Deviate Damaen/In Sanctitate, Beningitatis Non Miseretur/Masked Dead Records/Vomit Arcanus Productions/2019 CD Review

  Deviate  Damaen  are  a  band  from  Italy  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  avant  garde,  goth,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "In  Sanctitate,  Beningitatis  Non  Miseretur"  which  will be  released  in  October  as  a  joint  effort  between  Masked  Dead  Records  and  Vomit  Arcanus  Productions.

  Field  recordings  and  bells  start  off  the  album  while spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Church  music  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  keyboards  also  bring  in  the  atmosphere  of  a  gothic  horror  movie  soundtrack  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Melodic  goth  style  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  in  the  slower  and  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  Operatic  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard briefly  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  demonic  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Italian  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deviate  Damaen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  experimental,  goth,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "L’Angelo  Preferito,  Il  Primo  Insorto,  Il Più  Dannato"  "Santo  Frà  Diavolo,  Spara  Per  Noi!"  " Font  Near  The  Ossuary"  and  "L’Urlo Del  Cappuccino".  8 out  of  10.

https://maskedeadrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-sanctitate-benignitatis-non-miseretur

https://youtu.be/O4MkxdbSntg

Vaultwraith/Light The Candle In Honour Of Devils/Hells Headbangers/2019 CD Review

  Vaultwraith  are  a  band  from  Springfield,  Missouri  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Light  The  Candle  In  Honour  Of  Devils"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Demonic  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  80's  and  90's  influences  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  tradition  as  well  as  also  having  their  melodic  moments.  Horror  movie  inspired  keyboards  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music   while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

   Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  speed,  thrash  and  traditional  metal  influences  at  times  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  murder,  warlocks,  witch-burning's, cursed  nuns  and  occult  burials.

  In  my  opinion  Vaultwraith  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Accused  Sorceress"  "The  Divien  Butcheress"  "All  The  Black  Arts  At  Her  Command"  and  "Nachtober  Necromancy".  8/5  out  of  10.

http://vaultwraith-us.bandcamp.com/album/light-the-candle-in-honour-of-devils      

Sidus Atrum/Cold Silence/Loneravn Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Sidus  Atrum  is  a  solo  project  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  her  2019  album  "Cold  Silence"  which  was  released  by  Lonravn  Records.

  Field  recordings  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music. Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  melody.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track. 

  Sidus  Atrum  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  90's  era  of  atmospheric  blackened  doom/death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sidus  Atrum  is  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Into  The  Depth"  and  "Integrity".  8  out  of  10.

bandcamp  |  facebook 

Apokalyptic Raids/The Pentagram/Hells Headbangers/2019 CD Review

  Apokalyptic  Raids  are  a  band  from  Brazil that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Pentagram"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  Hellhammer/Celtic  Frost  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  done  mostly  in  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era.

  When  guitar solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  extreme  metal  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal,  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  closing  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  which  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Apokalyptic  Raids  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Luciferian,  Occultism  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apokalyptic  Raids  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necromaniac  (Is  Back)"  "The  Ghost  Of  The  Hammer"  "Letter  From  Lucifer"  and  "The  Story  Of  Pope  Jaon".  8  out  of  10.

http://apokalyptic-raids.bandcamp.com/album/the-pentagram    

Slutvomit/Copulation Of Cloven Hooves/Invictus Productions/2019 CD Review

  Slutvomit  are  a  band  from  Seattle,  Washington  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Copulation  Of  Cloven  Hooves"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Invictus  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  chaotic  and  old  school  extreme  metal  style  and  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  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  thrash  and  first  wave  black  emtal.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  with  a  more  modern  day  aggression  and  all  of t he  music  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  style.

  Slutvomit  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  and  90's  era  of  black, death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Evil,  Death,  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Slutvomit  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Command  For  Triumph/Genocide  Lust"  "Baphomet's  Call"  "Total  Possession"  and  "Acolyte  Of  Death's  Destruction".  8/5  out  0f  10.

http://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/copulation-of-cloven-hooves   

Toxic Holocaust/Primal Future: 2019/eOne/2019 Full Length Review

  Portland,  Oregon's  Toxic  Holocaust  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Primal  Future:  2019"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  eOne.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  speed  metal  elements.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  along  with  some  back  up  shouts  also  bring  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music and  they  also  make  an  80's  style  sound  more  modern.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  and  old  school  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them.  Elements  of  crust  punk  and  crossover  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times.

  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  when  synths  are utilized  they  capture    the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  soundtrack  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  as  the  album  progresses.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  death  and  murder  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Toxic  Holocaust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  out  The  Code"  "Time's  Edge"  "Controlled  By  Fear"  and  "Cybernetic  War".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/ToxicHolocaust
http://twitter.com/toxicholocaust
http://www.instagram.com/toxicholocaust_official 

      

Black Shroud Interview

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

We are a blue collar black metal band from northwest ohio. We stray away from the traditional black metal tropes. No corpse paint or satanic themes/imagery. We are not trying to copy what the boys across the pond are doing.

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

We went for a style we like to call USBM (United states black metal). We went for a very dark and dissonant sound. Each song was done very deliberately. We have been playing together for a long time and know each others strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the writing process, which helps alot. We took our time and tried alot of different things on each song. We wanted to create a sound that held true to our upbringings, yet still payed homage to the music that influenced us. We dont pretend to be anything we are not. We are a bunch of guys who grew up around corn fields and woods.

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

This is a concept album which centers around different burial rituals from around the world. It was a topic that we all thought was very interesting and definitely goes very well with the music we are playing.

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

In all honesty there wasnt much meaning or inspiration behind it. We brainstormed some names and that was the one we all agreed on.

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

The artwork was done by somluck art (https://www.facebook.com/Somluck-Art-1000584529966558/) from Bangkok, Thailand. He also did our logo for us. In our opinion he did an amazing job! We basically gave him a general idea of what we wanted and left the rest in his hands and couldn't of been happier with the results. We currently plan on using him for any artwork we need in the future. We were introduced to him through Todwanderer design from Poland and we were introduced to Todwanderer by Daniel collabolletta "Troll" drummer from many projects in southern Ohio.

6.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 a few shows so far, so I cant really say one was better than the other. As far as our stage show goes we pretty much let our music do the talking for us. We are very straight forward, no glits and glamour.

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

Nothing planned at the moment, we are currently working on our sophomore release.

8.The new album was released on 'War Productions', how did you get in contact with this label?

We sent our album to War Productions and they really dug our sound and wanted to give the album a much needed European release. We are very great full they did. We've had numerous album reviews and new fans since the release.


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

We have gotten a lot of good reviews and are very blessed for that. People seem to be understanding what we were trying to do, which is always a great feeling. The European release just happened this last month, so far we have gotten a good reaction, but is still to early to say to much about the European market.

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

We are working on our sophomore release. We don't plan to venture to from from our initial sound, but are working very hard at making ourselves and our songs the best they can be. It will definitely be a little different, but will stay true to our sound.

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?

Our influences are pretty similar between the members of the band. Immortal was definitely a major influence for all of us. Dissection, Dawn, Dark Funeral, Mayhem, Godseed, Gorgoroth, Taake, and Burzum are a few that definitely stick out, but they're a lot more.

I cant speak for the rest of the band. I am currently listening to Abbath, Anaal Nathrahk, Rivers Of Nihil, Skeletonwitch, Dark Funeral and am very excited for the new Mayhem album.

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


We'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to give Death Culture a spin and to everyone who has wrote reviews and spread the word. We'd also like to thank War Productions for the opportunity and the release. It's greatly appreciated. Keep a lookout for a sophomore release in the future.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify