Alfahanne/Alfapokalypse/Candlelight Records/2015 CD Review

  Alfahanne  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  style of  black  metal  that  also  mixes  in  elements  of  punk,  goth  and  classic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Alfapokalypse"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  Coughing  noises  start  off  the  album before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  mixes  goth  and  black  metal  together  and  a  few  seconds  alter  angry  shouting  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the songs  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  You  can  hear  a  lot  of  90's  black  metal  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  songs  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  when solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  also  add  a  touch  of  post  rock  to  the  guitar  while  some  of  the  guitar  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  punk  along  with  some  structures  that  add  a  touch  of  classic  rock  to  the  recording  and  there  are  also  some  guest  appearances  from  Niklas  Kvarforth  of  Shining  and  Hoerst  of  Taake  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing.

  Alfahanne  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  90's  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  goth  and  punk  to  create  a  very  original  style,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  Satanism  and  Apocalyptic  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Alfahanne  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  punk  and  goth  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ormar  Af  Satan"  "Dodskult"  "Alfa  Hordes"  and  "Alla  Ska  Me".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial

Vorzug/Call Of TheVultures/Apollyon Entertainment/2015 CD Review

  Vorzug  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Call  Of  The  Vultures"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Apollyon Entertainment.

  A  very  dark  and  melodic  guitar  lead  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  a  fast  black  metal  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  before  adding  in  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  melody  can  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  grim  black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  some  of  the  faster  sections  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  d  beats  while  some  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  old  school  death  metal  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  heavy  musical  direction.

  Vorzug  continues  the  blackened  death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and  also  mix  the  old  school  and  modern  sides  of  extreme  metal  together  to  create  a  very  heavy  sounding  album,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vorzug  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "At  Winters  End"  "I  Am  In  Hell"  "The  Howling"  and  "Broken  Dreams".  8  out  of  10. 

Official Website: www.kettleofvultures.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vorzugmetal
Twitter: www.twitter.com/VorzugOfficial
Reverbnation: www.reverbnation.com/vorzug
Promo Video (At Winters End): www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRdq9Yeowco

Majestic Downfall/...When Dead/Pulverised Records/2015 CD Review

  Majestic  Downfall  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  continues  the  melodic  doom/death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  and mix  in  elements  of  black  metal  to  make  their  style  evolve  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "...When  Dead"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Pulverised  Records.

  A  very  dark  guitar  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drums  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  which  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  some  solos  and  leads  that  become  a  huge  part  of  the  recording  with  their  melodic  approach  to  doom  metal. 

  When  the  music  speeds  up  you  can  easily  hear  the  black  metal  influence  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  in  more  of  a  death  metal  growling  style  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slower  sections  remain  true  to  a  90's  influences  style  of  melodic  doom/death  metal.

   Clean  playing  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  one  of  the  later  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  whispers  and  atmospheric  elements.

  Majestic  Downfall  creates  another  album  that  is  in  the  melodic  style  of  doom/death  metal  but  also  mix  in  more  elements  of  black  metal  this  time  around  to  make  their  musical  style  evolve,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  disgust.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Majestic  Downfall  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Escape  My  Thought"  and  "The  Rain  Of  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10. 

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Hadit/Introspective Contemplation Of The Microcosmus/Caligari Records/2015 Cassette Review

  Hadit  are  a  duo  from  Italy  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2015  cassette  "Introspective Contemplation Of The Microcosmus"  which  was  released  by  Caligari  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  and  a  few  seconds  alter  growls  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  few  blast  beats  and  when  the  music  speeds  up it  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  slower  sections  also  bring  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90['s  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  there are  no solos  or  leads  utilized  on  the  recording  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  dark  musical  style  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  while  some  riffs  do  utilize  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies.

  Hadit  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  heavy  and  dark  as  well  as  being  very  old  school  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  H.P  Lovecraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hadit  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Occult  Whispers  Declare  The  Impending  Apocalypse"  and  "Reborn  In  New  Flesh  And  Supremacy".  8  out  of  10.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/introspective-contemplation-of-the-microcosmus   

Ectovoid/Dark Abstraction/Hellthrasher Productions/2015 CD Review

  Ectovoid  are  a  band  from  Alabama  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Dark  Abstraction"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Hellthrasher  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  distorted  demonic  sound  starts  off  the album  before  going  into  more  of  a  death  metal  direction  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  growls  and  blast  beats  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  thrash  and  there  are  also  some  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  throughout  the  recording  you can hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  mostly  a  melodic  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording and  most  of  the  bands  death  metal  influences  are  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavy  musical  direction.   

