Non Opus Dei/Diabel/Witching Hour Productions/2015 CD Review

  Non  Opus  Dei  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  modern  style  of occult  black  metal  on  this  recoridng and  this  is  a  review  of their  2015  album  "Diabel'  which  was  released  by  Witching  Hour  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with some  grim  black  metal  screams  that  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  to  get  more  raw  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  all  of  the  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  also  sound  very  powerful.

 A  lot  of  the  riffs  go  for  more  of  a  modern  style  of  occult  black  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of sound  effects  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  brings  in  progressive  and  technical  elements  at  times  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  also  display  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill.

  With  this  recording  Non  Opus  Dei  remain  true  to  an  occult  style  of  black  metal  while  also getting  a  lot  more  modern  and  adding  in  progressive  and  technical  riffs  that  display  how  much  talent  and  skill  that  the  band  members  have  as  musicians,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Polish  and  English  and  cover  Occultism,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Ritualistic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Non  Opus  Dei  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Milk  Of  Toads"  "The  Other  Side  Of  the  Mushroom"  and  "Trickster  -  Shapeshifter".  8  out  of  10.  

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Dalla Nebbia/Felix Culpa/Razed Soul Productions/2015 CD Review

  Dalla  Nebbia  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Felix  Culpa"  which  was  released  by  Razed  Soul  Productions.

   Clean  guitars  and  atmospheric keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  flutes  and  violins  that  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  folk  music  feeling and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  vocals  are  utilized  they  are  very  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  that  also  bring  in  death  metal  growls  while  the  solos  and  leads  add  element s of  post  rock  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  clean  singing  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  it  goes  into  more  of  a  raw  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  there  are  also  a  great  amount  of  progressive  elements  in  most  of  the  tracks  and  they  also  mix  the  atmospheric  parts  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  samples  and  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  psychedelic  elements  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  instrumental  that  introduces  electronic  music  influences  on  the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  songs.

  Dalla  Nebbia  creates  a  recording  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  atmospheric,  raw  and  melodic  styles  of  black  metal  while  also   being  very  progressive  at  times  as  well  as  not  being  afraid  to  experiment  which  also  makes  the  album  have  more  of  an  original  sound  to  it,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  decay,  regret,  death,  suicide  and  a  thorny  despair  at  the  hands  of  an  angry  god.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Dalla  Nebbia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  atmospheric  and  progressive  genres  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Until  The  Rain  Subsides"  "Not  Within  The  Stone"  and  "Paradise  In  Flames".  8  out  of  10. 

https://dallanebbia.bandcamp.com/album/felix-culpa

Tod Huetet Uebel/Malicia/Caverna Abismal Records/2015 CD Review

  Tod  Huetet  Uebel  are  a  duo  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  raw  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Malicia"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Caverna  Abismal  Records.

  Clean  guitars  and  atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  few  seconds  heavy  riffs  start  to  kick  in  along  with  some  blast  beats,  high  pitched  screams  which  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  fast  and  raw  black  metal  direction  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  At  times  the  screams  can  be  very  depressive  and  there  are  also  death  metal  growls  being  added  in  at  times while  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  melodies  into  the  songs  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  clean  guitars  also  make  their  return  in  some  of  the  later  songs.

  Tod  Huetet  Uebel  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  hateful  and  depressive  sounding  and  they  create  an  album  that  brings  back  a  suicidal  and  misanthropic  atmosphere  and  whoever  labeled  this  band  post  black  metal  was  incorrect,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  death  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my opinion  Tod  Huetet  Uebel  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  raw  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS INCLUDE  "I"  "III"  and  "V".  8  out  of  10.   

