Showing posts with label Ezekhamel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ezekhamel. Show all posts

Monday, December 18, 2023

Ezekhamel/When We Die We Feel The Soft Earth/2023 Full Length Review

 


  Ezekhamel  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  a  mixture  of  experimental,  ambient  and  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  album  "When  We  Die  We  Fell  The  Soft  Earth".


  Electronic  music  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  harsh  noises  a  few  seconds  later  while  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  tortured  voices  which  also  evolve  into  black  metal  screams.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  synths  also  bringing  in  elements  of  ambient  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  music  also  has  its  experimental  moments.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  a  very  lo-fi  atmosphere  along  with  some  spoken  word  samples  also  being  added  into  the  background  briefly,  each  track  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other.


  Most  of  the  songs  are  also  instrumentals  as  well as  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  along  with  a  later  track  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  album  and  most  of t he  music  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ezekhamel  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  experimental  and  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bells  Ring  Twelve  Times  In  Hell"  "Looking  Dead  Eye  In  The  Sky"  and  "When  We  Die  We  Fell  the  Soft  Earth".  8  out  of  10.


  https://ezekhamel.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095435406147

https://www.instagram.com/glodnyjaszczur/    

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Ezekhamel Interview

 

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


1 Ezekhamel - Ezekhamel is a project that I started with my friend "Moon" in 2021. At first we recorded a short demo and then our first album. Our music has always been dominated by ambient and somber vocals. With each new project, we try to create something new, try new things and discover new sounds. We would like our music to be heard by everyone who listens not only to black metal but also to metal in general, because I believe that our music has something for everyone and can commove everyone in a different way.


2.So far this year you have released 2 ep's, musically how do they both differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


2  Moon - Ocean Depth is mostly a continuation of the sound we've been working with since we started. I listen to a lot of industrial music and what I really like about it is how abrasive it can be in a very subtle way where something like a small pitch change can completely take you aback. Sound manipulation and electronic elements have always been interesting to us and I feel like we've kinda figured it out on this album. Those quiet, subtle melodies and backdrops only make the songs feel heavier as a whole in a way that I think is very fresh and keeps you unsure and anxious.


 Ezekhamel - Ocean Depth is an album that tells a story there is a lot of ambient in it and the whole project focuses on the mythology created by H. P. Lovecraft . Eternal gods , the depths of the ocean , mythical monsters this was the main inspiration and also the theme of the album. 

Abortion fucking on the other hand is our first attempt to create noise metal . Something chaotic , loud , aggressive , brutal . It was recorded in one day and it doesn't have much of a message. Its really only motive is violence. The rather controversial cover art caused the ep not to be released on services such as Spotify. As we know, censorship is the greatest folly of the modern world because someone is obviously disturbed by the massacred head of a baby on the cover. Certainly, this ep differs from others under the influence of atmosphere and lyrics that are not too deep and complex. Ocean Depth is already closer to, for example, Dead on Arrival because there we also used ambient and both of these albums are composed in such a way that listening to them from beginning to end you can feel as if you were reading a good book or movie


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


3 Ezekhamel - I think we very often touch on the subject of death , suffering , violence and pain. Satanism and blasphemy is also one of our themes . A lot in our music mocking God , people who believe in him and all that Catholic propaganda about peace and goodness . We try to expand our themes .

Coming out soon is our noise / black metal album " German Zombies" which focuses on the crimes committed by the Germans during World War II .

Sevmord and - are now also working on a new album which tells the story of ancient and blasphemous rituals taking place in a certain cursed village and what happened to its inhabitants.



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


4  Ezekhamel - It's actually a pretty funny story. Me and Moon were walking somewhere with our homies and I heard somewhere the name Ezekiel .I thought how fucked up people must have been in the past if someone decided to call them Ezekiel . I thought that this fucked up name could somehow be rearranged in a cool way and Ezekhamel appeared in my head. Since it mocks a bit of a biblical figure it is controversial and as we know controversy attracts people. Besides, I also like to do something that can upset someone else, outrage preferably if it is someone oversensitive about their faith 



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


5 Ezekhamel - The cover was done by my friend Matthew who also did the earlier cover for Dead on Arrival and other concept graphics. It depicts the face of a monster in the depths of the ocean, which symbolizes its mysteriousness and also emphasizes that the depths of the ocean are unexplored and we don't know what might be hiding in them.


