Enoid/Exile Aux Confins Des Tourments/Satanath Records/Black Plague Records/2016 CD Review

  Enoid  are  a  solo  project  from  Switzerland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  anti  human  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Exile  Aux Confins  Des  Tourments"  which will  be  released  in  May  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records and  Black  Plague  Records.

  A  very  dark  soundscape  starts  off  the  album  giving  the  music  an  ambient  feeling  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal  direction  that  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and brutal  blast  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  also  get  very  grim  at  times  while  some  of  the  riffs  and  leads  also  use  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  There  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words  and  there  is  also a  few  seconds  of  avant  garde  elements  while  the  music  sticks  mostly  to  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  vocals  also get  deeper  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  one  song  brings  in  the  screams  of  tortured  souls  and  clean  playing  is  introduced  on  the  last  track  which  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Enoid  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  very  fast  and  raw  style  of  anti  human  black  metal  that  he  is  known  for,  the  production sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  his  native  tongue  cover  death,  misanthropy  and  reflections  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Enoid  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  anti  human  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ces  Cicatrices  Dans  Mon  Ame"  "Nouveau  Cycle  Destructeur"  and  "Ode  A  La  Haine".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEcV_fFL7ao 

Chaosbaphomet/Promethean Black Flame/Deathrune Records/2016 CD Review

  Chaosbaphomet  are  a  duo  from  Greece  that  plays  a  Hellenic  form  of  occult  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2016  album  "Promethean  Black  Flame"  which  was  released  by  Deathrune  Records.

  Avant  garde  sounds  and  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  classical  guitars  a  few seconds  later  which  also  use  both finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  the  music  sounds  very  ritualistic  at  times  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  call  upon  the  infernal  beings.

  Ritualistic  drum  beats  can  be  heard  briefly  and  the  flutes  have  a  70's  occult  rock  vibe  when  they  are  used  for  a  few  seconds  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  gets  more  heavier  along  with  some  angry  black  metal screams  while  also  keeping  the  ritualistic  vibe  of  the  intro  and  back  up  vocals  can  also  be  heard,  tremolo  picking  and  dark  sounding  melodies  can  be  heard  at  times  giving  the  music  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  along  with  the  fast  parts  using  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  stick  to  a  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  style  and  all  of  the  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

      The  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  mid 80's  and  early  90's  influences  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  classical  guitars  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  that  same  element  can  also be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  along  with  a touch  of  thrash  and  as  the  album  progresses  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  style  while  one  track  brings  in  violins  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Necromantia's  "Spiritforms  Of  the  Psychomancer".

  Chaosbaphomet  plays  a  style  of  Hellenic  occult  black  metal  that  is  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  ritualistic  sounding  and  also  mixes  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  which  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Occultism,  Satanism,  and  Left  Hand  Path  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Chaosbaphomet  are  a  very  great  sounding  Hellenic  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fire  Of  The  Titans"  "To  Eos"  and  "Nightside  Realm".  8.5  out  of  10.

https://deathrunerecords.bandcamp.com/album/chaosbaphomet-promethean-black-flame

Eyelids/Departure/Masked Dead Records/2016 EP Review

  Eyelids are  a  duo  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Departure"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Masked  Dead  Records.

  Wind  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  some  drum  beats  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  adding  depressive  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melodies  in  the  guitar  riffing  at   times.

  Acoustic guitars  also mix in  with  the  heavier  side  briefly  and  the  guitar  riffing  also  has  a  very  raw  sound  to  it  while  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  more  of  a  melodic  sound  along  with  a  small  amount of  clean singing  chants  which  also  gives  the  song  more  of  an   atmospheric  feeling.

  Eyelids  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  depressive  and  slow  while  also  having  its  raw  and  melodic  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  solitude,  sadness,  and  emptiness.

  In  my  opinion  Eyelids  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Departure".  8  out  of  10.    

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Trivax/Death To The Empire Of the World/Masked Dead Records/2016 EP Review

  Trivax  are  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  members  from  both  Iran  and  the  United  Kingdom  that  play  a  very  raw   form  of  satanic  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Death  To  The  Empire  Of  The  World"  which  was  released  by  Masked  Dead  Records.

