Minneriket/Stjerner, Speil Og Svarteboker/Akslen Black Art Records/2016 CD Review

  Minneriket  are  a  solo  project  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  album  "Stjerner,  Speil  Og Svarteboker"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Asklen  Black  Art  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  raw  black  metal  sound  along  with  some  grim  yet  depressive  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  also  being  added  in  at  times  and  you  can  also hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  and  after  awhile  elements  of  dark  ambient  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also b ring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fat  parts  and  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  also  takes  the  songs  in  a  darker  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  on  the  last  track  the  vocals  get  very  deep  and  demonic.

  Minneriket  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  raw  and  atmospheric  style  of  ambient  black  metal  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Norwegian  and  English  and  cover  Faustian,  Paganism,  Existensialism  and  Melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Minneriket  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  ambient  black  metal,  you  should check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vinterblot"  and  "How  To  Write  Love  in  The  Stars".  8  out  of  10.

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Irrilion/Egledhron/2016 EP Review

  Irrillion  are  a  duo  from  Venezuela  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  atmospheric  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Egledhron".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  nature  sounds  in  the  background  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  darker  direction  and  after  awhile  the  music  speeds  up  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  No  vocals  or  song  writing  are  ever  utilized  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  touches  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  sections  of t he  songs  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  ep  progresses  acoustic  guitars  also  return  briefly  while t he  main  focus  is  more  on  a  heavier  style.

  Irillion  plays  a  style  of  atmospheric  black  metal  that  is  more  guitar  driven  and  raw  than  most  bands  of  the  genre  while  also  keeping  everything  in  all  instrumental  musical  direction  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw.

  In  my  opinion  Irillion  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental,  atmospheric  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tierra  Negra(Parte  One)"  and  "Egledhron".  8  out  of  10. 

https://irillion.bandcamp.com

https://soundcloud.com/ irillion

Rest/Self Titled/Third-I-Rex/2016 EP Review

  Rest  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016  ep  which  was  released  by  Third-I-Rex.

  Drum  beats  and  a  heavy  yet  dark  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  soem  hardcore  elements  while  the  vocals  also  mix  in  the  same  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.

  Elements  of  both  crust  and  d  beat  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a   great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in a   very dark  and  melodic  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  whole  ep  also  always  sticks  to a   very  heavy  musical  style.

  Rest  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  raw  black  metal,  hardcore,  crust  and  d  beat  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  and  while  the  mixture  of  black  metal  and  hardcore  usually  causes  me  to  have  a  headache  this  band  actually  knows  how  to  do  it  the  right  way,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  angry  and  hateful  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rest  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal, hardcore and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I"  and  "IV". 8  out  of  10.


YOUTUBE VIDEO

BANDCAMP LINK

Simulacro/Echi Dall' Abisso/Third-I-Rex/2016 CD Review

  Simulacro  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  black  metal  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Echi  Dall'  Abisso"  which  was  released  by  Third-I-Rex.

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  yet  distorted  playing  a  few  seconds  later  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  black  metal  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while t he  rififng  also  adds  in  technical  playing.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  also  mixing  in  some  progressive  elements  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  black  metal  screams  at  times  and  when  fast  tremolo picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  synths  can  also  be heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Simulacro  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  and  post  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  death  metal  to  create  an  original  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mind's  abyss  and  introspection  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Simulacro  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  post  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eco  II"  "Eco  V"  and  "Eco  VIII".  8  out  of  10. 

VIDEO LINK ON YOUTUBE

Negative Symbols/Without Voices/2016 Full Length Review

  Negative  Symbols  are  a  band from  Germany  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Without  Voices".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing starts  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  a  lot  more  heavy  and  brings  in  post  style  of  black  metal  while  the  fast  tremolo  riffs  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs and  all  of   the  musical  instruments  have a  very powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads a re  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  vocals  or  song  writing  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  hear d  in  certain  sections  off  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  the tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  synths  are  used  briefly  they  bring  psychedelic  elements  onto  the  recording.

