Rorcal/Process Of Guilt/Lost Pilgrims Records/2014 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Switzerland's  Rorcal  and  Portugal's  Process  of  Guilt  which  was  released  by  Lost  Pilgrims  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Rorcal  a  band  that  has  been  featured  plenty  of  times  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  raw  black  metal,  doom,  drone  and  sludge.

  Ambient  sounding  drones  start  off  their  side  of  the  split  and  a  few  seconds  alter  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  slow  sludge  direction  along  with  some  aggressive  vocals  as  well  as  mixing  it  in  with  some  fast  and  raw  black  metal,  high  pitched  screams  and  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  band  also  uses  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  after  awhile  the  band  finds  its  own  style  on  this  songs  which  I  would  describe  as  being  raw  black/sludge  metal.

  Rorcal  continue  their  raw  approach  to  black  metal  on  this  recording  as  well  as  retaining  the  sludge  and  doom  metal  elements  that  have  always  been  a  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style,  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sounds  while  the  lyrics  focus  on  a  dark  subject  matter.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Rorcal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "X".

  Next  up  is  Process  Of  Guilt  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom,  death  and  post  metal.

  A  few  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  drone  starts  off  their  side  of  the  split  and  a  few  seconds  later  high  pitched  sludge  metal  screams  find  their  way  into  the  music  which  slowly  leads  up  to  a  very  heavy  and  slow  musical  direction  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  death  metal  growls  and  most  of  their  tracks  the  band  brings  to  their  side  of  the  split  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  heavy  reverb  .

  Process  Of  Guilt  creates  a  very  heavy  and  modern  style  of  post  sludge/doom  metal  on  this  recording  which  they  also  combine  with  the  heaviness  of  death  metal  and  the y also  manage  to  keep  everything  in  a  slower  musical  production,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  desperation,  sadness,  solitude  and  suicide  themes.

  Process  Of  Guilt  create   another  great  example  of  post,  doom/sludge  and  death  metal  with  this  release  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Liar  (Mouvement  II)".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge.  8  out  of  10.

http://processofguilt.com 

 

      

Hateful Desolation/Withering In Dust/2014 Demo Review

  Hateful  Desolation  are  a  duo  with  members  from  both  Egypt  and  Italy  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  demo  "Withering  In  Dust"  which  will  be  released  in  October.

  A  very  dark  and  slow,  depressive  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  high  pitched  suicidal  screams  which  leads  up  to  synths  making  their  away  onto  the  recording  and  taking  the  music  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  direction  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  in  more  of  a  modern  and  melodic  black  metal  direction.

   Most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  throughout  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  deep  growls  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  using  more  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  on  the  second  track  the  band  starts  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  fast  parts  that  bring  a  more  raw  side  to  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  before  going  back  to  a  slower  direction,  all  3  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  last  song  is  an  instrumental  version  of  the  first  track.

  Hateful  Desolation  creates  a  very  raw  and  melodic  style  of  atmospheric  black  metal  which  also  leans  towards  the  depressive  side  at  times  as  well  as  bringing  in  an  epic  feeling  with  the  synths,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  desolate  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hateful  Desolation  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Withering  Away  In  Solitude".  8  out  of  10.

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Posthum/The Black Northern Ritual/Indie Recordings/2014 CD Review

  Posthum  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  raw  and  modern  from  of  Norwegian  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  black  northern  Ritual"  which  was  released  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  has  a  modern  Norwegian  black  metal  feeling  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  you  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  in  a  very  melodic  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  parts  actually  bring  back  the  raw  90's  black  metal  feeling  at  times which  they  also  mix  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  to  bring  in  more  of  a  lethal  blackened  attack.

   A  good  amount  of  the  slower  slower  material  displays  more  of  a  melodic  side  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  on  the  instrumental  you  can  hear  some  melodies  that  have  almost  a  post  black  metal  feeling  to  them  while  the  last  2  songs  shows  the  band  sticking  to  more  of  a  purer  form  of  the  genre  along  with  the  last  song  being  a  10  minute  epic  black  metal  song  which  also  shows  the  band  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Posthum  plays  a  style  of  Norwegian  black  metal  that  has  the  grimness  of  the  90's  bands  while  also  having  a  melodic  style  that  is  more  closer  to  what  has  been  coming  out  of  that  country  in  the  last  few  years  and  also  I  feel  this  style  has  been  a  little  overplayed  over  the  years  I  still  feel  the  bands  is  very  good  for  what  they  are  trying  to  achieve,  the  production  has  a  very  raw  yet  professional  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Posthum  are  a  very  great  sounding  Norwegian  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demon  Black  Skies"  "The  Black  Northern  Ritual"  and  "North".  8  out  of  10.  

