Sunday, February 2, 2025

The Machinist/Contempt For Life/Invima Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  The  Machinist  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their    2025  album  "Contempt  For  Life"  which  was  released  by  Invima  Records.


  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  album  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  drum beats  are  also  programmed.


  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilzied  they  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  while  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  Elements  of  industrial  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  keyboards  and  clean  playing.


   The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  as  well  as  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  at  times,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  misanthropic  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Machinist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  industrial  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Contempt  For  Life"  "Gog"  and  "Cracks".  8  out  of  10.


   https://themachinistuk.wixsite.com/themachinistuk

https://youtu.be/LCeBcOiayeU

  

Death Descending/Self Titled/WomHoleDeath Records/2024 EP Review

 


  Death  Descending  are  a  solo  project  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  death  and  post  metal  with  a  touch  of  slam  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  2024  ep  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.


  A  very  heavy,  brutal  and  slamming  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  some  atmospheric  soundscapes  also  being  utilized  briefly.


  War  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  some  brutal  blast  beats.  Some  of  the  recording  also  captures  the  modern  atmosphere  of  post  metal  and  most  of  the  ep  also  sticks  to  a  more  mid  tempo  direction,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks.


  Death  Descending  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  and  post  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  darkness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Death  Descending  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  death  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  Descending"  and  "Where  No  Light  Fades".  8  out  of  10.


  www.facebook.com/deathdescending

www.instagram.com/death_descending
x.com/deathdescending

Aoidos/Oizys/Nox Liberato Records/2024 Full Length Review

 


  Aoidos  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Oizys"  which  was  released  by  Nox  Liberato  Records.


  Clean  playing  and  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  groove  metal.


  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style


 Clear  vocals  are  also  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  a  few  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  Some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  touches  of  punk  and  thrash  metal  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mental  health  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Aoidos  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thrall"  "Trauma"  "From  the  Surface  Grate"  and  All!  Whatever!  Always!".  8 out  of  10.

https://aoidos.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/artist/4YLJbKYp1kvM7LDA0gvqsF
https://www.youtube.com/@aoidosband
https://instagram.com/aoidosband
https://www.facebook.com/aoidosband
https://x.com/aoidosband
https://www.threads.net/@aoidosband
https://tiktok.com/@aoidosband


  

  

   

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Sepulchral Curse/Crimson Moon Evocations/Dark Descent Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


   Finland's  Sepulchral  Curse  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Crimson  Moon  Evocations"  which  will  be  released  on  February  28th  by  Dark  Descent  Records.


  A  very  aggressive  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time.


  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Elements  of  black  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  some  high  pitched  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  On  this  recording  Sepulchral  Curse  goes  for  a  very  dark,  heavy,  aggressive  and  brutal  style  of  blackened  death  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Mysticism,  Spirituality  and  Dark  Fantasy  themes.  


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Sepulchral  Curse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wildfires"  "Beneath  The  Dismal  Tides"  and  "Crimson  passage".  8  out  of  10.


  https://music.apple.com/cr/artist/sepulchral-curse/1193302325

https://www.facebook.com/SepulchralCurse

https://www.instagram.com/sepulchralcurse/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1BErAfRIE2RyEfcgiUdLmw?si=M5uWjagZQwydQ70ahKuWug&nd=1&dlsi=c661e77ad2e14855

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgJY8ftwT_bUY05rxz4xC3Q

Shrine Of Denial/I, Moloch/Transcending Obscurity Records/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Shrine  Of  Denial  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "I,  Moloch"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  yet  chaotic  style  and  elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  brutal  sounding  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  apocalyptic  samples  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.


  Shrine  Of  Denial  plays  a  form  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  fast,  brutal,  modern  and  aggressive  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism  and  darkness  themes.


  In  my  opinion  Shrine  Of  Denial  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "Climbing  Through  Nothingness"  "I,  Moloch"  and  "Temple  Of  The  Corpse  misuser".  8  out  of  10.


  Official Video Stream #1


Official Video Stream #2

Shrine Of Denial Bandcamp

Deadspawn/Bile Of The Gods/2025 Full Length Review

 


  Deadspawn  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Bile  of  The  Gods".


