EvilSpell/Necrology/Black Side Records/2014 CD Review

  EvilSpell  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Necrology"  which  was  released  by  Black  Side  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  also  leads  up  to  more  of  an  old  school  thrash  metal  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  bands  musical  sound  and  after  the  intro  the  band  starts  adding  in  elements of  first  wave  black  metal  into  their  musical  sound.

  Vocals  when  they  are  added  into  the  music  are  old  school  thrash  style  vocals  that  are  heavily  influenced  by  the  German  bands  of  the  80's  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  melody  in   the  aggressive  screams  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  can  be  hear d in  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  the band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  are  in  a  pure  80's  metal  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  some  element s of  hardcore punk  being  mixed  in  with  their  old  school  black/thrash  sound  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded and  released  in  the  early  to  mid  80's  and  there  no  more  modern  influences  present  anywhere  on  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  acoustic  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  briefly  before  making  a  return  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  they  close  the  album  with  horror  movie  style  keyboards.

  EvilSpell  plays  an  80's  style  of  first  wave  black  and  thrash  metal  ignoring  all  modern  trends  and  creating  an  album  that  is  very  raw  and  heavy,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Heavy  Metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  EvilSpell  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  INCLUDE  "Slut  Of  Satan"  "Necropunk"  "Speed  Metal  Evil"  and  "Necronomicon".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/EvilSpell/99794349979?sk=timeline

  

  

Dire Omen Interview

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

The band has continued to write, and we’ve been experimenting with new songwriting techniques to pursue the increasingly chaotic sound we’ve been developing. This material will likely take the form of EPs, though we are seeing where this bout of songwriting takes us. We are also planning on doing a series of shows in support of the new album, “Wresting the Revelation of Futility,” which might become a tour.
2.You have a new album coming out in November, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

            The album very much cements a firm identity for the band. The previous EP, “Severing Soul From Flesh,” was a step down the musical path we’re now on; the album is much more of a plunge into this direction. The music is meant to be cavernous, chaotic and atmospheric. I would say it’s rooted firmly in 90s death metal, but incorporates the atmosphere of black metal and the vicious, unhinged feeling much of underground black/death is known for.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
            The lyrics are focused primarily on aspiring to a path of ever increasing knowledge and greater levels of self-realization. It is, at the same time, a rejection of the pseudo-intellectual and the affectation, rather than the actual pursuit of, knowledge. There are some narrative aspects to the album, as well – I would say the lyrics are very cohesive, and very deliberate, but explore many different ways of getting the message of the album across.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dire Omen'?

            The band’s name has a variety of different meanings, and I suppose it’s somewhat nebulous nature allows it, like the lyrics and imagery, to get a message across in several different ways. The entrance into the Aeon of Horus, for example, is something of a “dire omen” depending on who is interpreting the subject: in the case of this album, the pseudo-intellectual would be the one interpreting this as such. The name originally had a much more misanthropic tone for us, which has faded away, lyrically.

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

          The band tries to be very unified on stage; we approach performance in a very “manner-of-fact” manner. Live performance for us is very ritualistic, and we compose our set lists quite methodically, trying to invoke a real atmosphere. We’ve been very fortunate to play live with bands we admire. Name-dropping would be somewhat inappropriate, but our performance at Noctis, the two Wordless Invocation performances in Edmonton, the shows we played in Montreal and Toronto, the honor of being billed on the Dark Descent Showcase in Portland, and virtually all of our Vancouver shows have been some of the greatest for us.



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

          Besides a show in Calgary this December, nothing is firmly set. But we are in the process of planning several performances in support of the record.

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

          The feedback for “Severing” was fantastic, and it got sent away to many different parts of the world, which was very rewarding for us. Probably the most humbling feedback, for us, has been that received from bands that we admire and respect. The feedback for the album has been magnificent from those we’ve shown it to so far.

8.Are any of the other band members involved with any other musical project or band these days?

            I’m in a band called Wroth, which is another black/death project. Kevin is currently drumming in a new death/thrash band called Phylactery. Roldy is on his way to setting up a recording studio.

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

                The band is currently pursuing the aforementioned focus on chaotic riffing and songwriting, though the atmospheric side and the primitive side are starting to play a more important role. Without revealing too much, expect a sound that resembles the last three songs on “Wresting.”