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Rorcal/Vilagvege - Live In Geneva/Cal of Ror Records/2014 Live CD Review

  Rorcal  are  a  band  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  which  they  also  mix  with  doom  metal,  sludge  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  live  2014  album  "Vilagveve  -  Live  In  Geneva"  which  was  released  by  Cal  of  Ror  Records.

  Percussion  sound  and  drums  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  and  drones  a  few  seconds  later  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  doom  and  sludge  metal  sound  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  bring  more  of  a  black  metal  influence  into  the  bands  musical  style.  

  A  small  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  adding  in  blast  beats  and  more  of  a  raw  black  meal  direction  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  taking  the  black  metal  parts  and  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  which  also  gets  mixed in  with  the bands  sludge  roots.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  the  crowd  reacting  more  to  the  music  along  with  the  band  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  operatic  female  vocals  and  classical  influences  which  also  return  on  a  later  track  as  well  before  returning  back  to  a  more  heavy  and  blackened  musical  direction  and  on  the  last  track  they  have  K.K  Null  and  Process  of  Guilt  as  quests

  Rorcal  takes  every  song  of  their  2013  album  and  plays  them  all  live  as  well  as  bringing  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  approach  out  in  the  live  setting  while  the  live  material  still  has  a  bit  of  a  doom  and  sludge  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  focus  more  on  a  dark  subject  manner.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Rorcal  and  if  you  enjoyed  their  studio  material,  you  should  enjoy  the  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "D'  "IV"  and  "VI".  8  out  of  10.

https://rorcal.bandcamp.com/album/vilagvege

       

Inferion/This Will Decay/HPGD Productions/2014 CD Review

  Inferion  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  more  of  a  raw  and  melodic  style  of  black/death  metal  and  this  recording  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "This  Will  Decay"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  HPGD  Productions.

  A  very  fast  and  melodic  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  before  adding  in  deep  growls  and  a  touch  of  the  90's  style  Swedish  death  metal  sound  and  it  leads  up  to  some  blast  beats  and  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  they  us e are  in  a  very  chaotic  and  old  school  black/death  metal  direction.

  On  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  band  manages  to  bring  in  an  atmospheric  sound  with  the  guitars  alone  which  also  does  not  take  away  from  the  heavier  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  solos  also  start  having  more  of  a  melodic  edge  to  them  as  the  album  progresses  and  the  death  metal  influence  has  more  of  a  power  presence  on  this  album  than  it  did  on  the  previous  recording  while  you  can  still  hear  a  decent  amount  of  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  elements  as  well  as  a  few  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  last  few  tracks  show  the  band  adding  in  some  elements  of  thrash  metal.  

  Inferion  manages  to  create  an  album  that is  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  end  without  ever  bringing  in  a  soft  moment  and   they  take  the  raw  and   melodic  black  metal  style  of  their  previous  recording  and  add  in  more  blackened  death  and  traditional  death  metal  elements  to  create  a  long  and  epic  55  minute  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Inferion  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "This  Will  Decay"  "Tempted  by  Failure"  "The  Serpent  In  The  Valley"  and  "A  hell  to  Endure".  8  out  of  10.

www.inferion.net 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Inferion/121467614565453

www.inferion.bandcamp.com

Curse Upon A Prayer/From The Lands Of Demise/Nihil Interit Records/Le Crepuscale Du Soir Productions/2014 CD Review

   Curse  Upon  A  Prayer  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  apocalyptic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "From  The  Lands  Of  Demise"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Nihil Interit Records  and  Le Crepuscale Du Soir Productions  

  Epic  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  black  metal  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  deeper  grim  style  growls  a  few  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  bands  musical  style  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  being  utilized.