  On  this  recording  Ectovoid  takes  a  90's style  of death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  some  elements  of  second  wave  black  metal  to  create  an  album t hat  is  very  old  school  yet  heavy  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  space,  dreams,  transcendence  and  darkness.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ectovoid  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Visions  Of  Reflective  Decay"  "Rituals  Of  Hallucination"  and  "Spawned  From  Unending  Mystery".  8  out  of  10.

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Immortal Bird/Empress/Abscess/Broken Limbs/Manatee Rampage/2015 Full Length Review

  Immortal  Bird  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death/grind  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Empress/Abscess'  which  will  be  released  in  July  as  a  joint  effort  between  Broken  Limbs  and  /Manatee Rampage.

  A  very  dark,  distorted  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  starts  mixing  in  elements  of  crust  and  grind  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  thrash  influences  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  also  adds  a  touch  of  post  black  metal  into  the  bands  musical  style  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  while  some  riffs  are  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  death  metal  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Immortal  Bird  creates  an  album  that  mixes  a  more  modern  style  of  black  metal  with  thrash,  death  metal,  crust  and  grind  to  create  some very  heavy  and  dark  sounding  music,  the  production  sound s very  dark  yet  powerful   while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Immortal  Bird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Saprophyte"  and  "And  Send  Fire".  8  out  of  10.

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Vacivus Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

 

We are an old school death metal band from the North East of England, formed in 2013 out of a mutual desire to glorify the magnificence of death.

 

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 the full length and demo you had released a year back?

 

Rite of Ascension is the first official release by Vacivus. We recorded a rough rehearsal demo last year, which can be found on bandcamp, but that's all.

The EP was recorded live, with vocals and lead guitars overdubbed. We really wanted to capture the raw energy of our live performance on this release.

 

3.Your lyrics cover a decent amount of occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

 

Our lyrics are an exploration of death and universal entropy. Mankind has long stared into the abyss and tried to understand its secrets. Through the esoteric arts, we gain a greater understanding of the primordial nothingness from which the universe was birthed, and to which it will inevitably return.

 

4.Originally the band was known as 'Dawn Of Chaos' and played more of a pure death metal style, what was the decision behind the name and musical change?

 

Dawn of Chaos are not the same band as Vacivus. Dawn of Chaos split up in 2013. Vacivus is a totally separate musical entity and should not be confused with Dawn of Chaos.

 

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

 

Vacivus is latin, meaning 'emptiness' or 'void'. We felt that this suitably represented the lyrical themes we explore and our devotion to chaos.

 

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

 

We have only performed two live shows to date, but we will be setting off around the UK in July and August to support the tape release.

Our live performances are chaotic and savage, as we worship at the temple of the abyss.

 

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

 

We have nothing planned currently other than the shows to support the release of Rite of Ascension.

These will kick off on July 4th with the EP launch in Glasgow alongside Grave Miasma, Funeral Throne, Barshasketh and Devouring Star, and then we are doing a couple of shows with Sheol and Horrified in Newcastle and Liverpool on the 11th and 12th of July. Finally, we will be playing London alongside Necrosadistic Goat Torture, Deitus and Inconcessus Lux Lucis on August 15th.

 

8.The ep has been released through Goatprayer Records and will be re-issued by Hellthrasher Productions, while I am familiar with Hellthrasher Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about Goatprayer Records.

 

Goatprayer are a UK based label specialising in underground death metal. We were thrilled when Terry from Goatprayer approached us about putting out a tape release of Rite of Ascension, as he has released some killer albums previously by bands such as Cemiterio, and is clearly a devoted metal maniac!

 

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

 

We have received very positive feedback so far, although we are still relatively unknown in the wider scene.

 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

 

We are all busy with different projects as well as Vacivus currently, and these will be announced in time.

 

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

 

We are currently working on new material and are keen to record a full length in the near future. Musically we will continue to play dark, savage death metal and pay tribute to the glory of destruction.

 

12.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?

 

While we each have our own broad range of influences, we are undeniably influenced by the pioneers of sinister death metal such as Sepultura, Immolation, Morbid Angel, Incantation etc.

