Sociasylum Interview

 

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

 

Since the release of our latest EP we toured Europe for 3 weeks alongside our Finnish friends, Rats Will Feast, and we had a great time playing in a lot of new places and visiting countries we haven’t been to before.

 

At the same time we haven’t slowed down and have been continuing writing songs for our upcoming LP, so far we have around 12, more or less, ready tracks. We will continue fine-tuning them and maybe will write a few more songs. Currently our aim is to start album pre-production this fall. 

2.In March you had released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Looking back at the EP, it feels like those songs serve as a bridge towards the more complete and better defined album or at least this is what I am telling myself. The EP songs were written mostly more than 2 years ago already with the thought of having more repetitive parts and longer, more thought out song structure. Harmony of Discordance EP songs came out sounding somewhat more metal influenced than our previous stuff, but as I don’t want to write the same album or song twice, each next release will continue the evolution of whatever Sociasylum will end up sounding like.

3.This is also your first release since 2018, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Since the release of our last LP “Crossroads” we were focusing on playing as many shows as possible and did two European tours with different friends from around the globe. Up until the end of 2019 when our then singer, Heindrig, decided to quit the band and move to France. Losing our vocalist slowed us somewhat down and then while we looked for our new frontman, we decided to try to take things slower and focus more on songwriting, which wasn’t very productive at that time. Then eventually Covid period and lockdowns started and while a lot of people wrote full albums during the downtime we managed to only squeeze out 4 songs, out of which 3 made it to our EP some years later. So in conclusion taking things slower made us too relaxed and eventually all of us were sidetracked by being involved in multiple different musical projects, but now it’s quality over quantity approach and we are working towards making sure that the upcoming album is the best representation of what Sociasylum currently is.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Our lyrical topics have always focused on the negative and sad aspects of humanity or about our personal struggles involved with either personal stuff or different events occurring around us.

Over the years I think that I have progressed enough that I can finally write the songs I always wanted to write for Sociasylum and play them with ease, at least this more related to the upcoming full length release. 

Lyrically it’s too early to know where we will go next with the album. 

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

The name is put together by combining two words, social and asylum, into one word. 

The founding members had their own definition for the name, but I personally like to define the name as a safe haven within our society where everyone can belong and feel welcomed enough to unleash their inner energy.

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

With the EP we didn’t have a concrete vision for the artwork and we decided to send songs and lyrics with highlighted keywords and some vague ideas to Erik Hallik to get inspired and draw whatever comes to his mind.

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?

There've been a lot of fantastic shows, most of the funnest shows happen in our hometown at our DIY punk venue Ülase12, it’s always a blast to play there. Definitely one of the highlights that comes to mind is when we played Tallinn Music Week in 2021 to a fully packed venue and everything felt right. Also shows in Tallinn with Hexis have always been very memorable in all the different venues.

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

We just recently finished our 3-week long European tour and have been planning to focus on finalizing our next full-lenght. Once the new album is on its way to be released we will definitely plan some followup tours.

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

We have been trying to find a label for quite some time, have pitched our EP to a lot of different labels, but EPs aren’t as attractive enough as full-length releases or maybe we were pitching it to the wrong labels at the wrong time, who knows. Will definitely look for a label to have our upcoming full-length album released and hopefully we find someone that we can have a great cooperation with.

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

Sometimes it feels like we are too much in-between different genres and we aren’t purely one specific genre to be liked by all the fans of one specific style of music. I think throughout all our releases we have been too punk for metalheads and too metal for punks.

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

Musically I feel like I am finally at my comfort level, where I am able to write songs at the needed level that I have been trying to reach all these years. Which means writing blackened hardcore songs and mixing them with grindcore sprinkled with all sorts of modern hardcore influences and dosed heavily with d-beat.

 

Currently all the new songs have been heavily influenced mostly by the recent releases from Wormrot, Full of Hell, Harm’s Way, Terror, Dying Fetus, Year of the Knife and Implore, all of these bands have released recently some of their strongest releases.

Regarding when the full length will be released, it’s too early to tell, not before the second half of 2025.

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

We are trying to keep our musical palates very variable and we consume everything from hip-hop to black metal and from techno to grindcore.

 

Personally, I have been again stuck listening to the latest releases from Full of Hell and Wormot.

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

Yeah, don’t become a people pleaser-workaholic and life will be more beautiful and SKA should be banned :D

https://linktr.ee/Sociasylum

Defacement/Duality/Unorthodox Emanations/Avantgarde Music/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Defacement  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  experimental  and  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Duality"  which  will b e  released  on  July  26th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Unorthodox  Emanations  and  Avantgarde  Music.