  Avant  garde  drones  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal direction  along  with  some  blast  beats,  tremolo  playing  and  grim  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  evil  laughter  and  you  can  also  hear  influences  of  death  metal  in  the  bands musical  style  along  with all  of  the musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful.

 Throughout  the  recording you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  and  there  are  also  some  angry  shouting  vocals  being  utilized  at  times  along  with the  sounds  of  human  suffering  as  well  as  a  touch  of  thrash  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in a very  chaotic  fashion  and  the  second  song  is  a  live  version  of  the first  track  before  closing  with  a  cover  of  Celtic  Frost's  "Into  The  Crypts  Of  Ray"  which  remains  true  to  the  original  version  while  having  a  more  aggressive  vocal  approach.

  Trivax  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  satanic form  of  black/death of  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Trivax  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  satanic  black/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Death  To  the  Empire  Of  the  World".  8  out  of 10. 

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Februus/Sacnisa/Masked Dead Records/2015 Demo Review

  Februus  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  Etruscan  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  demo  "Sacrisa"  which  was  released  by  Masked  Dead  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  synth  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  before  adding  in  whispers  and  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  fast  and  raw  black  metal  direction  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  use  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  music  is  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style.

  After  awhile  atmospheric  sounds  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  have  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  black  metal  and  synths  also  make  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  gives  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  the  demo  closes  with  an outro  that  also  introduces  rain  sounds  into  the  music.

  Februus  plays  a  style  a  pagan/black  metal  that  is  very  raw,  dark  and  epic  while  also  having  its  atmospheric  and  melodic  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Etruscan  Paganism,  Rituals  and  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Februus  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  epic  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuflons"  and  "Rasna".  8  out  of  10.

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Sus Scrofa/Sinister Silve/Nomos Dei Produccion/2016 EP Review

  Sus  Scrofa  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "Sinistre  Silve"  which  was  released  by  Nomos  Dei  Production.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  pagan  chanting  and  spoken  word  parts  and  a  few  seconds  later  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  it  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  a  raw  edge.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  more  underground  90's  style  of  pagan/black  metal  and  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  clean  guitars  are  also  added  into  some parts  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  few  tracks that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  You  can  also  hear  melodies  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  when  acoustic  guitars  and  nature  sounds  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  folk  feeling  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  of  an  epic  and  melodic  atmosphere and  there  is  also a  brief  use  of  flutes  on  the  last  2  songs.

  Sus  Scrofa  plays  a  style  of  pagan/black  metal  that  is  very  raw  yet  epic  sounding  and  goes  back  to  the  90's  style  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  their  native  tongue  and  cover  Pyrenean  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  Sis  Scrofa  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  epic  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Aures  Sunt  Nemoris"  and  "Sinistra  Sylva".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://nomosdei.bandcamp.com/album/sinistre-silve

Black Pestilence/Carry On The Black Flame/2016 EP Review

  Black  Pestilence  are  a  band  from  Alberta,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and plays  a  raw  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  noise  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Carry  On  the  Black  Flame".

  A  dark  lo-fi  atmosphere  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  crust  punk  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  once  the  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  the  music  starts  mixing  in  with  more  of  a  raw  style  of  that  genre  along  with  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  back  up  shouts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  punk  along  with  a  brief  chorus  that  almost  close  to the  pop  side  of  the  genre  while  the  music  remains  raw  and  heavy  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  melodic  fashion  and  as  the ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  noise  sounds  can  be  heard  and  the  music  also  remains  heavy  and  raw  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  the  last  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Black  Pestilence  creates  another  recording  that  takes  a  raw  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  punk  and  a  touch  of  noise  to  create  a  style  that  some  might  consider  as  being  blackened  punk,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Social  Issue  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Pestilence  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  punk  influenced  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep. RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demon  Cathedral"  and  "Rise  For  Satan".  8  out  of  10.

 http://blackpestilence.bandcamp.com/album/carry-on-the-black-flame

   

     

Panychida/Haereticalla - The Night Battles/Cursed Records/2016 CD Review

  Panychida  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2016  album   'Haereticalla  - The  Night  Battles"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Cursed  Records.