  On  the  second  track  clean  playing  starts  to  find  its  way  onto  the  recording   which also  gets  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  parts  as  well  as  making  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  more  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  also  start  having  more  of  a  modern  day  grim  vocal  approach  and  on  the  later  tracks  the  music  starts  to  get  more  up  beat  along  with  a  few  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  As  the  album  progresses  synths  are  brought  back  into  the  music  at  times  giving  the  album  more  of  a  mid  90's  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal  feeling  as  well  as  bringing  in  the  feeling  of  a  fantasy  movie  soundtrack  when  they  are  utilized  and  the  music  also  starts  using  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Curse  Upon  A  Prayer  brings  in  a  variety  of  many  different  black  metal  elements  ranging  from  the  raw  and  grim  side  to  the  more  melodic  and  atmospheric  side  of  the  genre  to  create  some  very  dark  and  apocalyptic  black  metal,  the production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  yet  still  very  powerful  sound  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  satanic,  blasphemous  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Curse  Upon  A  Prayer  are  a  very  great  sounding  apocalyptic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Devil  On  The  Churchyard"  and  "Summoned By  Void  I :  Antichrist".  8  out  of  10.

http://curseuponprayer.bandcamp.com/

    

Isenblast/Unleashing The Demon Scourge/In Satan's Custody/Death Breath Records/2014 EP Review

  Isenblast  are  a  band  from  Michigan  that  takes  a  90's  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  first  wave  BM  and  death  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Unleashing  The  Demon  Scourge"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  In  Satan's  Custody and  Death  Breath  Records.

  A  very  old  school  and  raw  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  a  few  seconds  later  the  music  starts  to  go  into  a  more  fast  80's  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  black/death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  that  are  very  chaotic  yet  melodic  at  the  same  time.

  You  can  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  throughout  the  recording  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  having  more  of  a  raw  90's  black  metal  feeling  while  also  adding  a  good  amount  of  death  metal elements  into  the  mid  paced  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  having  a  brief  solo  that  follows  the  same  musical  direction  and  they  also  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  black  metal  approach  on  the following  tracks  and  they  also  expand  on  it  by  bring  a  small  amount  of  thrash  influences  which  also  have  a  very  dominating  presence  on  the  last  song  which  also  sees  the  band  adding  in  a  mixture  of  both  1st  and  2nd  wave  BM.

  Isenblast  takes  the  raw  and  melodic  black  metal  side  and  expands  on  it  by  adding  in  some  first  wave  black  metal  elements  and  a  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  influences  to  create  some  music  that  is  very  heavy  and  blasphemous,  the  production  has  a  very  raw  and  powerful  sound   while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  and  Evil  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Isenblast  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  1st  and  2nd  wave  black  metal  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unleashing  the  Demon  Scourge"  and  "Seven  gates".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: www.isenblast666.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/isenblast

Vixenta/Predation/2014 EP Review

  Vixenta  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  depressive  and  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Predation".

   A  very  dark  ambient  sounding  synth  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  slow  and  raw  black  metal  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  atmospheric  background  and  after  a  few  seconds  high  pitched  screams  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  find  their  way  into  the  bands  musical  style.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  add  more  to  the  melodic  side  of  the  bands  musical  sound  along  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  clean  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  bring  in  more  of  a  post  rock  influence  to  the  songs  and  throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  synths  the  band  uses  bring  in  a  very  epic  sound  which  is  also  a  perfect  fit  for  the  depressive  riffs  and  vocals  and  as  the  ep  progresses  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of    a  slow  post  black  metal  direction  while  still  retaining  the  melancholic  elements  of  their  musical  style  and  the  last  2  songs  are  bonus  tracks  with  last  a  cover  of  Burzum's  "Black  Spell  Of  Destruction"  which  also  has  a  bass  line  that  is  more  powerful  sounding  than  the  original  version.

  Vixenta  continues  their  raw  and  melodic  mixture  of  depressive  and  post  black  metal  on  this  recording  as  well  as  adding  more  atmospheric  and  guitar  leads  into  the  music  and  they  also  show  they  have  improved  a  lot  as  musicians  over  the  years,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  loss  and  downward  spiral  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vixenta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  depressive,  raw  and  melodic  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Predation"  "Sea  of  Sorrow  2014".  8  out  of  10.

