Year Of No Light/This Quiet Army/Consouling Sounds/2012 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  France's  Year  Of  No  Light  and  Canada's  This  Quiet  Army  which  was  released  by  Consouling  Sounds  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Year  Of  No  Light  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom,  ambient  and  black  metal.

  Drums  are  all  slow  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording,  while  the  keyboards  and  samples  bring  elements  of  ambient  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  slow  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  drone  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  and  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  their  side  of  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes,  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Year  Of  No  Light  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Vous  Etes  Un  Nada  Mort  Marchant  A".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  This  Quiet  Army  another  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  black  metal.

    Drums  and  bass  guitars  are  absent  from  this  recording,  while  the  synths,  programming  and  effects  bring elements  of  drone,  ambient,  experimental,  krautrock,  psychedelic  and  shoegaze  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  and  heavy  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  drone,  doom  and  post  rock  together  to  create    a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  great  amount  of  heavy  distortion  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  female  vocals  which  has  an  esoteric  feeling  to  them,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  This  Quiet  Army  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  drone,  experimental,  ambient,  doom  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Aphorismes".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  drone,  doom,  experimental,  ambient  and  black  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://thisquietarmy.bandcamp.com/album/year-of-no-light-thisquietarmy

Lantern Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Lantern was formed in 2007 by me, Cruciatus (instruments) and Necrophilos (vocals), merely a moment after I had put my previous band Cacodaemon to rest. We started out on a very improvisational basis, without many musical restrictions or even knowing what kind of material would come out. We basically moulded our style while executing (and partially jamming out) the first two recordings, “Virgin Taste of Damnation” and “Doom-scrawls” / “Subterranean Effulgence”. On the latter release we started to have a clue on what was to become of Lantern: dark, profound, epic, highly distinct yet still somehow familiar sounding death metal. With these style-wise foundations cast, we began to craft our debut album, “Below”, which Dark Descent Records then chose to release. And here we are, on the verge of the release of our undeniably most monolithic work so far… excited and full of anticipation!

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

The most important thing in our music is the almost complete lack of boundaries. Ancient death metal seasoned with early black metal is the filter all the ideas and influences run through, but that’s only trying to describe a small part of the whole deal. Lantern sounds like… well, Lantern, I guess I can state that in this point of our “career”. I think some people expect us to sound like standard Finnish death metal, which we to some extent are, but then again aren’t. I’d endorse people to plunge into our music and take it as it comes… for that’s the way the music itself is composed: ladled from an indescribable stream, we are only expressing what is given to us by chaos.

3. The new album had some really interesting lyrics, can you tell us more about your song writing process?

I am glad that you mentioned the lyrics, as they are of great value to me. The way Necrophilos interprets them also pleases me much, as you don’t necessarily need the lyrics insert to stay on track. Coming to the song writing process, I usually have a “colour”, a setting or an event in mind, from where I start to chisel the riffs, the title and then the lyrics. Atmosphere is what weighs most. The music and lyrics must both be woven together seamlessly, so that all elements of the song wind up complimenting each other as uniformly as possible.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

I had a few alternatives, but as soon as I came up with Lantern, I just knew this was it. Lantern was a simple, minimalistic and thus aesthetic name that leaves room for the listener’s own contemplation. It’s a tool to faintly illuminate the horrors along our dark, desolate path; the landscapes of the dreary, abstract realms we are trying to sketch with our music.

5. According to the bio the band only uses 2 members in the studio, and has a different line up for shows, have you thought of using a full band to record an album?

I have tinkered with the idea of recording with a full band, but then again, my inner tyrant / dictator throws this idea to the bin pretty quickly, haha. Maybe I am just a bit too controlling when it comes to music… However, this idea might not be a complete no-go, as our live drummer does have a similar “loose” touch to skin beating than mine, and he would probably nail that job with much more professionalism than I ever could. Our rhythm guitarist might even have some good riffs to present, and Mr Noisehunter on bass is someone I’ve worked with for a long time and we both know each others’ “groove” more than well. So, maybe after the next recordings, I might reconsider this. Although it would relieve some of my burdening work load, I still somehow enjoy the extreme strain caused by doing most things by myself. A tough nut to crack.