6.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?


6 Ezekhamel - In August of this year, we played our first concert. Our friends came to it but there were also some strangers . The concert could have been played better but it is known that it was only the first time still a lot ahead of us. In the future we plan to play as many of them as possible.



7.So far very little is known about the band, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?


7 Ezekhamel - We want people to get to know us as well as our music. We have a lot to say and give to people . We do not hide our identities and many people know about the existence of our band. Many people didn't believe in us and probably still don't, but such people must not be bothered because they are nobodies and have nothing to say about us



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


8 Ezekhamel - Of course, we are looking for a label that would like to sign us. We haven't received any offer yet but we are open to any proposal. As I said before we want our music to be heard by as many people as possible and our biggest dream is to go on tour. I think it would be an interesting experience to play support alongside some well-known band.


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


9 Ezekhamel - We have encountered practically only a positive reception of our music. Many people have appreciated our innovative approach to metal and it all stems from our open minds. We do not close ourselves to new experience we want to experience it all the time.

I hope that this interview will make at least one person check out our music and because he or she will feel what we felt during its creation 


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


10  Ozzy - we want to release another album by the end of this month it will be different from the other albums but in a positive way

I see the team doing more experimental things. I already have a few ideas in my head but I'd rather not reveal them.


 Sevmord - I think we can expect a new album this year or at the beginning of next year. I would like to see ezekhamel as one of the more recognizable underground black metal bands.



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


11 Ezekhamel - The first black metal album I listened to and the one that made the biggest impression on me was Bathory - Bathory. All the darkness and gloomy atmosphere got to me. I remember when I was a teenager and first listened to it I thought I saw a goat running after me. I also always liked Burzum more than Mayhem. Sarcofago , Necrophobic , Marduk but also bands like Akhlys and Shining I also became a big fan of Blackbird I think it's a big discovery and a kind of breakthrough in the black metal scene . I also listen to a lot of electronic music , rock but also rap , jazz and classical music . So you could say I listen to everything but I don't like to talk about music that way. 


Moon - Whitehouse is a big inspiration for me especilly the earlier albums, Nine Inch Nails is another big one. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Pavement and Built To Spill, just some fun rock music.


Sevmord - my great inspiration from the beginning was darkthrone and Fenriz, later it was dsbm bands such as Happy Days, for a long time my inspiration was also Andreas Bettinger


Ozzy - My heroes since childhood were Ozzy Osbourne and the whole black sabbat john lennon and the beatles kurt cobain from nirvana and jimi hendrix and jimi page from led zepplin these are quite strange inspirations for someone who plays black metal, but they are certainly not typical and no one would expect them


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


12 Ezekhamel - Always do what you want to do. Fuck the opinion of others they don't matter. What matters is what you want and what you want to do. Envious people who have not achieved anything and will not achieve anything will always try to equate you to their pathetic level. Focus on yourself and your goals and I guarantee that you will make the best out of it 


Hail Satan !


https://ezekhamel.bandcamp.com/

Monday, November 6, 2023

Ezekhamel/Ocean Depth/2023 EP Review

 


  Ezekhamel  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  an  ambient  form  of  post  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2023  ep  "Ocean  Depth".


  Ambient  style  keyboards  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  touches.


  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  on  one  of  the  songs  the  vocals  also  start  mixing  in  some  angry  shouts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Ezekhamel  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dark  ambient  and  post  black  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  ocean  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Ezekhamel  are  a  very  great  sounding  ambient  post  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Ocean  Depth"  and  "Sharp  Teeth".  8  out  of  10.


  https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wl7BRZcvzRQ4m4hvauLCh?si=7USEN_aYT7eKtiooIUve4w