  Negative  Symbols  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  cascadian,  post  and  atmospheric  forms  of  black  metal  and  combines  them  together  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Negative  Symbols  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I'  "IV"  "VII"  and  "VIIII".  8  out  of  10.

Website: www.negativesymbols.de

Facebook: www.facebook.com/negativesymbols

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/negativesymbols

Instagram: www.instagram.com/negativesymbols

Winterheart Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Winterheart was started as a one-man band by Ádám Tóth in Budapest, Hungary in 2007 when he started to write songs for a debut album based on a concept as always. When finished the songwriting he wanted to be able to perform live and and to record it so  he was searching for members. After playing with some people, he found the right man, Peter Nagy, so he joined the band as a drummer in 2011. We recorded our first full-length, My journey to suicide and played some gigs with a bassist too. A year later, Gábor Szalai and Zsolt Géczy joined the band as bassist and session (live) guitarist respectively. In 2014, we recorded our second full-length - Facing what I'm becoming - which was released by a russian label, Cvlminis records. This spring we have entered the studio to record our third album, called Nothingness.

    2.So far you have released 3 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?
2. I think they differ a lot to each other. In terms of sounding, in terms of songwriting and in terms of recording quality too to be honest. The first album was completely written by Adam and recorded in our rehearsal room, it had a raw, old-school sounding. I think it was a good way to introduce our music to the scene. Actually we have received very good feedback on that album. The second album's sound is more clear, the songs are more progressive and also the guitar and bass riffs are not so typical for the style too. We can call that album quite experimental. But again we recorded that album for several reasons by ourselves so it could show it strengths the way we wanted. Learning from that we have entered a professional studio for our third album to be able to reach the sound we really wanted. As for songwriting, now, for Nothingness it is a complete and perfect teamwork. Everyone adds his own and it creates a perfect harmony. I would say Winterheart now is what it can be heard on "Nothingness", the sound, the emotions, the lyrics, the guitar riffs, the bass and the drums is what we are.
But one thing was always common in all albums and that is very important in our music: we write the songs in an intuitive way so it will make your music just like we are, so it will be honest. Maybe we could say we don't create music, we feel the songs.


    3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Whatever comes to my mind when being in the writing mood. But for some reason these are always "negative" feelings. I'm that kind of person who lives and feels his emotions very strongly and deeply and experiencing these "negative" feelings is very influencing. The loss, the grief, the depression, the loneliness, being hopeless are so much powerful than being happy or such bullshit. These affect in a much greater level and a much extended period and you'll never forget them. But really... I'm not controlling what I want to write, I write the lyrics based on what I feel, that's it. And this is what all kind of music should be about I think. Music should be honest, not fake, not manufactured or something.

    4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Winterheart'?
4. Good question! It's never easy to find the proper band name: you want it to represent your music style and lyrical topics, you want it to be easily remembered but without any cliches. The name comes from a song (actually a cover) from my all-time favourite band, Judas Iscariot. I found that Winterheart suits perfectly our music, it represents the cold, dark emotions.

    5.Originally the band started out as a solo project but now have a full line up, what was the decision behind adding in more band members?
5. Well I think we covered this topic in our first answer. Being able to play live is one of the reasons obviously but it is also very important that the quality of the music improved a lot. "Nothingness" album perfectly shows this, shows us.

    6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6. We use red lights on our concerts which we control by our feet based on the music. These are placed on the ground behind us so gives a really great look from the audience, we look like fucking silhouettes. We also have a smoke machine and some lights controlled by the drums. So actually we can make sure that the stage looks how we want to and it can really follow the music. It's important to create the matching atmosphere for the music.
We also run a small booking agency - called Engulfing the void - to organize some gigs here in Budapest so we had the chance to play some really great shows for example with Nocturnal Depression, Forgotten Tomb or Selbstentleibung etc. Obviously these were great shows but we also really like playing in small clubs, especially in the Czech Republic. The audience there is very sick and supportive!