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  mixes  in  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  melodies  also  being  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  at  times.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  heavier  direction,  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental.


  On  this  recording  Deadspawn  remain  true  to  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  fantasy  and  horror  themes.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deadspawn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unsleep"  "Eminence  Upon  The  Throne"  and  "Bile  of  The  Gods".  8  out  of  10.


  https://www.facebook.com/DeadspawnOfficial/

https://youtu.be/h-9UU-fwwnE  


    

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Ponte del Diavolo Interview

 


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band these days? 

KRATOM: Hi! 2025 will be a pretty busy year for the band. We will play some of the major Europe festivals and we'll be hitting the studio soon to record our second LP 


2.So far yo have released 3 ep's and one full length, musically how do they all differ from each other?

 ABRO: The first three EPs are more raw and direct production wise. With "Fire blades from the tomb" we wanted to focus more on the arrangements and sounds and we experimented as well with including different instruments such as synths, theremin and clarinet 


3.The band also incorporates the use of 2 bass guitars, can you tell us a little bit more about going for a double bass instead of the 2 six string guitar concept based most bands go for? 

ABRO: It's a matter of sound. We love low frequencies and having 2 basses gives us a different way to approach the songs. Of course equalizing the sounds was a challenge and I think you will hear more of it in the next album. Sometimes one bass is more like a guitar and sometimes we like to go in unison to destroy everything in our range.


 4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years? 

ERBA DEL DIAVOLO: All our songs talk about the relationship that human beings have with nature, with the universe, with its most hidden part. They speak of courage in probing the invisible and of love for dissidence. I couldn't tell you how our way of composing has changed over the years, it's a natural alchemy. We seek enjoyment in writing. It is the most direct way to communicate on another level, more real and profound.


 5.I know that the band's name means 'Devil's Bridge' in Italian, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

 KRATOM: The "Ponte del Diavolo" is an actual place in Italy that is connected with a folklore story connected with the Devil. I think it fits perfectly the musical style of the band since it's a bridge that connects different musical genres, but all tied to the Devil's spark. 


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

 ABRO: The artwork is very minimal. We chose a very direct approach to convey the record title. 


7.Recently you have released all 3 of your ep's all on one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the decision behind releasing a compilation? 

KRATOM: The original EP's were printed by independent small labels and got sold out pretty quickly. We saw some of our items sold on discogs at incredibly high prices, so we thought it was a good idea to reprint all the songs with a new mix and master and give the possibility to have them all on a physical support with an affordable price. 


8.Out of all the shows the band has played so far, which one stands out the most? 

ABRO: Personally I would say our show at the 2024 edition of the Soulcrusher festival in Holland. KRATOM: agree, Soulcrusher has been wild and wonderful. 


9.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2025?

 Absolutely. As said above, 2025 will be a pretty busy year. Here are the next shows planned: ● 18/04 INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL NORWAY- Oslo (NO) ● 20/04 Roadburn Festival- Tilburg (NL) ● 24/05 Sonic Rites Events- Helsinki (FI) ● 14/06 Teifljågd Open Air - Burg Piberstein (AT) ● 20/06 Kilkim Žaibu festival- Ukmerge (LT) ● 26-27/09 Metal Gates Festival- Bucharest (RO) 


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

 ABRO: I would say that the reaction has been very positive. The people are intrigued by our non conventional sound. 


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

ABRO: Only time will tell. 


12.In one interview you also mentioned an interest in the writings of Aliester Crowley and Esoteric topics, can you tell us a little bit more about this interest?

 KRATOM: Everyone in the band has its own take on spirituality so I can't really give a straight unique answer for everybody. We don't address any specific current explicitly in our lyrics, but if you read them carefully I think you'll find some hints 1


3.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

 ABRO: lately I've been listening to: the kilimanjaro dark jazz ensemble, thin lizzy, the cure, the latest paysage d'hiver and spectral wound KRATOM: the latest Spectral Wound for sure is a banger. Lately I listened a lot also to With The Dead, Feral Forms and Skinny Puppy.


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

 KRATOM: thanks for your time and hope to see you on the road


https://www.facebook.com/PontedelDiavolo/

https://www.instagram.com/Pontedeldiavoloband