Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Wraith Interview


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

 We have been gearing up for the release. When you put music out yourself you are responsible for the whole process so that has been keeping us plenty busy! In addition, we have a couple shows lined up in August. One is with a band called Solicitor and the other is with BAT.



2.You have a new album coming out in August, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

 I think it is the next step in the evolution of Wraith. Just like the step between the S/T release and Heed.




3.You refer to your music as being 'NWI Blackened Thrash Metal, can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

 Well, NWI refers to the area in which we are from (Northwest Indiana). The Blackened Thrash Metal part I think is pretty self-explanatory if you listen to the music! We all like the no frills, straight to the point, evil sounding thrash metal.



4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with the new album?

 On this record I talk a lot about religion, war, death, life, and the all the evil you can handle.



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

 Wraith is another word for a reaper, ghost or evil spirit. I thought it had a nice ring to it so it stuck!



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

 I feel like we always kind of take a chance with our artwork. For this record we all saw that cover and felt like it was a perfect representation of the music we were writing. It was inspired by an illustration used for a movie poster for the film Drag Me to Hell.



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

 One show that comes to mind right away was at a place called the Blood Bowl in Minneapolis. It was an indoor skatepark that was ran by a group of local dudes. They were all super cool, and the show/party kicked ass. We also played a Halloween show last year that was absolutely nuts. Our sets are usually short, but they pack a massive punch. Because the songs are on the shorter side we tend to power through once we start.



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

 No tour is planned at the moment, but that is definitely something we are looking forward to doing. We will be playing two shows at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago on the 6th and 16th of August.



9.On the album you also done a Misfits cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?

 We are all big Misfits fans, and it is always cool to have the opportunity to put your own spin on one of your favorite songs. We did the same thing with a Motorhead song for our first release.



10.The new album is going to be self-released, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Yeah definitely! In this instance, we reached out to a few labels, but since we weren’t getting much in terms of a response, we decided that we would just do it ourselves so we could get it out there. We are hoping that the right person finds it!



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

 People seem to really like it! I hope that we can continue to grow, and keep making the music we love. To us, the fans are the most important thing. All of us are fans of music in a huge way so we know what it’s like.



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

 Hard to say right now since we haven’t started writing any music. We have been really focused on getting Absolute Power finished up. I think we have a couple ideas floating around though…



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

 Well, I think a lot of the classics influence us. We listen to a lot of 80’s metal and punk rock, but there are a lot of really good new bands too! Midnight, Toxic Holocaust, Power Trip, BAT just to name a few.



14.What are some of your nonmusical interests?

 I think all of us are into a variety of things. Whether its video games, movies, sports, skateboarding, motorcycles, cars, spending time with friends/family we always find a way to occupy our time.



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

 We just want to thank you and anyone else that takes the time to support us! We hope everyone enjoys Absolute Power, and we are stoked to get back to work on the next one.



www.wraith219.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/wraiththrash

Monday, July 29, 2019

Wraith/Absolute Power/2019 CD Review


  Wraith  are  a  band  from  Indiana  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk and  this  is  a  review  of their  self  released  2019  album "Absolute  Power"  which  will  be  released  in  August.

  A  speed  metal  influenced  sound  starts off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  At  times  the  music  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  old  school  style  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  without  sounding  outdated  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  aprts  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Misfits's  "Death  Comes  Ripping".

  Wraith plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  satanism,  anti  religion,  war,  violence  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Warith  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash  ,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Devil's  Hour"  "The  Curse"  ""At  the  Stake"  and  "Absolute  Power".  8  out  of  10.

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Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Gor Morgul/Elohim/Satanath Records/Death Portal Studio/2019 CD Review


  Gor  Morgul  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Elohim"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Death  Portal  Studio.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls.  At  times  the  riffs  also  get  very  melodic  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  black  metal  elements. When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  chaotic  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  a  few  tracks  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  but  keeping  the  focus  more  on  a  heavier  and  brutal  style.

  On  this  recording  Gor  Morgul  remains  true  to  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  was  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gor  Morgul  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Elohim"  "Rising  the  War  For  Ashtoreth"  and  "Lamastu".  8  out  of  10.   

