Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Morketida/Panphage Mysticism/Werewolf Records/2018 CD Review


  Morketida  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  occult  form of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Panphage  Mysticism"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Werewolf  Records.

  A  very  distorted  organ  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  organs  also  being  mixed  in  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  and they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  Morketida  plays  a  style  of  occult  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  going  for  the  less  popular  mid  paced  direction  of  that  era  to create  something  different,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Morketida  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Invoking  The  Seventh  Moon"  and  "Temple  Of  Prevailing  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

http://werewolfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/panphage-mysticism

Flesh Hunter And The Analassaulters/The Plague/Hammer Of Damnation/2018 Full Length Review



  Flesh  Hunter  And  The  Analassaulters  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Plague"  which  was  released  by  Hammer  Of  Damnation.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album   before  going  into a  very  fast  and  raw musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Demonic  death  metal  grows  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style,  elements  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  bringing  in  the  vocal  approach  from the  genre.

  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  classical  guitar  instrumental  can  be  heard  before  closing  the  recording  with  two  tracks  that  are  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  and  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

   Flesh  Hunter  And  The  Analassaulters  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  and  90's  era  of  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  hell,  defiance,  insurgency  and  occult  practice  themes.

  In  my  opinion   Flesh  Hunter  And  The  Analassaulters  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Entity"  "A  Rising  Flood  of  Perpetual  Chaos"  and  "The  Plague".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp
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Dark Rain Forest/Self Titled/2018 Demo Review


  Dark  Rain  Forest  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  and  self  released  2018  demo.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  demo  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well as  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  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  old  school  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  epic  synths  and  witch  burning  samples  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks  and  the  demo  closes  with  an  instrumental.

  Dark  Rain  Forest  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  traditional  as  well  as  going  to  the  early  90's  second  wave era,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  misanthropy,  occultism  and  paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dark  Rain  Forest  are  a  very  great  sounding  traditional  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancestral  Bloody  Moon"  and  "Dark  Rain  Forest" 8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/G3CKzM-tNFE

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sebastian Crugley/Transient Life/2017 EP Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Sebastian  Crugley  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  depressive  post  black  metal  direction  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2017  and  called  "Transient  Life".

  A  very  heavy  and  depressive  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  post  metal  style  guitar  leads  while  suicidal  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  as  well  as  the  programmed  drum  beats  sticking  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  tortured  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  brief  use  of  children  music  samples  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  goes  into  more  of  an  ambient  black  metal  direction  but  also  keeping  the  depressive  elements.

  On  this  recording  Sebastian  Crugely  takes  depressive  black  metal,  post  rock  and  ambient  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark a dn  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes  along  with  a  concept.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sebastian  Crugely  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  depressive post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Infantile  Agony".  8  out  of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

Sebastan Cregley/Narcotic Euphoria/2015 EP Review


  Sebastian  Cregely  is  a  solo  artist  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  depressive  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2015  ep  "Narcotic  Euphoria".

  Melodic  post  rock  style  guitar  leads  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  heavy  riffs  and  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  the  vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  spoken  style  as  well  as  the  music  incorporating  elements  of  depressive  black  metal.

  Influences  of  shoegaze,  goth,  dream  pop.  darkwave  and  depressive  rock  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  on  the  second  track  which  is  also  an  instrumental  clean  playing  and  ocean  sounds  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  Sebastian  Crugely  plays  a  musical  style  on  this  recording t hat  takes  the  rawness  of  depressive  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  the  sad  atmospheric  of  post  rock,  shoegaze  and  dream  op  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  drug  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sebastian  Cregely  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  depressive  black  metal  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Narcotica".  8  out  of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

 

  

Alldrig/Introspective Existentialism/Depressive Illusions/2016 Full Length Review


  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Argentina's  Alldrig  which  shoes  the  music  going  into  more  of  an  ambient  style  of  depressive  black  metal  and  the  album  was  released  in  2016  on  cassette  by  Depressive  illusions  and  if  called  "Introspective  Existentialism".