  A  classical  music  orchestra  starts  off  the  album  and  a  few  seconds  later  spoken  word  samples  are  used  briefly  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams and  melodic  guitar  leads making  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  death  metal  growls can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  style  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  and blast  beats  and melodic  pagan  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  elements  of  folk  music  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  keyboards  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling and  on  some  songs  they  add  the  classical  elements  in  with  the  heavier  parts  and  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  feeling  and spoken  word  parts  also  make  a  return  in  some  parts  of  the  album and  they  also  bring  in  a brief  instrumental  track  that  also  introduces  nature  sounds  onto  the  recording  while  the  following  tracks  show  the  music  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  they  close  the  album  with  2  bonus  live  tracks  along  with  the  last  one  bringing  in  Slavic  folk  instruments.

  Panychida  plays  a  style  of  pagan/black  metal  that  is  very  heavy,  atmospheric  and  melodic  while  also  mixing  in  orchestra's,  folk  music  and  death  metal  elements  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  are  inspired  by the writings  of  Carlos  Ginzburg  about  the  Benandanti  cult  of  Northern  Italy  while  also exploring  witch  burnings  and  the  werewolves  of  Estonia.

  In  my  opinion  Panychida  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Procession  Of  The  Dead"  "Hunting  The  Witches"  and  "The  Livonian  Werewolf".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/YGZTBGZLMmw

       

 

Anu/Nighthymns/Wohrt Records/2016 Cassette Review

  Anu  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  final  album  "Nighthymns"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Wohrt  Records.

  A  very  raw,  distorted  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  along  with  some  programmed  blast  beats  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  has  some  of  the  modern  atmospheric  elements.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  90's  second  wave  elements  can  be  heard  and  on  the  later  tracks  a  small  amount  of  atmospheric  synths  can  be  heard  along  with  a  couple  of  ambient  instrumentals  while  the  synths  are  also  brought  onto  the  black  metal  sounds  briefly  and  the  heavier  side  of  the  bands  musical  style  also  always  remains  true  to  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  long and  epic in  length.

  Anu  creates  another  black  metal  recording  that  is  very  raw  and  atmospheric  while also  mixing  in  elements  of  dark  ambient,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult,  winter  and  sorrow  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from  Anu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw,  atmospheric  and  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Enter  the  Chasm"  and  "The  Eternal  Frost".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO0rx_PIohU

Shadowdream/The Sunsettler's Motel/WormHoleDeath Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Shadowrealm  are  a  solo  project  from  Serbia/Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  originally  started  out  as  a  black  metal  project  before  going  into  dark  ambient,  jazz  and  neo-classical  direction  over  the  years  while  still  retaining  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "The  Sunsettler's  Motel"  which  will  be  released  in June  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  they  also  give  the  music  an  atmospheric  dark  ambient  feeling  and  after  a  few  seconds  drum  beats  are  also  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  add  elements  of  jazz  into  the  songs  along  with  some  saxophones  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  psychedelia.

  Throughout  the  recording  you can  hear  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  coming  out  of  the  keyboards   while  acoustic  guitars  can  also be  heard  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  thunder  sounds  along  with  the  voices  of  tortured  souls  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more experimental  and  every tracks  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  flutes  while  some  of  the  songs  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Shadowdream  move  into  more  away  from  their  black  metal  roots  and  creates  an  album  that  is  more  close  to  avant  garde  jazz,  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  while  also  being  all  instrumental,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  albums  concept  is  based  upon  a  motel  and  a  murder with a  supernatural  edge.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Shadowdream  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  black/dark  ambient,  neo  classical  and  jazz,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Sunsetter's  Theme"  "While  the  Motel  Sleeps,  Nightmares  Are  Being  Painted"  and  "The  Obsession  Begans  Tomorrow".  8  out  of  10. 

http://shadowdreamband.webs.com

Helleborus/The Carnal Sabbath/Satanath Records/Black Plague Records/2016 CD Review

  Helleborus  are  a  duo  from  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  black  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Carnal  Sabbath"  which  will  be  released  in  June  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Black  Plague  Records.

  A  very  dark,  and  avant  garde  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some psychedelic  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  and  atmospheric  sound  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  speeds  up.

  A  more  raw  side  of  black  metal  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  riffing  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  they  also demonstrate  a  great  amount  of  talent  and  skill  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  traditional  metal  can  be  heard  in some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  most  of  the  music  is in  a  more  modern  atmospheric  black  metal  direction and  a  later  song  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of clean  playing  and  the  songs  also bring  in  a  great  amount  of  diversity  and  all  of the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them.