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Zom/Flesh Assimilation/Dark Descent Records/2014 CD Review

  Zom  are  a  band  from  Ireland  that  plays  a  very  raw,  brutal  and  bestial  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Flesh  Assimilation"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Dark  and  evil  demonic  sound  effects  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  tortured  voices  before going  into  a  very  fast,  raw  and  brutal  war/black  metal  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  You  can  hear  some  elements  of  crustcore  in  the  vocals  and  song  structures  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  bring  back  an  old  school  black/death  metal  sound  to  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  of  the  rhythm's  utilize  some  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  they  also  use  the  samples  from  the  first  track  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  occult  feeling  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  harsh  sounding  distortion.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  the  90's  war  metal  sound  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  thrash  metal  influences  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  while  in  some  of  the  slower  sections  you  can  hear elements  of  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  Zom  goes  back  to  the  90's  style  of  bestial  black  and  war  metal  and  combines  them  with  the  darker  side  of  death  metal  as  well  as  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  and  thrash  metal  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  dark,  raw,  heavy,  brutal  and  old  school  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  perversion,  sorcery,  cosmos  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Zom  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  brutal  and  bestial  mixture  of  black,  war  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tombs  Of  The  Void"  "Gates  To  Beyond"  and  "Flesh  Assimilation".  8/5  out  of  10.  

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ZOM/195971213790266 

Funeralbloom Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Austin: Sure, we started Funeralbloom a couple years ago under a different name, The Measure Of. We played more of a melodic-hardcore/post-rock mix and had a couple releases and a tour under our belt. Our sound gradually began to change more and more until our band was almost unrecognizable to what we had started as. We don’t even live in the same place as when we started the band. Although we are still listed as being from Austin, and we still consider it the band’s home, none of us actually live there anymore as we’re all spread around Texas with members in Houston, Ft. Worth, Temple, San Marcos, and Pflugerville. With “Petals”, we were finally able to write the caliber of an album that we had always aspired to, and it’s one that I feel very accurately represents who we are as people and where our passions lie.

2.In August, you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Nick: When we were writing "Petals" we wanted to create movement in our songs, and allow each part enough room to breathe. We wanted to create a dark atmosphere that could move from long intense sections, to slow and emotional drones.  We wanted to add as much atmosphere to black metal-esque parts as possible, then incorporate several musical techniques from post-punk, gothic and post-metal.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Austin: The lyrics deal a lot with inadequacy and hopelessness. The feeling that you’re never going to be able to pull yourself out of your current situation and that all the anguish you’re feeling is permanent. There’s a large focus on the self in terms of selfishness and selflessness and how they can become blurred inside of a relationship. Inside of this relationship there is a large focus on the sentimental aspects between the two people and how these feeling and actions are portrayed as amorously idiosyncratic.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Funeralbloom’?
Nick: As Austin was saying earlier, we used to be called The Measure Of, but we have changed so much as people, and a band, that we decided we should probably change the name.  We like to play with dark/light imagery and aesthetics in our music and lyrics, so we needed a name that portrayed the feelings we wanted to express.  It also could be a play on the “death” of The Measure Of, and the beginning of the new chapter for our band.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Austin: I think my favorite show that we have played so far was in May when we played with Circle Takes The Square. It was definitely an honor and we felt absolutely privileged to be able to play with them. Our stage performance is a strange thing. It has a certain element of theatrics and like a lot of things with our band, it plays on the dark and light. Our band dresses in basically funeral attire while there are either purple, red, or white flowers everywhere. Usually by the end of the set the stage or floor is completely adorned in petals. A lot of people frankly don’t know how to react during our sets. Sometimes people start to mosh, but then quickly begin to realize that for the most part our music is not very “moshable”. We play music that one could easily relax and fall asleep to and at other times could be used for an adrenaline rush while running or at the gym. I think we can all agree though we strive to make our live show as intense and visually pleasing as possible.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Nick: We are planning a two week winter tour of the east coast and mid-west of the United States.  We will also be looking to play the Austin, Texas area soon.

7.The ep was released on cassette by Broken World Media, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Austin: Yeah, they’re a label run out of Connecticut by Derrick from the band The World is a Beautiful Place. Almost all of the bands on the label except for us fall more into the Indie and Emo spectrum so we definitely seem to stick out a lot. But, fans of the label have definitely been incredibly receptive to us and the relationship doesn’t seem too strange, because before this release we had done pretty much everything DIY. So we played with a lot of screamo, emo, and indie bands so that’s where a lot of the bands we became friends with and the connections we made came from. We’re just really thankful that Derrick believed in us and took a chance on something that was so much different than what the label had previously put out.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal and ambient?
 Nick: Overall, the response to “Petals” has been positive.  We have found that we have a lot of fans from Russia, and that is amazing to me. The response and reception of “Petals” was a lot more widespread than I had imagined it would be. I am quite pleased with the feedback we have received so far. I am even more amazed by the fact that we have actually reached a worldwide audience.  I, for one, never thought that would happen like it did. However, we aren’t everyones cup of tea in respects to those two genres. Fans of our more atmospheric and ambient parts have said that they think blast beats deserve no place in our kinda of music, and fans of our more black metal parts sometimes don’t relate to the baritone vocals that we incorporate into our songs.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects?

