Akolyth/Self Titled/Amor Fati/2020 CD Review

  Akolyth  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  very  old  school  and  ritualistic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  album  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Amor  Fati.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  on  the  closing  track  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Akolyth  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  as  well  as  adding  in  some  ritualistic  touches  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Forbidden  Rites  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Akolyth  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  and  ritualistic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Night,  The  Fog"  and  "To  Become  His  Doorway".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/px8ga5sD7qA

  

Krayl/Maladie Mortelle/2020 EP Review

  Krayl  are  a  solo  project  from  India  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  ambient  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  ep  "Maladie  Mortelle".

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  lo-fi  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  ambient  style  synths  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  yet  tortured  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Nature  sounds  and  horror  movie  style  screams  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  faster  sections   of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  A  lot  of  the  music  also  shows  some  influences  of  both  the  90's  and  early  2000's  era  as  well  as  some  of  the  music  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  and  cries  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Krayl  remains  true  to  the  ambient  style  of  black  metal  that  he  had  established  on  previous  releases  as  well  as  going  back  to  the  earlier  days  of  the  genre.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  lo-fi  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Mythology, Death  and  Genocide  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Krayl  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Genocidal  Infection"  and  "Curse  Of  The  Burning  Witch".  8  out  of  10.

https://krayl.bandcamp.com/album/maladie-mortelle    

Ruadh/The Rock Of The Cycle/2020 Full Length Review

  Ruadh  are  a  solo  project  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  folk  orientated  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "The  Rock  Of  The  Cycle"  which  will  be  released  in  May.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking.  When  synths  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  angry  yet  deep  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Clean  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  while  most  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  acoustic  guitars  bringing  elements  of  folk  music  onto  the  recording  and  all of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  professional.

  Flutes  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  deeper  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  death  metal,  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  history  and  mythology  of  Scotland.

  In  my  opinion  Ruadh  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  folk  orientated  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ember"  and  "Fields  of  heather".  8  out  of  10.

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Baume/Un Calme entre les Tempetes/2020 EP Review

  Baume  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  an  experimental  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  ep  "Un  Calme  ente  les  Tempetes".

 Atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  programmed  beats  start  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Programmed  beats  and  electronic  music  elements  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  adding  in  post  rock  touches.

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  shoegaze  influences.  Heavy  and  melodic  riffs  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  experimental  side  of  the  songs  and  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  a  a  post  black  metal  direction  along  with  the  ep  sticking  to  a  slower  direction  and  one  song  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

  Baume  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  experimental,  electronic  music,  post  black  metal  and  shoegaze  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  when  they  are  utilized  briefly  cover  night  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Baume  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  post  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Un  Calm  entre  les  Tempetes".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Baumeband/

https://baumeband.bandcamp.com/    

Hornwood Fell/Cursed Thoughts/Kadabra Music/2020 Double Album Review

  Italy's  Hornwood  Fell  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  dissonant  and  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  double  album  'Cursed  Thoughts"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Kadabra  Music.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  some  melodies  and  dissonant  structures  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  clean  playing  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  an avant  garde  feeling  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  also  getting  deep  sounding  at  times  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  death  metal.  One  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  introducing  classical  music  elements  and  choirs  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  divided  into  2  parts  and  based  upon  the  poetic  writings  of  Charles  Baudelaire  and  Edgar  Allan  Poe.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hornwood  Fell  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric,  dissonant  and  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  double  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Magnetic  Horror"  "The  Giantess"  "The  Spirits  Of  The  Dead"  and  "The  Valley  Of  Unrest".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL5CC0hc2cI    

Deviltook/At War With Gods/2020 Full Length Review

  Deviltook  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  anti  religious  and  Nordic  inspired  form  of  old  school  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "At  War  With  Gods".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  second  wave  Norwegian  tradition  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.  Some  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  guitar  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  cinematic  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  well  as  the  music  focusing  more  on  a  heavier  or  raw  style. 

   Deviltook  plays  a  style of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  and  old  school  in  the  early  90's  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  lies  caused  by  the  Christian  religion.

  In  my  opinion  Deviltook  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "We  Prefer  To  Die"  "The  Throne  Of  Lies"  "Addicts  of  Faith"  and  "In  The  Hands  Of  Charon".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/DEVILTOOK/

Sojourner/Premonitions/Napalm Records/2020 CD Review

  Sojourner  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Sweden  and  New  Zealand  that  has  been  featured  before  in t his  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  epic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  folk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Premonitions"  which  will  be released  in  May  by  napalm  Records.

