Soothsayer/At This Great Depth/2016 EP Review

  Soothsayer  are  a  band  from  Ireland  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  blackened  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  ep  "At This  Great  Depth".

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  more  more  heavy  and  melodic  style  of  doom  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  A  great  amount  of  atmospheric  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  both  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  grim  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  which  also  gives the  music  more  of  a  black  metal  feeling  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  using  growls  and  screams  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  and  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times and  melodic  chanting  along  with  some  whispers  is  added  onto  second  track  while  some  of  the  faster riffs  start  utilizing  tremolo  picking.

  Soothsayer  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  blackened  doom  metal  from  their  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Soothsayer  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  atmospheric  blackened  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "  Umpire". 8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp - https://soothsayerdoom.bandcamp.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/soothsayerdoom/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/soothsayerdoom

Hellish God/Impure Spiritual Forces/Lord Of The Flies Records/2016 EP Review

  Hellish  God  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  satanic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016 ep  "Impure  Spiritual  Forces"  which  was  released  by  Lord  Of  the  Flies  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  music  is  also  heavily  influenced  by  the  Brazilian  band s of  the  mid  90's  and  early  2000's  but  with  a  more  up to  take  approach.

  When  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  remain  true  to  a  blasphemous  style  of  death  metal  while  also  being  melodic at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  guttural  growls  and  clean  guitars  are  utilized  briefly  on the  last  track

  Hellish  God  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  brutal  and  blasphemous  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  blasphemous  themes.

  In  my  opinion Hellish  God  are  a  very  great  sounding  satanic  and  brutal  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Impure  Spiritual  Forces"  and  "Lustful  Orgiastic  Vestments".  8  out  of 10.

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HELLISH GOD Bandcamp 

Seputus/Man Does Not Give/PRC Music/2016 CD Review

   Seputus  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture of  black  and  technical  death metal  with  some  elements  of  thrash,  grindcore  and  industrial  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Man  Does  Not  Give"  which  will  be  released  in  October by PRC  Music.

  Elements  of  noise  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Throughout  the  recording  there is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  elements  of  harsh  industrial  noise  while  some  of  the  faster  sections  of   the  tracks  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  grindcore  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  technical.

  Seputus  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  and  technical death  metal  while the  thrash, grindcore  and  industrial  noise  elements  gives  the  songs  more  of  an  original  feeling,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and philosophical  themes.

  in  my  opinion  Seputus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  technical  death  metal  with  some thrash,  grindcore  and  industrial noise  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Fist  that  Makes  Flesh"  "Desperate  Reach"  "Attrition  Tactics"  and  "No  Mind  Will  Enshrine Your  Will".  8  out  of  10.

https://seputus.bandcamp.com/album/man-does-not-give  

  

   

Mentor/Guts, Graves, And Blasphemy/Arachnophobia Records/2016 CD Review

  Mentor  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Guts,  Graves,  And  Blasphemy"  which will  be  released  in September  by  Arachnophobia  Records.

  Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a more  heavy  and  aggressive  thrash  metal  direction  while  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  also  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot of  hardcore  punk  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  as  the  album progresses  more  modern  black  metal  elements  can  be  heard  and  some  of   the  faster  sections  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  guitar  leads  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small amount  of  back  up  shouts.

  Mentor  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  thrash  and  hardcore  punk and  mixes  them  together to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness, and  Horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mentor  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gimme  Your  Blood"  "Satan's  Whore"  and  "Night  Of  The  Satanic  Werewolves". 8  out  of  10.

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Implore/Thanatos/WOOAAARGH/Grindpromotion Records/2016 7 Inch Review

  Implore  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  death  metal,  grindcore  and  crust  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  7  inch  "Thanatos"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  WOOAAARGH  and  Grindpromotion  Records.


  A very  distorted  noise  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  grindcore  and  crust  direction  along  with  some  blast  beats  and  growling  vocals  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  blackened  death  metal.