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

We have only played two shows prior to this interview, but we will play a few more in just a few weeks (May 10^th in Kuopio with Maveth and Hellspirit, May 11^th in Helsinki with Hellspirit and Cataleptic). Both earlier gigs were great experiences concerning the audience, the fellow bands, the people organizing the shows, but on our part, the shows slightly suffered from experimenting on how to take the highly atmospheric Lantern sound on stage. From now on, I’ll keep my VOX AC30 for studio purposes only and rely on ENGL / Marshall power when going live, haha. But that’s a past issue now. Our stage performance focuses on creating and maintaining an atmosphere as dark as possible, hypnotic at best. We do not entertain or tell amusing stories between songs, but let the music flow and do the talking, while performing with all the energy we got.

7. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

Nothing else scheduled besides those two gigs. However, there has been talk about playing abroad, not touring at this point, but a few individual gigs… all just bubbling under. More info TBA, hopefully!

8. Recently Dark Descent put out the new album, where you satisfied with the way the album sound came out?

Regarding the D.I.Y. methods used for recording this album, we are pleased with the sound. We did not work in studio conditions or with expensive high end software / plug-ins, and neither of us has any higher theoretical knowledge on sound engineering. It was all about experimenting and creating the fitting atmosphere with what ever bits and pieces we had at our disposal, and the outcome is – hooray us – far from dull and generic. “Below” is crude, mysterious and atmospheric, the way Lantern should sound.

9. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of dark underground metal?

The feedback has been very positive. In the “Virgin Taste…” days, we had absolutely no expectations regarding feedback, and we were more than surprised with the wave of interest that was caused by the material. And the acclaim has been even more positive ever since “Subterranean Effulgence” came out, so I’m anticipating what kind of thoughts “Below” will bring. I’m sure it will split opinions more than our previous releases, but that’s just a natural and healthy thing.

10. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

Very silent currently, which actually quite nice, as it allows me to focus on Lantern 100%. DTK aka Death Thrashers Kuopio is the only other band I’m officially involved with, but we haven’t been practicing for a long time. There has been talk about reactivating this unhinged thrash metal beast (where I play drums), but our busy schedules are currently standing in the way.

11. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I have two new songs composed and they sound… well, lightless, desolate. I know the couple of new tracks won’t determine the rest of Lantern’s path, but I can see things growing deeper and darker. I have a plenty of old riffs waiting to be harnessed for new compositions, which messes up the predictability of things, as well.

12. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Possessed, Morbid Angel, old Samael, Demigod, Venom, Bathory, Beherit, Root, Mercyful Fate, old Slayer and the likes have been my primary motivators throughout the years. Strangely enough, the 70’s progressive rock scene has been a strong influence for me, too, especially during my Lantern years. I still listen to mostly metal, but I have also started to enjoy many other styles. No reggae, rap, mainstream pop or the likes, though. Almost all well composed and performed music (note that this doesn’t equal ultra fast technical wankery… on the contrary!) with a proper atmosphere goes… preferably melancholic, as I don’t like merry shit.

13. How would you describe your views on Occultism?

For me it’s a very individual thing, as I do not lean on existing doctrines. It’s an aspiration, a question of awareness, simply put.

14. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

Writing is definitely among my top interests. I recently reactivated my ten year old ‘zine, Perverse Gospel, and we (me and ‘zine debutant Sinistrous) are currently waiting to have our fifth issue published. Of course, it would be something else to write, say, a novel one day, but that’s just fantasizing. Drawing is also something I have been doing and even enjoying for a long time, but also something I haven’t had time for recently. The ‘zine project is a good chance for me to hone my drawing skills, too (frames, cover art…), alongside the occasional demo cover, logo and tattoo sketch friends ask me to perform.

15. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks for the interview and interest toward Lantern! Expect “Below” to drown your soul into the darkness of mine in summer 2013.

cruciatus_@hotmail.com

lantern.dy.fi

Trail Of Tears/Oscillation/Massacre Records/2013 CD Review

  Trail  Of  Tears  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  gothic  blackened  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Oscillation"  which  was  released  by  Massacre  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  synths  bring  a  very  dark, atmospheric,  symphonic  and  gothic  sound  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very   strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  gothic  and  doom  metal  together  with  some  black  metal  influences  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  gothic  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads,  as  for  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  they  use  finger  picking  to  add  some  more  dark  elements  to  the  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  clean  singing  female  vocals,  deep  death  metal  growls,  black  metal style  whispers  and  screams  as  well  as  some  back  up  shouts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  depressive  and  poetic  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Trail  Of  Tears  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  gothic  blackened  doom  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Waves  Of  Existence"  "Crimson  Leads  On  The  Trail  Of  Tears"  "The  Dawning"  and  "Quick  Fix  Of  Shame".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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With Burning Contempt Interview

Answered by Tim Gutierrez (With Burning Contempt) – 4/21/2013

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Sure, the first songs were written mid 2012 and recorded late that same year. So it is a pretty recent thing. The beginning of 2013 we released an EP called Red Visions. Home base is in Northern Virginia, USA . Members are David Atkinson and myself (Tim Gutierrez). The stuff so far has ended up as simple, kind of catchy, straightforward metal in more of the old school style.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

A mixture of early styled death, thrash, and black metals with a touch of rock n’ roll at times. Cranked out with the famed Boss HM-2 pedal sound. A lot of hero worship thrown in. No reinventing the wheel here.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

So far... mostly hate.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

I guess the band name is pretty literal. No huge inspiration other than it sounded cool and the meaning behind it ties in well with the intended vibe of the music and words.   

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future?

For now the line up is cool with just us two. Not to say things won’t change, but as have learned through the years with bands… and in life in general for that matter… most of the time things are usually less complicated with less people involved.

6. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or received any label interests?

Yeah, so far everything is DIY. We haven’t sent any stuff to labels at this point. Since postage is so high these days whenever I send CDs out it’s just been to friends or zines or people placing orders. With the fuckload millions of metal bands there are these days who even knows what the labels listen to of what they receive. Am actually pretty cool with just doing it at this level. The EP is up on some of our pages for free anyway. But I don’t know…maybe down the line will shoot some to labels and see what happens. It’s not a huge priority. I’ve been in bands that have been on labels before and yeah, the promo/exposure they can provide is certainly more than we can do on our own… but it’s also a bit of a headache... and then of course some are crooked (hello Hammerheart Recs/Karmageddon Media!!). This is basically just meant to be a fun underground thing anyhow. No big ambitious undertaking.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of underground metal?

We just did Red Visions a couple months ago so it hasn’t been long. So far though everything has been positive. It’s always cool when people like what you are doing. But we’d still keep doing it even if they didn’t. As long as we like and enjoy it.

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

For me, not really. David has some other projects in the works. White Dawn Death, Kings of Steel, Swine, Ivadd. Hopefully some of those will see the light of day soon.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Probably will stay somewhat on same course as it is now. But who knows, maybe it will morph over time. In a few years we could be writing a rock opera concept album about pro-wrestling porno space mutants.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Well, we grew up in the mid-80’s early demo trading and scenes of what turned into extreme metal so a lot of that kind of stuff  formed the core foundation for this band. We both have a wide range of music we dig so later metal rubs off on us for sure too. I guess a few of the ones that come directly to mind are Hellhammer/Frost, Venom, Motorhead, Slayer, Deathstrike, Entombed, Asphyx. Lately some stuff have been listening to is Hellkommander, Vektor, Grand Supreme Blood Court, Gospel of the Horns, Unholy Lust, Sorcery, Dishammer, Hot Graves , Cianide,

11. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Though I hate exercise and athlete attitudes I weirdly watch a lot of sports. Boxing is my favorite but aside from basketball and college shit I follow most everything. Even Nascar.. yeee hawww! Also, cats, reading, tv, travel and junky tasty food. I’ll have to ask him sometime as am not totally sure but I think David’s main interests are his son, horticulture, history, fantasy stuff and shark porn.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Thanks a lot to you for the interest and interview… and for supporting underground stuff in general!! If anyone wants to check more into the stuff they can visit these two main sites…

http://facebook.com/withburningcontempt

http://withburningcontempt.bandcamp.com

With Burning Contempt/Red Visions/2013 CD Review

 With  Burning  Contempt  are  a  band  from  Virginia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2013  ep  "Red  Visions".

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  death  and  thrash  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  doom  elements  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  grim  sounding  and  high pitched  black/thrash  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  and  heavy  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording.