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Sunday, July 21, 2019

Altarmess/Self Titled/2019 Demo Track Review


  Altarmess  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  self  titled  and  self  released  2019  demo  track.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  track  along  with  some  high  pitched  black  emtal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during t he  faster  sections  of  the  song  along  with t he  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  80's  thrash,  first  wave  and  90's  second  wave  influences  as  well  as  adding  some  death  metal  growls  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  the  song  also  adds  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Altarness  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  and  90's  era  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  modern  heaviness.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Altarmess  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.


Thursday, July 18, 2019

Unburnt/Arcane Evolution/2019 EP Review


  Unburnt  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  plays  a  blackened  from  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "Arcane  Evolution"  which  will  be  released  in  August.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  style  tremolo  picking,  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  grim  screams  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  modern  influences  but  also  adding  in  an  old  school  vibe  at  times.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  brutality  as  well  as  having  its  technical  moments  and  on  the  closing  track  a  brief  use  of  slam  elements  and  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard.

  Unburnt  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  knowledge,  technological  change  and  spirituality  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unburnt  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Superiority  In  Wisdom"  and  "Arcane  Evolution".  8  out  of  10.

www.unburntmetal.com
https://unburntmetal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/unburntmetal
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkPmWbNB1CHf9tC5dKyIjxg    

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Abominism Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
     Firstly, I wanted to say thank you for the interview. As far as Abominism goes, we really aren't a band but more of a project at this point. I actually started this project because I was a little burnt out on being in a band and some of the lows that go along with it. My previous band was an awesome bunch of guys, and we're still friends to this day, but I think the fun for me had run it's course for me. So I decided that I wanted to focus more on just writing and creating music. And with that, I also had some concepts that I wanted to explore in their totality without expecting other members to be ok just playing what I wrote. My previous band was a collective environment where we all had equal input. So it would not have been fair for me to expect that. So I started Abominism to scratch my own musical itch. That being said, I can't do vocals to save my life so I approached John Dunn who plays in an amazing band in or area called "Dark Waters End". John, to my relief was immediately 100% into what I had in mind. And so, here we are.

2.In March you had released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
    I didn't start out with many limitations on what I wanted the end result to be stylistically. My goal was simply to end up with something heavy, moody and that accurately expressed my inner existential discontent with certain aspects of life. What I feel we ended up with is just that. Musically though, I guess it's a combination of death metal, doom, technical death metal and black metal in varying degrees all rolled together. I try not to be much of a stickler for what is or isn't "acceptable" within any of the sub genres. When you pull back and really look at extreme metal as a whole, there are common themes and aesthetics that run through most of the sub genres. So I tried to tie it all together and reinterpret my favorite aspects of many of the sub genres. It's nice to hear other people's interpretations of our sound though. Everyone hears things differently so it's cool to get other perspectives.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?
    Ah yes, the lyrics. It was extremely important for me to stay away from some of the more overdone lyrical topics. No gore, no Satan, no politics, no violence against women. None of those things interest me in the least (especially the last one, for fucks sake). I feel as though, sometimes death metal and black metal lyrics hide behind those things. Or more specifically, some of the artists tend to. It's completely safe at this point to talk about those things and get by with that without ever having to open up and put yourself out there. And yes it's all very edgy and brutal... but I'm not a young man. I don't have a young man's concerns. I'm not concerned with impressing anyone with how offensive I can be just to troll people. It's masturbatory at this point. I didn't want that. I wanted to give an honest assessment about how I feel about our world, such as it is. This is 100% about my own discontent and disappointment with our world. Our "society." There is a thread of nihilism throughout but I will admit it is a bit contradictory. On one hand, I feel that the only real cure for our ills at this point would be an asteroid. On the other, I want my daughter to see all the beauty that this world has to offer. To be able to genuinely enjoy just existing. It's something that I have to lie to myself about to reconcile those two things and focus less on my dissatisfaction with the world and focus on raising a healthy, well adjusted young woman. So, working these ideas out musically definitely helps in that regard. The only song on the album that deals with a more personal topic is the opening track "Burn Them Slowly". I won't go into details about that one. I had entirely different lyrics worked out that just didn't seem to lock in. Once I gave up on the original lyrics, I tried a different approach and what we have is what we have. So, I'm ok with it.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Abominsim'?
     I'll try to keep this one brief because I could go on forever about it. hahah! but, Abominism is essentially the idea that the true face of humanity is in our deeds. We claim to want peace. We claim to want sustainability but our deeds show this to not be the case. And Abominism (Abominable + Organism) is my feeble attempt to examine this dissonance. I think the name best describes how I see us all collectively.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
     I really love how the artwork came out. It was done by Mosaeye art and design. Fantastic artist from Russia. I gave him probably the most frustratingly vague description of what I was looking for and he came up with something really awesome. It's really just a "Physical" manifestation of what I was describing in terms of our lyrical content. Also, I saw a comment somewhere that also said that it looks a bit like an ultrasound. Which I really didn't notice until I read the comment. Now I can't not see it. hahah!!