  Ambient  style  synths  and  nature  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  one  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  ambient  and  atmospheric  elements  being  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  direction.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  depressive  black  metal  screams  that  are  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  this  recording  Alldrig  take  his  depressive  style  of  post  black  metal  into  more  of  an  ambient  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  existentialism  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Alldrig  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  depressive  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Melancholy  Germ  I"  and  "Individualism,  Aneuryism".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

  

Alldrig/Departure/2015 EP Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Argentina's  Alldrig  which  continues  the  atmospheric  and  depressive  style  of  post  black  metal  from t he  previous  release  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2015  and  called  "Departure".

  Keyboards  along  with  some  atmospheric  soundscapes  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  while  also  keeping  the  elements  that  where  presented  on  the  ep  along  with  the  drum  beats  being  mostly  programmed  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Elements  of  post  rock  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  cries  and  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  also  bringing  in  elements  of  shoegaze  as  well  as  one  track  being  an  instrumental  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  On  this  recording  Alldrig  remained  true  to  the  atmospheric  and  depressive  style  of  post  black  metal  that  was  established  on  the  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  life  experiences,  misery  and  drug  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Alldrig  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  depressive  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Vicious  Circle"  and  "Monochrome".  8  out of  10.

Bandcamp

Alldrig/Uncontrolled Dreams Of Exploding Skies/GS Productions/2015 CD Review


  Alldrig  where  a  solo  project  from  Argentina  that  played  a  very  depressive  and  atmospheric  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  album  "Uncontrolled  Dreams  Of  Exploding  Skies"  which  was  released  by  GS  Productions.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  tragic  sounding  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  depressive  style  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  as w ell  as  the  tremolo  picking  giving  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  couple  song  also  brings  in  clean  vocals,  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast beats  can  be  heard  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover  of  Lifelover's  "Cancertid".

  Alldrig  played  a  style  of  depressive  post  black  metal  that  is  very  slow  and  atmospheric  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  life  experiences,  drugs  and  misery  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alldrig  where  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dysthmia"  and  "Somewhere  Along  Our  Lives".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Overdokkse/Self Titled/2014 Demo Review


  Overdokkse  where  a  solo  project  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  very  depressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  and  self  titled  2014  demo.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  depressive  yet  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  vocals  bring  in  suicidal  black  metal  screams  and  cries  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

 All  of  the  drum  beats  are  programmed  while  all  3  of  the  tracks  stick  to  mostly  to  a  very  slow  direction  and  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Overdokkse  played  a  style  of  black  metal  that  was  very  slow,  raw  and  depressive  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  isolation  and  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Overdokkse  where  a  very  great  sounding  depressive  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Isolated".  8  out  of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/album/overdokkse-demo

    

Pa Vesh En/Temple Moon/Iron Bonehead Productions/2018 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Belarus's  Pa  Vesh  En  and  United  Kingdom's  Temple  Moon  which  will be  released  in  August  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Pa  Vesh  En  a  band  that  has  recently  had music  reviewed  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  soundscapes  and  heavy  riffing  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  and  bestial  growls  which  are  kind  of  mixed  down  low  in  the  mix.

  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  as  well a s  a  brief  use  of  ambient  elements  and  on  the  closing  track  spoken  word  parts  are  added  into  this  music,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness, night  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Pa  Vesh  En  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Murder  Instinct"  and  "Damnation  And  The  Witch".

  Next  up  is  Temple  Moon  a  solo  project  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  black  metal.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  raw  sound  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  captures  a  depressive  atmosphere  at  times  along  with  the  music  sounding  like  it  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  25  years  ago  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  clean  playing,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Temple  Moon  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ceremonial  Decay"  and  "VI".

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

Pa Vesh En - Last Episode: https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/pa-vesh-en-last-episode/s-QkZax
Temple Moon - Ceremonial Decay: https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/temple-moon-ceremonial-decay/s-OlKG5

  

Pleurisy/Ceremonies Of Barbaric Lust/Convictus Tapes/2018 Demo Review


  Pleurisy  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  "Ceremonies  Of  Barbaric  Lust"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Convictus  Tapes.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  synth  intro  starts  off  the  cassette  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount of  tremolo  picking and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  bestial  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  some elements  of  noise  and  grindcore.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  synths  also  make  a  return  towards  the  end.

