Forefather/The Meads Of Asphodel/English Steel/Godreah Records/2017 SPlit CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  United  Kingdom's  Forefather  and  The  Meads  Of  Asphodel  called  "English Steel"  which  was  released  by  Godreah  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Forefather  which  continues  the  Anglo  Saxon style  of  pagan  metal  from  previous  releases.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy pagan  sound  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  at e present  on  their  side  of  the  recording  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known. 

  Melodic  pagan  vocals  are  added  into  their  songs  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  split  and  traditional  metal  influences  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  as  their  side  of t he  split  progresses  acoustic  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  and  they  also  add  in  a touch  of  folk  music  and when  the  music  finally  speeds  up a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  music  a  more  raw  black  metal  feeling  and  synths  are  added  onto  the  closing  track  which  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Forefather  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  Anglo  Saxon  style  of  metal  established  on  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anglo  Saxon  History  and  Heritage.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Forefather  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Two  Sacred  Oaks"  and  "In  Victory  We  Feast".

  Next  up  is  The  Meads  Of  Asphodel  another  band  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  experimental  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  folk  instruments  and  a  medieval  atmosphere  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of g rim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  blast  beats  and  atmospheric  synths a re  also  added  to  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them a long  with  operatic  female  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,

   After  awhile  the  music  gets  more  experimental  and  acoustic guitars  are  also  used  briefly  while  some  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  clear  male  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  also  adding  in  Candi,  Stanton,  Sham  69,  The  Saints  and  Desaster  covers  which  also  display  elements  of  punk  rock.

  The  Meads  Of  Asphodel  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  experimental  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion,  Bible  Apocrypha,  Death  and  War  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Meads  Of  Asphodel  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Infidel"  and  "Perfect  Day".

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

https://www.facebook.com/forefatherofficial/

The Ruins Of Beverast/Exuvia/Van Records/2017 CD Review

  The  Ruins  Of  Beverast  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Exuvia"  which  was  released  by  Van  Records.

  Melodic  yet  shamanistic  chanting  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before  mixing  in  drum  beats  and  heavy  yet  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  female  vocals  and  after  awhile  deep  growls  and  black  metal  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  getting  more  atmospheric.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  slower  sections  a  more  raw  feeling  along  with  the  slower  sections  of t he  tracks  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  A  great  amount  of  atmospheric  synths  and  neo  classical  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  tracks  also  shows  the  music  getting  more  experimental  as  well  as  adding  a  tribal  touch  on  a  couple  of  songs,

  The  Ruins  Of  Beverast  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  form  his  previous  releases  while  also  adding  in  more  tribal,  shamanistic  and  neo  classical  elements  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Ruins  Of  Beverast  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Exuvia"  and  "Towards  Malakia".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Ruins-Of-Beverast-116265971848680/

   

Thus Defiled/A Return To The Shadows/2017 EP Review

  Thus  Defiled  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a   very  raw  and  melodic  form  of  satanic  black  metal  and  this  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "A  Return  To  The  Shadows"  which  will  be  released in  June  and  consists  of  covers  from  Death,  Metallica,  W.A.S.P  and  Morbid  along  with  one  original  and  unreleased  track.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  demonic  voices  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  more  heavier  and  melodic  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  elements  and  when  the  music  speeds  up a   decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  have  a  vintage  black/death  metal  style  to  them  along  with  a  few  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  spoken  word  parts are  also  used  briefly  and  on  the  cover  songs  they  retain  the feeling  and  atmosphere  of  the  originals  while  also  mixing  in  their  own  style.

  With  this  ep  Thus Defiled  bring  in  one  original  track  that  is  in  the  direction  of  their  albums  while  adding  a  black/death  metal  touch  to  the  cover  versions,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Demonology  and  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Thus  Defiled  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Armagedda  In  Rupture"  and  "Hellion".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKQBzww50nU&feature=em-upload_owner

Effess/Chiatro/2017 EP Review

  Effess  are  a  band from  Italy  that  plays  a  very cold  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Chiatro".

  A  very  fast,  raw  and  old  school  black  metal  style  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  before  adding  in  grim  screams  and  melodic  riffing  and  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's second  wave  style  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  an d  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  they  also  do  there  own  cover  of  Moonspell's  Alma  Matter  while  changing  the  lyrics  to  Italian  while  also  keeping  the  clean  vocals  and  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  folk  instruments  and  acoustic  guitars  are  used  briefly  on  the  closing  track.

  Effess  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  in  the  90's  tradition,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  emptiness  and  ruins  in  everyday  life,  the  void  of  the  human  condition,  the  wrongdoings  of  the  church  and  the  local  rituals  and traditions  of  Italian  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  Effess  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  old  school  style  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tutto  Quanda"  and  "Chiatro".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://effess.bandcamp.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/effess666/

Metal Archives: http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Effess/3540425927

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-407388055

   

Unholy Baptism/On The Precipice Of The Ancient Abyss/2017 Full Length Review

  Unholy  Baptism  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  a  very  diverse  and  satanic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "On  The  Precipice  Of  The  Ancient  Abyss".

  Wind  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  the  slower  riffing  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  90's  second  wave Norwegian  influences  in  the  songs  while  still  also  having  some  more  modern  ambient  black  metal  elements  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  depressive  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them.