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Viranesir/You Jewish Bastards/Merdumgiriz/2015 EP Review

  Turkey's  Viranesir  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  experimental  black  metal  style  of  previous  recordings  while  also  putting  out  their  most  shocking  and  offensive  songs  to  date and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015 ep  "You  Jewish  Bastards"  which  was  released  by  Merdumgiriz.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  raw  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  that  uses  a  grim  style  of  vocals  and  screams  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  the  faster  sections  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts   and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  when  synths  and  clean  playing  are  utilize  they  add  more  atmosphere  to  the  music  and  a  great  portion  of the  tracks  are very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  vocals  can  also  get  very  dark  at  times  while  soem  of  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  Viranesir  creates  a  recording  that  displays  more  of  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  than  what  has  been  presented  on  past  recordings  while  still  having  a  touch  of  experimental  to  them,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  white  power  and  racism  themes  but  done  in  a  more  shocking  and  humorous  matter.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Viranesir  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  experimental  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hitler  Rape"  and  "The  Neo  Nazi's".  8  out  of  10.

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Corpspazm/Self Titled/Broken Limbs Recordings/2015 EP Review

  Corpspazm  are  a  band  from  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  and  crust  punk  with  a  touch  of  death/thrash  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  which  will  be  rleeased  in  October  by  Broken  Limbs  Recordings.

  A  very  raw  and  primal  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  that  bring  in  elements  of  South  American  death/thrash  onto  the  recording  while  some  of  the  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  crust  punk  and  grindcore  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts.

 Elements  of  war  metal  can  be  heard  at  times  and  later  songs also  show  the  vocals  adding  in  more  screaming  vocals  and  the  songs  focus  mostly  on  being  fast  and  raw  while  a  small  amount  of  slow  and  mid  paced  riffs  can  be  heard  at  times  and  towards  the  end  a  small  amount  of  melodies,  clean  playing,  solos  and  leads  can  be  heard  briefly  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording. 

  Corpspazm  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  raw  and  bestial  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  in  influences  of  crust  punk  and  South  American  death/thrash  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  worship,  human  worthlessness,  the  paranormal  and  and  the  bleakness  of  our  modern  existence.

  In  my  opinion  Corpspazm  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  raw  black  metal  an  crust  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bound  To  Rot"  and  "Total  Carnage".  8  out  of  10.

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Cape Of Bats/Violent Occultism/Broken Limbs Recordings/2015 Full Length Review

  Cape  Of  Bats  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  hardcore  punk  and  death  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Violent  Occultism"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Broken  Limbs  Recordings.

  Distorted  reverb's  start  off  the  album  before  getting  more  heavy,  dark  and  melodic  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melodies  and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  punk  and  death  rock  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  all  of  the  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  faster  sections  also  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  very  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  crust  and  d  beat  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  tracks  also  start  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  keyboards  while a  later  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  album  closes  with  acoustic  guitars  and  atmospheric  sounds.

  Cape  Of  Bats  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  in  elements  of  hardcore  punk  and  death  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cape  Of  Bats  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  hardcore  punk  and  death  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kali  Yuga  (The  Lightning  And  The  Moon)"  "Death Kami"  "Buckets  Of  Blood"  and  "Hecatian  Nights".  8  out  of  10.

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Australasia/Notturno/Apocalyptic Witchcraft/2015 CD Review

  Australasia  are  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black  metal,  post  rock,  shoegaze  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  "Notturno"  which  was  released  by  Apocalyptic Witchcraft.

  Dark  ambient  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  gets  heavy  it  goes  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  melodic  black  metal  direction  and  the  solos  and  leads  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  also  adds  elements  of  post  rock  to  the  songs.

  Vocals  and  lyrics  are  absent  from  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  music  being  instrumental  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of   clean  playing  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  nature  sounds  along  with  a  few  seconds  of  female  vocals  and  after  awhile  more  elements  of  shoegaze  can  be  heard  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Australasia  creates  another  recording  that  is  mostly  instrumental  and  takes  an  instrumental  approach  to  more  of  a  modern  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  that  is  also  very  melodic  and  mixes  in  elements  of  ambient,  shoegaze  and  post  rock  and  the  production  has  a  very  powerful  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Australasia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental,  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eden"  "Haxo"  "Amnesia"  and  "Notturno". 8  out  of  10.

https://apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com/album/notturno

   

Stagwounder Interview

For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Johannes: We are five guys hailing from the south of germany – more precise: the Heidelberg area – making music together for about two years now.