  Pleurisy  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  war,  black  and  death  metal while  also  adding  in  the  short  lengths  of  grind  and  noisecore  songs  to  create  a  sound  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent,  blasphemous  and  satanic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Pleurisy  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Embryo  Spawn"  "Forbidden  Fornication"  "End  Of  Your  Life  For  Satan"  and  "Barbaric  Lust".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Pleurisy/3540441776  

Friday, July 27, 2018

Paganland/XX Years Of Paganland/Azermedoth Records/2018 Live Album Review


  Paganland  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  pagan  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  live  album  "XX  Years  Of  Paganland"  which  will  be  released on  July  31st  by  Azermedoth  Records.

  A  keyboard  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  with  the  keyboards also  mixing  into  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  feeling.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  band  also  interacting  with  the  audience  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  also  mixing  in  elements  of  folk  music,  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  live  recording  Paganland  remains  true  to  their  epic  style  of  pagan  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Slavic  Paganism  and  the  runes  o  the  Veles  book  and  runic  manuscripts  from  the  library  of  Anna  Yaroslavna.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Paganland  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "At  The  Heart  Of  The  Carpathians"  "Black  Mountain"  and  "The  Gloom".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.facebook.com/PaganlandOfficial/
https://paganlandofficial.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0sn0Klluncg4WhRSi1JEkA
https://vk.com/paganlandofficial
http://pagan.land 

Heathid Equis/Fields/Grey Matter Productions/2018 Full Length Review


  Heathid  Equis  are  a  duo  from  Texas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  old  school  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Fields"  which  was  released  by  Grey  Matter  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  depressive  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  bringing  in  more  of  a  modern  and  melodic  atmospheric  sounding  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  musical  style  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  acoustic  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  remaining  tracks.

  Heathid  Equis  takes  the old  school,  depressive  and  atmospheric  styles  of  black  metal  and  mixes  them  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Heathid  Equis  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sathos  Funeral"  and  "An  Ocean  Of  Mistrust".  8  out  of  10. 

Grey Matter Productions @ Bandcamp

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Al Ard Interview


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

The band was born formally on 2011, but from the early years we knew that it would be unavoidable and it was only question of time. Turin and Pavia were the home towns of our own project, but what was fundamental is the common origin from Sicily. Our own music is a mixture of rotten Black Metal, Dubstep, DnB and a lot of Noise Industrial: not by chance our main sources of inspiration are bands like Aborym, Dodheimsgard, Diabolicum and MZ412. But what, for us, characterize al ard is the detailed research of extremism in an absolute sense and at all levels; generating a sound and emotive violence that overwhelms the listener, even if he/she does not appreciate it.



2.Recently you have released your first full length, what are some of the things you feel you have accomplished musically on the new album?



Our vision of black metal is first of all based on ramping up the experiments to see what happens in there. With our first full length we've been conscious that it is possible and we like the result. This is not the end of the story since our own music is itself our inspiration for moving forward. Nevertheless, the inspiration will come and dictate the way we'll go, so we could explain it as an unconscious revelation on our side not yet revealed.



3.On the album you also mix a lot of different genres, do you feel you are adding something new to the black metal genre?



What we would like to describe is the approach, came out from several influences and along last decade who led us to reach the violence, no matter what the music is. Black metal is the main matrix for us, a channel to spread the hate we have to spit, made both dynamically synthetic with drum'n'bass and coldly static with noise. For people who have a background of black metal, drum'n'bass and noise industrial, will be easy to understand our research through those 3 different music styles, because they surely have felt before the same crazy adrenaline.

For those who have never trespassed black metal, we would seriously suggest giving a listen to Al Ard and let us know if they feel betrayed or excited.

The main aspect for us is also to create a unique channel, being able to merge instruments, noise, electronic. We work a lot to meld them, that's the hard part. We hate when a song plays as parallel dimensions at the same time, it has no meaning. The new songs we're creating now reflect even more this concept.