  At times  melodies  can  be  heard  in  the  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the music  also  always  remains  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they are  done in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Implore  creates  another  recording  that  takes  blackened  death  metal,  grindcore  and  crust  and  mixes  them  together  to  put  out  a  very  heavy  7  inch,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  conspiracy,  occultism,  anti  religion,  anti  fascism,  and  human  misery  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Implore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  grindcore  and  crust,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Disgrace"  and  "Skeptical  Masses".  8  out  of  10.   

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzBO7JCMrlM&

Rebel Wizard/Triumph Of Gloom/2016 Full Length Review

  Rebel  Wizard  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  has  been featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture of black and  heavy  metal  and  this  is a  review of  his self  released  2016  album  "Triumph  Of  Gloom".

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a heavier  direction  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very melodic  and  old  school  sounding  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  A  great  amount  of  traditional  and thrash  metal  elements  can  be  heard quite  a bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound to  them  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in a   small  amount  of  melody  and  you  can  also  hear a few seconds of  clean  singing  on  one  of  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  musical  direction.

  Rebel  Wizard  creates  another  recording  that takes  black  metal  and  traditional  metal  and  mixes  them together, the  production  sounds  very  powerful  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Shamanism,  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Rebel Wizard  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  black  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where We Surrender  Completely  To  the  Miserable  Shaman"  "A  Spell  Of  Sorrow  To  Relieve  The  Curse of  Triumph"  and  "Sorcerery". 8 out  of  10.

https://rebelwizard.bandcamp.com/album/triumph-of-gloom

  

Unyielding Love/The Sweat Of Augury/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2016 EP Review

  Unyielding  Love  are  a  band  from  Northern  Ireland  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  noise/grind  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  ep  "The  Sweet  Of  Augury"  which  will  be  released  in September  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Screaming  vocals  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  heavier  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  harsh  noise  before  going  into  a  very  fast  grindcore  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount of  blast  beats  along  with  a  mixture  of  high  pitched black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  At  times  the  music  can  get  very  brutal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  a  touch  of  power  violence  on  the  bands  musical  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  there  is  also  a brief use  of  clean  playing.

  Unyielding  Love  plays a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  harsh  noise  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  cover  suicide,  depression,  anxiety, disassociation,  isolation,  and  frustration  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Unyielding  Love  are  a  very  great sounding  blackened  noise/grind   band  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fleeting  Joy"  "Ardent  Shroud"  and  "Sweated Augury".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp
      

In Obscurity Revealed/Grim Fumes of Revelation/Blood Harvest/2016 7 Inch Review

  In  Obscurity  Revealed  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  started  out  playing  more of  a  traditional  form  of  death  metal  but  have  evolved  into  more  of  a  blackened  death  metal  band  on this release  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016 ep  "Grim  Fumes  Of  Revelation" which  will  be  released in  September  by  Blood  Harvest.

  A  very  dark  yet  distorted  guitar sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  night  sounds  in the  background  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can be  heard  and  after  awhile grim  black  metal  screams  are added  onto  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  early  90's  death  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  both  of  the  tracks  remain  true  to  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  throughout  the  recording.

  In  Obscurity  Revealed  expand  on  the  old  school  death  metal  sound  of  previous  recordings  while  also taking  the  vocals  into  more  of  a  black  metal  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  chaos  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from In  Obscurity  Revealed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Varcolaci".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/grim-fumes-of-revelation-7ep 

Hellschwadron Interview

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

Z: Hellschwadron is a project that was formed a few years ago spontaneously with the intent to create aggressive and catchy music. In the beginning it was just a collection of riffs and the whole thing was put aside for a while. One day we thought that we should take all the stuff and release it on CD, i.e. to finalize it with vocals, layout, lyrics, mastering etc. The debut album was released in summer 2016 on Mercenary Musik / Symbolic Art Productions – we are very happy with the outcome.

2.Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Z: It is very difficult to describe the music I would say. It contains elements of Thrash Metal, Death Metal and Black Metal. Also the vocals are quite varying. The overall feeling is catchy and has the “straight-in-your-face”-feeling, I would say. Most of the songs are straight forward and quite aggressive.