  In  my  opinion  With  Burning  Contempt  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Red  Visions"  and  "We  Are  Nothing".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Imprecation/Satanae Tenebris Infinita/Dark Descent Records/2013 CD Review

  Imprecation  are  a  band  from  Texas  that h as  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  with  a  musical  style  I  would  describe  as  being  atmospheric  satanic  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  comeback  album  "Satanae  Tenebris  Infinita"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being  utilized  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out of  the  guitars,  as  for  the  synths  which  are  only  used  briefly  they  bring  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  recording  without  being  used  as  a  lead  instrument.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from s low,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  blackened death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  heavy  and  dark  sounding  with  some  doom  metal  elements  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  evil  sounding  melodies,  while  the  lead  guitars are  very  old  school  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Blasphemous  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  evil,  heavy  and  old  school  sound  to  it  that  brings  back  memories  of  the  early  90's.  

  In  my  opinion  Imprecation  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  blackened  death  metal  band  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Beyond  The  Fiery  Temples"  "The  Coils  Of  Eden"  and  "Of  The  Black  Earth".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Imprecation/194725213915960 

Lantern/Below/Dark Descent Records/2013 CD Review

  Lantern  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Below"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  riffing,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  with  heavy  and  dark  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  old  school  dark  death  metal  riffs  that  utilize  a great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  in  the  riffing  as  well  as  some  doom  elements  which  gives  the  music  a  more  atmospheric  sound,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  and  melodic  sounding  old  school  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  chanting,  while  the  lyrics  cover  journeys  unto  death  and  undeath,    and  mysticism  of  existence  and  afterlife,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  heavy,  evil,  dark  and  old  school  sound  while  you  can  still  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  along  with  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.  

  In  my  opinion  Lantern  are  a  very  great  sounding  dark  old  school  occult  blackened  death/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rites  Of  Descent"  "Demons  In  My  Room"  and  "From  The  Ruins".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

http://www.lantern.ws

www.facebook.com/lantern666

Nocturne Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about this project for those that have never heard of you before?
1.) A:  Nocturne is my solo project that I have been whittling away at for the past 5 or 6 years.  I started off playing drums in a thrash band called Wartorn (Chicago) and in a death metal band called Deist (Chicago) but due to a foot injury I had to stop playing drums so I picked up a guitar and started writing songs.  Nocturne is essentially the result of that injury.  I'm not sure I ever would have started playing guitar and writing songs to the extent that I do if my foot had remained in tact.  I haven't really played in any active bands since my injury 7 or 8 years ago.  Just writing songs by myself for what is now Nocturne.  I had a full length worth of material about 5 years ago but it never really got recorded properly and by the time I had the means to do so I wasn't really interested in keeping any of those songs haha.  'Ave Noctem'  the debut Nocturne album is a collection of songs I have decided are worth keeping that I have written over the past 5 years.  I have another full length worth of material on deck for the 2nd album but have not started recording yet.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
2.)  A:  Progressive black/death metal, I guess.  If 'progressive' means wandering among various styles and genres.  I draw influence from many different places as a drummer, guitar player and vocalist, each in their own respect.  There are elements of just about every metal sub-genre in Nocturne ranging from traditional Mercyful Fate type riffs to more modern, fast and 'brutal' type stuff.  Same goes for the drumming and vocals.  That type of sound can easily turn a lot of people off because the riffs aren't all 'brutal' or all 'heavy' or all 'grim and frostbitten' haha.  I think there are many different feelings and atmospheres that arise from Nocturne and that's what I try to create.  Life isn't all one feeling from birth until death; there is loss, gain, triumph, suffering, strength, weakness, etc.  I write based off all of the styles of music I love regardless of the genre.  You tell me what it sounds like! haha.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3.)  A:  'Ave Noctem' has mostly 'dark' lyrics so to speak.  Pain, suffering, loss, regret, depression, etc.  There are some elements of strength, power and triumph like in track one: Pursuance of the Righteous Elucidation, but like I said, mostly dark themes on this record and the strength you can find within dark spaces of the mind.  There are some philosophical elements and words of existential advisory as well.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
4.)  A:  Well, the literal definition of the word is along the lines of 'a piece appropriate to the night or evening.'  Or 'a painting or poem of a night scene.'  It has also been defined as 'an instrumental composition of a dreamy or pensive character.'  Having said that, what Nocturne means to me is an ode to the night.  The time when the sun is no longer up in the sky, the world is dark and most people are asleep or at least not out and about.  Being a misanthrope for the most part I enjoy times when most people are nowhere to be seen or heard haha.  I actually almost instantly start to feel better when the sun goes down.  There is a certain comfort and inspiration I find within the night.  In a metaphorical sense it has meaning with the night being synonymous with solitude and darkness of the mind.  Nocturne…in a literal sense, musical composition based on these feelings.