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

          The band, in only the metal sphere, has a fairly wide range of influences musically – from Incantation and Immolation, to Ulcerate and Leviathan, to Arkhon Infaustus and Revenge. Our influences are evident, but are not dominant, which is what I feel to be most important.

11.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

          As far as the band is concerned, our views on the occult tend to be more of an undercurrent in our lyrical themes, but it’s very conscious. It has certainly become more of a focal point on “Wresting.” My view is that any aspect of occultism that I pursue is meant to focus the mind above all: often the symbolism, the numerological aspects of occult ritualism – and one’s interpretation and experience of these things – can allow you to hold up a mirror to yourself. I would rather not speak for my bandmates as far as that is concerned, but that’s my take.

www.darkdescentrecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/direomen

Dephosphorus/Axiom/7 Degrees Records/2011 12 Inch Review

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Dephosphorus  which  shows  the  beginnings  of  their  sound  which  mixes  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  together  with  the  album  being  released  by  7  Degrees  Records  in  2011  and  called  "Axiom".

  A  very  fast,  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some blast  beats  and  a  few  seconds  later  black  metal  screams  and  elements  of  post  hardcore  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  some  crust  and  grind  being  mixed  in  with  a  brutal  death  metal  sound  along  with  some  melodies  and  harsh  noise  sounds.

    There  is  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melodies  being  added  into  their  musical  sound  at  times  while  the  music  sticks  mostly  to  a  dark  and  brutal  musical  sound  throughout  most  of  the  recording  and  there  is  never  a  soft  moment  to  be  heard  anywhere  on  the  recording.

    Desphosphorus  had  more  of  a  grind  approach  on  this  album  while  still  bringing  in  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  along  with  some  hardcore  and  noise  influences  which  also  makes  their  music  have  a  more  original  sounding  approach,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  occult  themes.

    In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding recording  from  Desphoshurus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  12  inch.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Collimator"  "Desphoshurus"  and  "The  long  Crossing".  8  out  of  10.

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Dephosphorus/Wake/7 Degrees Records/2012 Split 7 inch Review

  This  is a  a  review  of  a  split  between  Greece's  Dephosphorus  and  Canada's  Wake  which  was  released  by  7  Degrees  Records  in  2012  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  of  Dephosphorus  which  combines  black  metal,  death  and  grindcore  on  their  side  of  the  split.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  blackened  grindcore  sound  starts  off  their  side  of  the  split  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  aggressive  crust  style  screams  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  into  their  musical  sound  as  will  as  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  very  raw  and  heavy  production  and  lyrics  that  cover  dark  and  occult  themes  and  on  the  last  track  they  add  in  spoken  word  parts.

  Next  up  is  Wake  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind,  crust  and  hardcore.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  their  side  of  the  split  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  which  leads  up  to  more  of  a  brutal  crust/grind  musical  direction  that  also  shows  blast  beats  being  added  into  their  songs  and  they  also  bring  in  a  very  heavy  production  along  with  some  lyrics  that  cover  political  and  paganism  themes.

  In  conclusion I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  to  to  all  fans  of  death,  black  metal,  grindcore  and  crust.  8  out  of  10.

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Dephosphorus/Night Sky Transform/7 Degrees Records/2012 LP Review

  This is  a  review  of  an  earlier  recording  from  Dephosphorus  which  also  sees  them  playing  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  death  metal  and  grindcore  with  the  album  being  released  in  2012  and  called  "Night  Sky  Transform"  by  7  Degrees  Records.

  A  very  dark  black  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  high  pitched  screams  and  growls  are  added  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  alter  and  they  also b ring  in  elements  of  crust  and  grindcore  which  also  leads  up  to  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  being  utilized  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  You  can  hear  a  decent  amount  of  death  metal  influences  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  screams  the  band  uses  combine  post  metal  and  hardcore  with  black  metal  in  the  way  they  are  utilized  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  and  spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  atmospheric  sound  effects  while  th e main  focus  remains  more  on  a  heavy  and  brutal  sound.