Timotheus: That is also how long most of us have known each other, our musical and personal relationship really started with forming the band. We gathered to start something different, more dark and more "serious" than the muscial endeavours we had been part of in the past and under really vague common interests and goals something concrete was quickly established: our first album, to which not much can be added at this point when it comes to communicating what the band is.


In June you had released the album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Johannes: Hmmm … to be honest, I think this question is better answered by others. I for myself am not a friend of musical pigeonholing or stereotypes but I think most people need to compare the sound of one band to another. In our band description we use the topics black, doom and death.That sums it up, I think, but the relation of this three genres varies from song to song. I would consider it to be heavy, athmospheric and aggressive, more doomed black metal than blackened doom metal. But that’s just my opinion.

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

Timotheus: The countless adventures of the Stagwounder. Bizarre situations that might make the Lord vomit.


What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Stagwounder'?

Johannes: When it first came into my head, I thought it sounds pretty nasty and fitting for our sound. Wounding – not neccessary killing –a majestic animal, that’s pretty evil I guess. But there’s also a metaphorical  level: The stag appears in almost every culture, it’s one of the oldest figures you find in art and myths. It was seen as a synonyme for a god-like animal in earlier days: the king of the forest and so on. The celts had cernunnos, it stands for vitality and fertility. Even in early christian days there were legends of stags appearing to people as a divine symbol for nature.


Timotheus: For us personally -- and analogous to many cultural connotations -- the stag stands for the purity and sanctity of nature and life in general. "Stagwounder" is as much an outward allegation as an inner confession programmatically speaking, but as a name for a work of art it is just that, a name to an illustration, to describe what can be seen and of course heard.


Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Johannes: Definitely yes. In Germany it’s hard for a band like us. We are ready for take off, playing shows and tours but when you’re out there on your own, complete d.i.y. without al label or a booker in the back, this means a lot of hard work.


Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

Johannes: By now we are working on new songs and we want to start to record them soon – at first on our own, later on we will see. We are proud that we have come to this point by ourselves, but if a label is interested is what we’re doing ... why not? As long as we are still able to do our thing in the way we want to, none of us would be unhappy about having some support.


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

Johannes: It was interesting for us to see how quickly we got feedback. Only one day after the release of Invisible Radiance we had requests from Brazil, a guy in Portugal wrote some really nice words about the record and few days later we were played in an US-radio-podcast. That was pretty awesome because we didn’t ask anyone to do so. We really like the spirit of the worldwide underground metal community and highly appreciate any feedback, whether it’s positive or not.


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

Johannes: As said before – we are working on new songs which will lead us (and you) on a loooong journey downwards into abysses far more lightless than the ones we have travelled so far. So be forewarned, it’s gonna be some heavy stuff comin‘ around. And some polka.

Timotheus: Since the relationship of the band has been a very new one making the first record, the next release is probably going to display a musical maturation in some aspects. It also looks like it is going to be a little bit faster and more melodic, you could say more "technical" or "diverse". As for the Doom- and Black- Label it might be a further digression but for sure it will be more and less Stagwounder.


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?

Timotheus: Invisible Radiance has been influenced by both classical and "post" Black-, Doom-, Deathmetal and Rock; regarding the guitars only  it sometimes seems to me like a minimalistic mixture of Satyricon, Shining, Ulcerate and I (the Band) next to the homemade wrath and sentimentality.
As with every band that consists of more than one person, our musical interests aren‘t uniform, but amongst other bands we have lately listened to Schammasch (the new album is curiously awaited) and Ahab (the new album is very much enjoyed) in our rehearsal room.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Timotheus: Looking at the sky; what is left in the refrigerator.



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

Johannes: To quote that Goethe-guy: More light! And antlers up to all the people out there supporting underground music.