    7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7. Yes, we will be playing here in Budapest in October with Infernal War, Outre, Fatality and Sekhmet, then we will perform at 10th Phantoms of Pilsen festival in Czech Republic which is actually one of our favorite festivals so it's an honor to be able to play there. Currently we also have a fixed date for April with two, well known depressive metal bands.

    8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
8. Yes, it would be great to find a label we can have a deal with but we didn't have time to e-mail them yet.

    9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of depressive and suicidal black metal?
9. I think the feedback is quite decent. The people really enjoyed our first album and had some nice words on the second too. We believe the third, Nothingness will also have some nice reviews and satisfied listeners. Actually we think this album is a very strong one in every terms and people will realize and appreciate it.

    10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Our music always changes depending on our mood, let's say it evolves, it is a living thing just like humans. You are a different person compared to the one you were 10 years ago for example. We will have a new drummer starting from 2017 which certainly will affect our music - as I already mentioned, everyone is involved in songwriting. One thing is for sure that we will keep recording our albums in a professional way to make sure it sounds the way we want to.

    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?
11. I think we are very open minded with music I think. At least I (Adam) for sure. I always look for the emotions in music, not the genre. I love listening to City and Colour anytime for example (that guy can always put me in deep depression haha), and a lot of post rock bands like This will destroy you or If these trees could talk, Mono, etc. But I also love the traditional, old school black metal, also the new styled too. My all time favorites are Judas Iscariot, Abyssic hate, Coldworld, Katatonia and Dodsferd I guess.These I'm really into Freitod's new album and into Dysangelium. As for the others, Gábor is a fan of traditional black metal stuffs like Satanic Warmaster, Membaris and Gorgoroth. Zsolt, our other guitarist has a very similar musical taste to mine while our drummer is mainly into progressive metal stuff, his favorite is Opeth.

    12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
12. Well, thank you for the opportunity to share our thoughts and keep doing what you are doing. The underground scene needs such people to spread the disease! And don't forget people, the pain is everywhere, the pain is strong, destroy yourselves!

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Rudra/Enemy of Duality/Transcending Obscurity Asia/2016 CD Review

  Rudra  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with elements  of  thrash,  death  metal  and Asian  folk  music  to  create a  musical  style  they  describe  as  being  'vedic  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Enemy  Of  Duality"  which  will  be  released  in December  by  transcening  Obscurity  Asia.

  Indian  classical  music  along  with  some  melodic  chanting  vocals  start  off  the  album  giving  the  recording  more  of  an  esoteric  and  ethnic  feeling  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  more  heavy  and  melodic  side  of  the  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  leads are  utilized  they  take  Asian  style  scales  and  mix  them  in  with  the  more  extreme  metal  side  and  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  tremolo  picking  when  it  is  utilized  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  some  of  the  percussion  beats  when  they  are  utilized  sound  very  tribal  and  a  couple  of  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  last  track  briefly.

  Rudra  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  metal  while  also  mixing  it  in  with  death,  thrash  metal  and  Hindu  folk  music  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Vedic  themes,  Hindu  Philosophy  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rudra  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death, thrash  metal  and  vedic  folk music  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  very  original,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Slay  the  Demons  Of  Duality"  "Seer  of  All"  and  "Ancient  Fourth".  8  out  of  10.

Official Rudra Bandcamp

Official Rudra Facebook

Illum Adora Interview

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

We just have released our Mini-CD "Son of Dawn", the successor of our two demos ("Begotten" and "Unchained From Slavery") and appetizer to our debut album, which we intent to release in mid 2017.

Now, our focus is set on the promotion of the band and its Mini-Album by finding a worthy label to release our upcoming material or labels that want to release our stuff on vinyl. Furthermore we are now rehearsing for our first two live gigs in November.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your 2 previous demo's?

NON SERVIAM BLACK METAL – this is our description of our kind of black metal. It is black metal in the old vein, no irrelevant wish-wash like most of the bands today. You can again expect catchy and furios black metal, the ancient way.