  Helleborus  plays  a  very  diverse  form  of  black  metal  that  can  be  very  heavy,  melodic  and  atmospheric  at  times  while  the  psychedelic  elements  make  the  songs  stand  out  a  bit  more  and  gives  the  music  more  of  an original  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Left  hand  path  themes  with  a  touch  of  Lovecraftian  horror.

  In  my  opinion  Helleborus  are  a  very  great  sounding  psychedelic  black  metal  band  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Coils"  "Draconian  Discipline'  "Temple  Of  Seventh  Death"  and  "The  Carnal  Sabbath".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vufn5_3kq4U

Wall Of Water/Self Titled/2016 Full Length Review

  Wall  Of  Water  are  a  duo  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  progressive  and  raw  mixture  of black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2016  album.

  A  very  dark,  heavy,  melodic  and  atmospheric  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  epic  synths  in  the  background  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  and  raw  direction  which  uses  high  pitched  screams,  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  90's  second  wave  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain  true  to  a  raw  and  melodic  style  of  black  metal  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  grim  at  times  while  on  other  songs  they  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  suicidal  screams  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Death  metal  growls can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  that  influence  also  being  mixed  in  the  guitar  riffing  and ambient  elements  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  cleaner  sections  of  the  songs  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  clean  guitars  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  and  progressive  feeling  and  there  is  also  a  brief  instrumental  and  a  few  seconds  of  spoken  word  samples  and  the  vocals  also get  more  angry  as  the  album  progresses  while  some  of  the  solos  add  in a   touch  of  post  black  metal  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  violins  and  they  close  the  album  with  an  ambient  drone  instrumental.

  Wall  Of  Water  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  has  the  rawness,  aggression  and  melody  of  the  second  wave  while  also  mixing  in  death  metal  influences  and  some  of  the  more  modern  progressive  style  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  occult  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wall  Of  Water  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  black  metal  band  with  a touch  of  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  band..  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Moment  Of  Claity"  and  "Clairvoyance".  8/5  out  of 10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Wall_of_Water/3540410491

 

Afsky/Self Titled/2015 EP Review

  Afsky  are  a solo  project  from  Denmark that consists  of  a  member  from  Solbrund  and  plays  a  very  raw,  melodic  and  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  and  self  released  2016  ep.

  A  very  raw  sound  along  with  tremolo  picking  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  black  metal  direction  while  also  utilizing  blast  beats  at  times  and  the  vocals  that  are  used  in  the  music  are  grim  yet  high  pitched  depressive  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  rawness  is  more  close  to  the  90's  second  wave  style  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  fashion  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  violins  while  later  songs  show  more  melodies  being  added  into  the  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruemnts  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  elements  of  doom  metal  and  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Afsky  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  depressive  along  with  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Danish  and  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Afsky  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  depressive  black metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Et  Sidste  Farvel".  8  out  of 10.

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Avast Interview

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

For sure. We are Avast from Norway, and we play atmospheric post-black metal. I guess we started out merely as an idea in the beginning of 2015. Hans Olaf (vocals and bass) and I (Trond, guitar) had just decided to put our previous band, Agenda, indefinitely on ice. However, we wanted to further expand and explore some of the more peripheral elements from that band. Agenda was a hardcore/crust band with some minor influences from both black metal and post-rock, and it was those elements we wanted to focus on with the new project. We asked Ørjan to join us on drums, and then we were good to go.



2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Fast, slow, heavy and atmospheric.



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

Well, we do not write your typical black metal lyrics, with occult and satanic themes. Because we originate from the punk and hardcore scene, our lyrics deal more with everyday matters and social issues, but in an artistic and poetic wrapping, meaning our lyrics are open for interpretation. Even though the three of us are all on the left-hand side of things, politically speaking, we do not classify ourselves as a political band, nor do we wish to be portrayed as such. Nevertheless, the full-length record we are currently writing is going to be a concept record, examining the dark aspects of human nature and the fall of civilization. Instead of drawing influences from specific social or political matters, which has been the case with most of my previous bands, we draw our lyrical influences from a broader perspective, including art, literature, philosophy and myths.