And thank you

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Vried/Solverv/Indie Recordings/2015 CD Review

  Vreid  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  progressive  and  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Solverv"  which  was  released  by  Indie  Recordings.

   A  very  dark  and  melodic  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  and  adds  in  grim  screams  along  with  a  more  raw  style  of  the  genre.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  of  a  hard  rock/heavy  metal  style  to  the  songs  while  still  having  melodic  black  metal  elements  to  them and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  long  and   epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  thrash  can  be  heard  while  a  later  track  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  regular  singing  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  pagan  metal  feeling  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Vreid  creates  another  album  that  remains  true  to  the  modern  Norwegian  black  metal  sound  while  also  adding  int  more  melody  and  progressive  elements  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover ancestral  Nordic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vreid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Haust"  "Geitskadl"  and  "Fridom  Med  Daudens  Klang".  8  out  of  10.

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Aegorton/Plaguelord/2015 Demo Review

  Aegorton  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their self  released  demo  "Plaguelord".

  Distorted  guitar  riffs  start  off  the  demo  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  a  depressive  black  metal  musical  direction  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  atmosphere  along  with  the  tracks  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  paced  parts.

  Melodies  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  the  recording  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  any  lyrics  and  vocals  and  you  can  also  hear  the  bass  guitars  in  the  background  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  slower  sections  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  there  is  also  a  brief   use  of  distorted  sound  effects  while  a  later  track  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Aegorton  plays  a  musical  style that  takes  depressive  black  metal and  mixes  it  with  doom  metal  and  also  avoids  any  use  of  vocals  and  lyrics,  the  production  sounds  very  dark   and  raw  while  the  theme  focuses  on  the  plague  in  Europe  in  the  middle  ages.

  In my  opinion  Aegorton  are a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  depressive  black  metal  and  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Plaguelord"  "Raised  To  The  Ground"  and  "March  Of   The  Pungent Reanimated".  8  out  of  10.  

https://aegorton.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Aegorton
https://soundcloud.com/aegorton
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Aegorton/3540392282

Bukavac Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
I am a one man black metal band form North Dakota. I wouldn’t call my music traditional black metal and I myself have trouble categorizing my style. I would say this album is more focused on mood and groove than blast beats or atmosphere, although both of those appear as well. 

2. Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Heavy and brooding at times. Melodic and melancholy at other times.
I have heard people say I sound like first wave and really early second wave black metal bands. I wouldn’t be so bold as to compare myself to legends and gods like Bathory, Venom, Black Sabbath, or early Mayhem, but those are some bands others have used to describe my sound. I am deeply honored by those comparisons.  

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
This album is all about nature, mythology, and what I view as the illusion of the human experience and my personal philosophies on humanity. Thus the title “All That Is of the Earth.” 

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Bukavac'?
Actually there is a story behind the name. I joined a website called My Online Band a few years ago. On that web site I found a black metal vocalist named Arsenic. We formed an online band called Astral War and he started posting our songs on YouTube. Of course the credited members where Arsenic and SixStrings (my profile name) and that was just fucking ridiculous. So I needed a new name. We looked up demons and other appropriate names but one fit perfectly. A Slavic demon with six legs, gnarled horns, who makes a lot of noise. He hides in the swamps and strangles people to death who pass by. Who wouldn’t love such a creature?
And so Bukavac was born. Some Astral War songs are still online. They are not very good because I had no idea how to mix or master my music then... I still don’t really but I feel I have greatly improved. Arsenic was actually a solid vocalist and we had some really good ideas but, I didn’t have the knowhow to make it sound good. That and my DAW at the time kept shitting the bed. So guitars would be in the left channel and not the right, and all other kinds of problems. It was fun but I would consider it a learning experience for both Arsenic and myself. Hopefully Arsenic is still making music. 

5. On the album you recorded mostly everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you plan on keeping it a solo project?
I played and recorded everything but drums. I don’t know shit about drums and honestly have no desire to learn how to play them. So I use Beta Monkey drum loops.
Bukavac always has been and always will be a solo project. If I should work with others it would no longer be Bukavac. It would require a new band name. I Bukavac would just be a piece of the band rather than the entire band.

6. The album was released on Black Lion Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about how you had came in contact with this label?
My friend Karhmul from the band Abandoned by Light recommended them to me. Since signing with Black Lion I have been really happy. They have been more supportive and helpful than any other label I spoke with. That and the art work on the CDs and booklets look amazing. Black Lion does really good work.

7. On the album you had a quest appearance from a member of 'Abandoned by Light', can you tell us a little bit more about what he added to your musical style?
Karhmul is a great musician and an amazing artist. I was honored to have him appear on the album. He wrote the lyrics to “Into the Abyss Beyond” so the song doesn’t really fit the overall concept of the album but I really wanted to include it.
Karhmul is a much better vocalist than I am so it’s possible those are the best vocals on the album!

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
So far it’s been all positive. I am still amazed at how connected the world is now. I have heard from people in South America, the U.S., and I am signed to a label in Sweden. It means a lot to me to be accepted by Scandinavian black metal fans though. As a black metal artist and fan I know that it is the birth place of the genre and some of the greatest bands ever have come from that area.

9. Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects?
Currently no. The Legion of Black Blood is releasing a split at the end of the month. There are two or three collaboration songs between Jord, Nocturnal Toxin and Carnage, Abandoned by Light, and myself. 

10. Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I plan to stop masturbating before I play fast tremolo picking… its exhausting. Haha no.. I have no idea what to do next as a musician. I would love to take guitar, bass, or vocal lessons but I know I don’t have time. I have also thought about ancient history college classes to help me write lyrics. But again time, money, and life all get in the way.

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?
I love all extreme metal music. Death metal, black metal, all that good shit. On this album I would say my influences are Behemoth, Watain, Marduk, Black Label Society, Danzig, Agalloch, High on Fire, Subrosa, The Well, Bloodbath, Coffinworm, Gorgoroth, Mastodon, Neurosis, and Kylessa.

12. What are some of your non musical interests?
Porn. Puppies. Puppy porn. Same as everyone else.
I enjoy art and alcohol… I don’t know. Other than music I just hang out with the wife. We don’t go out much. I am not big into sports or anything like that. I am pretty fucking boring.

13. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you so much for the opportunity to appear in your magazine. All of what I have experienced so far with my music is way more than anything I expected when I just began learning Cannibal Corpse songs on a hand me down acoustic guitar back in high school.

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Kalmankantaja/Opalan/Wolfspell Records/2015 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Finland's  Kalmankantaja  and  Sweden's Opalan  which  was  released  by  Wolfspell  Records  and we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Kalmankantaga  a  band  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  pagan/black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  off  with  a  very  melodic  pagan  black  metal  sound  that  can  also  be  very  atmospheric  at  times  and  after  a  minute  and  a  half  grim  screams  start  finding  their  way  into  the  music and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  very  melodic  musical  direction  and  both  of  their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  both  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  the  production sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are written  in  Polish  and  cover  Paganism and  Nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion   Kalmankantaja  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hetki     Kuolemassa".

  Next  up  is  Opalan  another  band  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  pagan  black  metal.

 Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  nature  sounds  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars,  atmospheric  sounds  and  melodic  chanting  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  drum  beat  kicks  in  the  music  goes into  a  very fast  and  raw  black  metal  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  grim  yet  high  pitched  screams  while  still  having  a  touch  of  melody  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  alternating  between  both  heavy  and  acoustic  playing,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  Paganism  and  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Opalan  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  songs.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Solens  Aterkomst".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  the  atmospheric  and  pagan  black  metal  genres.  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Kalmankantaja/3540342889
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/O%C3%BEalan/3540404517

Mist Of Misery Interview

Interview with Phlegathon, guitar player of Mist of Misery:

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Mist of Misery was formed in 2010 in Jakobsberg, a northern suburb in Stockholm.  The music focuses primarily on creating a dark, depressive and melancholic atmosphere. The listener is supposed to enter a kind of meditative state while listening to Mist of Misery. This is of course equally reflected in the lyrics as well. They are written to fit the musical landscape we are trying to portray. The lyrics deal with a variety of different subjects ranging from descriptions of nature, negative emotions in general and some different perspectives of outlooks upon life. The music tends to be repetitive, quite often slow but not always and we involve a lot of orchestration combined with melody mixed with traditional DSBM influences.