  A  very  dark  and  apocalyptic  sounding  into  starts  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  some  electronic  music  sounds  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  brutal  blast  beats  can be  heard  and  the  vocals  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  cavernous  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.

  The  album  also  has  its  experimental  moments  along  with  an  interlude  also  being  added  into  between  all  of  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  unfathomable,  shadowy  corners  of  human  existence.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Defacement  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burden"  and  "Duality".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/officialdefacement

https://www.instagram.com/official_defacement

https://defacementofficial.bandcamp.com

       

Macochia/Self Titled/2024 EP Review

 

    Macochia  are  a  band  from  Czechia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2024  ep.

  A  very  melodic  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  hardcore  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  blast  beats,  crust  and  d  beat  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  Clean  playing  can  also be  heard  one  of  the  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  vocals  also  adding  in  more  of  a  growling  approach,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style. 

  Macochia  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  futility,  hopelessness,  human  morality  and  the  search  for  life'  meaning. 

  In  my  opinion  Macochia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  crust  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Everlasting  Dust"  "Relics"  and  "Teeth  of  The  beast".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/macochametal

https://macocha.bandcamp.com/album/macocha
https://www.instagram.com/macochametal/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UCwO8uiBGAacg0fqpMV5t
https://www.deezer.com/cs/artist/267355872

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P_quRm71oI&ab_channel=Macocha

Silent Wrath/Self Titled/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Silent  Wrath  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2024  album.

  Horror  movie  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  faster  riffing  at  times,  clear  singing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

   A  couple  of  songs  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  vocals  and  music  also  shows  some  80's  first  wave  influences,  a  small  amount  of  horror  movie  style  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  as  the  album  progresses  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  an  old  school  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  classic  horror  movies. politics  and  mental  disorders.  

  In  my  opinion  Silent  Wrath  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Forged  in  Fire"  "People  Dislike  Me"  and  "War  Against  Crime".  8  out  of  10.

  https://silentwrath6.bandcamp.com/album/silent-wrath  .

Goresoerd Interview

 

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

Rasmus: We’ve already had a couple of shows promoting the new album. 

Stig: Yes, as Rasmus said, we are promoting our album as we can and have played some great shows. First was our album presentation show and a show at Estonia’s biggest metal festival Hard Rock Laager 2024 where the headliners were Hypocrisy, Carpathian Forest, Bathuska.

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

Rasmus: “Inkvisiitor” is definitely one of the most aggressive albums we’ve done. We really put time and effort into the writing process and production and I think this can be heard.

Stig: People are telling us that new album is more dynamic, complex, and faster than previous albums. I agree! Also, I can add that the songs are bit longer than in other albums and of course production is much better than previously. But of course, old albums have their own sound and story as well.

3.This is also your first album in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Rasmus: We pretty much we’re writing this album the whole time. We put out some singles during that period to test out different approaches for the new album so we’d know what works and what doesn’t before the actual album. Also had the chance to play quite a few shows, definitely mentionable are opening up for Megadeth, Kreator and Brujeria in Tallinn last year.

Stig: In addition we started writing new material right after we released (2019) “Kain” album and had great plans for gigs, but then came corona virus and the whole world went lockdown. Then we just played some gigs, wrote new material and released singles. We also released a full-length “corona time” live stream video, which can be found on Youtube.

And right after we planned to start with album demo recordings, Russian invasion to Ukraine happened. As we live next to Russia you always must think what is going on… are we going to war or …… So time went by but finally in the beginning of 2023 we started recording.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new album and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Stig: Lyrical topics are mostly dark themes, inquisition, war, mysticism. Songwriting depends about mood, you know. Our usual song writing progress is starting with someone’s demo and then our vocalist listens to it and gives his opinion. When he is not very satisfied then we skip this demo, when he agrees, then we go more in depth with the parts and start to play and jam it together in the rehearsal room. Previously we made demos and recorded the song in the studio for the first time. Then after album release, we started to learn and play it together, but we found that some songs do not work in “live".

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

Eero: I always wanted to paint something by myself for the band. I have tried many times previously but now it finally came to life. Since I write all the lyrics also for the songs, some visualisations started happening in my head for the album. When we wrote the song “Inkvisiitor” (inquisitor), I thought about a character who does evil things in order to feel happy about itself. As soon as we decided that this will be the title track, I had this specific picture in my head that is now the cover art.