  Tragic  sounding  pianos  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  brought  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  tin  whistles  and  folk  music  elements  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  songs  when  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  most  of  the  music  also  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style,  clean  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy  and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Sojourner  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  and  atmospheric  black  metal  with  elements  of  folk  music,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eulogy  For  The  Lost"  "Fatal  Frame" and  "The  Event  Horizon".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/glYZDospOiA  

Heruka/No Sun Dared Pass Our Windows/Rude Awakening Records/2020 CD Review

  Heruka  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a   musical  style  they  describe  as  being  Oniric black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "No  Sun  Dared  Pass  Our  Windows"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Rude  Awakening  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  tremolo  picking  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  One  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  and  synths  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  a  a  couple  of  tracks  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals.

  When  keyboards  are  used  briefly  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  symphonic  touch  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  songs and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  introspection,  surrealism  and  visionary  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Heruka  are  a  very  great  sounding  modern  and  aggressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE   "Time  Collapse"  "The  Eleventh  Rule" "Two  Heads,  one  Brain"  and  "Let  No  One  Ne  Saved".  8 out  of  10.

  

Two Face Sinner Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We have been making several local shows and doing some plans that are by the moment frustrated for this pandemia situation, like the release concert for the álbum, and shooting a new videoclip.

2.In April you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
I think this is a wiser work in every sense, the band have been through much difficulties in the process of making this álbum, but the time we spend dealing with hard times, so we approached it to improve the songs and make them better.

3.This is also your first release since 2015, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Since that time we have focused on having the band on international stages, we stared giving some shows outside of our country and getting our music Heard in europe, we shoot some videoclips that helped us to promote our work and basically that, preparing and exercising a international profile.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover Satanism and Anti Christianity themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
Like most of us, it captivate us in early stage of adolescence, when i first started to read some philosophy i started to receive real answers, i always felt i had a lot to say against what it to make me feel tied, in this case, religión moral values, i have this fluency to build good blasphemic poetry, and with the time i have improved it.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Two Face Sinner'?

It was inspired in this archetype that involves both parts of human behaviour, it’s like an attempting for not  destroying each other in this fake values society, being a two face sinner is like being a wise serpent, moving around many environments to simply coexist and achieve your personal targets.

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

I was looking for an iconic shocking portrait that reflects the massage of the album title, finally, looking on lot of artists portfolios, i found Hans’s work and i felt this image would resume all the lyrical theme, the cover speaks it self and have received a good feedback and i’m glad about it.

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?

Definitely our debut show, supporting Rotting Christ, it was a very intense moment, we have been preparing ourselves for a long time, also the show supporting Acheron, once we left the stage, we been congratulated for the band,they loved our performance, it was very motivating, and the ones outside of our country, we never though the audience outside of Perú would give us that kind of support all the efforts we made was not in vain.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Unfortunately with this pandemia crisis we had to shut down every plan to make any shows and torus for the whole 2020, this year we’ll basically go to promote our work by social media and create interesting content for it.

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

It had always been positive, we have more than a decade on the road with 4 releases already, we have a good worldwide base fans that always support us and they are looking forward to see us live, we are working  hard to achieve it.


10.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?

The only one is Joe, who is Anal Vomit’s drummer too, i think they had plans for touring but i guess due the circumstances they will have to assume the concurrences like we all are doing.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hitting international stages definitely, where future of the band’s career is, increasing our legacy and for sure growling louder than ever.

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?
I think at some point, influence is unevitable, i have a rocker heart and base, what rock N roll taught me is that all that matters is hypnotize people with a good melody, I love Black Sabbath, i also listen to 60’s and 70’s classic rock bands, also 80’s and of course 90’s which is the decade in which i grew up as teenager.

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

I want to thank you for your interest and support, means a lot to us, reaching the fans by sources like this, is very important, so i saludate them all and hail satan!

http://www.twofacesinner.com
https://www.facebook.com/twofacesinner/
www.instagram.com/twofacesinner
www.youtube.com/numa2fs

Dismalimerence Interview

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



Absolutely. A great portion of Tome: 1 was written in 2011 when I started Dismalimerence. I was in a handful of bands that took time away from this music and eventually made me shelve this material for many years. It was only in 2018 when I began to pursue Dismalimerence as a full band and begin trying to record Tome: 1 again. With the addition of great friends and musicians into this band, I was finally able to make this dream come true in 2019 by playing a handful of amazing concerts, and finishing up Tome: 1 for its release.



2.In June you have your first album coming out, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?