The main difference is, that ILLUM ADORA finally consists of 3 persons who are into the music and skilled on their instruments. We made a big step forward, improved the sound a lot, also the music. M. Marax pounding drums, Profanator on guitars and Hurricane Hellfukker doing vocals – this is the first real line up and as of now the core of the band.

3.The band has been around since 2011 but waited until 2015 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 4 years?

Most of the time was wasted by finding fitting members. Other reason were too many promises happened by other people who wanted to work with me, but it failed in the end. Then I found a guitarist finally in my family even, T. Vogt was thankfully responsible for the guitar work on both demos and recorded all my ideas/riffs properly, so everything started eventually. Now, we are here...

4.You label your music as 'non serviam black metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

I came up with this term already in my old band ZARATHUSTRA. We used it on our releases and merchandise as description for our music, our attitude and way of thinking.

It means that we do not define boundaries to ourself, never we will "obey" to others what should be done or what not while playing in a black metal band. Free spirits, free minds! And if we should fail with our luciferian mischief, we will do it with dignity.

5.Your lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism and Philosophical themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your views on the dark arts?

Lyrically I take my inspiration from thousand of things as I walk through this world with wide open eyes. I take most influences from darkness, eerie moments in life, the occult, dark medieval times, ancient history, religion, world-wide mythologies (esp. old Babylonian, Akkadian, Sumerian and Grecian), historical romans, philosophy/philosophers. I don't define any boundaries to myself. But of course I never would write about gore/porn/fun/political/sociocritical shit.

Lyrics vary a lot and tell about different things. They can be simple horror stories, even psalms from the bible (which are dark sounding to me), philosophical thesis, or occult topics. As long as the core is dark, evil and occult I will write about everything I want.

What the lyrics do express is up for the reader/listener. I am tired of imposing the listener what to think or to point my fingers on feeble sheeps. If you are brainless, the music is not for you.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Illum Adora'?

Illum Adora is of latin language and means "Worship Him" – like the old cult Samael album! I took it from the lyrics of COUNTESS' intro to their magical "Ad Maiorem Sathanae Gloriam" album. The band is my biggest inspiration and most important black metal band ever for me. It is heavily advised to check them out, if you have not done already!

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

It was not intented to be a live-band at all when I started the band back then. I was fine with just recording material to please myself. I have had enough stage experience with my former band ZARATHUSTRA and even with CRUEL FORCE, played a lot of shows in more than 10 years. But right now, with the right material, the best band-members one could imagine there is a new flame burning and it's about time to show the masses our understanding of black metal with plenty of atmosphere and power.

We are playing our 1st two gigs in November at the 20th anniversary of HELLBANGERS MOSELFRANKEN (with Unleashed) and SINISTER HOWLING (with Denial of God, Behexen, Front Beast and more).

You can expect a wild horde on stage and a good show, definitely...

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

We already got lots of offers, even some serious one to play in California in 2017. Only time will tell what eventually will happen. After these two gigs mentioned above our main focus will be the debut album which we want to release in summer/autumn 2017. Also the promotion of "Son of Dawn" has priority right now, as well as finding a good label that want to release our material on vinyl and/or the debut album on all possible formats.

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

For the first time I started to promote an ILLUM ADORA release myself by getting in contact with many new and old magazines and webzines. I think the first noticeable reactions are yet to come when being featured in the (big) zines, getting again in touch with my very old contacts from glorious label days and after our first, very promising gigs in November. Just a few days ago I spread digital promos to plenty of online zines and the feedback are 6 reviews and 4 interview requests within 3 days. The reviews are overwhelming so far, I am more than satisfied.

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

I have crystal clear visions about the future of the band, its direction musically, lyrically and visually. Music won't change much, but right now it is too early to tell something about our next material. "Son of Dawn" is the first work of the new line-up and I am pretty sure our collaboration will grow with every rehearsal we are doing. So, watch out for our future-material, there is more to come from us definitely and we will progress in composing and recording our music for sure.

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

At the moment none of us in involved or busy with any other bands or projects. In fact, both Profanator and M. Marax left their old bands due to several reasons so now they can set their focus on ILLUM ADORA exclusively.