There has also been a load of great albums released over the last few years by bands such as Disma, Dead Congregation, Grave Miasma, Lantern etc.

 

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

 

Praise the void.

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Hellripper Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with you and your musical projects these days?


Well, I have released three EPs so far this year with 3 different bands; Hellripper, Rats of Reality and Lock Howl. At the moment I have 3 split EPs confirmed with Hellripper and all should (hopefully) be out before the end of the year and I am working on a death metal EP that I also hope to release this year.


2.In January you had released an ep with your solo project, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?


'The Manifestation of Evil' contains 4 tracks and is under 10 minutes long, so it's quite fast. I would describe the sound as a mixture of first-wave black metal and speed/thrash.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music in the bands?


The lyrical themes in Hellripper tend to be horror-based and in most cases involve the occult. The lyrics in Rats of Reality tend to focus on “real” subjects and reflects more on the state of society at the moment and with Lock Howl the lyrics are quite dark and focus on a few things, one being the paranormal.


4.With 'Hellripper' you had some lyrics that where more satanic, can you tell us  alittle bit more about your interest in Satanism?


I don't really have an interest in Satanism to be honest. The theme fits the music of Hellripper and is quite fun to sing about. That's about it really.


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


There is no particular meaning, the name just popped into my head one day and I thought it sounded cool.


6.With 'Hellripper' you record everything by yourself, how would you compare that to working with a full band?


It's different in quite a lot of ways, the main thing being that working on your own means there is no compromises, but it also means there are no outside opinions or ideas that could potentially improve a song.


7.Can you tell us a little bit more about your other band 'Rats Of Reality'?


Rats of Reality is a band that started last year at some point by Peter (drums) and I. We released an EP last year where Peter played drums and bass and I handled guitar and vocals. The EP had a sort of old-school punk sound mixed with some thrash. Not long after the EP was released, Clarkie joined on bass and we soon started to play gigs. We released a second EP last month in which the sound changed quite dramatically and is more black metal influenced crust.


8.What are some of the best shows you have played with 'Rats Of Reality' and also how would you describe your stage performance and also are there any touring plans for the future?


I couldn't really pick out a particular show that I would say was the “best” since I think quite a few have been great (some have been not so great but that's how it goes). I feel our songs have quite a lot of energy in them so each performance is quite lively. We are hoping to tour later this year but nothing is set in stone yet.


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


I'm currently looking for a label to release a split involving Hellripper and a label to release some CD's of the latest RoR EP.


10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of the more extreme styles of metal and punk?


From what I've heard, feedback has been pretty positive!


11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?


Hopefully I will be doing more-or-less the same thing involving a few different projects/bands from multiple genres and hopefully the songs will continue to improve.


12.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?


I'm influenced by any sort of rock/metal music from blues to death metal. Regarding Hellripper, influences include Sabbat [JPN], Venom, Celtic Frost and similar bands.


A few of my favourite bands at the moment are: Crypt Sermon, Beastmilk, Enforcer and Ranger.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?


I'm into football, that's about it really.


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


Thanks for the interview and to anyone who bothered to read this far! Check out the music if you haven't already and thanks for the support!

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Vacivus/Rites of Ascension/Goatprayer Records/2015 EP Review

  Vacivus  are  a  band  from the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2015  ep  "Rites  Of  Ascension"  which  was  released  by  Goatprayer  Records.

Distorted  reverb starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  doom  influenced  death  metal  sound  that  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  morbid  sounding  melodies  and  growling  vocals  and  after  awhile the  music  starts to  speed  up a  bit  and  add  in  blast  beats  along  with  a  small  amount  of black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  extreme  metal  influences  and  the  whole  ep  sticks  to  a  very  dark  and  heavy  musical  style  from  the  first  to last  song.

  Vacivus  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  dark  and  evil  and  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  black  and  doom  metal  elements  to  create  a  very  heavy  and  occult  sounding  recording,  the  production  sound s very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism, Death  and  Transcendence.

  In  my  opinion  Vacivus  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rite  Of  Ascension"  and  "Hostis  Rei".  8 out  of  10.

https://goatprayerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/rite-of-ascension

         

Hellripper/The Manifestation Of Evil/Hellforced Records/2015 EP Review

  Hellripper  are  a  solo  project  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2015  ep  "The  Manifestation  Of  Evil"  which  was  released  by  Hellforced  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  punk  influenced  thrash  direction  as  well  as  adding  in  d  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilzed  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  early  80's  punk  vibe.