Yes. I had many different visions of how I was going to record Tome: 1 from my teenaged years and up until last year. But I began to invest into my own home recording equipment to try and capture something very visceral and personal. As far as musical style goes, I’ve always been playing in the world of metal. Whether it may be very ambient clean guitar sections or fierce tremolo distortion passages, this has always been home for me. As far as final decisions go for the guitar, bass, pianos, strings, and vocal sounds; I was aiming to find a comfortable place between a modern take on black metal and keeping a saturated environment for every instrument to be heard.





3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?



Dismalimerence has always been a personal outlet for my emotions, experiences, and desires. Tome: 1 was written in a very changing time in my life and I look back on it with much pain and relief. A lot of the lyrics on this album contain metaphorical journeys and sometimes direct memories of what I was going through at the time. I’d like to say that over the years, my writing has grown a lot. I’m sure most people would say that as well. But I’ve changed a great deal since I wrote this album. A lot of new lyrical content is influenced by many things like books, movies, shared experiences, and still many personal topics within myself.



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



I wanted to encompass a strikingly off putting idea of having a depressing infatuation with something or someone. Therefore combining two words I’ve always taking a liking to.

Dismal and Limerence.

The band name seems difficult to pronounce for most people, so it’s easily explainable as two words.



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



 Certainly. The album artwork was created by Aghy Purakusuma from Indonesia. I’ve been a fan of his work for a few years, just truly enjoying every aspect of his creativity. Tome: 1 is a story told through one character and I thought the idea of a book with a distant human figure would always make its way into this overall album concept. Within this album there are many references to certain environments and themes that are in the album artwork itself and I’m very happy with how that came to be.



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



Luckily, we’ve been able to perform with some truly amazing international and national bands in only a one year span. I would say that our very first show as a band really made an impression on me. We opened for Ensiferum, Septic Flesh, and Arsis in January of 2019. It was my first time playing live in years and I was struggling to maintain a healthy drive for my music in those years as well. Being able to follow through, provide everything for my band, meet so many wonderful people, and play harder than ever before really was what I needed at the time. It propelled me back into a healthy mindset for my music. I could mention every wonderful thing about each show we’ve played, but I’ll also just mention our show with Saor and Wayfarer. That was and incredible night. The crowd reaction was mind blowing and I was able to make so many new friends that night through music. I’m so thankful for how that whole show turned out for us, Saor, and Wayfarer on their tour.



7.Do you have any touring or show plans after the album is released or when the COVID 19 pandemic is finally over with?



We’ve had one show canceled and one postponed into 2021 , so it’s very hard to say when this pandemic will end, and we’ll be able to perform again. But I have many plans to play in our Chicagoland are and surrounding states in the Midwest. I would very much like to tour again and especially with Dismalimerence. I couldn’t see myself touring a lot in one year, but I know it’s possible. I’d like to try out a few short tour runs sometime after Tome: 1 has been released. Mainly to ensure it would all be an affordable and safe endeavor for the future and opportunities that come about.



8.The new album is coming out on 'Transcending Records', how did you get in contact with this label?



I was originally in contact with them in 2018 when my band Mouth of Sauron signed with Transcending for our album reissue. I loved working with them then and love working with them now. Mike and Chase are wonderful and hardworking individuals. They deserve so much. It wasn’t until I was offered a few label contracts, that Transcending gave me a counter offer. Not only did Transcending prove to be the right choice, they proved to me that they were the most passionate and willing to believe in this album. It was a gut feeling and I’m so glad to be working with them again.



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



I’m extremely grateful for anyone who takes the time to listen to my music. But I’m extremely thankful for the initial and long lasting impressions that people have made within this music. It makes it feel incredible knowing that something so personal to me is appreciated by many across the globe. It only makes me want to work harder.



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



Well there happens to be a lot of material written already and continuously being written. With the additions of Craig Hamburger and Matt Mifflin, I see this band progressing a lot more since I’m not the only compositional figure in this band anymore. It’s something I’ve really taken a liking to and it’s refreshing for myself and the sound of the band. I’ve come to appreciate everyone else’s styles and creativity. I don’t see Dismalimerence becoming anything drastically different, musically. But I can say there is a lot more everyone is going to like in the next couple of records.



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?



It’s really hard to mention only a few influences, but I’d always say Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, Woods of Desolation, and Emperor influenced me in some ways. I usually listen to a lot of metal, pop, r&b, and rap music. Artists like Frank Ocean, Tove Lo, Chief Keef, Katatonia, Earl Sweatshirt, and Beneath the Massacre.