Austin: I’m currently involved in a darkwave project called Argue with my friend Matt from the band Illustrations. We released a couple songs earlier this year and there is definitely more in the works. https://soundcloud.com/argueuntildeath

Also, our drummer Tyler plays in band called Clear Acid.

10.When  can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Nick: We don’t currently have plans to release another full length any time soon, but we have been writing a few songs for something we hope to release sometime in 2015.  We are experimenting with many new things for our new material.  So far, what we are coming up with will be more post-metal than “Petals” while still retaining the post-black metal and ambient influences.  You should expect the new songs to feel darker, yet still contain positive rises and crescendos.

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?
Nick: While I love post-black metal, I think that ambient and atmospheric music has the biggest impact on my guitar playing and writing.  Most of the guitar parts in “Petals” have a significant amount of reverb or delay, which is reminiscent of ambient styles of music.  Since I think Jad is the same way when it comes to his guitar parts, we are then able to amplify these parts with other elements of heavier genres. Right now I am listening to the new This Will Destroy You album, Hope Drone and Toluca.
Austin: I’m definitely influenced by a lot of 80’s post-punk and darkwave. Bands like The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Bauhaus, and Depeche Mode have been very influential in my vocal style and lyrics. I’m also known to be a tad bit Morrissey obsessed so many things he has done have leaked their way into our music. Currently I’ve been jamming his new album a ton along with the new Leonard Cohen and Merchandise albums.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Nick: Coffee is a big interest of mine, and basically keeps me functioning throughout the day. I also enjoy watching wrestling with some of the other members of Funeralbloom.  I'm also about to graduate from college with two majors, so that has been taking up a lot of my time that I am not devoting to music.
Austin: I’m pretty happy that soccer season has started because I’m a big Chelsea supporter. Unfortunately I’ve had to work a lot on weekends so far this year, but whenever I can I try to make it to the pub to watch the matches with a big group of supporters. Besides that I’m also a wrestling fan and get way to upset and complain about the lowest form of art.

 13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
just thanks for the kind words about the album and for your time

https://www.facebook.com/funeralbloom/

Martelo Negro Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Greetings, blasphemous readers and chaos mongers from Hell!
Well, I can tell you we are already composing new stuff for a 7? ep to be recorded late this year and rehearsing hard for the upcoming gigs.

2.At the end of June you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound of the newer recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
  Our new album is far more mature than our debut effort. It?s the same musical purpose on a more adult level.

3.On your facebook page you label your music as 'New Wave Of Portuguese Proudly Obsolete Black Speed/Thrash Metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this tag?
  N.W.O.P.P.O.B.S.T.M is just a joke, really! In reality, it does not even define our musical approach in its entirety, it?s just  some nonsense crap i posted on facebook without even thinking too much about it. Still, some truth resides in it!

4.You have covered some occult topics with the new album, how would you describe your views on Occultism?
  Occultism is a huge motivation for me, as i see no interest in the mundane. Our lyrics revolve around religion, occultism, witchcraft, cosmology, mithology and everything beyond the visible and palpable.
The true power lies beyond the senses.

5.On the new album you had songs in both Portuguese and English, what was the decision behind writing in 2 different languages on the new recording?
  There?s no rational reason to justify that, really. It just happened! Some songs had a Lusitanian feel to it and some others  were blatantly anglo saxonic (at least from my point of view).
I really didn?t think much about it and let things instinctively flow.

6.Originally the band was called 'Black hammer' but know has the same name but in Portuguese, can you tell us a little bit more about the band name?
  The band name is a mere metaphor for the dark forces that drive the band. The name change was a suggestion from a friend (Belathauzer- Filii Nigrantium Infernalium?s mastermind).
The fact is that Martelo Negro is less cliché than Black Hammer, even though the essence is the same. Also, as a moniker, Martelo Negro is far more mysterious than Black Hammer, i guess....

7.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?
  I guess that, at a certain point in time, it just became too serious for me as soon as i realized i wouldn?t want to remain confined to the walls of my bedroom, programming lousy drum machines and living in misanthropic  burzumesque isolation. Heavy Metal is supposed to be celebrated on stage, even though there?s nothing wrong about one building a career as a one man project and refusing to play live.
  It?s just a matter of artistic direction and personal choices. Hail Quorthon!