I am still trying to bring new life to my FANzine HELLPIKE which I have started in 1998 and published 16 issues since then. But I am picky with finding new, worthy bands, don't want to waste my time on 1000 of useless, boring and same sounding material. Maybe I will find muse again to release a new issue in 2017, we will see. Furthermore I released the Mini Album via my own label KNEEL BEFORE THE MASTERS THRONE Rec. which finally celebrates a return with its first release in more than 5 years. I was forced to do a break for 5 years, but future looks brighter now so I can go on finally. There are many plans, but right now I am just glad to have the CD out. I think both ILLUM ADORA demos on CD will be the next release, still this year or early 2017. We will see what will happen next.

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

Musically it definitely is the 2nd black metal wave with all its great bands from all over the world, every now and then our roots are also shining through our songs, which means at times it sounds like the pioneer 1st wave, traditional, thrash and death metal. I am still stuck in the mid of 90s with all its classics. My range in music is quite huge, but it is not necessary to tell any names here. I am addicted to metal since more than 26 years and it will never change.

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

NON SERVIAM!

Thank you for your support and effort. Interested people can reach us via

illumadora@gmx.de – mastersthrone@gmx.de –

www.illumadora.bigcartel.com – www.mastersthrone.bigcartel.com











http://illumadora.bigcartel.com
https://www.facebook.com/IllumAdora/
https://illumadora.bandcamp.com
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Illum_Adora

 

Daven/What Comes Next/2016 EP Review

  Daven  are  a  solo project  from  Columbia, Missouri  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  ep  "What  Comes  Next".

  Ambient  style  synths  along  with  programmed  beats  and  nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  riffs  a  few  seconds  later  and  clean  playing  along  with  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  melodic  chanting  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  at  times.

  At  times  the  music  can  get  very  experimental  along  with  some  symphonic  elements  also  being  utilized  and  the  guitar  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  on  some  of  the  tracks  the  synths  bring  in    very  haunting  atmosphere  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  all  instrumental.

  Daven  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  ambient  music  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  autobiographical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Daven  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  ambient/black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reaching"  and  "What  Comes  Next".  8  out  of  10.

 https://davenmetal.bandcamp.co m/album/what-comes-next

Vpaahsalbrox/14 Sovereign/Pale Horse Recordings/2016 Vinyl Re-Issue Review

  Vpaahsalbrox  where  a  band  from  Texas  that  played  a  very  raw  and  satanic  form  of  occult  black  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  demo  "14  Sovereign"  which  will  be re-issued  on  vinyl  in  October  by  Pale  Horse  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  yet  raw  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  the  music  is very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  tradition  and  at  times  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  briefly.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  and  occult  feeling  and  there is  also  a  few  seconds of  growls  and  the  songs  never  bring  in  any  solos  and  leads  and  the  whole  demo  sticks  to a   very  heavy  and  raw style  of  black  metal.

  Vpaahsalbrox  played  a  style  of  black  metal  that  was  very  raw,  aggressive  and  old  school  sounding  while  also  having  more  of  a  crazier  edge  to  them,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Enochian  Magick  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vpaahsalbrox  where  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  satanic  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Flesh  i  Have  Given  You".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Vpaahsalbrox/41730

Sedna/Eterno/WOOAARGH/2016 CD Review

  Sedna  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  post  black  metal, doom  and  sludge  with  some  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Eterno"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  WOAAARGH.

  Clean  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  progressive  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Sludge  style  growls  can  be  heard quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  they  also  mix  in  black  metal  screams  that  are  more  on  the  depressive  side  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  and  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  touches  of  drone  and  ambient  in  certain  sections  of  recording.