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
     My original idea was to get several vocalists and musicians involved. But once John got on board and I was able to hear how dynamic he was with his inflections and just overall power, I felt like I would be doing the project a disservice by not having him be THE voice of the album. He did an amazing job and it wouldn't have been even close to what it is without him. Plus he's super laid back and easy to work with. Also, Ian, another friend of our who also happens to be in Dark Waters End with John, was the audio engineer. And I've worked with Ian in the past. The three of us working together just felt right and I'm a big fan of going with what feels right. That being said, I would be open to involving others but only if it feels natural. That's essential. So, who knows?

7.Has the band done any live shows or open to the idea?
     I'm always open to the idea of performing live with the project. But right now, I'm very happy with it such as it is. I'm not really a performer.... I enjoy it but it's not my main drive. The writing and recording and being able to express some of my less palatable ideas this way is what really motivates me. But hell, who knows? Never says never, right?

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
     Amazing! I am completely humbled and shocked by how great the reception has been to the album. I honestly would have been satisfied with this just circulating among my friends and peers but I have gotten some great reviews and feedback from people from all around the world. Some of which has come from people I really admire in the scene. So anything more from this point is just a bonus. The album has already exceeded my expectations so I'm just really appreciative of all the love and support that we received and continue to receive. I can't thank everyone enough for all the love and kind words.

9.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?
     DARK WATERS END!!! I love those guys! As I mentioned earlier, Both John and Ian are members of that band. They are definitely more than worth checking out. One of the best and tightest bands in our local scene and beyond. Every member of that band is a fucking weapon! As for myself, I have some plans for more Abominism releases. I've actually started writing some new material. I'm also in the planning stages with a good buddy of mine from across the pond on a project we've been talking about for a while but that's all I can say about that at the moment.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
     That's a great question. I have no idea. HAHAH! I always want the next thing I do to be heavier and more impact-full than the last. And more importantly I want it to mean something to me. Where that will take the project is a mystery. I definitely want to focus a bit more on crafting atmosphere in unconventional ways. I also don't want to lean to heavily on what I may have done with the current album. That would just be lazy and not very exciting for me. So we shall see. But whatever you hear from Abominism, expect it to be honest. That's the only promise I can make. 

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?
     Some of my biggest influences... wow, where to begin? the band Death! As I said before, honesty in music is big with me and Chuck was probably one of the most honest death metal lyricists ever in my opinion. So his influence over my approach to lyrics can't be overstated. Musically I would say, Immolation, Nile, Gorguts, early Cryptopsy, Behemoth, Emperor, Bloodbath, Abyssal, Portal, Ulcerate, Nightbringer... so many more. I love discovering new bands the most though. Some of the newer things I've been listening to are The Wolf Garden Which is a phenomenal atmospheric black metal band from the UK. Vilest Breed, Mourning by Morning, Engulf, Abyssal, Pissgrave, Primitive Man, Construct of Lethe, Malignant Altar, Thantifaxath, Carach Angren, Infernal Coil, Blood Incantation, Acathexis.... I could on and on but I'll spare you.   

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
     Honestly, I'm just enjoying the hell out of being a dad and a husband and everything that goes with it. That's where the majority of my interests are. I love my family. Pretty much every other interest in my life is somehow connected to music. Oh, and craft beer! Shout out to Neshaminy Creek Brewing.   

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
     Nice, thirteen questions! How appropriate. Well, once again I want to thank you for taking the time to interview me. And I want to thank everyone who has purchased or will purchase the album or has or will download for free. Everyone who has supported any of my musical efforts. I also want to mention that we will be releasing a CD version of the album via Black Market Metal Label on July 26th. I will also have limited copies. Feel free to reach me on our Facebook page for more info or just to say what's up. Thanks again everyone.