  Most  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  the  production  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  modern  vibe  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  and  raw  style  of  first  wave  influenced  black  metal while  punk  and  thrash  are also  a  very  important  element  in  all  of  the  tracks  that are  present  on  the  recording.

  Hellripper  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  first  wave  style  of  black  metal  while  also  mixing  in  the  punk,  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements  that  where  around  in  that  era  while  the  vocals  gives  the  music  more  of  a  second  wave  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hellripper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Flesh  Ripper"  and  "Black  Mass  Sacrifice".  8  out  of  10. 

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/the-manifestation-of-evil

Sagverk Interview

  1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Three member group from Finnish sawmill. We will buy beer with all the profits. Buy our album, please.

    2.In February you had released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. We wanted to mix everything we like, from grindcore to rock'n'roll. There were no genre limits for us.

    3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
3. Struggles of everyday life as a sawman.

    4I know that the band name means 'sawmill' in Swedish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?
4. Saw is a brutal tool, and it just happened to sound better in swedish.

    5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
5. No gigs yet.

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

    7.On the album you did a cover of Metallica's "Motorbreath", what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?
7. It was fun to play and we think it is the most aggressive song by Metallica.

    8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
8. Some interest by publishers. Recently we released our album through Dead Center Prods. Of course we are interested in getting signed.

    9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal and crust?
9. Good feedback, people have noticed the influences which is a good thing, but we don't want to be too genre restricted.

    10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10. Trying to stay angry, keep doing our thing, or as we call it in Finland ''hail saatana''

    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?
11. As practice we listen mostly to Sami Mönkkönen, Nightwish, Antti Tuisku, Korpiklaani, Lars Ulrich but sometimes we listen to stuff like Rotten Sound, Nasum, Kvelertak, Mastodon and Skitsystem.

    12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12. Masturbation and blasphemy, also bowling, minigolf and mostly table football game with beer.

    13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13. We also do birthdays and weddings, please call us.

Gribberiket/Knefall/Dead Seed Productions/2015 CD Re-Issue Review

  Gribberiket  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  demo  "Knefall"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  2015  on  cd  by  Dead  Seed  Productions.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  dark  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  melodic  yet  aggressive  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  black  metal  screams  being utilized  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  Most  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  slower  sections  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal  influences  and  the  music  can  be  very  experimental  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound to  the  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  the  whole  album   sticks  to  a  slow  musical  direction  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.

  Gribberiket  plays  a  style  of  doom  metal  that  is  very  slow,  dark  and  melodic  sounding  and  also  mixes  in  the  black  metal  style  of  vocals  and  some  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Gribberiket  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Host"  and  "De  Bleke".    8  out  of  10.  

https://soundcloud.com/deadseedproductions/gribberiket-knefall

   

Throne Of Molok/Beast Of Apocalypse/Beyond Productions/2015 CD Review/

  Throne  Of  Molok  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Beast  Of  Apocalypse"  which  was  released  by  Beyond  Productions.

  Industrial  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  a  brutal  blackened  death  metal  style  that  also  introduces  high  pitched  screams  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  band  also  brings  in  solos  and  leads  at   times.

  Some  of  the  riffs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  there  are  times  when  the  electro  industrial  elements  dominate  the  songs  while  also  always  mixing  it  in  with  an  extreme  metal  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  electronic  parts  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  gabber  and  noise  at times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  

  Throne  Of  Molok  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  black  metal  vocals,  death  metal  riffs  and  industrial  sounds  together  to  create  an  album  that  is  very  original  and  extreme  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover Nuclear/Post  Atomic Themes  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Throne  Of  Molok  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  industrial  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Something  Black"  "Sentinel  Possessed"  "Evil Invader"  and  "Seed  Of  Hate".  8  out  of  10.

Homepage: http://www.throneofmolok.tk/

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

Bandcamp: https://throneofmolok.bandcamp.com/

Myspace: https://myspace.com/throneofmolok

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/throneofmolok

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/beatofapocalypse

Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/throneofmolok

 

Siren Interview

All questions answered by David – Guitar and Vocals

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Siren is a Blackened Doom band from Cincinnati, OH. Jared and I having met through a mutual love of Doom, Black Metal, fantasy and occult imagery, wanted to create a band that encapsulated all of these influences and aesthetics, thusly Siren was born.