4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Avast'?

Avast is an old nautical interjection that simply means “stop”. There really is no deep meaning behind it; we chose the name because we wanted a name that was short and simple, and that in no way was representative of the music we play. The last thing we wanted was a band name that sounded dark, evil or brutal, or that was pretentiously long.



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

So far, we have only played two shows, both in our hometown, Stavanger. We were supposed to do a third show in Oslo in March, but the other guys in the band both caught the flu the day before the show, forcing us to cancel at the eleventh hour. Anyways, the first show we played was at the Tunghørt (Norwegian for “hard of hearing”) festival together with Totem Skin, Ampmandens Døtre and Timeworn, to mention a few. What was cool about that show was that no one had ever heard our music beforehand, and I don’t think the audience really knew what to expect, so I guess they were caught by surprise by both our music and our performance.



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

Yes, we do! We are planning a European tour with our Swedish crust-buddies in Myteri in October. Apart from that, we do not have any show plans.



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

We are looking for labels who are willing work with us and release our music, but so far we haven’t really made an effort to make it happen. However, we have been contacted by a label that wants to release our music, but we’ll see how that goes. It’s too early to give any specific details.



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

We’ve received mostly positive feedback, but to be honest, I don’t really pay much attention to the feedback we receive, and I believe I am speaking for all of us when I say that. Not that we don’t care about the positive feedback we receive, but we’ve reached a point in our lives where we want to create music for ourselves and not care what everyone else thinks. If people like it, that’s great, and if people don’t, well, then there’s really nothing we can do about it.



9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

A full length is currently being written and will hopefully be recorded towards the end of this year or the beginning of next year. So far I have written 5 or 6 songs for the upcoming record, which means that we have about 40 minutes of music ready to go. Where we are heading musically can best be described by the phrase “more of everything”, meaning that a full-length record will sound pretty similar to our first release, except there will be more black metal influences, more ambient influences, more blast beats and more slow parts.



10.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?

We listen to so much different music within the band, but I guess our main influences for this band are Darkthrone, Tragedy, ISIS and This Will Destroy You. As for what we listen to nowadays, I can only reply for myself, but Archivist, Deafheaven, Julien Baker, Thurm and Turnover are some of the bands/artists I listen to these days.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I’m a huge fan of storytelling, so I love to read books and watch movies. Recently I read some graphic novels by Alison Bechdel and Gene Luen Yang that were really great, and right now I’m reading a novel by Norwegian author Ingvar Ambjørnsen.



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

Thanks a lot for your profound interest in our music. We really appreciate it!

Sincerely,
Trond//Avast

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Drought Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Drought is an entity born in 2015 from the ashes of an older hardcore band, Curse this ocean. The only thing that changed is my entrance as singer and player of some noise/industrial texture that you can find inside our music.

2.Recently you have released an ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
“Rudra Bhakti” borns from a kind of “melting pot” about our different tastes in music but departs, of course, from our common interest in extreme metal, expecially black metal. We can describe the sound of our music as “experimental black metal”, but I would say that the experimentation is more recognizable in the structure of the songs than the sound. We tried to sound heavy and brutal through the deconstruction of a usual song, creating different “weaving” of riffs, patterns, walls of sound and trying to avoid the usual steps of a song's creation, in order to obtain a whirlwind sound

3.On the ep the lyrics deal a lot with yoga, tantra and eastern mysticism,can you tell us a little bit about your interest in this topic?
I developed the concept starting from my personal interest for both conceptual and practical side of eastern spiritual trainings, like Tantra meditation, yoga, hinduism and so on. I tried to convert the contents of spiritual practice and texts like Vijnanabhairava and Bhagavat Gita into a “dark” perspective. What I want to obtain basically is to unleash the big force chained by some spiritual practice into the music played with some of my closest friends. So the spiritual side of the concept can develop itself through the deep human relationship that bind us and the relentless force of the extreme music, which is our main common passion.

4.On the press release Nietzsche was mentioned as a part of the concept, how do you feel his philosophy which is more on the Western and somewhat atheistic side correspond with the philosophies and mysticism of the east?