I’d also like to include the rest of the band in this as well.



Craig Hamburger:

Opeth, ISIS, Blind Guardian among other bands, genres include pop, most metal sub-genres, etc.  there’s value in almost every area of music. Lately I’ve been in a bit of a rut but have enjoyed recent albums by Tanagra, NITE, Sutrah, and revisiting both Amy Winehouse studio albums.



Joey Casillas: I have been greatly influenced by many different bands and genres, but I would have to say Matt Greiner from August Burns Red really sits above the rest in influence. I saw how he was able to be creative yet maintain very clean sounds on the kit. Not a single hit is wasted. Currently I have been listening to a lot of Eldamar, Equilibrium, Fleshgod Apocalypse, or just classical music.



Matt Mifflin: Growing up I listened to a lot of All That Remains (This Darkened Heart and The Fall Of Ideals) and was influenced greatly by Oli Herbert. Then I started listening to bands like Eluveitie, Amon Amarth, Agalloch, and Saor. Additionally, classical music influences my song writing, for I have studied and performed it for many years.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?



I’m interested in all visual arts, reading books, playing video games, and cooking.



Craig Hamburger: MMA, film, and unfortunately not much else



Joey Casillas: Outside of music I'm in the technology world as a computer network engineer. In my free time I'll usually play some video games or study to learn new things.



Matt Mifflin: Norse Mythology and Viking Culture.



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



I would just like to say thank you for giving me this opportunity to share all of my thoughts, give me insight to this band, and the music. Thank you to my band members, wonderful family, and friends for always being by my side. I’d also like to thank Mike and Chase from Transcending records for believing in me and making this album special for everyone.

https://transcendingrecords.com/products/dismalimerence-tome-1-pre-order-only  

Satanath/Striborg/Prisoners Of The Solar System/Grimm Distribution/Death Portal Studio/2020 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Russia's  Satanath  and  Striborg  called "Prisoners  Of  The  Solar  System"  which  will  be  released  on  May  31st  in  2020  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grimm  Distribution  and  Death  Portal  Studio  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Satanath  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  space music.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  ambient  style  synths  which  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  most  of  his  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Elements  of  space  music  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  his  tracks  also  being  instrumentals.

  Programmed  beats  and  electronic  music  elements  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  his  recording.  One  track  also  introduces  atmospheric  sounding  drones  into  the  music  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  is  ritualistic  moments.  All  of  the  songs  sound  very  different  from  each  other  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Satanath  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient  and  space  music,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "To  Cosmic  Prisoner"  and  "Darkspace  Aura".

  Next  up  is  Striborg  a  solo  artist  who  started  out  playing  black  metal  but  on  this  recording  continues  his  blackwave  and  dark  ambient  style  he  started  on  his  previous  release.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  electronic  music  elements  while  also  adding  in  some  touches  of  80's  new  wave  and  darkwave.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  ambient  style  synths.

  Electric  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  great  portion  of  his  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clean  goth  rock  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  some  real  drums  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  id  also  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  night,  misanthropy,  forests,  depression  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Striborg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackwave  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Interdimensional  Transcendence"  and  "Proceeding  From  A  Dark  Place".  8  out  of  10.

https://grimmdistribution.bandcamp.com/album/062gd-satanath-striborg-prisoners-of-the-solar-system-split-2020 

 

  

In Tenebriz/Bitter Wine Of Summer/Grimm Distribution/2020 CD Review

  In  Tenebriz  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  ambient,  atmospheric  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Bitter  Wine  of  Summer"  which  was  released  by  Grimm  Distribution.

Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  Clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  on  most  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  programmed  beats  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  taking  the  melodic  doom/death  metal  style  of  the  90's  and  mixing  it  with  more  modern  atmospheric  black  metal  touches,  stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  In  Tenebriz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  atmospheric  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bitter  Wine  of  Summer"  "Stellar  Dust"  and  "The  Birth  Of  August".  8  out  of  10.

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Astarium/Hyperborea/Grimm Distribution/Gravações Tunguska/2020 CD Review

  Russia's  Astarium  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  ambient  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  from  his  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Hyperborea"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grimm  Distribution  and  Gravações Tunguska.

  Nature  sounds  and  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  programmed  beats  a  few  seconds  later.  Symphonic  elements  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  vocals  are  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  also  being  used  at  times.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in a   decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  battle  sounds  can  also  be  heard  and  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death,  evil  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Astarium  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient  and  symphonic  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Wild  Hunt"  "Snow  Storm"  "Daughter  of  Imir"  and  "Zhothaqquah".  8  out  of  10.