3.Your lyrics cover both World Wars, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

B: When we thought about putting a “theme” to this music, it seemed that War and especially these wars would fit us perfectly. Because these wars still connect to us in direct and indirect ways. Although they are modern wars they are now very nostalgic in our psyche. War is a function of the Human condition.

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

Z: As Hellschwadron is German/American project we thought that a word-play would fit best for the project’s name - and the name “Hellschwadron” fits in my opinion. It expresses the overall feeling of the music / the album quite nicely. Like a troop of bombers directly attacking you from above.

5.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?

Z: There are no plans to enhance the band with further members. We are quite happy with the current line-up. Less people also means less compromises and less influence from others. We can do what we want, when we want and are not dependent on others.

6. Both members live in different parts of the world, how does this work when it comes to the recording process.

Z: In the modern world it is not so difficult I would say. We both have our studios and it is easy to exchange files/ tracks and send them forth and back until the things fit. It is also easy to share demos / rough songs and then refine the things as we go along.





7.The album was released as a joint effort between 'Mercenary Musik' and 'Symbolic Art', can you tell us a little bit more about both of these labels?

B: Mercenary Musik is my label since 2001, it’s not really an active label anymore. But recently I hooked up with “Symbolic Art Productions” a new distribution entity and we decided to release the album in a jewelcase CD format. Nothing fancy and purposely simple.
The CD has a booklet with the lyrics and a great layout that was done by Z. I think nowadays all the new “Millennial” labels want to trot out their overally fancy releases, it’s all trickery.
There is too much emphasis on fancy packaging like Vinyl, cassette and digipack formats. Years ago it was something subversive and cool, but now it is mainstream and super trendy shit! Fuck all that, Hellschwadron is about the music

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

Z: As the album was only released recently, we did not get many reviews so far. However, what we received was quite positive. People who heard the album quite liked it. In the end we do not care too much anyway, because we make the music for ourselves. The most important thing is that we like it. However, we are honored if others like the sound too.

10.What is going on with your other band 'Battle Dagorath' these days?

B: We have 2 albums being released soon by Avantgarde Music. The albums are “I – Dark Dragons of the Cosmos” & “II – Frozen Light of Eternal Darkness”. The first will be released right after summer, then the 2nd will come some months later. Check them out please.

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

Z: At the moment there are no concrete plans for a 2nd album but I am sure that we will have another one, one day. The style won’t change. It will be in the same direction: Aggressive, catchy and straight forward.

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?

Z: I personally think that one gets influenced by anything around. We both grew up with the Black/Thrash/Death genre since many years – especially in the teenager years. These days I am listening to all and everything – if Metal-related, then more the old stuff. Old BM and old Death/Thrash Metal, then it is from the early days. I am not following all the newer bands/projects to be honest.

B: Nothing in this project was a result of any current music or current trends etc, we don’t really listen to any new “thrash” or “blackend thrash” bands. Hellschwadron is a very genuine and direct project. Nothing has been forced or over-analyzed. The result is a pure reflection of our past experiences growing up with Metal.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Z: Photography/Art/Video

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

Z: Enjoy “Storming Obliteration”!





Best regards,

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Whipstriker/Only Filth Will Prevail/GoatprayerRecords/2016 Cassette Review

  This  is a  review  of  another  album  from  Brazil's  Whipstriker  which  continues  the  black  metal,  heavy/speed  metal  and  crust  punk  mixture  of  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Only  Filth  Will  Prevail"  which  will  be  released  in  September  on  cassette  by  Goatprayer  Records.

  A  very  hard and  heavy sound  starts  off  the  album  and  brings  in  an  early 80's  thrash/speed  metal  style  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  that  have  more  of  a  first  wave  vibe  to  them  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  have a  very  heavy  Motorhead  influence  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount of  melody  at  times  while  some  of  the  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  30  years  ago  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  crust  punk,  d  beat  and  rock'n'roll  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of t he  songs  stick  to  a  very  hard  and  heavy  retro  style.