Nietzsche is a kind of “translator” of the concept of Bodhisattva into something more “western-sided”. The atheism of Nietzsche was a kind of rationalistic structure, let's say, developed in comparison of the turbulence of “romantic” bourgeois irrationalism, the divergence between “dionysian and apollonian”. I always saw something really pragmatically “spiritual” in the nietzscheist ubermensch, something that could be really close to the tantric “reunification” between subject and object and done in the same way: destroying ignorance, and it's the concept of the “elevation” that we develop in our music and in our lyrics, but under a darker perspective. I have to say however that I did not properly thought about philosophy when I wrote my lyrics.
We would also clarify that, as well as the prussian philosopher and philologist, we don't have ANYTHING to do with any right-winged political tendency.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Drought'?
We wanted a short and strong name, and we liked the apocalyptic concept hidden beneath the word Drought. Plus we take a great inspiration from the black metal band Deathspell Omega and the name of its last EP inspired us.

6.According to the press release the band is international and I tried to look up to see which countries the band members are from and found nothing, in what parts of the worlds do the band members live in?
The bass player has been living in London since years, I just moved to Berlin for a period but I live in our homeland, Sardinia, as well as the other three guys.

7.Are there any plans to expand into live shows during the future?
We will certainly build up a promotional tour for Rudra Bhakti, but it's too early to say exacly when.

8.The ep was released on Avantgarde Music, are you happy with the support they have given you so far?
Roberto is doing a great job and always took care about our ideas and our personal contributions to the packaging and graphic line.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
It's too early to talk about that, because the EP isn't out yet. But I can say we're receiving positive messages and comments from all over the world

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Drought rises up from our deep friendship and our common will to play black metal putting inside the cauldron everything we can find interesting. These two drivers will somehow bring us somewhere, but it's a bit hard to say exactly where so far. We are working on the new album since the start of the year, let's see what we'll sort out.

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?
Everybody of us comes from slightly different backgrounds. For what concerns me, I can surely say that drone and industrial music have a big influence on my contribution in the building of riffs and noise patterns. My shouts are more influenced by black metal, expecially both Dead and Attila of Mayhem, of course in different ways, Mikko Aspa of Clandestine Blaze / Deathspell Omega (also for his power electronics project) and first things of Dissection, Watain and Funeral Mist. The old school so called “orthodox” black metal is somehow really influencial for me. Then the whole cascadian stuff, as well as the norwegian old school is a great model for all of us. I also take big influence from old crust/hardcore punk, as well as from some new-school reality, like Cursed or Trap Them, expecially for what concerns the bashing attitude and way to sing.
I personally totally worship canadian Blasphemy and some of the stuff deriving from their stuff, like some things of the new “cavernous black metal” scene like Antediluvian, Wrathprayer or some stuff of Swarth, just to name few.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Reading, writing, psychedelics, yoga practicism and other few. I personally focus lot of my life into music. 

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the kind interest in our band. Om.

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Zorormr Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project these days?

Right now I’m focusing on releasing “The Aftermath” EP in June. I will spend most of the time on promoting it preparing to record the next full length. I already recorded the demo version of it so by the end of the year I will be recording it, I guess…

2.You have a new ep coming out in June 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 EP has 4 tracks recorded in the same time and in the same studios that I “Corpus Hermeticum” in. So there will be no difference. The other two tracks are taken from both “IHS” and “Kval” recording sessions so they will feel pretty different. But that’s the whole point. To deliver an EP summarizing the first period of ZORORMR activity and giving me a sense of closure.

3.Your lyrics go very deep into the occult, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts and some of the philosophies and practices that mean the most to you?

I have studied the occult writings for years. I even got a PhD degree on occult German philosophy of Agrippa. With “Corpus Hermeticum” I incorporated my knowledge on the subject and combined it with some teachings of Saint Irenaeus who studied ancient occult sects of Setians and Ophites. Long story short my previous album was all about hermetic philosophy and was the most intellectual record I’ve done so far. But I can promise you that, the next one will be raw and physical as much as it gets (laugh).

4.Some of your lyrics also cover some of Lovecraft's writing's, do you feel that he opened a lot of gates with his writings and also kept secret what he knew about the occult?