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



We could say Al Ard contains a long story and several topics. It could be defined in paragraphs. Each song, different stories, merging themselves during the album, to then disappear. The songs are born from instinct and scorn of a moment, more than being created for a specific, wide and unilateral concept. There's a lot of shit around to savor only one. To give you some examples, FOR A HINT OF DIVINITY is a manifesto against the self-commodification, what could a man do for a moment of glory... P.P.P tells about the christianity habits along the centuries, the morality and values collapsed under the evolution, the two STRANGE OLD PRACTICE go deeper into the real face of a war, the fear, the desolation, the disgust; in Strange Old Practice II, the mantra obsessively repeated during the song is Sicilian dialect and means "Deformed children are borning". The all is linked with the Sicilian culture, a fundamental inspiration for the entire album and place where we come from. Ultimately the recipe is filled with dreamlike statuses, real funerals stories, private deviations, southern Italy traditions, introspection and human's inhumanity of life.



5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Al Ard'?



The name AL ARD is the arab for "The Land", referred to Sicily, named " al-arḍ al-kabīra " ("The Big Land") at the time of arab domination.
The main inspiration was to highlight the importance of our origin and how it influenced our own lives. Unlike the classic iconography of Scandinavian black metal that exalts the "coldness" of those places and their lifestyle, we aim at the clear contrast, not only geographically, trying to express the "darkness" that unsuspectedly distinguishes the tradition of the south.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?



Also the artwork is a magnification of Sicilian tradition and cult of death.

The mummies on the cover (which represent our "dead" own person) are three of the several ones inside the Cappuccini's Catacombs in Palermo, which preserve their excellent status of conservation thanks to an ancient embalming technique.



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



Principally the hardest things to yield properly are the guitars: generally the rhythmics of each guitar have been merged trying to obtain the best stage result but in rare cases other guitars are played directly in background.

S.V.D. has got sufficent stuffs to play the huge quantity of fucking bases, synth and samples have to be spited out from the sound system...to COD the only task of screaming, singing, playing bass and destroying everything on stage like a fucking insane that goes wild against the crowds.



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



We're working on it to be able to play live during the end of the year and in 2019. It's always hard to plan for live dates because we live far from each other, but not so far to erase the will of playing and planning for tours or single events. Turin and Sicily will be for sure a place where we'll organize something, but our scope is to plan for a tour in several places in Europe.



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

The reaction has been very good till now. For example,  the Industrial band Preemptive strike from Greece asked for a featured song that will be available very soon. Basically the response for album has been very succesful from our side, however we think that the possibility to perfom live sessions in the next future will contribute to make our visibility to an higher lavel.

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



We really hope to produce music that satisfies 100% of our needs, tastes and deviated desires. Basically, we want to improve the connection between our way of concepting black metal and our urge of playing experimental! Actually this is our objective since we realized the best results came from it. This is already happening with the new material we're on right now.



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?



Hard to say, each one has a different experience and idea, but for sure we all agree that bands like Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Megadeth were the trigger for a neverending research of the estreme. During the years this meant Death, Morbid Angel, Dissection to finally reach the black twilight with Emperor, Satyricon, Mayhem, Darkthrone, the entire avantgarde or industrial black metal scene. Then we can expand on what each member privately listens, reaching genres like pure noise and pop in the same hour on Spotify.

Nowadays we're going to different directions in terms of music listened, and that's a longevity secret for us.



12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?



There's no doubt we are fascinated, but we've never studied it. The concept of death and our personal visions of it represents a strong incipit of every moment of inspiration in music and lyrics.

We touch it in our creations, but we're not obsessed as an omni-lyrics or omni-themes band. There's so much to tell, to be disgusted by, to criticize, to hate.... to be wrapped only by one veil.



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



Thank you for the interview and for the time spent. To all the readers searching for something new, we strongly suggest to listen to our album and let us know what they think. We're sure they will be not disapponted. Hail Al Ard

https://alard.bandcamp.com/


Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Mongrel's Cross Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
1. Hails death and black freaks. Goet Euryn and I have actually been working on new material. We have 7 new tracks written which have taken what we did on Psalter to another level. We’re in the process of demo’ing them and expect that they’ll be ready within the next 6 months.