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Sunday, July 14, 2019

Black Shroud/Death Culture/War Productions/2019 CD Review


  Black Shroud  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Death  Culture"  which  was  released  by  War  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  stars  off  the  album  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  presented  on  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  cavernous  sounding  death  metal  growls.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  showing  an  influence  of  doom  metal.  A  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  The  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  can  be  heard  along  with  the  music  always  sticking  to  a  more  brutal  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  various  burial  rituals  around  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Shroud  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tower  Of  Silence'  and  "Inhumation".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMhDeTtaycs

Friday, July 12, 2019

Abominism/Self Titled/Black Market Metal Label/2019 CD Review


  Abominism  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  blackened  from  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2019  album  which  will  be  released  on  July  26th  by  Black  Market  Metal  Label.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  dissonant  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  yet  cavernous  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  music.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard.

  Abominism  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  dissonant  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent,  apocalyptic  and  anti  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Abominism  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burn  Them  Slowly"  and  "Seed  of  Intangible  Dwelling".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/CojmZWfTyAE   

    

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Aufbruch Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.      Hello! First of all, we (both personally and as a band) would like to thank you for having published the album review time ago and for giving us more presence again with this interview!

Well, as a band we’re born by the end of 2013. Back then I already had a lot of the material that eventually ended up being in Blasting The Void recorded in my studio, so I decided to call Taccio  to let him hear it and ask him if he would’ve liked to be part of the band. After his approval we began looking for other members: M° joined us basically straightaway and, after having tried a few drummers, LKT jumped on board too. I’d say that everyone in the band is a founding member. We get along really well and each one of us has got a particular feature that complements the others’ lackings.

We all come from different backgrounds and experiences in other bands, since we’ve been around since more than twenty years now… some of us have an hardcore background, like Taccio with The Nerds Rock Inferno, some were in thrash environments like M° and his old band Flytrap. LKT is the youngest member but he’s already been involved in various projects with different bands and genres, like in grind with the newborn but very good Abbinormal or his trademark beast: Splattergoat. Lastly, there’s myself… I’ve got a strong doom background because of the band Malasangre, but I’ve also played more experimental stuff like in Viscera/// and rawer, faster music in the hardcore punk band Collateral Damage (which is still going)…

Four months have passed from finding the perfect line-up to playing our first actual gig. And here we are by the end of 2014… from here, it’s all been a succession of rehearsals, gigs and recording times!



2.In 2018 you had released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
2.      Regarding our style, our background as a band goes from the death and black metal classics from the late ‘80s up until the mid ‘90s and more contemporary stuff like MGLA, Arkhon Infaustus, Teitanblood, Abyssal and the likes…
This is just a few practical examples to let you understand our influences, but of course the most beautiful thing is to hear our fans’ opinions because they always come up with different influences which you didn’t even think about! But if we’re talking about background and we connect it with the songwriting process, I’m not used to directly replicating styles or thinking of any particular influence. When I sit down and play it’s because the idea has matured already beforehand and this is because I firmly believe that the overall ‘’sound’’ (intended as style/songwriting) isn’t only about musical influences, but mostly the different inputs and perceptions that I’m subject to during every moment of the day. So, instead of musical influences, I’d like to refer to the attempt of recreating an atmosphere, a feeling… a soundtrack that could describe (or match) one particular mood, sensory input and so on.
There are experiences which subconsciously process inside the individual that (if not ignored) inevitably generate some kind of input that, first of all, needs to be assimilated and then trasposed into any kind of output (or ‘’outburst’’ in our case!) that we can choose to be through an instrument, be a painting, written words of any kind or a behaviour…
Here we can divide it further into two types of reaction/influence, like a coin: one is the effect that this outburst will have on the ‘’user’’ and the other side of this is the artist’s perspective. Maybe the artist will never get out of this phase/mood, maybe he will. One thing is for sure: he could (or should) never deny of having been there.
Somehow, this argument leads to all of us being some kind of artists,  because indeed everyone converts experiences from a side of perception to the other, be it on canvas, photos, poems, songs, a pattern of behaviours, etc.
But I’ve just started rambling… hahaha!