2.Recently you have released your first full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

‘A Kingdom Aflame’ is definitely a record that will strike a chord with a lot of people. Musically is flows naturally between Black metal, Doom, and Traditional metal. From a production standpoint we wanted to go for a sound that was very organic and ‘real’, without treading to far into the territory of the raw black metal sound.

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

A lot of the songs cover themes of fantasy or the occult. We actually based two songs on the record from Game of Thrones (Bastard of the Dreadfort and Fire & Blood), whereas songs like The Devil Rides Out and Into the Starless Night both have clear inspiration from certain ideologies and occult ideas.


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

The name is taken from greek myth, a creature that calls Sailors to their doom with it’s song. There’s really no further meaning and why need there be.

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

One of the most memorable experiences with Siren so far was a small run of shows we performed with our friends Warseid from Wisconsin, a snow storm hit immediately after the final show which turned a 5-hour drive home into one lasting over 12-hours.

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

We are currently working with our label to get regional tours across the US booked, starting with the east coast and working our way west.

7.The album was released on Draconum Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Draconum are an independent extreme metal label from Virginia, we have a great history with the guys their and with our label mates, Yesterday’s Saints. It’s a very comfortable home for our music.

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

Feedback on Siren and ‘A Kingdom Aflame’ so far has been absolutely fantastic. People seem to be enjoying the record a great deal and the response from audiences previously unfamiliar with Siren has been incredible!

9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Jared and myself are both members of folk metal act ‘Winterhymn’, right now we are just starting the recording process for our new album. Brandin (Drums) other band, Hell Scorched Earth have just finished recording on their new album, so it’s definitely a bit of a juggling act between all 3 bands to ensure everyone gets the right level of attention.

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

I do not foresee any huge musical changes for Siren, we’re very happy with the sound that we have created and it’s really a matter of refining that sound and making it completely perfect.


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?

The influences on our music really differ with each member of the band. I find myself drawing a lot of inspiration from bands like Primordial, Grand Magus, and Dissection. On constant rotation right now is the new Paradise Lost records, The Plague Within, absolute brilliance.

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

To an extent, yes. None of us believers in an ideology, but I find a lot of the imagery and mythos that you find in anything that deals with the occult to be very interesting, and it definitely has a place in Siren’s music.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Music is what takes up a huge portion of our lives.


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

I’d like to thank anyone that has already picked up a copy of the new album, and to anyone who has not yet heard us to check out some tracks online and come down to a show to really drink deep on the bands energy.

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Siren/A Kingdom Aflame/Draconum Records/2015 CD Review

  Siren  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "A  Kingdom  Aflame"  which  was  released  by  Draconum  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  music  foes  for more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  sound  that  mixes  doom  and  black  metal  together  and  adds in a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Blast  beats  can  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  and  the  vocals  combine  black  metal  screams,  deep  death  metal  growls  and  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  together  while  the  solos  and  leads  add  in  more  of  a  traditional  metal  and  NWOBHM  musical  vibe  to  the  bands  musical  style.

  At  times the music  brings  in  elements  of  thrash  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  both  clean  and  heavy parts  and  you  can  also hear  a  lot  of  doom  metal  influences  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  as  the  album progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  atmospheric  in  some parts  of  the  recording and  they  also  bring in  a  brief  instrumental  acoustic  track  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  on  the  following  tracks.   

  Siren  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted in  doom  metal  but  also  mixes  in  the  aggression  of  black  metal  and  the  melody  of  traditional  metal  to  create a  musical  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Siren  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  if you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fire  &  Blood"  "Bastard  Of  The  Dreadfort"  and  "The  Devil  Rides  Out".  8  out  of  10.

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King Leviathan/The Shrine/2015 EP Review

  King  Leviathan  are  a  band  from  England  that  plays  a  mixture  of  power,  thrash,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Shrine".

  Synths  and  spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  ep  giving  the  recording  an  epic  feeling  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  musical  direction  as  well  as  adding in  blackened  death  metal  growls  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  singing  power  metal  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  being  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  being  presented  on  a  couple  of  the  later  songs.

  King  Leviathan  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  80's  thrash  and  power  metal  but  also  mixes  in  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  style  riffing  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  e  production  sounds  very  old  school  yet  professional  at  the  same  time  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  King  Leviathan are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  power,  thrash,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Wormwood"  and  "Madness  Made  Divine".  8  out  of  10.     