  Sedna  creates  another  recording  that  takes  the  atmospheric,  progressive  and  post  styles  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom  and  sludge  metal  along  with  elements  of  ambient  and  drone  to  create  their  own  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  awareness  of  the  spirit  of  the  universe.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sedna  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  atmospheric  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pillars  Of  Creation  I"  and  "Mountains  Of  Creation".  8  out  of  10.   

www.sednablack.bandcamp.com

Abigorum/Cryostasium/Unholy Ghost Liturgy/Satanath Records/Abstruce Eerie Radiance/Collaboration Album Review

  Russia's  Abigorum  teams  up  with  U.S.A's  Cryostasium  to  create  an  album  that  mixes  black  metal  with  psychedelic,  ambient,  experimental  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Unholy  Ghost  Liturgy"  which  was  released  as  a  joint effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Abstruce  Eerie  Radiance.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  giving  the  recording  an  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  grim yet  depressive  screams  along  with  psychedelic  elements  can  be  heard   at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental  while  also  remaining  very  dark  and  heavy.

  Some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  all  instrumental  and  you  can  hear  a touch  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  a  few  that  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  stick  to  more  of  a  melodic  style  and  a  great  amount  of  diversity  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  and  there  is  also a   brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  as  the  album  progresses  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  CME's  "None".

  Abigorum  and  Cryostasium  creates  a  recording  that  takes  the  raw,  depressive  and  atmospheric  sides  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  doom,  ambient,  experimental  and  psychedelia  to  create  a  very  original  style,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  yet  powerful  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  ghosts  and  paranormal  themes.

  In  my opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  both  Abigorum  and  Cryostasium  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  more  experimental  and  ambient  styles  of  black  metal,  you should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unholy  Ghosts"  "Last  Galaxy"  "Essential  Death"  and  "The  Quiet  Room".  8  out  of  10.

https://satanath.bandcamp.com/album/sat160-abigorum-cryostasium-unholy-ghost-liturgy-collaboration-2016

Winterheart/Nothingness/2016 Full Length Review

  Winterheart  are  a  band  from  Hungary  that plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Nothingness".

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  which  are  also  used  on  the  other  tracks.  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  and  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  and  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  and  when  the  music  gets  heavy  it  goes  for  more  of  a  depressive  and  suicidal  style  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  screams..

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them and  the  tremolo  picking  when  it  is  utilized  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  growls.

 The  vocals  also  get  very  suicidal  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  start  using  more  melody  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  some  of  the  tracks  are very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with spoken  word  parts  also  making  a  return  on  later  tracks  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  synths.

  Winterheart  plays  a style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  depressive  and  suicidal  sounding  while  also  having  its  raw  and  melodic  moments,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  suicide  and  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Winterheart  are  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  and  suicidal  black  metal band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kill  Me"  and   "Forgive  Me".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mxWJzD-iQoQ

https://winterheartband.bandca mp.com/track/drifting-away

Saudade/Diary Of Voices/Why Gang Records/2016 Full Length Review

  Saudade  are  a  band  from  London,  Ontario., Canada  that  plays  a very  raw  and  depressive  form  of black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Diary  Of  Voices"  which  was  released  by  Why  Gang  Records.

  Classical  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  also being  very  high  pitched  and  depressive  at  times  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the music  also  brings  in a  great  amount  of  90's  second  wave  influences.

  There  is  also  a brief  use  of  death  metal  growls and  some  tracks  also  mix  in  elements  of  bestial/war  metal  and  classical  guitars  also  return  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  the  album  progresses  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  raw  and  melodic  direction  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Saudade  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  while  also  being  diverse  at  times  adding  in  some  depressive,  war  and  bestial  elements  along  with a  small  amount  of  acoustic guitars  on  some  songs  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  suicide  and  self  hatred  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Saudade  are  a  very  great  and  original  sounding  raw  and  depressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out t his  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bow  Towards  Me"  "Parasite"  "The  Long  Winter"  and  "What  Would  Death  Solve".  8  out  of  10. 

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Nuclear Cthulhu/Desecration/Black Bunker Productions/2016 CD Review

  Nuclear  Cthulhu  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  is  a  side  project  from  the  members  of  Blackdeath  and  plays  a  musical  style  they  describe as being  'Goat  Stoner  Metal"  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Desecration"  which was  released  by  Black  Bunker  Productions.