3.The band has been around since 2013 but waited until 2018 to release an album, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years?
3.      Well, yes, we took it pretty easy… but in life you don’t need stress!
Anyway, when we started playing live, the writing of a few songs wasn’t completed yet and gigs are always good and fun, because you can keep testing how faithfully you’re able to reproduce your idea of the record in a live situation and that is VERY important for us.
So we did some gigs as benchmarks and we took the chance to have some fun as well…
Afterwards we started the recording process and we completely went DIY in my studio and Taccio’ studio, also because he isn’t just a musician but also a sound engineer with a great background.
On the other hand, the mixing and mastering part was handled by ‘’Christ’’,  another great friend of ours and symbol of the underground, at his Downstairs Studios.
By working this way you have the chance to experiment with many different solutions but at the expense of the actual studio time increasing more and more, as the rising numbers of beers and nights out for dinners were as well! We took our time with ease but eventually we were very satisfied of the work we’ve done, even without getting any liver cirrhosis or whatever! Hahaha!

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
4.      The record deals with one single theme: how humans can become extremely dangerous for themselves and those around them.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aufbruch'?
5.      The term is a word coined in Germany around the first half of the 1920s and it describes german people’s moods back in those days. A vast majority of the germans saw ‘’aufbruch’’ as something that represented a parting from the shattered world of the past, in favour of a future based on new revolutionary concepts and principles of social and cultural nature. From my perspective, you can feel this type of mindset here where I live as well, lately… or at least that’s how I see it.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
6.      Well, I tried using images that would’ve fitted in with the lyrics in the best way possible (or anyway with the album themes) and this has been a result of the sensations and moods that I was going through during that part of the process as well, so that the whole work would’ve been as coherent and consistent as possible. Some are photos I made during trips or visits to places that I hold dear, others are scans taken from books of a ‘’traditional’’ kind, in order to let everything make perfect sense with the rest. It’s almost like saying that we could just try to listen to nature’s lessons and take example and inspiration from that, with the purpose of avoiding trouble and the disgraces we’re forced to assist to daily (by the way, nature tried to teach us these lessons even before we were born).

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
 7.      We usually play in clubs or medium-sized venues. Sometimes in pubs or even in a few peculiar situations, like when we opened for the canadian band AHNA: we played in a quite singular and pleasant garden, surrounded by a few small rivers… I’m sure you already noticed that we’re pretty down to earth and we don’t surround ourselves with nonsense boundaries about ‘’where’’ or ‘’how’’ to play… what really matters is a good vibe, a friendly environment and maybe some good food and drinks! With these premises nothing can go wrong! Hahaha!

On a practical level we don’t rely on any kind of external support… we’ve got the classic banner with the band logo, we’re working on setting up some portable lighting system to bring with us in case the venue hasn’t got enough or hasn’t got them at all (as it happens from time to time, but that’s alright!) and also, I’d like to create some visuals to project during the show, somewhen in the future… but I did it already in other occasions and I know it’s a pretty laborious task so I’m not really sure about whether we’re gonna succeed or not, on that one… so far, we’re just trying to do what we’re capable of delivering to the 110%: taking care of our sound and playing tight and with the right synergy, so that we sound as in your face and as heavy as possible, but keeping a loose attitude nonetheless, to fully enjoy the evening’s mood! This is all it is!



8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
 8.      We’ve got dates until September. I think we’re gonna play a few gigs in Winter as well, possibly some abroad too, for sure, but we also want to sit down for a moment and listen carefully to the new material that we’ve created so far and start working on it more seriously. It’s something that takes a lot of time, patience and inspiration, so you need to relax and find the time to catch the right moment.

9.Currently the band is signed to 'Mourning Light Records', can you tell us a little bit more about the label?

 9.      When I contacted him I found an available and reliable person, but what immediately impressed me has been his professional transparency and honesty.

Jeffrey made us feel at ease from the very beginning, understanding immediately what kind of people he was dealing with and what were we looking for. Since then, he worked with us in perfect synergy, VERY patiently and with strong dedication, succeeding in all the goals we set for the band.

Furthermore, I'm pleased to keep hearing great things said about Mourning Light Records! We're really satisfied and grateful for having been part of his rooster and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank him publicly!

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10.  Well, the audiences’ reactions for this album have been pretty mixed.
We received positive feedback from enthusiasts of all the more or less related genres to what we play and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by that. Also, we’ve noticed that sometimes we’ve been called to play at gigs with bands that played fairly different genres from ours, but I think that it was, indeed, because of this blurred, indefinite character in our music that some organizers thought we could’ve fit in those bills… and so far we did: we’ve been received pretty well from crowds that weren’t really used to these kind of sounds, but they all got into that mood. Everyone, from crowds to organizers and even venues, with which we’re still on good terms. This regards our global hospitality.

