In Malice's Wake Interview

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

Post recording comes with a huge number of tasks that we do in house - finalising artworks/merch and layouts (I do the artwork personally, so it does take some time, but I've always enjoyed having a hand in the visual aspect of the band's aesthetic also.  Organising cds/vinyls/t-shirts and preorders have taken a lot of time, as well as preparing for a small show we played the weekend past.  We are also arranging a local album launch and preparing for shows interstate.  

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

I believe it is a very natural progression from the previous 2 works - Light Upon the Wicked and The Blindness of Faith, while removing any inhibitions around songwriting and experimentation.  It has a very genuine demonic feel and the subject matter of exploring the afterlife has provided a very dark atmosphere amongst which to create songs.  As time has progressed we have leaned more and more into the influence of OSDM that Mark and I especially are fond of.  

3.This is also going to be your first album since 2020, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait in between releases?

It is mostly a reflection of life being extremely busy for all of us - we have many children, and between work, family and everyday life, it does stretch the writing and recording cycle, despite it being a very high priority for us.  This approach means that the work is always as good as we hoped it would be at the end of the cycle, but that it takes a little more time than it may for other bands.  On the flipside, this sustainable pace is what has allowed us to still exist and love creating music nearly 25 years on.  

4.The older albums had more of a death/thrash style while the new album also shows black metal becoming a part of the mix, what was the decision behind going into this direction?

This was always more of a natural expression of what we wanted to create for ourselves.  The Death & Black Metal influences are just in line with what we find ourselves listening to as metal fans these days, and this will naturally bleed into the music.  There was never a conscious decision in this regard, just more of what has come out while we write with a genuine love and passion for creating music.  

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

After some sitting with it I decided I wanted all the songs on this album to tie into the an exploration of life after death.  It is something we can know nothing about and it is so hard to imagine - we have endless stories, cultural explanations, and near death experiences to draw on, but this great unknown became a great topic to write about.  Some songs explore reincarnation going wrong, visions of the afterlife through near death experience, conversations with demons, and the possibility of being trapped in eternity of pure nothing.  

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

With the previously mentioned theme of death, I wanted to create an abstract painting of the afterlife, with more of a hellish focus.  It features a path leading into an infernal landscape - I wanted this to invite the viewer to take the path along with us and explore the great unknown.  We are all heading through this gateway sooner or later.

7.Out of all the shows and tours the band has done so far, which one stands out the most?

We have very limited touring experience outside of Australia unfortunately and hope to change this now that life's demands are becoming less intense.  However some of my personal favourites have been some of the supports we have played.  Sharing the stage with Possessed, Triumph of Death and Bloodbath have been some of the greatest highlights for me personally while playing in this band.  

8.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

Currently in the works, but yes absolutely.  Touring here in Australia and then finally heading OS has been something we've been working towards for years.  Hopefully we have some plans to announce before too long.  

9.Currently the band is unsigned, but has worked with a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

Absolutely.  We are very capable of great reach independently, but cannot deny the greater impact of being on a strong label.  We were close to signing on this album, but the release date would need to be extended and we had already taken longer than we wished to release this one, so decided to remain independent.  We have utilised the incredible promo teams of Bleeding Art Collective and Clawhammer PR with the release of this album and they have been wonderful.  

Thanks for the great questions!

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Onslaught Kommand/Live At Blitzkrieg/Live Show Review

 

  This  is  a  live  review  of  a  shows  from  Chile's  Onslaught  Kommand  which  shows  them  bringing  their  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  you  can  also  fins  this  live  show  on  youtube.

  Death  metal  growls  start  off  the  live  set  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  brutal  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  at  times.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Live  audience  reaction  can  also  be  hear d in  between  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  sticking  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  direction  throughout  the  live  set.

  On  this  recording  Onslaught  Kommand  bring  their  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  to  the  live  stage  to  create  a  very  brutal  concert.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  gore,  perversions  and  explicit  violence.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  live  set  from  Onslaught  Kommand  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  video.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Old  Death  Ripper'  "Satanic  Storming"  "Third  World  Stoning"  and  "Visions  Of  Blood  And  Gore".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/sdoVboAS1fQ?si=-cFtOTTgfl9F_Xqw

Cruel Division/Carcosa/Cultkill Music/Santa Diabla/2026 EP Review

  Cruel  Division  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  post  metal,  crust  pun  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  ep  "Carcosa"  which  will  be  released  in  May  as  a  joint  effort  between  Cultkill  Music  and  Santa  Diabla.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  ep  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  add  in  elements  of  crust  punk  and  hardcore.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style,  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  synth.  