 2.A year ago you had released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
The sound was represented well for that time. It was a closing chapter for the “old” Mist of Misery you could say. We are proud of that EP, but it is nowhere near of what we are capable of. The new full length album we are working on right now (and have been for quite some time) will be….different to say the least. I will speak more of that later in this interview. But all in all, I think the EP represented us quite well. It is moody, melancholic and repetitive, everything a Mist of Misery recording should be.

3.The band has been around since 2010 but waited until 2014 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 4 years?
Wrong. I joined the band in 2011, but Mist of Misery had released several independent releases before that. Some of them were old recordings of the songs featured on our latest release “Temple of Stilled Voices” which you referred to. On another note, Temple of Stilled Voices was released in 2013 actually, but only in digital format. It was released in physical format this year of 2015.
Now, regarding the first 4 years… I cannot tell you much about the very first year, since I was not part of the band back then, but I know that several shows were performed, one in Umeå I believe and several in Stockholm and as I mentioned earlier, several releases were made during the first 1-2 years. Among others they featured early versions of Bleak Autumn, Temple of Stilled Voices and Windows Mirror Image. When I joined the band in 2011 everyone basically left except for Mortuz Denatus. We wrote pretty much all the material for the full length album that we are recording now during a considerably short period of time and more songs that will be on the album after that. We have been re-recording our full length album at least 5 times since 2011 (yes, while we were also working on our EP  “Templed of Stilled Voices” simultaneously) and have finally come to the conclusion to keep most of the tracks we have recorded now and finish the entire process by the end of this year. Hopefully we will see a release quite shortly after that. We also performed several shows during those years that you mentioned. All of them where in our hometown of Stockholm.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Well that question was more or less answered in an earlier stage of this interview, but I guess I could elaborate a bit. Natural descriptions such as describing autumn landscapes or mists are a common theme at least among our older songs. The newer lyrics focuses perhaps more on philosophical topics but described in a typical Mist of Misery fashion. We also have one song that is inspired by the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien originally enough, hehe…
The general themes however in most of Mist of Misery’s lyrics are depression, darkness, melancholy and hopelessness. Although speaking for myself, I cannot help but to throw in a glimpse of optimism in the lyrics I write. If I didn’t, I would go mad with negativity.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mist Of Misery'?
You would have to ask Mortuz about that. He came up with the name. Although I do know for a fact that he conceived it during a rather… inebriated state. That does not make it without meaning however. I have my own interpretation of what the name stands for, but to find out the original idea behind the name, you should ask him.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you willing to work with a full band again or do you prefer to remain a duo?
We would like to have a full band I would say. We have tried, but this is not really the band that people stick with for some reason… I like working with Mortuz, but I would not mind at all working with a full say 6 piece band. That would exciting. The only problem is that you have to work with dedicated people that are willing to stay through the tough and demanding times, which very few people are willing to do unfortunately. We hire session members for every live performance and they are usually replaced when each new gig comes up.
Long story short: We would like to work with a full band, but we just have not found people that are dedicated enough yet. You never know for the future… but no matter what happens, I think me and Mortuz Denatus will remain the main driving forces behind Mist of Misery.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The latest gig we had in June was quite special to me at least. It was by far the tightest we ever played and it was fun to play a lot of newer songs. We had some technical problems and our session bass player was….disappointed to say the least. We were also supposed to film and record that gig, but things did not get handled that well, let’s put it that way. But as for the atmosphere, and the people who appreciated it, it was a fine gig for me.
Our onstage performances are not like your typical extreme metal show. Our music is often quite slow and repetitive and it is not really meant for excessive head banging, moshing etc.  We focus rather on delivering the songs the way they are supposed to be delivered: With feeling, tension and lots of epic vibes in general.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Touring? No, not at the moment. Shows and everything is in the planning process, but we really feel the need to complete our full length album before any extensive amount of live-performance can be made. We something more to promote than just our latest EP. We are not completely closed at the moment with regarding to do a show or 2 before the album is released. That more or less depends on finding the right people that are willing to follow through with it. Time will tell.

