Carcerous Interview

 Konstantin Milev (K) - founder, song and lyric writer and lead vocalist

Ivan Kozarev (I) - founder, song and lyric writer, guitarist and vocalist

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?

K: We are enjoying ourselves and the response of the audience, which, at least so far, has been pretty good. At the same time the work behind the scenes to develop the band further never ceases.

2.In April you released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

K: I personally wanted a fully fledged death metal record. That being said, our creative process is typically completely natural, so we go wherever our ideas take us, and you can hear that in the record. In general, I envisioned a heavier, darker and more epic record than our first mini album, and I daresay we managed to achieve all of those. 

I: I share Konstantin’s perspective and vision for the record, but I dare say it turned out to be more than we expected. We were free to just express ourselves and the result was an album that doesn’t stay in one place and isn’t defined by one subgenre of metal. I love it.

3.Most of the band members were previously a part of 'Incara', what was the decision behind splitting up the other band and starting a new band?

K: From my perspective - I was the band’s drummer for a bit, and there was tension with some band members, mostly based on character and ego (not mine). The band was also thrash metal mostly, which isn’t my style of choice, so to be honest it was only a matter of time for me before I left. The band ended some time after that. Ultimately, this band was the reason for me to make Ivan’s acquaintance, which ultimately led to the creation of Carcerous. Myself and Ivan already had the idea for an extreme metal side project between the two of us and me being forced out of Incara was the perfect trigger for that project to come to the foreground. Because the two of us were already in the process of writing the next Incara album (and we were trying to move the band into a more extreme direction), we took those songs with us to Carcerous and that resulted in the New Age God mini that we released in 2025. Also Incara was the reason to meet Carcerous’ current drummer - Kristian - who succeeded me as the band’s drummer until they disbanded.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover occult and anti religion themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

K: We are writing lyrics that fit the feel of the songs we write. We are not satanists or inclined towards the occult ourselves. We like to tell stories, and we choose topics that make for a compelling narrative. 

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

K: Carcerous was meant to be a name that was completely unique and ours - we wanted no one to have used it before. I also meant it to invoke correlation to other similar names in the genre, without being cheesy. It achieved both things quite well. It is a non-existent word, but if I had to give it a definition, it is an adjective, meaning carcer-like - referencing the creeping lack of freedom we experience in our daily lives, due to technology, politics, and our own beliefs holding us back. We live in a Carcerous age.

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

K: The cover art is the work of a close friend - the amazing artist Yassen Stoilov. The art itself is his interpretation of the lyrics for the namesake song - Doomsday Factory, which itself is a critique of humanity’s inability to know peace. 

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

K: I love shows with high attendance, just because the audience hypes and feeds off its own energy, which always results in a wild ride. All of those we have had so far have been great. I also love those shows where we get to support bands from outside Bulgaria.

I: I don’t have a favorite amongst our shows so far, but I can say we always give our best when we perform, just because that’s the important thing - No matter how many people come to the show, the artist must stay true to the performance and always give their best.

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

K: We are working on those. In general we are an active live band and will continue to be. For now we have two shows announced, both in Sofia, Bulgaria - in support of the French death metallers of Redsphere in June and the Hungarian death machines Monastery in October. In the meantime we are actively looking for opportunities.

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

K: We are independent still, looking to get signed. We have had interest from labels and are hoping to close a deal soon.

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

K: So far the reception has been warm. Relatively few people know of us still, so I guess we need to address that first.

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

K: I see us digging deeper into death metal, at least initially. I think we will remain true to ourselves in that regard and keep being spontaneous with our songwriting, so who knows what the future will bring. I hope whatever we do, we manage to stay inspired and keep things fresh and interesting.

I: We always try to not think about what our songs have to be, but instead to just allow ourselves to write music freely and then see what the end result is. It always surprises us and it’s always original for us, so that’s what matters the most to me.

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

K: I am listening to a lot of bands, not so many new ones - mostly bands from the 90s. I mostly listen to death metal, black/death metal and some less typical black metal. Notable names for me are Hypocrisy, Sodom, Rotting Christ, Thy Catafalque, Belphegor, Behemoth, Bolt Thrower, Memoriam, Lay Down Rotten, Morbid Angel, Vomitory, Blood Red Throne, and so many more. Lately, I have been listening to a lot of 2000s Cradle OF FIlth and some late 90s and early 2000s Dimmu Borgir. New releases that I have enjoyed include the new albums by Immolation, Vomitory, Vreid, Cryptopsy, and Hanging Garden from Finland. I also really loved the new Coroner record that came out last year - made a fan out of me for sure.

I: Konstantin is the death metal guy. I like many of the bands he mentioned, but I also listen to a whole lot of thrash metal, groove metal, alternative metal and metalcore bands. You can get inspired from a lot of bands and styles these days.