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
  The 2014 edition of Steel Warriors Rebellion was a huge moment for us, as it was the 2012 edition of Degredo Metal Fest at Covilhã (crazy, crazy bangers and moshers!).
I would say we are a very intense band, even though we are all
heavywheight veterans reaching 40.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
  There are no plans for touring, except for some one-off gigs here and there. We all have complicated professional and familiar lives that don?t allow us to play live as much as it is desirable.
Still, we have plans to play abroad, even though we cannot do it on an extensive level due to the reasons i exposed.

10.The new album was released on HelldProd, can you can us a little bit more about this label?
  HelldProd is a label focused on the real shit and we are very proud for being part of what they have been doing for the past 20 years.
No trends, no fashion! That?s what they are about! Apart from that, Helldprod is a very hardworking label, headed by people who know what professionalism is about.
Just take a look at the label?s catalogue and let all doubts be dissipated!

11.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your new album by fans of extreme metal?
  Well, taking into consideration the album was released on a very limited edition (300 copies LP), i can only speak about a dozen of very positive reviews.
As for Portugal, the feedback has been great so far, as I believe we have finally gained the respect we have aimed for in the past 8 years.

12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects that some of the band members are involved with?
  Well, Melkor?s other band (Neoplasmah) is about to release a new album after a few years of inactivity.
Me and Thamuz are working on the debut cd of Bathürzüm (fast and destructive black metal with some Voivod influences) and i have my own personal project called Black Blood Whoracle going on (also fast black metal with some Sarcófago/Blasphemy/Beherit influences).
Our drummer Maalm is currently playing with Atentado and Filii Nigrantium Infernalium.
We also have a funeral doom thing going by the name Capela dos Ossos, with Pedra from Grog on the vocals.
I can say we keep ourselves very, very busy when it comes to making music related stuff.

13.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
  I guess we won?t change much during the course of the years. We feel really comfortable doing this kind of primitive thing and our goal is to keep our music rooted in the 80?s.
That does not mean we are heading towards stagnation, we just feel we can do interesting and refreshing stuff without abandoning the elements that define what Martelo Negro is about.
But as far as innovating anything, I guess not! Reinventing METAL means disaster, or at least that?s the way I see it.

14.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?
Well, the obvious stuff, I guess.
We have always been death metal fans, specially death metal from the 80?s crust, speed metal, thrash metal, etc Our most prominent influence is Hellhammer and Celtic Frost but, personally, I?ve always been a huge Iron Maiden fan...
We also have a huge grindcore background, since we all played in grind bands in the past...
It?s kind of complicated to define our influences because we are, in a very abrasive and extensive way, extreme music fans.
I, personally, listen to everything that sounds honest and true. I?m really into stuff like Anaal Nathrakh, Absu, old Carcass, Electric Wizard, Incantation, old Maiden, old Anthrax, old Slayer, Darkthrone, Carnivore, etc.
Complete musical schizophrenia!

  15.What are some of your non musical interests?
  I would say that some of our non musical interests are the things that our music is about: occultism, witchcraft and (anti)religion.
We are not huge sport fans (except soccer) and no one in the band is into bricolage, crochet, dancing, stamps collections or cooking...

  16.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much for this interview!
Please, keep up with what we are doing here in this forsaken piece of land and stay true to yourselves. Keep it metal! DIE HARD!

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Promethean Horde Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We have a couple shows in queue to play later this year. But until then we are actually working on new merch ideas, demoing out new riffs and such.

2.Recently you have released a new album, 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 in the past? The 2009 EP/Demo contained 5 of the songs on the new record. We used to have keyboards and they did play a prominent role in the sound. Over the years, we have more-so steered away from that sound and began utilizing the guitars and bass to bring our more of the melody.

3.This is the first recording to be released in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
A ton of gigging. Also, we actually worked with several drummers during that period while we played shows. So a good portion of that time was teaching new people the songs. However we only had about 6 months there where we didn’t play a show but stayed pretty regular while we worked on that.