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Aetherius Obscuritas/Martir/Grimm Distribution/Paragon Records/2020 CD Review

  Aetherius  Obscuritas  are  a  band  form  Hungary  that  plays  a  very  raw,  old  school  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Martir"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grimm  Distribution  and  Paragon  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  some  melodies.

 All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  A  lot  of  the  music  also  shows  its  roots  in  the  90's  second  wave  era  era  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album.

  A  few  tracks  also  introduces  clean  vocals  onto  the  recording  along  with  another  song  also  adding  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard,  a couple  of  the  later  songs  are  also  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Hungarian  and  cover  spiritual,  symbolism  and  agony  of  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aethurius  Obscuritas  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw,  old  school  and  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre, you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "IIyen  a  ver"  "The  Frozen  Lake  Of  Eternity"  and  "Destiny:  Unknown".  8  out  of  10.

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Black Cult/Nekropola/Grimm Distribution/InsArt Records/2020 CD Review

  Croatia's  Black  Cult  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  raw,  melodic  and  satanic  style  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Nekropola"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grimm  Distribution  and  InsArt  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  briefly. All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  lot  of  the  music  goes  for  more  of  a  modern  style  along  with  the  Swedish  style  influences  of  previous  recordings  not  being  utilized  as  much  which  also  shows  the  band  showing  more  progress,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  and  a  later  song  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Hibernum  "Fear  Is  For  Fools".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Misanthropy  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Black  Cult  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  satanic,  occult  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Prasite"  "Misanthropic  Luciferian  Psalm"  and  "Catharsis".  8  out  of  10.

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From The Vastland/The Haft Khan/Satanath Records/Iron, Blood And Death Corporation/2020 CD Review

  Iran/Norway's  From  The  Vastland  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  raw  and  melodic  style of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "The  Haft  Khan"  which  will  be  released  on  April  30th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Iron,  Blood  And  Death  Corporation.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  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.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  but  keeps  it  modern  at  the  same  time.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  one  song  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.

  Spoken  word  pars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  militant  beats  and  dark  soundscapes  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction,  some  tracks  also  add  in  some  rain  and  thunder  sounds  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  Zoroastrianism  and  the  mythologies  of  Persia  and  Mesopotamia. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  From  The  Vastland  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  melodic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Khan  e  Aval"  "Chaharom"  and  "Khan  e  Haftom".  8  out  of  10.

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Setoml/Reincarnation/Satanath Records/Kryrart Records/2020 CD Review

  Setoml  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  melodic  form  of  black  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Reincarnation"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Kryrart  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  synths  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  showing  an  influence  of  the  Swedish  style.

  A  couple of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  elements  of  melodic  death  metal  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  of  the  slower  riffing  also  adding  in  touches  of  doom  metal  and  the  vocals  also  get  very  deep  sounding  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Setoml  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flames"  "Thousand  Shimmering  Souls"  and  "The  Shadows  Path".  8  out  of  10.

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SevenSins/Legends Of Kazakhstan/Satanath Records/Murdher Records/2020 CD Review

  SevenSins  are  a  band  from  Kazakhstan  an  on  this  recording  moves  away  from  the  symphonic  black/death  metal  style  of  previous  releases  and  goes  into  more  of  a  raw  and  traditional  black  metal  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Legends  Of  Kazakhstan"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Murdher  Records.

A  very  tribal  and  shamanistic  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  vocals  also  sounding  very  deep  and  angry  at  times  and  the  tracks  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  90's  influences  as  well  as  keeping  everything  up  to  date.

  Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  spoken  word  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  on  the  recording,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  album  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Суицид's  "Sleep  my  Justice".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Kazakh  and  cover  the  mythology  and  legends  of  their  home  country.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  SevenSins  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  aggressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  A  Grove  of  Dancing  Birches"  "Serpent  Mountain"  and  "Kozy-Korpesh/Bayan-sulu".  8  out  of  10.

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Haissem/Kuhaghan Tyyn/Satanath Records/2020 CD Review

  Haissem  are  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on this  recording  plays  a  very  melodic  and  progressive  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Kuhaghan  Tyyn"  which  was  released  by  Satanath  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  melodic  and  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  melody. 

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Melodic  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Orchestral  elements  and  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  track  also  bringing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording.

 The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Ukrainian  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Haissem  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  progressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Tide  Dominion"  and  "Aokigahara".  8  out  of  10.

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