  Whipstriker  creates  another recording t hat  is  rooted  in  the  first  wave  black,  speed  and  heavy  metal  traditions  while also  mixing  in  elements  of  death  metal,  crust  and  rock'n'roll  to create  some  extreme  retro  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  war,  violence  and  Satanism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Whipstriker  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of black,  speed,  heavy  metal  and  crust,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satan's  Slave"  "Nuclear  Metal  Blood"  "Armless  Dance"  and  "Armageddon  Delight".  8  out  of  10.

 https://goatprayerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/only-filth-will-prevail

   

Sea Witch/Black Tremor/Sunmask/2016 Split LP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Nova  Scotis,  Canada's  Sea  Witch  and  Saskatchewan,  Canada's  Black Tremor  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Sunmask  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Sea  Witch  a  band  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  blackened  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a very dark  ambient  orientated  sound  and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  and  more  atmospheric  direction  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  and you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  doom  metal  elements  in  the  bands  musical  style  which  they  also  mix  in  with  some  atmospheric black  metal  influences  and  most  of  their  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  contain  no  vocals  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Sea  Witch  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  instrumental  blackened  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Green  Tide".

  Next  up  is  Black  Tremor  a  band  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  stoner  folk  doom.

  Their side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  clean  guitar  playing  along  with some  violins  a  few  seconds later  and  after  awhile the  add  in  drum  beats  and  bass  guitars  and  the  guitar  leads  bring  in  elements  of  post  metal  while  the  heavy  riffs  are  done  in  more  of  a  stoner  and  doom  metal fashion  and  both  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  and  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Tremor  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  stoner  folk/doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Hexus  Part  One".

  In  conclusion  i  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  doom  or  blackened  doom  metal.  8  out  of  10. 


http://seawitchdoom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/seawitchband
Contact: Seawitchofficial@gmail.com

https://blacktremor.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blacktremorband
Contact: blacktremorbooking@gmail.com

Destroying The Devoid Interview

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

Answer: Destroying The Devoid was just a project I started as a musical outlet to get out ideas that I couldn't normally in other projects past/present. As of now I am the only member. Some people might think it is a full band but as of now it's just me.

2.You have an album coming out in August, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

Answer: I would say the vibe of the music overall is very dark. The music stylistically changes from song to song but I think Paramnesia definitely has a cohesive sound. I would consider it progressive death metal. Because at the core it has the death metal influence but fluctuates throughout the album.

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

Answer: The lyrics tend to deal with humans and how we perceive our reality. It's definitely not from a spiritual/universal perspective. But more of how we deal with our day to day lives. The stress of getting caught up in just trying to survive or dealing with insecurities. Also beyond the dark veil I, II and III is sort of a mini concept that deals with death from different perspectives. From  dealing with the lost of a loved one, dying and transcending to the afterlife and then back to the first person and coming to terms with death.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Destroying The Devoid'?

Answer: To me it's about empowerment. The word devoid means empty or lacking of. We can all at times feel devoid of lots of things. Sometimes people feel they have nothing and just give up. Destroying The Devoid to me is taking a stand and doing something about it. We control our lives and have the power to create a better future for ourselves.

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, how would you compare it to working with a full band?

Answer: It has it's good and bad. When it's just me I have to be the one to say "is that good enough?" Also I'm writing everything. That was the biggest challenge with this record. Plus learning the art of recording, mixing, programming etc. But I really enjoyed all of it! It allowed me to really dive deep into these songs and see where I can take them.

6.The album is coming out on 'Unique Leader', are you happy with the support they have given you so far?

Answer: I'm very happy. I've been with 2 different bands on this label. I feel very fortunate that Erik Lindmark gave me the opportunity to release this on UL.

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

Answer: So far the feedback has been surprisingly good. It's still a very new project so I'm just trying to get the word out. Hopefully people who like the record help by just telling people about it.

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

Answer: Other then this I've been writing A LOT for the new Deeds of Flesh record. We're in the process of wrapping up the bulk of the writing. We recently got Darren Cesca on drums. This new album is gonna be the next level of Deeds of Flesh.