  Unholy  Baptism  plays  a  style  of  satanic  black  metal  that  is  very  diverse  taking  the  raw  and  old  school  style  and  mixing  it  in  with  traces  of  the  more  ambient  and  depressive  side  of  the  genre  as  well  as  adding  in a   touch  of  doom  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while the  lyrics  cover  Theistic  Satanism,  Occultism,  Medieval,  H.P  Lovecraft,  Death  and  Depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unholy  Baptism  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  diverse  satanic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bitter  Winds(So  Cold)"  "Staring  In  The  Black"  "For  The  Glory  Of  Satan"  and  "Upon  The  Shadow  Throne".  8/5  out  of  10.   

https://unholybaptism.bandcamp.com/releases  

Atrexial Interview

 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Atrexial is a band formed by experienced musicians in the Spanish and Catalonian Black and Death metal scene. Atrexial was born as a solo Project by Naga S. Maelström, but over time he found great musicians interested on being part of the Project such as Louen (Nyctophobia) on vocals and Labelua (ex - Abrahel) on drums. Once gathered, the songs were recorded, mixed and mastered, so the next step was to make it official and elevate the project to a new level, so Atrexial is now a band ready for taking over the stages.

2.Recently you have released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
The first words that come to our minds are “organic, elegant and atmospheric”. We’ve tried to shape the darkest desires of the human condition exploring them with subtlety and from a more primitive perspective. The goal was to merge Death Metal’s belligerence and darkness rawness and also adding razorblade melodies. The combination of all these agents enables an analytic exploration allowing the listener to embrace a deeper message instead of the typical uncontrolled fury that this genre proposes.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
The lyrics are focused on inquiring into the most primitive and philosophical meaning of three of the greatest concepts or phases of the human mind. We did not just want to remain on the surface or the material world but our aim was to reach the intangible phase where instinct is born. These concepts are sorted by antiquity: fear and submission, ambition and desire for power, solitude and existence. These are the notions Souverain explores.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Atrexial'?
Atrexial is just a name for an entity intended to be a spiritual tool for those who prefer to deepen into the void between existence and transcendence. Atrexial has no other meaning than that, and that’s how it works since mankind needs words to identify ideas and create abstract concepts.

5.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 not played live so far. The line-up has recently been completed. IF everything keeps working like it should, then we will play live from September on. We are preparing all details regarding the live shows and we can only anticipate that the experience will generate a surrounding and menacing atmosphere. We don’t play music to be relying on an extremely visual concept because visuals must be a complement and not a smokescreen. We don’t operate with occult, bloody, or bizarre stuff. We just want the smartness of Souverain to be appreciated.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We have received some very interesting offers from both national and international agencies. Our aim is to focus on our country first before crossing borders. We are about to announce a Spanish tour, some national and international festivals, and some huge gigs with legendary bands. All details will be announced on our social networks.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
This extreme metal underground world is on constant motion. Day after day new bands emerge and there is a huge offer and so little time to dedicate to listening to so many bands. Some of them are extremely good. If we assimilate that, we must say we are pretty satisfied with how well the album is being sold on digital download, and on how many pre-orders we have received for the physical edition of the album. All specialized media that has dedicated a review to Souverain has rated it on very high results. Maybe “competition” is not the proper word, but “survival” is more suitable and we got the attention of many people and that means we are doing a great job.

8.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?
Louen has been vocalist and guitarist for Nyctophobia, a black metal band from Barcelona since 2005 which is on standby mode. He is also working on many other projects soon to be announced, and a solo project of Doom.
Labelua is part of another band; a Death Metal project called Apostles of Perversion, from the Canary Islands, Spain.
And Naga S. Maelström is also part of Human Carnage, a Tech-Death metal band from Barcelona, and also Cauldron, a well known Black Metal band in Spain with more than 20 years of existence.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We expect to band to keep growing. We will spread our music everywhere we will choose to go. It is not easy to be part of the underground world of extreme music but we have a powerful tool and a message to spread. Atrexial is not a self-limited band.

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?
We are part of a vast musical field, and that grants us freedom to go wherever we want to while songwriting. Our message is better understood if we assimilate the concept of Black metal and Death Metal, specially Polish Blackened Death metal, and bands like Mgla, Behemoth, Vader, Behexen, Sargeist, Dark Funeral have been part of our past and present. It is undeniable that we have these kind of roots, but we have also added some personal nuances.

12.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
Human being has always inherited fear and curiosity, and tried to search for an explanation to all things including dark matters. Consciousness is the basis of the being and gives a meaning to everything around. We see occultism as a philosophical current that tries to decipher and bring the unknown to words. Occultism has already been seen as a counterpoint to all religions with the difference that it is considered a science and a gateway to the spiritual side of the individual. We stick to the most individual point of view. There’s something that cannot be stolen, manipulated or destroyed and it is self consciousness. Without that, there is not being and without being there is no collective. So, all symbols and manifestations are a product of the individual.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Irrelevant. Atrexial is an entity that spreads a message through music frequencies and all information outside this context and margins, is not important.

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

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Spiritwood/Daemonia/Barbatos Productions/2017 Cassette Review

 Finland's  Spiritwood  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  also  continues  the  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review of  his  2017  cassette  "Daemonia"  which  was  released  by  Barbatos  Productions.

  Sci fi  and  ambient  style  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  and  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  atmospheric  and  ambient  elements  also  mix  into  the  heavier  side  of  the  songs  while  a   great  portion  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are d one  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  the  synths  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  also  mixing  in  a  very  lo  fi  atmosphere  along  with  a  small  amount  of  avant  garde  elements  and  the  music  usually  sticks  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Spiritwood  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  and  ambient  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Spiritwood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  ambient  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Daemones"  "As  I  Reach  The  Grey  Silence"  and  "Decadent  Twisted  Mirage".  8  out  of  10. 

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