DeArma/Synthwave Sessions, Vol. 2/Silent Future Recordings/2024 EP Review

 

  Sweden's  DeArma  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  expanding  on  the  80's  influenced  style  of  synthwave  from  their  previous  release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  ep  "Synthwave  Sessions,  Vol.  2"  which  will  be  released  on  may  31st  by  Silent  Future  Recordings.

  Synths  start  off t he  ep  and  also  adds  in  elements  of  goth,  post  punk,  synth  pop  and  darkwave  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  both  of  the  tracks  also  sticking  to  an  instrumental  direction.

  On  this  recording  DeArma  expands  on  the  80's  influenced  style  of  synthwave  they  introduced  on  their  previous  release  as  well a s  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion t his  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  DeArma  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  synthwave,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Nighttime  Departure".   out  of  10.

  Shadowstreets"

 

DeArma/Synthwave Sessions Vol. 1/Silent Future Recordings/2023 EP Review

 

  Sweden's  duo  DeArma  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  moving  even  more  far  way  from  the  black  metal  style  of  earlier  releases  and  going  into  more  of  an  80's  influenced  synthwave  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2023  ep  "Synthwave  Sessions  Vol.  1"  which  will  be  released  on  march  10th  by  Silent  Future  Recordings.

  80's  style  synths  which  also  brings  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  start  off  the  ep  and  also  bring  in  elements  of  synth  pop  while  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  classic  John  Carpenter  film  along  with  all  of t he  music  remaining  instrumental.

  The  second  track  goes  into  more  of  a  different  direction  from  the  first  song  bringing  in  more  of  an  early  200's  techno  rave  style.  Each  track  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  and  the  closing song  brings  in  more  of  an  New  Romantic  direction.

  On  this  recording  DeArma  moves  away  from  all  of  the  metal  elements  of  earlier  releases  and  goes  for  more  of  a  synthwave  direction  as  well  as keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  DeArma  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  synthwave,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Left  Behind".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bfan.link/synthwave-sessions

     

DeArma/Nightcall/Silent Future Recordings/2022 EP Review

 

  Sweden/U.K's  DeArma  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  continuing  their  move  from an  atmospheric  post  black  metal  style  of  their  earlier  releases  and  focusing  more  on  a  gothic  rock/post  metal  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  ep  "Nightcall"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Silent  Future  Recordings.

  Synths  start  off  the  ep  and  also  adds  in  touches  of  80's  era  synth  pop  before  going  into  more  of  an  old  school  gothic  rock  direction.  Vocals  are  done  in  a  more  clean  style  with  both  male  and  female  vocals  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  music  also  adds in  elements  of  darkwave  and  post  punk.  Some  of  the  heavier  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  post  metal  when  they  are  utilized  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  clean  playing  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  

  On  this  recording  DeArma  goes  into  more  of  a  goth  rock  and  darkwave  oriented  style  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  post  metal  elements.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  DeArma  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  80's  era  gothic  rock  and  darkwave,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "After  Dark,  You're  There".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.dearma.net
https://silentfuture.se/artist/dearma/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dearmaswe
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearmaband

  

De Arma/Strayed In Shadows/Trollmusic/2021 CD Review

 

  De  Arma  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  moves  away  from  the  avant  garde  and  ambient  style  of  post  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  goes  for  a  mixture  of  melancholic  metal,  goth  rock,  shoegaze  and  post  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Strayed  in  Shadows"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Trollmusic.

  80's  style  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier,  melodic  and  melancholic  direction.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  clean  gothic  rock  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Some  of  the  beats  are  programmed  while  the  music  still  has  a  good  use  of  real  drums  along  with  some  elements  of  post  punk  also  being  utilized  at  times.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Touches  of  shoegaze  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  female  vocals  into  the  music  as  well  as  some  of  the  clean  guitars  also  adding  in  some  full  chords,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  on  the  closing  track  the  music  speeds  up  and  adds  in  some  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  melancholic  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  De  Arma  and  while  some  black  metal  fans  might  not  like  the  new  direction,  I  can  see  this  appealing  to  fans  of  gothic  rock  and  melancholic  metal.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pain  Of  The  Past"  "Horror  in  the  Dark"  and  "You  Wher  Blood".  8  out  of  10.