  Cruel  Division  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes,  black,  death,  post  metal,  crust  punk  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  everyday  life,  existentialism,  loss  of  reality  and  cosmic  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cruel  Division  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  post  metal,  crust  punk  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Carcosa"  and  "Amniotic  Misery".  8  out  of  10.

  Cruel Division Bandcamp

Cruel Division Facebook

Cruel Division Instagram        

   

Absu/The Temples Of Offal/Return Of The Ancients - Remasterd 35th Anniversary Edition/ATMF/2026 Compilation Album Review

  U.S.A's  Absu  have  returned  with  a  compilation  which  consists  of  their  1991  and  1992  ep's and demo,  rehearsal  and  rough  tracks   and  this is   a  review  of  their  2026  compilation  album  "The  Temples  Of  Offal/Return  Of  The  Ancients-Remastered  35th  Anniversary  Edition"  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  more  of  an  occult  style  of  death  metal  with  touches  of  black  metal  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  ATMF.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  the  classic  90's  death  metal  style.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  brutality.  As  the  compilation  progress  screams  are  also  introduced  along  with  the  music  also  avoiding  the  black  and  thrash  metal  elements  which  dominated  future  releases,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  later  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths.

  On  this  compilation  Absu  focused  more  on  a  death  metal  style  instead  of  the  black/thrash  metal  style  which  dominated  later  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Sumerian  Mythology.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collection  from  Absu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band  and  early  90's  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  compilation.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Immortal  Sorcery"  "Sumerian  Sands"  "Eternal  Rest"  and  "Dawn  Of  Invocation".  8  out  of  10.

  https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/?product_cat=&s=ABSU&post_type=product    

   

Bewitched/Diabolical Death Mass/Osmose Productions/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Bewitched  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  a  history  going  back  to  the  90's  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Diabolical  Death Mass"  which  will  be  released  on  April  24th  by  Osmose  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  thrash  metal  elements.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  while  also  being  very  modern  at  the  same  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  album  also  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  some  of  the  songs  also  show  an  influence  of  traditional  metal.

  On  this  recording  Bewitched  remain  true  to  the  blackened  style  of  thrash  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bewitched  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Diabolical  Death  Mass"  "Black  Spells  &  Unclean  Spirits"  "By  Satan  Enslaved"  and  "Enforcer  of  Evil".  8  out  of  10.

  Online release page: https://osmoseproductions-label.com/bewitched-diabolical-death-mass/

Pre-Order/Order on: https://tinyurl.com/bewitched-store
Bandcamp: https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/diabolical-death-mass
All Digital Links: https://bfan.link/BEWITCHED-Diabolical-Death-Mass

Suicidal Winds/In The Fire 666/Wolfkult Religion/2025 Full Length Review

 

   Suicidal  Winds  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "In  The  Fire  666"  which  was  released  by  Wolfkult  Religion.

  Melodic  guitar  solos  and  leads  start  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  era  as  well  as  being  modern  at  the  same  time  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  growls,  

One  track  is  also  an  instrumental  along  with  the  album  also  adding  a  modern  touch  to  a  classic  style  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction  and  clear  chants  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism, Demons,  Darkness,  Death  and  Hell  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Suicidal  Winds  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.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUD E "Sathanas  Cruciatus"  "Never  Betray  The  Darkness"  "Sacrifice  To  The  Lord  Of  The  Lord  Of  Hate".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hQ18ipRkHk&feature=youtu.be    

Strega/Mors Mortiys Morte/Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music/2026 EP Review

 

  Strega  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  ep  "Mors  Mortlys  Morte"  which  will be  released  on  April  30th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Masked  Dead  Records  and  Sulphur  Music.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  traditional  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  clear  singing.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in t he  80's  era  while  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  sticking  to  more  of  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  throughout  the  recording.

  On  this  recording  Strega  expands  on  the  blackened  style  of  heavy  metal  that  they  introduced  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Italian  and  cover  dark  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Strega  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Mors  Mortlys  Morte".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/strega.officialband

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/strega_band/
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/artist/0d8ysjxCVUOv4a5woB2CDp