  Dephosphorus  creates  a  very  dark  style  of  blackened  death  metal  on  this  recording  as  well  as  bringing  in  elements  of  crust  and  grind  along  with  the  ,melody  of  both  of  the  post  metal  and  hardcore  genres  to  create  a  very  interesting  and  heavy  sounding  recording,  the  production  sounds very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Greek  Mythology  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dephosphorus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album>  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Uncharted"  "Night  Sky  Transform"  "Identifying  The  Encapsulator"  and  "Aurora".  8  out  of  10.    

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Dephosphorus/Ravenous Solemnity/7 Degrees Records/2014 12 Double Album Compilation Review

   Dephosphorus  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  double  album  "Ravenous  Solemnity"  which  was  released  by  7  Degrees  Records.

  A  very  dark,  melodic  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  a  few  seconds  later  that  mix  black  metal  and  hardcore  together  along  with  some  blast  beats  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  great  amount  of  the  songs  bring  in  the  energy  of  crust  punk  along  with  some  screaming  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  you  can  also  hear  a  heavy  post  hardcore/metal  influence  in  the  bands  musical  sound  at  times  and  there  are  certain  sections  of  the  recording  where  the  band  adds  in  elements  of  thrash  into  their  blackened  death  metal  sound.

  Later  on  during  the  album  spoken  word  parts  and  atmospheric  sounds  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  second  part  of  the  2  record  compilation  shows  the  band  displaying  more  of  a  blackened  crust  sound  while  still  being  very  melodic  and  dark  all  at  the  same  time.

  Dephosphorus  combines  a  variety  of  many  different  musical  styles  together  while  black  and  death  metal  are  the  main  elements  they  also  bring  in  traces  of  grind,  post  hardcore  and  crust  along  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  astronomy,  esoteric  and  astral  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dephosphorus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grind  and  post  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "There  Is  A  Color"  "Storming  the  Sloan  Wall"  "Hammer  of  Logic"  and  "Vicious  Infinite  Regress".  8  out  of  10.

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Dire Omen/Wrestling The Revelation Of Futility/Dark Descent Records/2014 CD Review

  Dire  Omen  are  a  band  from  Edmonton,  Alberta,  Canada  that  plays  a  blackened  from  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Wrestling  The  Revelation  Of  Futility"  which  will  be  released  in November  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  Dark  and  distorted  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ritualistic  chanting  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  darker  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  which  slowly  leads  up  to  death  metal  growls  starting  to  kick  in  and  after  the  intro  and  after  the  intro  you  can  hear  elements  of  black  metal  being  added  into  the  music.

  After  awhile  the  music  really  starts  going  fro  more  of  a  brutal  blackened  death  metal  direction  and  the  vocals  are  kind  of  mixed  down  low  in  the  music  and  you  can  also  hear  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  added  into  the  music  at  times  and  you  can  hear  a  lot  of  the  more  darker  side  of  early  90's  death  metal  being  a  huge  influence  on  the  bands  musical  style.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  band  also  avoids  using  of  solos  and  leads  except  for  one  track  where  they  are  utilized  for  a  few  seconds  and  focuses  more  on  a  dark  and  ritualistic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  with  their  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Dire  Omen  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  style  of  death  metal  and  also  adds  in  a  b=it  of  the  death/doom  sound  from  that  era  as  well  as  the  dark  and  evil  atmosphere  of  black  metal  to  create  their  own  sound,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dire  Omen  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Onward  With  Wounds  Of  Disillusion"  'Servus  Sevorum  Dei"  "Beyond  Stillness"  and  "Closing  the  Portal".  8  out  of  10.


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Pentacle/The Fifth Moon...Beyond And Back/Vic Records/2014 CD Re-Issue Review

  Pentacle  are  a band  from  the Netherlands  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  with  elements of  thrash  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1996  ep  "The  Fifth  Moon...Beyond  And  Back"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  November  by  Vic  Records.

  A  very  old  school  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  and  screaming  vocals  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression  and  you  can  hear  the  thrash,  first  wave  black  and  80's  extreme metal  influences  that  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  after  awhile  melodies  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  musical  direction  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction  while  also  utilizing  a  great  amount  of  raw  aggression  and  there  is  never  a  soft  moment  or  blast  beat  present  anywhere  on  this  recording.