  Ritualistic  night  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  doom  metal  direction  and  after  awhile grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  riffing  gets  very  melodic  at  times  while  stoner  elements  can  also  be  heard  quite a   bit  throughout  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  stick  to  more  of  a  melodic  style  and a   great  portion of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the wolf  sounds  are  also  used  on  the  other  tracks  as  well  while  other  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  funeral  doom  metal.

  At  times  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  more  depressive  side  to  certain  sections  of the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  main  focus  is  on  a  more  slow  musical  style  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chanting  and  the  last  track  is  all  instrumental.

  Nuclear Cthulhu  plays  a  musical  style that takes  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  stoner  and  funeral  forms  of  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  The  Cthelhu  Mythos  and  Misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nuclear  Cthulhu  are  a  very  great  sounding  goat  stoner  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  different,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Great  One"  "Dream  Of  Cthulhu  -  Awakening  Of  Cthulhu"  and  "March  Of  Shoggoths".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.cthulhu.world/     

   

Ov Shadows/Monologues/2016 EP Review

  Ov  Shadows  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  dark  and  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "Monologues".

  A  very  dark  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  the  music  also  brings  in  more  of  a  modern  approach  to  the  genre.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  grim  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  guitar  leads  are  only  used  briefly  but  done  in a   melodic  fashion  while  all  3  of  the  songs  remain  true  to  a  very  heavy musical  direction.

  Ov  Shadows  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  dark,  raw,  aggressive  and  melodic,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  dark  aspects  of  your  shadow  side.

  In  my  opinion  Ov  Shadows  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark,  raw  and  heavy  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "The  Ash  That  Covers  All".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ovsha dowsofficial/

https://ovshadows.bandcamp.com /releases

Zephyrus/The Domains/War Productions/2015 EP Review

 Zephyrus  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a   mixture  of  raw  black  metal,  thrash  and  d  beat  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "The  Domains"  which  was  released  by  War  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  crust  direction  while  the  vocals are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  deep  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  a  great  amount  of   thrash  elements  can  be  heard  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Clean  guitars  can  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads a re  done  in  a  very  dark,  melodic  yet  old  school  tradition  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  crossover  and  d  beat  and  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  the  tremolo picking  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling.

  Zephyrus  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  raw  and  old  school  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  and  crust  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zephyrus  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  and  d  beat  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rebel  Against  The  Scorn"  and  "Thous  Shalt  Sip  Your  Own  Poison".  8  out  of  10.

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Wolfhowl/The Purity Of Mother Nature/War Productions/2016 EP Review

  Wolfhowl  are  a  solo  project  from  Greece  that  plays a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  ep  "The  Purity  Of  Mother  Nature"  which  was  released  by  War  Productions.

  Open  note  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  have  a  very  modern  yet  melodic  style  to  them  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  A  lot  of  the  riffing  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mi  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  guitars  are  added  on  the  last  track

  Wolfhowl  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  influences  from  the  more  atmospheric  side  of  the  genre  while  also  taking  it  more  into  a  raw  and  heavier  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  dark a nd  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature,  winter  and  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolfhowl  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  atmospheric  black  metla  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "By  The  Power"  and  "Mother  Nature's  Revenge".  8  out  of  10.

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Svartgren/Prazan Grob/War Productions/2015 Vinyl Review

  Svartgren  are  a band  from  Serbia  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album   "Prazan  Grob"  which  was  released  on  vinyl  by  War  Productions.

  Distorted  amp  reveb's  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  are  utilized.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  the  riffs  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  style  and  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Svartgren  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  raw  in  the  second  wave  tradition  while  also  giving  their  songs  more  of  a  modern  twist,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Serbian  and  cover  death,  depression,  misanthropy  and   nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Svartgren  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  the  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Od  Pakla"  "Svetlosti  Tiha"  "Hram"  and  "Ka  Rubu  Zaborava".  8  out  of  10.

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