5. Currently this project is solo, how would you compare being solo to working with other bands?
5.)  A:  I enjoy it for the most part because I don't have to rely on anyone but myself.  At the same time there is no one but myself to blame haha.  I would say I definitely find it more fulfilling taking on all musical duties on my own though.  There are no disagreements, no waiting around for other people to do whatever, no clashing of egos and I get to explore and build each element of the music as it comes together as a whole from no one else's mind but my own.  More work and discipline certainly but hearing the finished product knowing each sound was created by myself I think there is definitely more satisfaction to be had in that than in listening to a record that I only played drums on.  There are often uncertainties and insecurities as far as sound, material and writing but I am my own critic in that sense and I'd rather have that than have someone else tell me 'No, we're not gonna put that in the song..' when I think that it should be in the song.  Playing shows is obviously the main downfall of a solo project.  Yes, there is much satisfaction and other advantages to playing a good show but it is easier said than done to find a solid, like-minded, dedicated lineup.

6. The new album came out on Do Or Die Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
6.)  A:  Do or Die is a local (Chicago) label just starting up.  A fledgeling label.  The label is owned and run by Tim Pearson of Deathcult (Chicago) and Relentless (Chicago).  Those two bands are two of the first three full length releases the label is to put out.  Nocturne being the third.  I actually played drums on the Relentless record (doom metal) and am going to start playing shows with that band as the drummer before too long.  Relentless is the band Tim and I are both trying to run with so to speak at the moment.  That record will be out on Do or Die in the very near future and is worth picking up for any fans of doomy, heavy metal type stuff.  Like I said, the label is just getting started but I think it's off to a good start!

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death and black metal?
7.)  A:  Well, I've gotten a few good reviews, gotten on a few compilation discs from other countries, a handful of international fans from internet exposure.  But like I said earlier, the 'progressive' stuff does turn a lot of people off.  Having said that though 'Ave Noctem' hasn't officially been released and distributed by the label yet so I guess the shit hasn't officially hit the fan yet haha.

8. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
8.)  A:  If by that you mean what is going on with MY other musical projects…I already mentioned Relentless earlier, I play drums for a band called Boulderhead too.  We have a 5 song EP that has not been officially released in any capacity.  Gotten a lot of good feedback from people who have heard it so far but no disc or shows.  If I had to name bands to compare it to and bands that we draw influence from I would say it sounds like Opeth/Immortal/Gorgoroth/Cobalt to name a few.  Good stuff that I would like to play shows with eventually.  I have also been involved with a band called Cryptic Fog for the past few years.  I produced their first record and played session drums on their latest 4 song EP.  Cryptic Fog is black/death metal.  It can be very brutal but also very melodic at times.  Think Hate Eternal/Dissection/Necrophobic.  There are some old school death metal elements in there as well.  I plan on playing drums and recording a few new tunes with Cryptic Fog over the summer.  I played session drums for another band/project called Impuritan, created by Rob Knopf (ex-Ezurate guitar player).  That stuff is just ripping, brutal black/death metal.  Pulverizing speeds and crushing riffs in the vein of Dark Funeral/Angelcorpse.  We did a 3 song demo, didn't get much attention.  I love that stuff but I'm not sure what more will come of it.  I would love to do more with Impuritan some day.  Bit of a long winded answer but that's what I have done over the past two years as far as other projects.  Didn't play shows with any of them so far.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
9.)  A:  Hard to say.  I would say I already lean more towards black metal sounds than anything else.  That's what seems to be happening haha.  There will always be 'progressive' elements in Nocturne though and I don't think it will ever be pegged into one genre.  Up and Up is the plan though, better song writing, better production and hopefully a live lineup some day.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10.)  A:  As far as influences go some of the main ones are definitely Enslaved, Opeth, Akercocke, Bathory, older to mid-career Behemoth, Immortal, Absu, Mercyful Fate, Destroyer 666, Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel, The Chasm, Drudkh, Cobalt,  too many to name haha.  What am I listening to these days?  Phazm, Negura Bunget, Bible of the Devil, Blut Aus Nord, Acid Witch, Dawnbringer, Necrovation, Grand Belial's Key, and of course constantly revisiting all the classics.