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

Answer: Musically I just want to have no rules. I love just getting inspired and going with it. I don't write music for anyone but myself. Definitely keeping it progressive and dark. I already have a concept and some music written for the next DTD album. I can't wait to start pre production on that!

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?

Answer: It varies. I am really into film score music. I have been a big Danny Elfman fan for years. Also Han Zimmer, Brian Tyler, Jonny Greenwood(There Will Be Blood) Also I really dig Author and Punisher. That guy is a one mans band who is really pushing music into the future. Also Steven Wilson, Ihsahn, Opeths newer/older albums, I'm a huge Dream Theater fan too. Also I really dig the Conquering Dystopia record that came out a while ago.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Answer: Although music pretty much consumes most of my time. A lot of people probably don't know this but I'm a big fan of billiards. Just like playing guitar it requires lots of technique and precision. Plus it's just a fun game to play!

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

Answer: I just wanna say thank you very much for the interview! Please check out the new album Paramnesia out August 19th on Unique Leader Records. Also check out my YouTube channel and other social media sites to keep up to date on all my current projects.

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Nerodia Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

- We're currently planning some gigs for the next season, been a bit late with the album release and had to do some fixings here and there, but we’re always on the run!

2.Recently you have released a new album, 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?

- Vanity Unfair sounds so various but yet more homogeneous than the past releases. We tried to address all our main influences and mix them while keeping a certain imprint. I mean, the album contains a lot of different songs but you can always tell it’s us, and we are totally satisfied with this! Stefano Morabito in his 16th Cellar Studios had its great part in this: he reached the goal of melting our sound in the right way so to keep all the variety and colors of it in the right way. A great work, we couldn’t expect any better!

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

- The main theme, as you can guess from the title, is vanity in all its forms and facets. It is not a concept album in the strict sense of the term but there is a thread running through the lyrics and the themes I wanted to deal with. All that is ephemeral seems to be so important now, and that worries me. Many people have lost sight of important values, getting lost in a sea of useless things; the use of social networks, for example, you can watch people who create a virtual reality of their lives, able to relate to other human beings only with a keyboard.

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

- Nerodia is a water snake, not poisonous, but insidious as all species of snakes. I like this concept, even that which does not seem to be lethal, it could be. Be careful...

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?

- Surely we remember with pleasure the show with Rotting Christ, Destruction, Master and Aura Noir, bands that we appreciate very much, as well as very nice guys, and some of them became friends of us. I personally have spent a couple of days with Mr. Paul Speckmann and I must say it's a wonderful person. On stage we are very direct and brutal, I mean: we just plug in and run over everything like a tank: no compromise!

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

- We're working on that with our label, we could definitely give you some news about it very soon.

7.The new album was released on 'Revalve Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?

- Of course we are. Revalve Records is a great label, made up of serious people that are in the metal scene since decades, and they're doing an excellent job. We are fully satisfied about our partnership with them.

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

- Feedbacks on the album are positive, as far as reviews are being released. Thrash metal is still alive! Despite this genre has undergone many changes over the years, the guys out there still appreciate this kind of music. Black Metal as well has lots fans around, and lots of them seem to love the way we mix these two main influences in the Nerodia sound.

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?

- Our drummer David is fully busy with his main band and epic pioneers Stormlord (and his 100s musical projects - he’s one of the best drummers around, everyone keeps asking for him), Marco is busy in writing the new doomish and gloomish Doomraiser stuff, and Ivan is playing around with his Ira del Baccano, a very nice instrumental project.

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

- Musically we can’t really tell: we just released an album that is so various we could literally get any stream of it and let it go. I can say we’re really enthusiast of some rock’n’roll/punk attitude that came out from the it, though.

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?

- Needless to say, black and thrash metal have been a main influence for this band. Mainly central and north European 80’s and 90’s acts, as it’s so evident from our music, but we also borrowed a lot of rawness from the punk and rock’n’roll scene (did anybody say Pussywitch 666?). Seriously, I listen a lot of music, not only Heavy Metal of course, so my influences mainly range from Hard Rock and Blues, to Black Metal and Thrash Metal. I am currently listening to the old masterpieces of the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynryd.