  Pentacle  had  a  very  dark  approach  to  death  metal  back  in  the  days  and  they  also  had  some  elements  of  black,  thrash  and  doom  metal,  in  there  music  and  the  stuff  they  brought onto  the  ep  where ignored  during  the  time  when  death  and  black  metal  was  starting  to  go  into  a  different  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Pentacle  are  a  very  great  sounding  black/death  metal  band  with  elements  of  thrash  and  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Serpent  In  Blood"  and  "Exalted  Journey".  8  out  of  10.

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Arcania Coelestia/Nomas/Avantgarde Music/2014 CD Review

  Arcania  Coelestia  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal  and  atmospheric  funeral  doom  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Nomas"  which  will  be  released  on  October  20th  by  Avantgarde  Music.

  A  very  slow,  dark,  atmospheric  and  heavy  funeral doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and  a  few  seconds  later  death  metal  growls  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  being  utilized  at  times  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  slow  and  mid  paced  parts.

  When  clean  singing  is  utilized  they  bring  in  some  elements  of  gothic  metal  to  the  bands  musical  style  and  the  band  also  alternates  between  more  atmospheric  ambient  parts  and  heavy  parts  as  well  as  mixing  the  two  together  at  times  and  all  5  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  whispers  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  On  one  of  the  tracks  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  add  a  more  progressive  edge  to  the  bands  musical  sound  while  the  main  focus  remains  more  on  the  heavy  and  atmospheric  side  of  things  and  one  of  the  alter  tracks  shows  the  music  adding  in  more  fast  black  metal  elements  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats

  Arcania  Coelestia  sticks  to  mostly  an  atmospheric  funeral  doom  metal  sound on  this  recording  while  black  metal  is  still  a  very  huge  part  of  their  musical  style  as  well  as  adding  in  a  few  progressive  and  avant  garde  elements  which  also  gives  their  sound  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  heavy  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Alchemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arcania  Coelistia  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal  an  atmospheric  funeral  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nomas  II"  and  "Nomas  iv".  8  out  of  10.

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Gilgamesh/The Awakening/2014 CD Review

  Gilgamesh  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album "The  Awakening".

  A  very  dark  and  epic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  and  after  the  intro  guitars  start  to  kick  in  and  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  brutal  death  metal  sound  along  with  some   blast  beats  before  adding  in  melody  and  blackened  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  which  also  leads  up  to  more  black  metal  influences  being  added  into  the  bands  musical  style.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  are  in  more  of  a  melodic  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  acoustic  guitars  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  exotic  scales  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  brief  instrumental  towards  the  end  of  the  recording  and  they  bring  a  very  dark  atmosphere  into  the  bands  musical  sound.

  There  is  a  good  mixture  between  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  present  throughout  this  recording  and  at  times  the  vocals  start  adding  in  clean  singing  while  still  having  more  of  an  aggressive  take  on  that  style  of  vocals  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  black  metal  elements  start  to  get  more  powerful  while  the  band  still  keeps  around  their  death  metal  roots  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  they  bring  a  touch  of  modern  metal  into  their  musical  arsenal  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Gilgamesh  takes  a  musical  style  that  is  equally  influenced  by  both  black  and  death  metal  and  they  mix  it  in  with  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  a  touch  of  thrash  and  talented  guitar  playing  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Sumerian  Mythology,  History  and  Occultism.

  In  my  opinion  Gilgamesh  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Astaroth"  "Aeon's  Of  Hate"  and  "The  Curse  of  Akkade".  8  out  of  10.

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Dead Alone Interview

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

Fred: We are really happy! "Nemesis" became our most grown-up album and we are also a little surprised about the final result. Some songs just sound more intensive than we might have expected! And we are also really excited about the first reactions we received from the press and some musicians!

2.You have a new album coming out in December, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Fred: Well... I think on "Nemesis" we have tried a lot of things that are new to us. Songs like "Wreckage", "The Awakening" or "As Worlds Collide" are very dark, melodic and dissonant and also a little demanding. I just wanted to try something that´s new for me with these songs, specially with the lead guitars.