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
I’m glad you asked. We have received 2 very interesting offers from 2 promising record labels. One of them we have pretty much decided that they we will be working with them for promotional purposes when our full length album comes out. Of course I can’t tell you what label, but you will see….

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
From the people that I’ve been in contact with, either through promotional means or personally the reception has been 99 % good. Around 10 reviews have been done for the Temple of Stilled Voices EP and none of them have been negative. That to me is not necessarily only a good sign.  A true sign that you are doing something good is that you have haters, people who dislike what you are doing. I’m not complaining though, I’m glad that people seem to like it which it is healthy for the band.

11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Mortuz Denatus is the founder and owner of Studio Forlorn Halls, the studio that we record in. That takes up a lot of his time and he is doing everything from fixing drums to other bands, mixing in general, mastering other bands and doing his own stuff of course in that studio obviously. He is also in a band called Soliloquim. I believe they are about to release their second EP, or full length album at the moment.
I am also in another band called Hyperion. Our debut album has been recorded and is currently being mixed by a guy called Sverker Widgren who is the owner of Wing Studios. The artwork is completed and everything. We’re basically just waiting for him to finish the album and we are writing some new music as well. I also do some melodic electronic music with a friend of mine, but that is more of a fun project.

12.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Yes, you can expect a full length album for sure. The time it has taken is beyond all criticism, but rest assured: We WILL complete this album. You just wait and see. This album is….different than the previous Mist of Misery releases. It is more mature, complex and way more symphonic. I think some listeners might be surprised by it, but we still maintain the foundation of Mist of Misery. You can definitely hear that we are the same band as before. It sounds like Mist of Misery, but greatly improved and on a whole new level
I see the band basically including more symphonic elements in the future and expanding the bounds of atmosphere and beauty. It is going to be very interesting.

13.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?
Musical inspiration for Mist of Misery ranges across a variety of different artists. I guess some important names are Thy Light, Coldworld, Gorgoroth, Mayhem, Dissection, Vangelis and Hans Zimmer. But it is not really consciously that these artists influence us. We combine Depressive Black Metal with I guess traditional sounding Black Metal, but we also mix a lot of classical newer symphonic music with it as well.
Me, personally I listen to a lot of 80:s hard rock and metal. At the moment I can’t stop listening to WASP and Magnum, but I am in love with lots of different genres of music.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I would like to thank everyone who has supported us in any way. Your actions mean the world to us. I would also like everyone to keep an ear out when the full length album is released and listen to it with an open mind. Thank you for the interview!

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Panzergod/Deathshrouds Bestowed/ExileMusick/2015 Cassette Review

  Panzergod  are  a  band  from  Oregon that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw,  old  school  and  satanic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  cassette  "Deathshrouds  Bestowed"  which  was  released  by  Exile  Musick.

  A  very  raw  and  fast  old  school  black  metal sounds  start  of  the   recording  along  with  a  great amount  of  blast  beats  and  a few  seconds  deep  screams  are  added  into  the  music  and  they  get  very  high  pitched  screams  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style  and  melodies  can  be  hear d in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem  and  the  solos  and  leads  can  also  be  very  melodic  when  they  are  utilized and  you  can  also  hear  elements  of  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Panzergod  creates  another  black  metal  album  that  continues  the  true  second  wave  tradition  of  the  style  while  also  bringing  in  more  melodies  this  time  around  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  musical  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Blasphemous  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Panzergod  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  satanic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deathshrouds  Bestowed"  "Broken  Pile  Of  Flesh"  and  "Rites  Of  Walpurgisnacht".  8  out  of  10. 

https://exilemusick.bandcamp.com/album/panzergod-deathshrouds-bestowed

In League With Satan/Self Titled/Merdumgiriz/2015 Cassette Re-Issue Review

  In  League  With  Satan  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  experimental   black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2009  album  which  was  re-issued  in  2015  by  Merdumgiriz.