12.How would you describe your views on Satanism or Occultism?

- It 'a complex question. Currently I am not very interested in the practice of the occult sciences or, more specifically, of Satanism. I just think that they are subjects too abused and used very lightly. I think they are a vehicle to find themselves, and this is good, but too often lead to negative outlooks of the world.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

- Everyone of us has it’s own activities and interests, besides regular daytime work. Some are guitar and photoshop freaks, some have a crush on birds of prey, I personally like to spend my time with my wife and my family. I love traveling and discovering new worlds, new cultures. A few months ago, we went to Japan and we were excited about the experiences we had. Without going so far, we also love discovering new places near our city; luckily, Italy provides a lot from this point of view.

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

- We'd like to thank you for the space you have given to us and greet all your readers, which we hope to meet somewhere on tour. Always listen to good music!  

SwampCult/The Festival/Transcending Obscurity Records/2016 CD Review

  SwampCult  are  a  band  from the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Festival"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Nature  sounds  along  with  a  horror  movie  atmosphere  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  some  riffing  in  the  background  which  also  starts  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  the  spoken  word  parts  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  evil  laughter  can  also  be  heard  in  the  music  at  times.

  After  awhile  aggressive  vocals  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  first  wave  black  metal  while  second  wave  style  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  slower  riffs  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  doom  metal elements  which  they  mix  in  with  a  death  metal  heaviness  and  some of  the  tracks  are  very long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts getting  more  avant  garde  in  certain  sections  of  the recording  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  SwampCult  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  with  some  avant  garde  and  ritualistic  parts  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  H.P  Lovecraft's  story "The  Festival".

  In  my opinion  SwampCult  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  old  Man"  "Al  Azif  Necronomicon"  "The  Rite"  and  "The  Madness".  8  out  of  10.

https://swampcult.bandcamp.com/album/the-festival-lovecraftian-metal

Bewitcher/Self Titled/Divebomb Records/Diabolic Might Records/2016 CD Review

  Bewitcher  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2016  album  which  will  be  released  on  August  18thas  a  joint  effort  between Divebomb  and  Diabolic  Might  Records.

  Horror  movie  style  synths  start  off  the album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  more  of  an  old  school  speed/thrash  metal  direction  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  that  have  more  of  a  first  wave  feeling  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  While  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  it  still  sounds  very  modern  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  remain  true  to an  old  school  speed/heavy  metal  direction  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  and  on  some of  the  later  tracks  the  vocals  start  utilizing  a  little bit  of  melody  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  true  to  a  very  heavy  yet    retro  musical  style.

  Bewitcher  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  80's  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  speed  and  thrash  metal  while  also  updating  the  sound  for  modern  days,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Hedonism,  Witchcraft,  Satan  and  Metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bewitcher  are  a  very  great  sounding  retro  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bewitcher"  "Wild  Blasphemy"  "Harlots  Of  Hell"  and  "In  The  Night  (The  Cult  Will  Rise)".  8  out  of  10.

https://bewitcher.bandcamp.com/track/speed-til-you-bleed-2

Hellschwadron/Storming Obliteration/Mercenary Music/Symbolic Art/2016 CD Review

 Hellschwadron  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  both  Germany  and  the  United  States  which  also  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Storming  Obliteration"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Mercanary  Music  and  Symbolic  Art.

  A  very  hard  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  some  thrash  influenced  riffing  which  also  gives  the  music  an  80's  feeling  while  the  songs  still  have  a  modern  style  to  them  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  influences.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  traditional  metal  can  be  heard at  times  and  the  whole  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending of  the  recording.

  Hellschwadron  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  a  blackened  thrash  metal  direction  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  both  World  Wars.

  In  my  opinion  Hellschwadron  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  "This  is  War"  "Fury  Of  The  Enemy"  "Into  Fire"  and  "Final  Devastation".  8  out  of  10.

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