4.I have seen the band being labeled as symphonic black metal and I heard none of that on this recording, how did the band end up being labeled with that 'tag'? Well, as I previously mentioned, for many years we had my brother Mike (Lull Me To Larvae) on the keys. He had a lot of input on our earlier stuff, so naturally some of it came out pretty keyboard-heavy.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The album covers a few different topics, but to touch on a couple: Ördögszereto is Hungarian for "Demon Lover." This song is about this female demon that comes in causing complete paralysis and has her way with you and then accepting it time in and time out. Unknown Corpses is a story about a group of ancient warriors that wonder the land in search of war and kingdoms to overthrow. They eventually find out they're already dead and they, themselves, were plundered. Sort of reliving the tragedy of realizing they were defeated and their village, burned.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Promethean Horde'?
The story goes, Prometheus stole fire from the heavens to benefit mankind. We all have an idea of what is, and what things could be. To us, its a great idea that promotes selflessness. Our lyrics generally speak of removing the oppressive forces in this world, such as religion, greed and unwarranted suffering.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance? We always have a great time doing national acts, for sure. Its hard to pick a favorite but we've played with Wintersun, Cannibal Corpse, among probably a dozen others over the past couple years. Those two shows stick out to me because the energy and vibe were excellent. Our stage performance, is not so much of a performance as it is just us getting drunk and playing the Hell out of our instruments. I would say its high-energy with plenty of movement and plenty of buzzed on-stage banter. (Laughs)

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
The tour that just ended in August was to directly support the album, but we never go too long without getting on stage. We have probably around 3 shows booked through this year, so far, but one focus has already been the next album. We're already putting ideas together.

8.The new album was released on Metal Swarm Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
This is a very small label that I formed, recently. Metal Swarm Productions (formerly Death N Decay) will represent artists that we like and feel that we might be able to help out.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of black and death metal? So far we have actually be received very well. Selling albums in Canada, Italy, Germany, UK and such including states that we haven’t been to. Things seem to be on the up-rise.

10.What is going on with some of the other musical projects or bands these days that some of the band members are involved with? Me, Jack and Jechael are still involved in Paths of Possession, but we can only do so much with George’s scheduling and such. The 3 of us in (Paths) have put Promethean Horde on top priority as we have no restrictions to anything. Our drummer is in a death metal band called Ulcer and he stays pretty busy with that.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We're feeling like we want the next album to be very cold, dark and hateful. We'll probably always have the elements from Ashes of The Empyrean, with the clean guitars/singing and melodic riffs. But this next record, I would expect to be insane!

12.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? A few of the other guys are a little more eclectic than I am, I would say. I tend to stay with the black/death/folk metal stuff. That's pretty much the case with Jack and Jechael, but Jack likes punk and Jechael likes old Country/80's love songs. Jones likes a wide variety as well, ranging from death/metalcore/various acoustic artists. And finally, Gary can sing every Journey song almost perfectly. I think I'll stop there.

13.Does Paganism or Occultism, play any role in your music?
I would say very little if at all. Those things tend to sit a little close to religion. And as I've said earlier, we shy away from preaching things like that. We know that nearly all religions have taken unnecessary steps to eradicate those who differ in beliefs. Our message is to remove these religious ideas.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?Jack is a huge reader and also does a lot of artwork. We all love video games. Jones has his own business which makes (ear) plugs and gauges, called Stretch the World. Gary pretty much straps on some leather and goes riding on his motorcycle.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thought?
Thanks a ton, for the support! We hope to see you all, next time we tour!

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Akatharsia/2014 Demo Review

  Akatharsia  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  plays  a  very  raw  from  of  black  metal  mixed  with  grunge,  punk  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  demo.

  Clean  playing  which  is  also  used  again  on  a  later  track  starts  off  the  demo  and  it  has  a  garage  like  atmosphere  to  it  before  adding  in  more  of  a  lo-fi  heavy  sound  which  also  brings  in  some  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  to  go  for  more  of  a  raw  mid  paced  direction  bringing  in  a  punk  rock  and  grunge  vibe.

  The  black  metal  side  of  the  bands  musical  sound  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  style  and  after  awhile  it  speeds  up  a  bit  and  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  some  melody  and  guitar  leads  in  the  music  at  times  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  reverb  noises  have  a  drone  like  quality  to  them.

  Akatharsia  plays  mostly  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  that  also  has  some  grunge  and  punk  rock  influences  which  also  gives  the  band  a  more  original  vibe  while  still  having  a  very  dark  atmosphere  to  them,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes  with  a  philosophical  twist.

  In  my opinion  Akatharsia  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  punk  and  grunge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Excreta"  "Blood  Opulence"  and  "Dross".  8  out  of  10.    