11. Does Satanism or Occultism play any role in your music?
11.)  A:  No, not really.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
12.)  A:  I actually have no interests outside of music…Just kidding haha.  Good food, good movies and shows, nature, spiritually awakening substances, drinking, engagements in idiocy, being silly, and of course the company of a beautiful and intelligent woman.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
13.)  A:  Thank you for your time and interest, try not to carry a chip on your shoulder, keep and open mind, and support true artists of all forms.  Nocturne debut album 'Ave Noctem' OUT NOW on Do or Die records!  Get yours through the Nocturne or Do or Die page!  Check out my studio page Arcane Audio too if you are in need of any aural services.
http://www.facebook.com/NocturneChicago
http://www.facebook.com/DoOrDieRecords?fref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/ArcaneAudioChicago

Earthling Interview

1.Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?

Brently- Earthling is our interpretation of what we love; Rock 'n' Roll, Heavy Metal.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Alan- Dark, primitive, raw, and deeply rooted in influences from across the board of Heavy metal, Punk, Crust, and Hard rock

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Alan- Destruction, society, nature, freedom, death, resent.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

Alan- you could interpret it in a lot of ways, but it was meant to reflect the primitive, down to earth style we intend for our music to convey.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

Brently- The funnest shows I have played are house shows. House shows are almost always energetic and carefree, but in reference to big shows, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with Possessed, Vektor and Absu.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

Alan- We will be on the road with Inter Arma, April 19th-28th. mostly north-eastern US. There is another tour in the works for late may, but im waiting to anounce until all dates are confirmed. Beyond that we hope to be on the road as much as possible in the near future.

7. Currently you are signed to Forcefield Records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support they have given you so far?

Alan- We have known Tim for years and generally party with him whenever we play Richmond. Right around the time we were thinking about recording Dark Path, Our buddy Steven, from Inter Arma had the same idea and got the wheels turning for the forcefeild release. Forcefeild has been great so far, all we expected and more!

8. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of underground music?

Brently- The feedback has been very positive so far; lots of kind words, good reviews and support on a monetary level through social networking sites. Merchandise sales and a crowd on the roadobviously help keep gas in the van and help with band morale, but a good review keeps spirits high at home. A personal drive and work ethic will only take you so far if you are consistently getting kicked in the pants by everyone around you.

9. What is going on with the other musical projects these days?

Brently- I play in a Crust band called Thrones Of Deceit and I'm currently working on another project called Eso. Thrones should be recording in the next few months and there isn't much on the plate as faras touring. Eso is in its infancy.

Alan- I play bass in a heavy metal / hard rock band called Valkyrie. We just did a few shows this winter celebrating the bands 10th year of activity. Were currently writing material for a 3rd album in the not so distant future. Praveen plays guitar in a black/death metal band called Orthrus. They just recorded an album last year that should be out soon. Keep an eye out for that for sure, Deffinitly worth a listen!

10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

Alan- We are currently writing new material, pretty much in the same vain as the old. Fast raw and aggressive with a lot of shredding guitars. Brently just bought a double bass pedal, so that is probably the most notable difference, Dark path is all single kick.

11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Praveen- Budgie, Budgie, Budgie, Budgie!

Brently- Recently I've been listening to a lot of Willie Nelson, Andy the Doorbum, Captain Beefheart,Craft, Omnizide, TST and Dead Congregation.

Jordan- The past couple weeks I've been blasting Inter Arma, Iron Maiden, Craft, Morbid Angel and Carcass.

Alan- Cianide, Darkthrone, The Cro-Mags, older Scorpions, & Judas Priest.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Brently- A large portion of my time and money goes towards restoring old drums; mainly Ludwigsnares. If I'm not fixing gear I enjoy a 12 pack and a sleezy B Horror flick.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Alan- Thanks for your time and interest. Come catch us on tour!

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