Automb/Chaosophy/Witching Hour Productions/2020 CD Review

  Automb  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  mixture  of  occult  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Chaosophy"  which  will  be  released  on  March  27th  by  Witching  Hour  Productions.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths,  rain  and  thunder  sounds  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  blackened  death  metal  growling  style.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  black  metal  feeling  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  but  also  keeps  it  modern  at  the  same  time.  .

  On  this  recording  Automb  focuses  more  on  a  death  metal  style  while  keeping  some  of  the  melodic  and  atmospheric  side  of  black  metal  from  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Paganism,  Witchcraft  and  Esoteric  Knowledge  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Automb  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  melodic  occult  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Transmigration  Omega"  "Serpent  Of  the  Night"  and  "Ragnarok".  8  out  of  10.

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Automb Interview

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

We have been playing a few shows in support of the record and we have also been very busy writing material for our new record which will be coming out later this year.



2.In October you had released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

That’s a hard question- It ranges from atmospheric black metal to the classic death metal elements filled with melody and brutality.



3.Your lyrics cover a lot of occult, pagan, witchcraft and esoteric themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interests in these topics and how long you have been interested and involved with those practices?

We have both been very interested in all things occult and pagan for quite a few years. We both grew up in a Christian environment and just decided to break out and explore and have never turned back. Once you see how much knowledge is outside of the society and religious bounds, there is a whole world open to you.



4.Some of your lyrics also show an understanding of different pagan cultures, do you feel it is very important to be knowledgeable about the different occult or pagan philosophies than be stuck in one corner where a lot of people seem to go into when they get into esoteric practices?

Yes, absolutely. We focus on anything that has to do with the occult, which in a broad sense is everything to do with hidden knowledge, regardless of cultural practices. Also, we draw parallels between these practices which at the end represents the same energies and the same ideas.



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

We formed Automb in the autumn season and we gave it that name to incorporate the two ideas of autumn as the season and how many things die in that season, hence the “tomb’.



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

It represents a ritualistic setting in the forest during the full moon. The main totem represents the horned god deity (Veles, Cernunnos, Loki) which is present in almost every path and culture. We also incorporated many powerful runes and symbols into the trees which are personal to us. The cover also represents themes that we have present in a few songs in the album (Horned God, Mourned, Blood Moon, The Forest, etc.)



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

We have only played two shows so far so it is hard to accurately depict the “best” show so far. However, we would describe our stage performance as ritualistic, empowering and fierce.





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

We currently have three shows booked in the next few months and then we are hoping to do a tour this summer.



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

It’s been overwhelmingly positive from all-over the world. The response has been far beyond our expectations.



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?

We are not part of any other bands. Necrophagia is dead so Serge is putting all of his time and energy into Automb. And Scott Fuller was just the session drummer for ‘Esoterica’ and is still the full-time drummer of Morbid Angel. Catch Morbid Angel on tour this spring with Cannibal Corpse (In the US)!



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

We are always striving to be more progressive and improve our music and style. With every record we are planning to top our previous works with of course tying in previous elements that make Automb what we are.



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?

Some bands that have influenced our musical style are, Behemoth, Belphegor, Watain,Drudkh, Dissection, Emperor. We are currently listening to bands like 1914, Uada, Kroda, Necrophobic, and Cult of Fire.



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

We are finally on Spotify, so go follow us on there, and… Hail Chaos! Hail Esoteric Black Metal!

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Automb/Esoterica/Satanath Records/Final Gate Records/2018 CD Review

  Automb  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  with  some  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Esoterica"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Final  Gate  Records.

  Nature  and  ritualistic  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  chants  and  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  deep  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  tremolo  picking  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  atmospheric  and  they  also a dd  in a  brief  keyboard  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  remaining  tracks.

  Automb  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  sounding  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Occultism,  Witchcraft  and  Esoteric  Knowledge  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Automb  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and  atmospheric  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 "Horned  God"  "Call  OF  Hekate"  and  "Into  Nothingness".  8  out  of  10.