On the other hand, we added more melody with some songs like "Nemesis", "Watch Me Fall",  "Shade" or "Daughter Of Confession". Martin just loves melodies and he brought this to a new level for DEAD ALONE. "Nemesis" is simply more grown-up. I love all the albums we´ve made together, but for example on "Vitium" or "Ad Infinitum" we had plenty of ideas, but now I think it could have been more. I think that´s what some people may call evolution!

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

Flo: The lyrics I write are always a valve for my personal feelings and impressions. For "Nemesis" I was influenced by decline in every imaginable way. There are topics like death, the loss of beloved persons or the extinction of mankind due to their own actions. The last years were very dark for everyone in the band and "Nemesis" is the reflection of this time.

I don´t like splatter- or gore-lyrics very much. I will not talk about sensless topics, I want to suggest on real subjects that are confronting us every day.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Dead Alone'?

Fred: I didn´t establish the band, but the idea was to have a name, and DEAD ALONE was the name that enforced itself.

Flo: In the beginning we were searching for a fitting name and we had some ideas and proposals. We had a lot of discussions about it and finally DEAD ALONE was the name that fits best the idea behind the band.

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

Fred: For me, the best shows we´ve had so far were definitely in Verone (Italy), St. Johann (Austria) and a few gigs in Munich. Our stage perfomance is: Bang your fucking head! Of Course not to  every single song, to ballads like "Silhouette Empire" a wind mill or very excessive headbanging just wouldn´t match. We always try that the stage performance is matching the songs – but we do not have a choreographer or something like that. For "Nemesis" we also have outfits as you can see on our promo pictures. We´ve collected some ideas and gave it to my mother. She´s a seamstress and gave our ideas the form it has now! With the new album we also will have a stage design which is based on the artwork Flo made.

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

Fred: Yes, we do! At the moment there are some gigs we´re going to have, for example with RAW INSECT in November 2014 in Munich, we´ll also play a show on "The Dark Side Of Munich 2015" on February 7th. We are also thinking about going on a little tour over some weekends, but I can´t say too much about it yet, it´s nothing we are having hard facts about.


7.The last couple of albums have been released by Supreme Chaos Records, are you satisfied with the support they have given you over the years?

Fred: "Ad Infinitum" was the first album released by Supreme Chaos Records, and now "Nemesis" is the second one. SCR is our first label, and we are really happy with them! I´m not saying this just because we are signed there. But if you´re reading some stuff about other labels the way they care about things I´m always like "Duuuude! They must be kidding. Picking Supreme Chaos Records was a really good choice and we can always talk about any ideas we have – it´s just a great label!

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black, death and doom metal?

Fred: Oh, the feedback was very well in general! As I told you, we´ve had some gigs in Italy yet, and also in Austria. In Italy, the people are very very thankful for metal music, and they also liked our stuff every time we were there to perform a show! Also in Austria we have some fans – at least, we had the slot right before BELPHEGOR on a show in St. Johann. That´s great, because that´s not our home base!

Unfortunaly, we had less gigs during the last years, but this will change during the next months!

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

Fred: To be honest: I´m not quite sure. We actually have changed our sound with every album. But I think it´s possible, that it will stay the way "Nemesis" sounds now. Maybe!! Because our inspiration is changing time up to time! The only thing I can say for sure is, that we will stay with our melancholic death metal sound.

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

Fred: The bands I´m listening to nowadays and that gave me inspiration are SVART CROWN, SECRETS OF THE MOON and ULCERATE. Of course, I have some all-time favourites like PANTERA, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SEPTICFLESH and GHOST BRIGADE, just to name a few! But I was looking for some dissonant and maybe some weird ideas.

SVART CROWN and ULCERATE showed me, that it is possible to do that stuff. I always wanted to try something like that, but in the past I wasn´t too sure how to achieve that. Even though the songs I made for "Nemesis" aren´t as extreme as from these two bands. But  this was not my intention to copy their style!

