with  a  touch  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Fate"  which  was  released  by  Old  Temple.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim yet  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  slow  riffs    also    beingvery  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of t he  guitar  leads  also  bring  in  the  more  modern  and  melodic  atmospheric  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard.

  Cien  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  cold,  gloomy,  atmospheric  and  depressive  sounding  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Polish  and  English  and  cover  suicide,  anti  humanity,  pain  and  suffering  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cien  are  a  very  cold  and  gloomy  depressive  black  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Highest  Of  Humanity"  and  "My  Misanthropic  Utopia".  8  out  of  10.

https://oldtemple.bandcamp.com/album/cie-fate