Regarding the death/black scene, by the way, I believe that the average listener has got a greatly open mind and often a very wide taste in music, probably thanks to a genuine curiosity and a relentless urge for more music. I also think that death metal fans also listen to black metal and the other way around. In our record, of course, you can definitely hear some old-school black metal kind of sounds (given the average age of the band members), but also an abrasive death metal vibe that can often recall and easily fit in with the evil atmospheres that are more commonly associated with black metal. With the exception of Breeding Pestilence, solos never get too melodic but, even when they could, I feel like they’re trying to hide some kind of anguish, some kind of soreness and that’s probably what made them still enjoyable even to the more extreme-oriented listeners. The whole lot is enriched by some prominent noise influences that further define the record’s vibe, but furtherly blurring the boundaries of the genre. That’s all I have to say. I always found it very hard to properly label or distinguish genres and I don’t even enjoy much doing it. From now on, we can safely say that listening to the record can surely speak to you more than what I’m able to do with my own words. Music is made to be heard, not to be described or catalogued.

11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
11.  When we have time, three of the four of us are also involved in other projects. Taccio have always been a fan of hardcore punk so he plays in a band called Razorboy. LKT is in two other bands: Splattergoat (his sick creation) and the newborn Abbinormal, but we also play together in a hardcore band named Collateral Damage. Apart from that, I wish I could record some doom/noise things that I put together with some old friends and plus… you never know what Malasangre is up to, so that is still open and there might be something boiling. So, basically this is it, but of course it has to fit into the classic 24 hours of the day and that’s why we take all of this really easy and stress-free!



12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
12.  I can barely tell you where we come from! Although the most interesting thing is always to hear that from our listeners… hahaha!
Anyway, for us this is a channel through which we express ourselves and I also think that life is a huge cauldron in which an infinite number of things boil and these things have the power to bring you wherever they want: slumbers, nights awake and ‘’places’’ that you would’ve never expected of experimenting… what’s important is to always react to this stimulus (the inputs I was talking about earlier) and to translate these feelings into something… and to generate a reaction of confrontation, even just with oneself… putting there anything, of any kind, anything that can be ‘’read’’ and interpreted…

13.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?
.  Like I said already, the most relevant influences come from the early years of thrash, death and black metal and also from newer scenes like for example MGLA, Arkhon Infaustus, Teitanblood and the likes. I can tell you for sure that I NEVER pick up the guitar without having a rough idea already, an idea that might have been born during any moment of the day, when I was doing something completely different and, even before that, it surely have grown inside me for days and days… the same happens when I create the synth backgrounds, etc.
I like seeing what I play as the soundtrack that I want to hear in my visions. Everything always comes together in the most natural and spontaneous way, because of that. It comes from an atmosphere or a particular perception that needs a soundtrack and not from a riff that would stay better here or there. I don’t like copy-paste songwriting styles, I’m more fond of smoother situations, overall.
At times I might stay away from the guitar or the synth for long periods of time, because indeed I would’ve had no sensory input and I very likely would play something that leaves me indifferent if I’d try playing a few riffs. It’s a matter of waiting, trusting and listening… who knows for sure?
During the day I’m lucky to be able to listen to musicians that really have got a lot to say, both inside and outside of the metal scene… of course when I see a new release that’s particularly right up my alley (death, doom, black or noise) it gains immediately my attention. Lately I looked at the Mourning Light Records roaster and I have to say there’s a few pretty interesting listens there, as well, like Untamed Land or Hecate. I found them to be really enjoyable.
About the rest of the band, there’s a healthy curiosity and everyone has always got something to recommend… from more ‘’refined’’ death metal to the most brutal stuff in the vein of Obscene Extreme…
We don’t miss anything, then!



14.What are some of your non musical interests?
14.  On a daily basis we do our best to survive with some sports, studying and jobs… nothing fancy, but we’re always busy.

15.Before we wrap up thi interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
15.  I want to thank you for the space you gave us and for the interest and trust that you showed us since the album was reviewed! I hope we’ll keep in touch and talk again soon, maybe about some news regarding AufbrucH! Who knows?

Thanks again and CHEERS to you and all your readers!

O.L.S. and AufbrucH

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Tuesday, July 9, 2019

I, Apokalypse Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
The band has been formed in 2017. When the three of us (Minos, Marthyn, Amarük) decided to start a project based on something we never really did before, but the type of music we were listening the most. The goal of the project was quite simple, to do what everyone like the best, musical style and on the instrument playing as well. Audeath join us later, we did know him for a while and being very active in our local scene, he was the best fit for us.