Flo: In recent times I´m listening more and more to soundtracks. Especially composers like Hans Zimmer, Tyler Bates, Steve Jablonsky or Alexandre Desplat. But besides this non-metal artists I´m influenced by Doom, Death and Black Metal. There are many bands that have influenced me like MY DYING BRIDE, GOJIRA, HACRIDE, SEPTICFLESH, EVERGREY, ICED EARTH or DISBELIEF. I was always fascinated by dark music and the atmosphere and I think that is the reason why I started making music.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Flo: Painting, photography, design and illustrations are my passion. It´s the best work-out for me after a busy day. I love it to forget the normal day by creating something individual.

Fred: Cars, specially oldtimers and youngtimers. I´m a car mechanic, so this is maybe an  occupational disease – but I loved the smell of gasoline since I was a boy. I have an old Japanese car from 1989, it´s a Honda Prelude in a good condition. It´s still sleeping in my garage, but I think next year I´ll drive it a mile or two (laughs). On the other hand I love photographing and painting, but the level I do this isn´t that high yet.

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

Fred: Thank you for this interview! And thank you to everyone who made this album the way it sounds now! Thanks again to Christos Antoniou from SEPTICFLESH for his awesome orchestration on “The Awakening“. Check us out live on our shows and: Check out our album "Nemesis"! STAY METAL!

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Dead Alone/Nemesis/Supreme Chaos Records/2014 CD Review

  Dead  Alone  are  a  band  from  Germany  that plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Nemesis"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Supreme  Chaos  Records.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  adding  in  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  high  pitched  blackened  screams  and  after  awhile  melodic  guitar  leads  and  solos  are  added  into  the  music  and  you  can  also  hear  some  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  the  later t racks  the  black  metal  influence  starts  to  show  more  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  being  utilized  at  times.

  Clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  you  can  easily  hear  the  90's  style  of  black  and  death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  along  with  a  good  balance  between  melody,  heaviness  and  brutality  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  melodic  doom/death  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times along  with  a  few  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  close  to  the  end  of  the  recording  one  of  the  tracks  starts  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  symphonic  elements..    

  Dead  Alone  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  death metal  that  is  closer  to  the  90's  era's  of  these  genres  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  melodic  doom/death  to  create  their  own  sound  on  this  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  revolve  around  a  dark  subject  matter.

  In  my  opinion  Dead  Alone  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nemesis"  "Of Ash  And  Flesh"  "As  Worlds  Collide"  and  "The  Awakening".  8  out  of  10.

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Eternal Khan/A Poisoned Psalm/2014 CD Review

  Eternal   Khan  are  a  band  from  Rhode Island  that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  album  "A  Poisoned  Psalm".

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  starts off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the music  starts  to  get  heavier  after  awhile  as  well  as  adding  in  some  death  metal  vocals  and  a  few  seconds  later  blast  beats  are  added  into  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  the  music  starts  to  incorporate more  elements  of  black  metal  as  well  adding  in  guitar  leads  and  solos  which  also  have  a  very  dominant  sounding  presence  throughout  the  recording.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  the  mid  80's style  of  doom  metal  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  most  of  the  music  on  the  recording  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  a  touch  of  the  early  90'  doom/death  metal  sound  at  times  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  elements  of  the  first  wave  of  black  metal  into  the  recording  and  on  the  fourth  track  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  is  added  into  the  music  for  a  few  seconds  before  making  a  return  to  a  heavy  blackened  doom  metal  sound..

  Eternal   Khan  remains  true  to  their  blackened  doom  metal  sound  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  heaviness,  darkness  and  melody  to  create  the  musical  sound  that  is  present  on  this  recording,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Absurdity  of  man's  existence,  war  and  conquest,  mythology,  and  poison  of  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Eternal   Khan  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bells  On  The  black  Hour"  "The  Tower"  and  "Into  The  Twilight  Abysses".  8  out  of 10.

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Fleshworld/Gazers/Viscera///-Unquiet Records/2014 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  3  way  split  album  between  Poland's  Fleshworld  France's  Gazers  and  Italy's  Viscera///  which  will  be  released  on  October  14th  by  Unquiet  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Fleshworld  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  with  elements  of  black  metal..