2.You have a new album coming out in August, what are some of the things you feel you have done differently with the newer music that you where not able to do with your previous material?
2. On Psalter we have gone back to what is our core inspiration and influences. 80’s and 90’s black, death and thrash. A new element we’ve introduced on Psalter is synths and we are really happy with how they sound. They are that perfect type of synth, one that adds depth to the guitars but in no way lessen the impact of them.

3.This is going to be your first release since 2018, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
3. Yes The Sins Of Aquarius was released in 2012 and we took a bit of a break. We had some line up changes and quickly realised that Goet and I work best as a studio duo. So we began work on Psalter and when we had the guitars written we enlisted our current drummer Wretch.

4.Your music is mostly rooted in  a blackened thrash metal style, what was it that made you want to go into this musical direction and also what do you feel you add to the genre?
4. It’s definitely what we relate to the most. We are riff orientated and that’s what attracted us to metal when we were kids and it still rings true today. It’s a cliche but it’s substance over style for us. We aren’t really interested in the leather jacket and hood scene.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores on the newer album and also how would you describe your progress as a song writer over the years?

5. The new album centres around the primordial Dragon and its role in mans psyche as well as other meditations on the universe. my process is quite simple, I find something I find interesting, explore it and adapt it in to lyrical form.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the cover artwork on the new album?
6. We are very happy with how the cover art turned out. David Thierre was the legend behind that. It’s the mighty Dragon I spoke of earlier tearing the heart out of a lion. As we know, the Christian god has been referred to asa lion so I will leave the interpretation of that up to readers.

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
7. We haven’t played in some time as we feel fairly distant from the scene these days. Anyway our best shows were always with fellow bangers like Innsmouth and Gospel of the horns. Nights of big riffs and sore necks.

8.What are some of the touring or show plans that you have for the remaining of 2018?
8. So I touched on this in the last question but I’ll elaborate. We feel like we get much more out of writing and recording than playing live so for the time being no shows are planned. We don’t really associate with anyone in whatever scene is present here at the moment and have no desire to do so.

9.Most of your material so far has been released on 'Hell's Headbangers', do you feel this label is perfect for the blackened thrash metal style that you play?
9. HHB have been really good to us. Chase took a punt on us back in 2011 and we are now doing our third release with them. I'm not much of a label enthusiast but yes I think there are some bands on the roster that share a similar outlook to us.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your recordings by fans of black and thrash metal?
10. We are pretty happy with the response from fans, particularly with the new material. It's always cool when you see that someone has an album, shirt etc of your band and they are on the other side of the world.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically on future releases?
11. As I mentioned early we are well and truly on the way to a third album. It's building on the stuff we started on psalter but pushing it further. Black and thrash parts but also lots of heavy metal. We will always be 80's and 90's warriors. We've demo'd a few tracks and they sound unreal.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that you have been listening to lately and have you also found other musical inspirations over the years?
12. Lately I have cranked the new Angantyr and Darkenhold. I find lots of little new gems here and there but quite often go digging back in the old bands to see what I missed. I've always liked dark ambient/traditional folk stuff like Arcana, Dargaard and Elend etc. A newer one to mention is The moon and the nightspirit from Hungary.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. Psalter of the Royal dragon court is out August 3rd maniacs so get it and blast it!

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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Paths Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording of the new album?


Since recording “In Lands Thought Lost” I have just about finished writing and recording demos for what will be the fourth full-length. I'll soon send the demos to Austin once I've finished the last bit of tinkering and then we'll set about the recording in full once he has learned the songs. And at the moment I am actually also writing riffs for what will become album five.


2.You have a new album coming out in September, what are some of the things you have done musically on this recording that you where not able to do on your previous releases?


Having real drums is a big step forward, especially when they're played by someone as good as Austin. He really brought a new sense of dynamics and aggression to the music. Aside from that, Spencer Morris, who mastered the album, gave me a lot of help with the mix which has made this by far the best sounding Paths album. It feels like I'm finally reaching the sound I've always wanted to have but struggled to get.


3.In 2013 and 14 you released a great amount of material and then took a break until this year, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?