  A  very  raw  and  noisy  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the album  along  with  some  grim  screams,  goat  sounds,  programmed  blast  beats  and  chaotic  guitar  leads  and  elements  of  death  metal  and  grindcore  can  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Deep  guttural  growls  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  music  can  be  very  experimental   at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses drones  can  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal  with   the  melodic  riffs  and  most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's.

  In  League  With  Satan  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  but  also  gets  more  experimental  and  also  mixes  in  elements  of grindcore  and  death  metal  to  create  a  style   of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Blasphemy,  Anti  Christianity,  Darkness  and  War  themes,

  In  my  opinion  In  League  With  Satan  are a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  experimental  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan   of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Goddess  Of  Bestial  Lust"  "Fetid  Heresy"  and  "Daughter  Of  The  Ancient Ones".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/In-League-With-Satan
Bandcamp: https://pcodio.bandcamp.com

Abandoned By Light/To Walk The World Of Shadows, Surrounded By Dead Trees/Black Lion Productions/2015 Full Length Review

  Abandoned  By  Light are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "To Walk The World Of Shadows, Surrounded By Dead Trees"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Productions.

  Dark  sound effects start  off  the  album  along  with  some  tortured  spoken word  parts  and  a  few  seconds  alter  heavy  guitar  riffs  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  programmed  drum  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  grim  depressive  black  metal  screams  making  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing   while  some  of  the  riffs  can  also  be  very  dark  and  melodic  at  times  and  the  music  sticks  mostly  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  also being  very  raw  and  atmospheric  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  programmed  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  when  solos  and  leads  ar e utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  melodic  style  of  depressive  black   metal.

  With this  recording  Abandoned  By  Light  remain  true  to  the  raw  and  depressive  style of  black  metal t hat  was  established  on  previous  recordings  while  also  adding  in  more  melody  as  well  as  showing  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  growth  as  musician's,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  suicide,  love,  depression,  loneliness  and  hatred.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abandoned  By  Light  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shadow  Clad  memories  Of  Sorrow"  "To  Fade  Through  Twilight  Smoke  Into  Ashes"  and  "Spectres  Of  Dust".  8  out  of  10.  

https://blacklionproduction666.bandcamp.com/album/to-walk-the-world-of-shadows-surrounded-by-dead-trees

  

Bukavac/All That Is Of The Earth/Black Lion Productions/2015 Full LengthReview

 Bukavac  are a  solo  project  from  North Dakota  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  black  metal  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "All That Is Of The Earth"  which  was  released  by  Black  Lion  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  a  few  seconds  the  music  starts  to  get  heavy  and  also  introduces  grim  black  metal  screams  to  the  recording  and  the  music  can  also  get  very  avant  garde  at  times.

  Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilize  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced musical  direction  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  brings  in  an  exotic  sounding  classical  guitar  and  spoken  word  parts which   also  return  briefly  on  a  later  track.

  As  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  along  with  some  clean  playing  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of t he  heavier  parts  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  dsbm  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  briefly  it  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  raw  guitar  riffs  and  the  last  track  brings  in  quest  vocals  from  Kathmul  of  Abandoned  By  Light..

  Bukavac  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  original  and mixes  in  some  avant  garde  and  progressive  elements  as  well  as  a  touch  of  doom  and  death  metal  to  create  his  own  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature, paganism  and  metaphysical  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Bukavac  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  black  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Od  Crows  And  Owls"  "Sons  of  Gia"  "Tundra  Wookie"  and  "Into  the  Abyss".  8  out  of  10. 

https://blacklionproduction666.bandcamp.com/album/bukavac-all-that-is-of-the-earth