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Promethean Horde/Ashes Of The Empyrean/Metal Swarm Productions 2014 CD Review

  Promethean  Horde  are  a  band  from  Florida  that  plays  a  very  fast,  aggressive  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Ashes  Of   The  Empyrean"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Metal  Swarm  Productions.

  A  very  fast  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats,  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  grim  screams  and  you  can  also  some  melodies  and  death  metal  influences  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  growls  and  after  awhile  the  band  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  more  in  a  melodic  musical  direction  and  the  heavy  parts  are  very  raw  and  brutal  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  the  mid  90's  Swedish  black  metal  sound  being  mixed  in  with  Florida  style  death  metal  and  as  the  album progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  pagan  metal.

    A  couple  of  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  on  some  of  the  later  songs  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  they  also  bring  a  more  progressive  and  folk  music  orientated  sound  when  they  are  utilized  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  to  find  their  musical  sound  on  this  recording  which  is  mostly  in  a  blackened  death  metal  direction   mixed  in  with  some  melodic pagan/folk  metal  while  sticking  more  to  a  guitar  orientated  direction.

  Promethean  Horde  takes  a  style  of  melodic  black  metal  and  adds  in  a  a  lot  of  speed,  aggression,  heaviness  and  rawness  while  also  being  influenced  by  pagan/folk  and  death  metal  in  the  more  brutal  parts  and  they  create  an  album  that  could  appeal  to  a  variety  of  many  different  extreme  metal  fans,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Promethean  Horde  are  a  very  great  sounding  fast,  aggressive  and  melodic  black  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  pagan  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Artisan  Of  Silence"  "Spirits  Of  Water"  "Dark  Black  Catacomb"  and  "Divinity  by  Conquest".  8  out  of  10.

http://prometheanhorde.com
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http://prometheanhorde.bandcamp.com
  

Ellorsith/1959/Caligari Records/2014 Cassette Review

  Ellorsith  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  very  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  cassette  "1959"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  dark  ambient  sound  starts  off  the  cassette  which  also  bring s in  a  small  amount  of  distorted  noises  and  spoken  word  parts  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  direction  as  well  as  speeding  up  and  adding  in  deep  growls  which  also  have  a  bestial  black/death  metal  feeling  to  them.

  After  awhile  there  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  being  presented  on  this  recording  and  the  slower  sections  display  a  very  heavy  death  metal  influence  to  them  bringing  back  some  of  the  morbid  sounding  melodies  of  the  early  90's  and  mixing  them  in  with  a  more  modern  black  metal  style  and  after  a  while  a  small  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  on  the  last  song  you  can  hear  some  elements  of  doom  metal  and  it  closes  with  some  melodic  Gregorian  chants  and  spoken  word  parts.

  Elorsith  creates  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  original  sounding  taking  some  influences  from  the  early  2000's  era  of  the  genre  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  as  well  as  some  doom  and  death  metal  influences  to  create  a  sound  that  is  very  different  than  what  most  bands  go  for,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  inspired  by  the  Dyatlov  Pass  Incident.

  In  my  opinion  Elosith  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sussuration"  and  "Compelling  Natural  Force".  8  out  of  10.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/1959

Xarkrinur/Dark Rituals/Psalm 88/2014 Cassette Review

  Xarkrinur  are  a  1 man  band  from  Bangladesh  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  the  music  on  this  recording  being  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2014  ep  "Dark  Rituals"  which  was  released  by  Psalm  88.

  A  very  fast,  raw  and  lo-fi  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  grim  screaming  vocals  and  the  music  brings  back  the  primal  90's  style  of  black  metal  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  that  also  utilize  some  blast  beats  and  on  the  second  track  elements  of  dsbm  find  their  way  onto  the  recording.

  The  vocals  have  a  very  suicidal  sounding  edge  to  them  at  times  and  on  the  third  track  to  music  starts  to  speed  up  a  bit  and  add  in  a  touch  of  Vlad  tepees  demo  era  style  of  sound  and  the  ep  closes  with  a  7  minute  epic  song  that  sees  the  music  going  back  into  a  mkore  slow  and  depressive  direction

  Xarkrinur  creates  some  very  raw  sounding  black  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  demo  days  of  the  genre  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  primal  while  also  bringing  in  a  touch  of  depressive  black  metal  at  times,  the  production  sound s very  raw,  lo-fi  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Xarkrinur  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark Rituals"  and  "Screams  of  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

https://psalm88.bandcamp.com/album/dark-rituals