  Drum  beats  and  a  distorted  sound  starts  off  their  side  of  the  split  before  adding  in  melodic  riffs  and  spoken  word  parts  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  and  when  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  high  pitched  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  feeling  to them  while  still  being  a  bit  more  influenced  by  hardcore  and  sludge  metal  and  the  band  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  post  elements  to  their  3  tracks  and  their  last  song  is  close  to  2  minutes in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Fleshworld  plays  a  very  slow  and  melodic  mixture  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  with  some  black  metal  elements  and  while  this  is  not  a  style  I would  regularly  listen  to  I  still  feel  the  band  is  very  good  at  what  they  are  doing,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes  and  are  written  in   Polish.

  In  my  opinion  Fleshworld  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  post  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Petla".

  Next  up  is  Gazers  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  post  hardcore,  screamo  and  crust.

  Ambient  style  sounds  start  off  their  side  of  the  split  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  after  a  minute  the music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  heavy  sound  stat  mixes  screamo  with  post  hardcore  as  well  as  having  some  melodic  leads  that  are  more  in  the  metal  vein  which  also  leads  up  to  some  death   and  black  metal  style  vocals  being  added  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  the  band  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  clean  and  heavy  parts.

  Gazers  bring  in  many  different  elements  in  their  sound  from  black  metal,  post  hardcore,  screamo  and  a  touch  of  crust  to  create  a  sound  that  stand s out  on  its  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gazers  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  post  hardcore,  black  metal,  screamo  and  crust  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Decline".

  Closing  the  split  is  Viscera///  a  band  that  plays  a  psychedelic  form  of  sludge  metal.

  A  very  dark,  melodic  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  their  side  of  the  split  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  which  are  in  more  of  a  sludge  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  some  elements  of  psychedelia  and  post  metal  in  their  musical  sound  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  to  speed  up  in  certain  sections  of  their  side  of  the  recording  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  on  their  second  track  they  add  in  some  clean  singing.

  Viscera////  takes  a  a  style  of  sludge  metal  and  mixes  it  with  some  psychedelic  and  the  melody  of  post  rock  to  create  their  own  sound,  the production  sounds  very  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  real life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vicera////  are  a  very  decent  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  post  metal  and  psychedelia  and  i   you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Nobody's  Diary".

  In  conclusion  i  feel  this  is  a  very  decent  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  fans  of  the  post  forms  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore.  7/5  out  of  10.

https://viscera3stripes.bandcamp.com/album/fleshworld-gazers-viscera           

            

Emrevoid Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Emrevoid started to take shape back in 2004-2005. Me (Alessandro, guitar) and Fabio (the drummer) were playing in a local black metal band called Thy Cold. After the split we decided to rehearse some death metal riffs with a growling friend of us. It was just for fun. Mainly smoking weed, getting drunk and then rehearse. After a couple of years we felt the need to grow as a band, but the local scene non-existent in our hometown in that years. We tried several bass players and vocalists, and as you may know lineup changes means to start over, each time, slowing things down. After the release of our debut selftitled album in 2011 and several gigs, the band finally moulted skin into the actual lineup.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from your previous full length?
The new EP ‘Riverso’ represents a new incarnation for the band, with Gaetano (vocals) and Riccardo (bass) as a completion. The first debut recording was self made in every single part, and it’s a collection of tunes composed from 2005 to 2011. Musically is raw and savage death metal, with all the pros and cons of it. I like the way it came and we still play a couple of songs from it live. Riverso sounds like a natural transition, the song Patibolo is a perfect example of it, that’s why it’s opening the ep. You can hear the metamorphosis as the minutes flow. We tried to recreate more complex atmospheres and melodies through our mixture of death and black metal, incorporating several influences to forge a more personal sound. And this time we recorded in a professional studio, and we collaborated with a tattoo artist based in Berlin for the artwork.

3.The band has been around for 10 years but so far has only released one full length and an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap between releases?
You can find the reason of that gap on the first answer.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
All the lyrics are from Gaetano. From his words: “the central topic is an existential dualism, a debate between two antithetical archetypes. It’s the revitalizing conflict that every human lives every day in his own intimate dialog with his hidden ego. A man constantly oppressed by the awareness of his limits in the attempt to cross the divine hope”.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Emrevoid'?
Emrevoid is the reversed word for “dio verme” that means “god is a worm”. It incorporates our will to be provocative, expecially against religion institutions. Here in Italy the stench of catholic righteousness and prudery is unbearable.