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

K: Thank you for your interest and the great review for Doomsday Factory! We would like it if everyone reading this checks us out and follows us on socials and streaming platforms, links below. We wish you and your audience all the best! 

I: Thanks for the awesome review and for this cool interview! We’re pushing forward as a band and we’ll be happy to participate in another one of these for a future release! Stay safe and stay metal!

https://linktr.ee/carcerousband

https://www.facebook.com/CARCEROUS

https://www.instagram.com/carcerousband/

https://www.youtube.com/@CarcerousBand

https://carcerous.bandcamp.com/album/doomsday-factory 

Imperathron/Polemos Pater Panton/Caverna Abismal Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Imperathron  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Polemos  Pater  Panton"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Caverna  Absmal  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  90's  era  doom/death  metal a re  also  added  into  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  while  the  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Imperathron  continue  to  expand  on  the  blackened  death  metal  style  they  introduced  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  ancient  philosophy,  mythological  warfare  and  the  writings  of  Heraclitus.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Imperathron  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal  with  elements  of  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancestral  Soul"  and  "Polemos  Pater  Panton".  8  out  of  10.

  https://cavernaabismal.bandcamp.com/album/imperathron-polemos-pater-panton

   

Carcerous/Doomsday Factory/2026 Full Length Review

    Carcerous  are  a  band  from  Bulgaria  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2026  album  "Doomsday  Factory".

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Synths  are  also  added  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  some  spoken  words  also  being  added  into  the  background  briefly  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  elements  of  doom  and  thrash  metal,  at  times  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  semi  melodic  tone.

  Carcerous  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  aggressive  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  doom  and  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror,  mythology  and  anti  religion  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Carcerous  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Horror  Without  Name"  "I  Saw  The  Death  of  God"  'Heaven  Is  Denied"  and  "Fear  The  Night".  8  out  of  10.

https://carcerous.bandcamp.com/

  

Aurora Borealis/Disillusioned By The Illusion/Non Serviam Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Maryland's  Aurora  Borealis  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Disillusioned  By  The  Illusion"  which  was  released  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  whispers  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  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  technical  style  and  the  music  also  shows  influences  from  both  the  old  school  and  modern  era's  of  the  genre,  spoken  words  are  also  added  towards  the  end.

  On  this  recording  Aurora  Borealis  continue  to  expand  on  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aurora  Borealis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECO(MMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Millisecond  Pulsar"  "Molten  Sea"  "Night  Cannibals"  and  "Your  Penumbra".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuroraBorealisBand/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurora__borealis_official/
Bandcamp: https://auroraborealisofficial.bandcamp.com/music
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AURORA4DTH

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OzXCWH8abO5qPzD09vmaU  

    

Voidmaker/A Cold, Unyielding Universe/Witches Brew/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Voidmaker  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "A  Cold,  Unyielding  universe"  which  will  be  released  on  May  25th  by  Witches  Brew.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  some  orchestral  touches  and  the  clean  sections  also  take  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  Sci-fi  sounds  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  clear  singing  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  album  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  more  of  a  technical  style.

  Al  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction,  cosmic  dread  and  what  waits  beyond  the  world  humanity  has  already  outgrown.  

  In  my  opinion  Voidmaker  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  an  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Post-Human  Emergence"  "Ganymede,  The  Outpost"  and  "Wormhole/Lightchaser".  8  out  of  10.

Website: https://voidmakerband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidmakerband/
Bandcamp: https://voidmaker.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voidmakerband

  

  

The Fals/Where Cold Steel Gleams/Undercover Records/2026 Full Length Review

  The  Fals  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Where  Cold  Steel  Gleams"  which  was  released  by  undercover  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  demonic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  bring  in  elements  of  traditional  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  clear  singing  and  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  touches  of  thrash  and  speed  metal,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  metal  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  updating  a  more  80's  and  early  90's  style  for  the  modern  era.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  rituals,  destructive  sorcerers  and  the  harsh  legends  of  the  land  of  Fals.   

  In  my  opinion  The  Fals  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  heavy  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Incursion  Of  Plains"  "Where  Cold  Steel  Gleams"  and  "Pyramids".  8  out  of  10.

  YouTube: https://youtu.be/L94X52ckJZw

Bandcamp: https://thefals.bandcamp.com/album/where-cold-steel-gleams

Ulag Zone/Assault PT. II/2022 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Italy's  Ulag  Zone  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2022 and  called  "Assault  Pt.  2".

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  the  screams  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  also  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  more  of  an  old  school  death  metal  style.  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  some  of  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  

Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  clear  singing  is  introduced  they  also  add  in  influences  of  power  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ulag  Zone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black, death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spidergoat"  and  "Lupercus".  8  out  of  10.

  https://ulagzone.bandcamp.com/album/ulag-zone-assault-pt-ii