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DeArma Interview

Nordvis
www.nordvis.com
www.nvpstore.se
info@nordvis.com
----

AVALIBLE 15th OF FEBRUARY
* NVP004 Fen (uk) / De Arma (swe) - Towards The Shores of The End. LTD. Digipack

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

G'day,

Of course. De Arma is a quite new two-piece constellation based in northern Sweden.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Gloomy - melancholic - atmospheric - dreamy - timeless

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and concepts the music explores?

We focus on letting our tunes speak for themselves and do not put to much energy in present over-intelligent lyrics.
The listener shall build up his own concept upon the feelings he or she creates while experiencing our music. And in fact I did not write any lyrics for this EP. Two lyrics where written by Desolate of Austere and one by The Watcher of Fen.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band name?

De Arma translates to "The Poor; The Poor ones". Which is a kind of metaphor for the world WE live in, in contrast to the plastic material-possessed society the so called leaders of this world wants us to embrace.

5. I have never got any information on where you came from, do you prefer to keep it that way?

I would say there aren't that much information to reveal. De Arma is a relatively new project with no history.

6. Are there any side projects besides this band?

Yes, there has been some through the years. I'm the founder of the now defunct swedish Armagedda and it's followers should know what other musical adventures I've been and am involved with.

7. On a worldwide level, how has your music been received by black metal fans?

Hard to tell since there has been no time for feedback yet. We hope people will enjoy our music in their own certain way. And I don't consider my music to be labeled as Black Metal since it does not have a Satanic foundation.

8. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?

It might go in multiple directions. Honestly I'm not quite sure yet. I guess time will tell. From past experiences I've realized that there is no point in saying what the future will bring, because you never know.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Oh, there is alot of great music out there. To name a few from different genres that has been played frequently here recently - First three albums of Fields of the Nephilim, new country album from Brett Detar, truck-rocker Scott H Biram, Australian Midnight Odyssey, the mesmerizing Agalloch, uk fellows Fen & Ukrainian comrade Romans Dark Ages.

10. Does Occultism r Paganism play any role in the music?

Occultism might have it's role in De Arma. However, not in an explainable way. What comes from our music is gloomy, eerie and touches unknown dimensions of this world. You for instance, do you feel the Occult in our tunes?
I reckon it depends on what you consider to go under the Occult label. There are no religious topics within De Arma, not so far anyways.

11. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

During winter time I have to take care of a lot of snow, obviously. I guess this could be seen as a interest even though it might be harsh sometimes. Let's say outdoor and wildlife is one of my interest at least. Appreciate the simple things in life.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thank you for this interview and your interest in De Arma.

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Fen/De Arma/Towards The Shores On The End/Nordvis Productions/2011 CD Review

 This is a review of the split album between Fen and DeArma which was released by  Nordvis Productions and we will start of the review with Fen a band from England that plays an ambient form of black metal with a post rock edge.

Drums range from slow to mid paced playing with not much in the way of fast drumming or blast beats, while the keyboards sound very tragic and atmospheric, as for the bass playing it has very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and on a couple of songs they have a very powerful sound.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced ambient black metal riffs that have a very depressing sound with some melodies being used at times, while the lead guitars have a really depressing and tragic feel to them with a doomy edge, a for the acoustic guitars when they are used briefly they use finger picking and full chords to enhance the darkness.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams with some clean singing vocals being thrown in at times as well as the occasional deep growl, while the lyrics cover depressive and melancholic themes, as for the production it has a very dark sound to it.

In my opinion Fen are a very good ambient black metal band and if you are a fan of this style you should check out this band.

Now we are going to review DeArma, little is known about this band and they play a raw form of ambient black metal with an avant garde edge.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast with some blast beats, while the synths very atmospheric and ambient sounding, as for the bass playing it is mixed down low in the mix and seems to follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast raw ambient black metal riffs, while the lead guitars have a very dark and tragic sound to them.

Vocals range from clean singing to high pitched black metal screams, while the lyrics touch on dark themes, as for the production it has a very primal and dark feeling to it.

In my opinion DE Arma have he best songs on this album, and I would recommended this album to all fans of black metal that is more directed towards to ambient, shoegaze and post rock genres.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS FROM FEN "Soilbound" and "Towards The Shores Of The End. RECOMMENDED TRACKS FROM DE ARMA "Noemeta" and "From Horizon To Oblivion". RECOMMENDED BUY.

www.myspace.com/fenband

www.reverbnation/fenband 

www.myspace.com/dearmaswe