: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d362QGl7zcc

 

Disfago Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Disfago is a three-piece that EXCLUSIVELY plays anti-retro blackened punk thrash ‘n’ roll of death…We’re three friends from various bands and we decided to combine our disparate musical influences in frustration at boring, safe and self-important metal bands. We just put out our first 7 inch on a new UK label called Witch Ghetto.



2.Recently you have released a 7 inch, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Violent, catchy and DIY - There’s elements of thrash, black metal, hardcore, oi and rock n roll all combined, we’re not interested in being anyone’s tribute act.



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

Anything we feel like, so on the 7 inch that’s alcohol (x2), taking the night bus, the death of Colonel Gaddafi and our thoughts on the metal scene (“400 tonnes of virgin flesh”).



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

The band name is a collision of punk and metal, just like our music, as well as a piss-taking nod to all the generic tribute acts in both scenes.



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

Any of the shows we’ve played with our mates in Oiz II Men and Seppuku. Support slots for Aura Noir and Sonne Adam were also great, as was a chaotic night in Lemington Spa and an especially messy squat show. A broken strap saw our guitarist Miika finish a set playing from a comfy armchair, while at other shows we’ve had to fight over-enthusiastic audience members to get back microphones. One time a promoter even gave us a rider.

Our performance? Depends on the booze, but we’ve been described as “tighter than expected” and once even made it onto a Terrorizer shortlist for  best live band of the year.



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

We’ve only played twice in the last two years (we’ve been busy in the studio and writing lots of new songs) but we plan to ramp things up this summer — get in touch if you’re interested in putting us on. But no full tours. Surviving in London’s not fucking cheap!



7.The 7 Inch was released on Witch Ghetto Productions, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Witch Ghetto is the label of our friend and supporter Dicko. Our 7 inch is Witch Ghetto’s first (and so far best) release but Dicko is active in a number of punk and crust bands in the north of England.



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

Do phishing emails asking for free shit count? We’ve already had some unexpected attention from places like Canada but this is only our first 7 inch so hopefully we’ll see more.



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

We have already recorded (and are currently mixing) a full length concept album about a black metal fan having a terrible time at a house party. Think of Plasmatics’ Maggots: The Record or WASP’s The Crimson Idol. We’ll see if anyone is brave enough to release it!

Before that we’re planning to follow this 7 inch with a tape compilation comprising our 2012 demo, three new songs we recorded last summer and a taster of the full-length.



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?

Between the three of us we have pretty varied tastes but I’d say Disfago’s sound has elements of Sarcofago, Motorhead, Tank, Turbonegro, Bad Brains, Slayer, Darkthrone, Disrupt, Sodom, Venom, Gospel of the Horns and more.

Recently I personally have been listening to lots of Uriah Heep, Macabre Omen, Eyehategod, Iron Monkey, Easy E and Judas Priest.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Non-musical interests?…er…well…We all enjoy a bit of a knees-up but Miika’s also a footie fanatic and Bert’s a keen gardener. Me, I’m a miserable sod with lots of books. JG Ballard is my favourite author and The Atrocity Exhibition my favourite book, if that tells you anything…



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

Thanks for the interview – if your readers are sick of retro bands and want to hear something original than tell them to check us out!

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Disorder/En el rio del olvido/Morbid Skull Records/2015 CD Review

  Disorder  are  a  duo  from  El  Salvador  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "En el rio del olvido"  which  will  be  released  this  summer  by  Morbid  Skull  Records.

  An  old  school  thrash  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  soem screaming  vocals  that  gives  the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  vibe  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  in a  very  melodic  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  the  riffs at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Back  up  gang  shouts  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  some  riffs  also  have  a  slightly  modern  metal  feeling  at  times  and  there  are  also  a  lot  of  riffs  that  bring  in  elements  of  mid  80's  death  metal  along  with  the  later  tracks using  more  growling  style  vocals  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  almost  towards  the  end  a  few  seconds  of  clean  playing  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  Disorder  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  styles  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  a  modern  touch  to  create  some  true  retro  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Violence  and  the  Horrors  of  the  Salvaderean  Civil  War.

  In  my  opinion  Disorder  are  a  very  great  sounding  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  "Campo  Exterminio"  "Maniaticos  Del  Metal"  and  "Yagas  Abiertas".  8  out  of  10. 

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