The initial spout of releases was definitely a very creative time for me. I was just inspired all the time and had such a craving to find new sounds and to experiment, though with admittedly mixed results. When I listen back to the demos now I can see what I was going for and what I tried to do, but the execution was rather sloppy. Things really started coming together in a clearer and more refined direction when I did the first full-length, “Where the Oakenhearted Dwell.” Shortly after the digital release I did myself of that album, Werewolf Promotions came into the picture. They released the first album on tape, the second album, “Beauty and Nihility,” on CD and finally a 2 tape set compiling all the demos. These releases should all still be available on the Werewolf Promotions site for anyone who hasn't gotten them yet.


“In Lands Thought Lost” was written at the end of this period. I originally recorded the album back in May of 2015, shortly before a temporary move across the country which led to a halt in writing and recording. The album was recorded with programmed drums, like everything before it. It was around this time I got in contact with Austin from Panopticon. I'd been a fan of his work since around 2007, and it was rather humbling to find out that he liked my own music after his has been such an influence on me for so long. At that point I was just sitting on the finished “In Lands Thought Lost” album. I sent it to Austin as I was curious to hear what he thought of the new material. He really liked it, so much so that he offered to record drums for it. Once his participation in the project was decided, it only made sense that we would release the album through Bindrune Recordings. Unfortunately, a number of unforeseen circumstances arose that delayed the release till now.


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore on the new album and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over the years?


Thematically, there are a lot of similarities to the lyrics on the first album. Nature, overcoming personal struggles, and Odinic themes of sacrifice and growth are prominent. Though the final epic on the album delves into history rather than mythology, being inspired by the doomed expedition to the South Pole led by Robert Falcon Scott (though there is a metaphorical meaning to this song as well). I have been an avid student of history since childhood, even gaining a degree in history at university, but this is the first time I've let that other passion seep into my lyrics.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Paths'?


When I started the project I knew I wanted an ambiguous name. Something that didn't tie me down to a specific style or theme. The name itself is taken from the Sol Invictus song of the same name.


6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?


The artwork is done by Solfjall Design. She has worked on album art for a number of other bands, including Panopticon, Jodöden and Falls of Rauros. I made a VERY rough mock-up in photoshop to give an idea of what I wanted, then she took that rough and sloppy idea and turned it into a wonderful work of art.


7.With this musical project you record mostly everything by yourself, is this more of a personal project to you?


Paths is definitely a very personal project. Having full control of the musical direction and overall sound of the band is very important to me. Paths is just the music that flows naturally out of me and I don't know how well I would be able to work within the constraints of a full band.


8.On the new album you also had some session work from a member from 'Panopticon', can you tell us a little bit more about his contribution to the recording?


I touched on this a bit earlier, but to go into a bit more detail, I sent Austin what I thought was a finished album. I had programmed and mixed all the drums, and thought it was done, but then he came on board to do real drums. He learned the songs based on the beats I had programmed, but I allowed him some leeway. He changed the beats in a few places based on his own ideas, plus threw in his own fills. He sent me recordings of what he'd played and I loved the changes he made. The songs felt so much more dynamic and felt like they had much more forward momentum.


I also then did some additional guitar recording, and completely re-mixed the album from scratch with Austin's drums. The resulting 5 songs are by far the best music I have made to date and I am immensely proud of what we made created. I can't overstate just how important Austin's contributions to this album are and I am eternally grateful to him.


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


Bindrune put up a song (titled “To Brave the Storm”) from the album on youtube last month and the reaction has been nothing but positive so far.


10.Can you tell us a little bit more about 'Teeth of The Wolf'?


Teeth of the Wolf is my side project. It was conceived as an acoustic-singer songwriter sort of thing, somewhere between neofolk and Townes Van Zandt, though also incorporating elements of ambient and darkwave. I recorded two demos and played a couple shows, but since then have had little inspiration for writing acoustic songs. My musical focus has been solely on Paths since then, and it looks to continue that way for the foreseeable future. So I guess Teeth of the Wolf is on hiatus.


11.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the future?


The material I've written for the fourth album, and am currently writing for the fifth is much more direct, and, dare I say it, catchy. My song writing has become much more disciplined and focused, yet at the same time I think the songs are a lot more exciting and lively. I've been experimenting more with writing dual guitar parts and it's really adding an exciting element to this new material. I'm very much looking forward to the future of Paths' ever shifting sound. The fourth album looks to be a bit more of a straight forward black metal album, while the filth is slowly going into some weird directions, though that's still in the very early stages of writing so I can't say for sure...