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

Rasmus: For me personally the best of the best has been “Inkvisiitor” album release show in May so far. There was a different kind of energy in the room that set things on fire. I can also remember a super small show we played in some cellar in Slovakia in 2016. That was just pure chaos and fun.

Stig: There are lot of great memories. Tuska Festival in Finland, Devilstone Open Air in Lithuania and the biggest festival where we have played was Rockfest in Finland 2019. Of course, this Slovakian cellar was also memorable.

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

Rasmus: Yes, we have shows planned in Estonia and also a tour in Finland for Autumn.

8.The new album was self released while the band has worked with a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Rasmus: We are always open for cooperations. 

Stig: Yes, we are open for cooperations. Self-releasing does not meant that we don’t cooperate with record labels. For example, Nailboard Records (Estonia’s only metal music label) released our special edition vinyl and in Finland Inverese Records is helping us to promote the album over there.

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

Rasmus: So far all the reactions and reviews we’ve gotten are really good. People really dig this kind of aggressive and fast paced metal music. And the vocals being in Estonian doesn’t also seem to be an issue.

Stig: Previously we’ve often got feedback that the music is very cool but we (listener) can’t understand what the songs are about. We have English translations for lyrics added in the album booklets since the album "Asülum" came out in 2013. For me, the words of an extreme metal band can be in any language. I like Norwegian, Swedish and French bands.

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

Rasmus: We’ve always mixed and matched different elements of different metal genres. So you never know.

Stig: Yes, and we don't want to repeat ourselves, and we add new elements to every new album.

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

Rasmus: If somebody sees my liked songs on Spotify they might think I’m schizophrenic. Let’s just say I like all music in general that is well written for my taste.

Stig: We are listening almost all musical styles starting from pop, hip-hop and finishing with black, extreme or brutal death metal. Our singer also listens to classical music. Some bands what I like most now are Akhlys, Vitriol, Pain, Blues Pills.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Rasmus: Only in some of the lyrics.

Stig: Nowadays you can find occultism everywhere. ;)

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

Rasmus: If you like our music just keep listening and sharing it. We also have merch available at our Bandcamp page, so be sure to check that also. Cheers!

Stig: Yes, and don't hesitate to contact us if you need translations for the words. Or better yet, buy the album where the words are included. ;) I hope to see and meet new fans at concerts in the future. Let's keep the extreme metal alive!

https://goresoerd.com/

https://www.facebook.com/goresoerd

https://twitter.com/Goresoerd

https://www.instagram.com/goresoerd/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NdZxzh7mv5n8MZry6xpxQ

https://goresoerd.bandcamp.com/music 

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/goresoerd/704977055

https://listen.tidal.com/artist/5941472 

Declared Dead/Necrodeist/Sliptrick Records/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Belgium's  Declared  Dead  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  atmospheric  and  progressive  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  death'n'roll  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Necrodeist"  which  will  be  released  on  July  16th  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  progressive  sounding  at  times  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style  while the  synths  also  give  the  album  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  when  they  are  introduced  into  the  music.  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  clear  vocals  onto  the  recording,  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  track  is  also  an  instrumental

  On  this  recording  Declared  Dead  takes  black,  thrash  metal  and  death'n'roll  and  mixes  them  with  atmospheric  and  progressive  elements  to  create  something  very  different  from  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  chaos  magick,  extra-dimensional  entities,  occult  knowledge,  parapsychology,  quantum  phenomenon  and  spiritual  malaise.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Declared  Dead  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  and  progressive  black,  thrash  metal  and  death'n'roll,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sanguinary  Libations"  "Ziggurat  Of  Eschaton"  "A  God  Amongst  Ruins"  and  "Gateway  To  The  Cosmic  Garden".  8  out  of  10.

  Twitter | On Sliptrick  

Mages Terror/Damnations Sight/Invictus Productions/2024 Full Length Review

 

  Mages  Terror  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2024  album  "Damnations  Sight"  which  will  be  released  on  July  12th  by  Invictus  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  the  fast  riffs.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and 90's  while  also  being  modern  at  the  same  time.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style  along  with  some  growls  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  song  also  also  an  instrumental  and  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  album.,

  Mages  Terror  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  and  90's  era  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Mages  Terror  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death, thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent  Bat"  "Ruthless  Guild"  and  "Damnations  Sight".  8 out  of  10.

  http://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/damnations-sight 

www.facebook.com/magesterrorfront
magesterror.bandcamp.com