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?
We had the honour to play as opening act for Napalm Death four years ago, and we did an alcoholically memorable couple of gigs in north Italy with the german band Essenz and with our friends Sedna. We had a blast in tons of small shows also.
I don’t think I’m in the right position to describe the performances, I guess the smartest reply is “come to see us”:) Anyway we do our best to reflect the intensity/integrity of the music you find on the recordings, with an underground attitude.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes we are looking for gigs in north Italy and Austria/Switzerland/Germany/Slovenia for the upcoming spring, likely with our friends Dementia Senex or Sedna. We have two concerts planned as we speak here in Italy, in Perugia and Rimini. For those reading who can help for shows, please contact us in our facebook page.


8.The ep was released on Drown Within Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
It’s a newborn label based in our hometown focused on the experimental side of extreme music. We wanted to be part of their rooster both for supporting the guys, and also because of their great promotion work. The local scene is growing day by day and they are releasing high quality music, with bands like Sedna, Dementia Senex, Under the ocean,  Abaton and Viscera///.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
We’re having really good reviews for ‘Riverso’, as well as some criticism of course. We tried to mix things up, to stand in the middle of two genres, like suspended, to be as personal as possible yet aggressive. And it’s a conquest when you read that someone understands your gears of composition and enjoys it. Others just continue to hear just old school death metal and nothing more. Others can clearly explain what they don’t like and that’s really helpful to grow and round the imperfections.

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hard to say when, now we are doing as much gigs as possible to promote ‘Riverso” and then we’ll see. A couple of new songs are in the working, and the mood is similar to Hic et Nunc, the last track of Riverso. Anyway anything is possible, we still have to go deep into the songwriting process.


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Speaking of me and Fabio, our main influence is with no doubt black metal, from early classic to modern. Riccardo and Gaetano are more into brutal death and technical music. The glue that binds us is an open minded attitude towards quality in general, the worship for the underground and for those who experiment outside the box. To give an example with some bandnames, my recent listens have been new releases from Aphex Twin, Godflesh, and 1349.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
You mean apart from woods and Satan? Cinema and photography. Fabio is obsessed with deers.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Nothing but support your local musical scene. And thanks for this interview!

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Bunker 66/Inferno Interceptors/Split Material/Caligari Records/2014 Cassette Compilation Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  compilation  from  Bunker  66  which  shows  them  continuing  their  mixture  of  black  metal,  punk  and  thrash  with  the  cassette  being  released  in  2014  and  containing  their  2012  album  "Inferno  Interceptors"  and  their  side  of  the  split  with  Italy's  Barbarian.

  A  very  raw,  aggressive  and  old  school  thrash  sound  starts  off  the  compilation  along  with  some  elements  of  punk  rock  and  aggressive  80's  style  extreme  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  bringing  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  elements  of  traditional  metal.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  continue  the  old  school  metal  tradition  that  is  a  very  huge  part  of  the  bands  musical  style  and  while  the  music  is  still  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  first  wave  of  black  metal  there  are  more  elements  of  thrash  and  punk  this  time  around  as  well  as  the  band  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  back  up  gang  shouts.

  All  of   the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  the  melodic  scream  that  was  very  common  in  first  wave  black  metal  show  up  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the y close  the  album  with  an  instrumental before  going  into  the  songs  from  the  split  which  are  also  in  the  same  direction  of  the  full  length  but  with  more  of  a  black  metal  vocal  approach  as  well  as  a  cover  of  Convulsed's  "Psychopharmax  Convulsions".

  Bunker  66  continue  their  mixture  of  black  metal,  punk  and  thrash  of  previous  recordings  while  also  getting  a  little  bit  more  melodic  and  adding  in  traditional  metal  elements  and  all  of  their  songs  sound  like  they  easily  could  of  been  recorded  and  released  in  the  1980's,  the  production  sound s very raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  nuclear  war,  urban  tales  and  occultism.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  compilation  from  Bunker  66  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  punk  and  thrash,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Overnight  Sacrifice"  "Storm  of  the  Usurper"  "We Guys  Are  From  Hell"  and  "Global  Thermonuclear  War".  8  out  of  10.

: https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/infern-intercept-rs-split-material