2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little it more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
Since we create the band we had the vision of the style for the album. We wanted to do black death , very fast and uncompromising. With influences like Behemoth, Blephegor Marduk we were very focus to bring a very violent type of Black death metal

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with your music?
It is mainly focus around the title of the album. We wanted a fit with our musical style as well, so it mainly turns around apocalyptic vision of a future. We also try to bring that kind of sorrowful feeling that comes with all the death and destruction.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'I, Apokalypse'?
The meaning would be for us that the apocalypse would be cause by a simple individual and not necessarily by a series of event. It would be the embodiment of the apocalypse by itself. The though of all the destruction of humanity cause and created by a single individual.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
I would say the cover represent well enough the band name but at a lower scale. An individual torturing and ending a life in front of a desolated landscape, it's all about I Apokalypse. At the same time it fit well with the cover as the individual would also be the destroyer of worlds.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
One of the best would for sure be our first show in our hometown opening for Belphegor. We had an amazing chance to play with these monument of black death metal. As for our stage performance, I would say it's pretty straight forward and very intense. Our main focus is to deliver our music with the most intensity and tightness as possible.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
No tour is plan as of now, as we are kind of very busy with our personal life right now. But we are starting to look what are the possibility for 2020, to support the album as much as possible wherever we can. We are planning to play maybe once or twice in our area for 2019 to ''warm up'' for things to come in 2020.

8.The new album was released on 'PRC Music', can you tell us a little bit more about how you came in contact with this label?
After the release of our single in 2017 and our show with Belphegor, Remi contact us to know if we would be interested to release an album with PRC music. We were surprised and honored at the same time. PRC music is such a great label with an amazing roster, we were more than stocked to work with them.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
We are still a small band , so it is hard to measure the reaction worldwide. We had contact from some individual a little bit in europe and south america and we have awesome comments. So based on that I think it's well received right now. We are pretty confident that this release will give us good exposure worldwide.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
It is hard to have a right answer because what may seems our direction today, may be different in the next months or year. Our vision right now would be to bring maybe some more black metal elements in our music and create songs that are more dark. I think we would like to balance between speed and more mid tempo beat.

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?
For sure the black death metal bands like Behemoth and Belphegor, like I mentioned earlier, are some big influences. But also, a lot of black metal element.  Band like Marduk, Dark Funeral are very influential on us. We all are black metal fans since we were young so it always comeback when we create music like that. Nowadays, I listen a lot of Aborted, Emperor, Darkthone and Decapitated. These bands got a lot of elements that we love in our music

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Well I would say gaming, but beside partying, I would say it's pretty much it. Since forever all we did is music, so as soon as we have free time, it's related to music. With our everyday job and families, we must focus on music as much as possible.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for this interview.  Thanks to everyone who support us. Our album is available on CD via PRC Music ( visit the store, insane roster) and via the band directly. And available on all platform: Bandcamp, Apple Musics, Spotify etc..

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Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Alchemy/Infinite Forms Of Torture/2019 EP Review


  Alchemy  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  brutal  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  ep  "Infinite  Forms  Of  Torture".

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  parts  of  the  music.

  When  screams  are  utilized  they  bring  elements  of  black  metal  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.  A  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  band  musical  style  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  can  also  be  heard.

  Alchemy  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  mid  90's  era  brutal death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  murder  and  torture  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alchemy  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hadethma".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNIZjUCoH4      

Monday, July 1, 2019

Holocausto/Diario de Guerra/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2019 CD Review


  Holocausto  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Diario  de  Guerra"  which  will  be  released  on  July  31st  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  A  war  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  also  remaining  true  to  an  80's  Brazilian  style.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  the  more  extreme  side  of  thrash  metal  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  while  the  music  is  still  heavily  rooted  in  the  past  it  still  remains  as  brutal  as  many  modern  bands.

War  samples  also  return  as  the  album  progresses  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  music  always  sticking  to  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  style.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in   Portuguese  and  cover  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Holocausto  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  old  school  black.  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Holocausto"  "Guerra  Total  Apocalypse"  "Diario   de  Guerra"  and  "Pelotao  da  Morte".  8  out  of  10.

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/di-rio-de-guerra