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?


The biggest influence on Paths is the Norwegian second wave as a whole, but also bands like Moonsorrow, Falkenbach, Drudkh, Walknut, Agalloch, Hate Forest, Bathory, Panopticon, Wodensthrone, Ygg, Angantyr, Mgla, Winterfylleth, and Death Fortress. I may disagree with the politics of some of those bands, but their music is a continuing inspiration.


That said, my musical taste has been slowly changing over the last few years. Or maybe regressing is a better description. I find myself drawn more and more to older bands, the bands I got into as a teenager, particularly first and second wave black metal bands, and classic heavy metal in general. My interest in contemporary black metal, particularly so-called post-black metal, has waned quite a lot, with the exception of a handful of exceptional bands.


I have been exploring heavy and epic metal much more thoroughly in the last few years. Bands like Manilla Road, Omen, Heavy Load, Ashbury, Fates Warning, Sumerlands, Doomsword etc. All this change in listening habits over the last few years is definitely filtering into my riff writing as well...


13.What are some of your non musical interests?


A mentioned earlier, I am a history buff. Particularly military history. Outside of that, I am an avid reader in general. In particular, writers like J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, E. M. Cioran, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ernest Hemingway, Friedrich Nietzsche, H. P. Lovecraft, and many more that I have doubtless forgotten to mention. Beyond that I like to spend time outside, especially in forests. Whether with friends or in solitude, trees provide a much more comforting surrounding than the the grey concrete of everyday life.


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


Thanks to everyone who has supported this project so far. It's been a long wait, but new material is finally dawning. We are currently awaiting the test presses of the vinyl and we're hoping to have “In Lands Thought Lost” released sometime this fall. And believe me, it will be worth the wait. After that, the time in between this new album and the next should be much less than three years! There is lots of new Paths music on the horizon...

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Suffering Interview


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

We are currently looking for more gigs and have a couple of things in the pipeline. Also we are getting ready to release our first album titled 11 soon.

2.Recently you have released a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you where going for with this release?

Like i mentioned in the previous question we haven’t released it yet but we are hoping to have it released next month (august). It has taken some time due to financing everything ourselves and the thing called “life” getting in the way. For Suffering though we are all big fans of black metal and its various subgenres and also doom metal too so play a mixture of black and doom but more on the black metal end of the spectrum. Playing songs with our kind of subject matter the best and most effective way to get the message across and the right atmosphere it has to be played in a black metal format.

3.The band has been around since 2012 but you waited until this year to put out the full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?

Yes that is correct. Originally the band was started in 2012 with various members from other black metal bands from around the country but due to distance/travelling etc it was too difficult to make it work so i stopped the band until roughly 2 years ago when i found a whole new lineup which luckily came together very quickly and just over a year later 11 was written and recorded.

4.A lot of your lyrics deal with Satanism and The Occult, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts has evolved during the years?

I don’t really like to go into too much detail about these kind of things because i think a lot of it should be discovered and researched yourself without somebody holding your hand and showing you the way but i have many many years of research into satanism, occultism, ritual, ancient civilisations and their gods/demons etc and our themes and interests run deep to the point where subjects to choose from could never be exhausted. 11 has many themes and subjects running through it but tied together by mainly one thing but what those themes are is something i will let people discover for themselves and make their own minds up.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Suffering'?

When i originally started the band is was just a straight DSBM band pretty much but when i ressurected the band i felt that subject matter for a DSBM band would be very limiting for me personally. I would have plenty to write and sing about but i realised that those subjects were something i wasn’t ready to whole heartedly face and shine a spotlight on so to speak but those elements are still there in our music and is a underlying thing. Maybe we will return to the full DSBM at some point, who knows? So now in the context of that band we feel it still works and fits nicely because EVERYTHING is suffering, life, the need for money, work, family, children, relationships, being alone, being with people, mental health, illness, religion. It is all suffering and everybody suffers to some extent every day, some more than others but we all do plus we wanted our music to portray that also. We want people to suffer with us through this experience whether it is listening to our music or seeing us perform live.