After I read the “Call of Cthulhu” I was astonished by his writing. You could almost feel the New England’s fog on those pages (laugh). I’ve read a lot sci-fi and fantasy novels when I was a kid but the impact of Lovecraft was the most profound. And with the huge respect I do have for his work I decided to pay the homage to him when I have the chance. I consider ZORORMR to be one of the creatures that Lovecraft could come up with. The name is strange and the music is odd, so I hope he would be fond of that (laugh). 

5.This project was formed out of the ashes of a couple of dark ambient projects, what was the decision to put ambient behind and go for more of a black metal style?

It felt quite natural, actually. I always wanted to play extreme metal. Due to many factors I started writing my own music in the dark ambient genre. The transition to black metal was natural. With two full lengths and an EP I was tired of electronic music and wanted to do something different. And that’s how ZORORMR was born.

6.I have read that the band name means' southern snake, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the snake myths of different cultures?

My dark ambient project I.A. SERPENTOR was based on the concept of the “golden serpent”. And for ZORORMR, being the next step in my musical journey, I decided to continue that concept but on a different level.  For me the serpent is not only a mythological creature but also a metaphor for good and evil and the occult wisdom. It’s an universal symbol present in almost every culture of the world. Sometimes revolving around fertility sometimes underground in all those chthonic depictions. But I don’t want to sound boring and lecturing you about the naga Mucalinda. Let the fans figure it out for themselves.

7.So far a great amount of your music has been recorded solo, do you fell this gives you a little bit more room to be creative with your music?

At first I thought that I will have all the room that I need. Nobody whining about the rehearsals and so on… But after you release a few albums it doesn’t get any easier. The creative process is hard. There is nobody to back you up or say: “cut the crap, this sounds like shit” and so on. So with every new album it’s all about struggling with yourself.

8.I have read that you are looking for a a live line-up, what is going on with that these days?

Nothing. I tried a bunch of people but they didn’t take commitment to a live band very seriously, so I still don’t have the live line-up. I am open to it but now I just don’t have the time to think about it and do another round of “castings”. With the EP in production and new album in the works I try not to focus on playing live. But it’s not like I’m giving up. It needs more time, I guess…

9.On the 2015 you had a couple of quests on the recording, can you tell us a little bit more about who they where and their contributions?

I had the pleasure of working with the legendary Mike Wead from KING DIAMOND & MERCYFUL FATE & Hal from VADER. Mike pulled off one stunning lead in the title track and Hal did some weird vocals in “In the Mouth of Madness”. Icanraz from DEVILISH IMPRESSIONS recorded the drums for me and his bandmate Quazarre also recorded some fine leads. All of them contributed greatly and “Corpus Hermeticum” is what it is also thanks to them.

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

The reception was great. I got mostly positive reviews. Some people bitched about the fact that I had some leads, that I had some melody going on and I shouldn’t do that because it’s not the black metal way. But most of the reviewers heard what I intended to record: intense black metal. The fans of ZORORMR loved the record so in like six or seven months the 500 copies I had released were completely sold out.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

Really? I try not to think much about the future. I live here and now. The older I get the more I realize how little time is left to write & record. I would like to do an album or two with ZORORMR and release some dark ambient stuff as well. But will it all happen? Only time will tell.

12.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?

Hard to name just few but I always considered myself to be a fan of classical metal of KING DIAMOND, JUDAS PRIEST and so on. I got hooked into black metal by LIMBONIC ART so I guess that band also inspired me in a way. Nowadays I’m listening to Polish bands like BATUSHKA, MGŁA, OUTRE. I loved the last AKHLYS album and TSJUDER of course!

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

Thank you for the interview and stay heavy my friends \m/

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Foscor/Those Horrors Wither/Alone Records/2014 CD Review

  Foscor  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Those  horrors  Wither"  which  was  released  by  Alone  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  violins  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  clean  singing  vocals  and  melodic  riffs  are  added  onto  the recording  along  with  all  of t he  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  the  music  alternates  between  both  clean  and  heavy  parts  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  progressive  edge  and  the  solos  and  leads  also s tick  to  a  very  melodic  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  avant  garde  elements  and  some  of  the  slower  riffing  brings  in  a  touch  of  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Foscor  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  dark  and  progressive  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  darkness,  human  being,  philosophy  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Foscor  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black  and dark  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Addiction"  and  "Graceful  Pandora".  8  out  of  10.

FOSCOR | www.foscor.com
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