6.Can you tell us  a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

The artwork was my brainchild and direction. It represents various parts of the album in a visual sense and every little thing on the artwork has a specific meaning individually and as a whole. One thing that also helped is that it was pencil drawn and then painted by my talented wife who runs Enchanted Woodland. https://www.facebook.com/enchantedwoodland/

7.I have noticed from what i have seen of pictures from live shows the band members wear cloak's on stage, would you consider your life performance as being ritualistic?

Yes that is a very exactly correct observation. Ritual is a very big part of this band also 11, whoops i gave away one of the albums subjects then but in all seriousness yes ritual plays a big part.

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

Well we are on the look out for more gigs of course but currently we are arranging to travel to the Netherlands because we have been asked to play a gig over there but other than that nothing in concrete just yet.

9.In 2017 you where also a part of a compilation, do you feel this release was very helpful on getting your name known in the underground?

Not really haha. It was a good thing to be a part of and appreciate being asked but it didn’t really have any impact on anything at all, negative or positive.

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

We chose to do everything for the first album entirely ourselves to have complete control over everything because as a new band i don’t think you should jump into the “corporations” and business side with labels until you have decided and found where you are going yourselves but once the album is released we will certainly be looking for a record label for the future of the band.

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

It has only been on a very small scale at the moment because we have only officially released 2 or 3 songs so people are yet to hear the whole thing. With this band you can’t listen to one or two songs and understand what we are about or what we do because our songs, inspirations, styles we incorporate are so vast. Once people listen to the whole of 11 then they will know but so far from what we have heard from people it has been very positive, although i think some people are missing the point entirely but like i said i think that would be down to not hearing the whole album so they can’t make a justified and accurate opinion.

12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Currently nothing. I am the only member of the band that has other projects/bands but all of those are currently inactive due to Suffering being the main focus. I do have a full length solo album fully recorded that i have been sitting on since 2014 but that may or may not ever get released. I am also planning a follow up at some point to the E.P They Won’t Stay Dead by my project Perverted Funeral Home but that could be either in the near or distant future.

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

The same direction that features on 11 but the only difference will be that our new music will features all of our elements amplified. The heaviest thing on 11 will be even heavier on the follow up, just like the most melodic/atmospheric thing on 11 will be even more melodic/atmospheric on the follow up etc. Bands must always grow and evolve but that doesn’t mean changing entirely and abandoning what you have done before. That is being dishonest with yourself and the people who follow you.

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

Black metal and doom metal are the obvious ones, with a bit of death metal but not too much haha. And obviously we are inspired by all the standard black metal bands you would expect to be named so i won’t waste time on that but bands that i personally would say that have been big influences and played a big part in our forming would be Shining, Skitliv, Akercocke, Triptykon, Primitive Man and My Dying Bride to name a handful.

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

Thank you for doing this interview with us and also for the very positive review you did for us. It is greatly appreciated. We hope that people will check out 11 when it comes out and give us a chance. Also come see us live and witness the way this band is meant to be presented. AVE!

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Pando/Hiraeth/Aesthetic Death/2018 CD Review


  Pando  are  a  duo  from  Massachusetts  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  ambient,  experimental  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Hiraeth"  which  was  released  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Field  recording  start  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and    epic  in  length  along  with  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  drones  also  being  utilized  as  well  as  some  ambient  style  synths  and  when  vocals  are  brought  into  the  music  they  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Drum  beats  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  deep  demonic  vocals  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  and  when  programmed  beats  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  industrial.

  Female  vocals  and  elements  of  noise  are  added  onto  the  second  track  along  with  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  along  with  one  song  also  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  soundtrack  as  well  as  some  bass  guitars,  voice  message  samples  and  folk  instruments  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  country/blues  influences,  harmonica's  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other.

  On  this  recording  Pando  takes  black  metal,  ambient,  experimental  and  noise  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Pando  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  experimental,  avant  garde,  noise  and  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "l'appel  du  vide"  and  "Horror  Vacui".  8  out  of  10.   

https://thetremblinggiant.bandcamp.com/album/hiraeth