Ethir Anduin/Loneliness Of My Life/Symbol Of Domination Productions/More Hate Productions/2018 CD Review

  Ethir  Anduin  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Loneliness  Of  my  Life"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Symbol  Of  Domination  and  More  Hate  Productions.

   Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slow  riffs  are  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  black  metal  elements  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  some  synths  also  bringing  synths  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  added  onto  the  recording.

  Ethir  Anduin  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  doom  and  post  metal  while  keeping  most  of  the  music  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ethir  Anduin  and  if  you  are  a  fn  of  instrumental,  atmospheric  black,  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lethargy"  "Cold  Embrace  Of  Death"  and  "Meaningless  Existence".  8  out  of  10.

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Decay Interview

1.For those that have never heard of yo before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Hello, I'm Goat from DECAY. We started the band with my brother Ray (now in So What?! In 1996. After 2-3 years we broke up. Then in 2001 we makes a homemade demo (vortex of thoughts). Just one CD I have. Never was
released. After a period I started again without Rat, we started to play live too, for ex. with Negura Bunget, Coronet and many other bands.Finally we makes an ep with current lineup (Brand new nails) and now
prepare a fullenght album (THORN-MAN-THORN).

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does this differ from the demo you had released 14 years ago?
2. The vocal is same but the music is more different. It's still death metal but with more black and thrash metal riffs and great solos.

3.This is your first release in 14 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
3. Nothing special. Just I didn't have the musicians around me. Now I'm happy with these guys. I hope this lineup will remain the same in the future too.

4.The band was broken up for 5 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
4. Same answer 🙂

5.Some of your lyrics cover Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
5. I was always attracted about the dark and unholy things. And I try to mix my visions with reality. That's all, nothing special.

6.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
6. It's a perfect word for many thing. Ex. :this world, life, death, hate and many other thing what represent our life and death.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
7. It is full with nails what puncture the hand of christ. We can say,every new songs what we have on ep, is a brand new fucking nail for our nice christ :)))

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
8.With Negura Bunget and with Coroner was great to play on the same stage but the best gig was in this year with Gothic. Was a better sound. This gig u can find on you tube (Live decadence). Our live performance, u can
say boring :)))), because with don't use corpse paint and other funny thing. Just we go up and try to feel great on the stage while we play our songs.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
9. No. First of all we want record the full length album and after that if we will be invited we go everywhere.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10. Here in Romania was very shit the reactions but in Brazil, Mexico, USA, Iran and Japan was great.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11. I hope we can play on bigger festival in Europe.

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?
12. I listen to death, black and doom bands. Mostly the old bands. For me the nr. 1 is Deicide and Morbid Angel. We listen the same bands and genres.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?
13. Hip hop, rap no way. But the 80s pop bands I like.


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
14. Thanks for your interest. Hope we will see guys soon on a gig. Hail Satan motherfuckers! \,,/

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Karkosa/Harvest Of The Adept/Dark Horizon Records/2018 EP Review

    Karkosa  are  a band  from  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Harvest  Of  The  Adept"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Horizon  Records.

  Ritualistic  soundscpaes  and  whispers  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording    while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  chants  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into t he  background  briefly.

  Karkosa  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  modern,  dark and  brutal  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Karkosa  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sleep  Paralysis"  and  "Chambers  Of  Necromancy".  8  out  of  10.

https://karkosa.bandcamp.com/releases

  

Legion Of The Damned/Slaves Of The Shadow Realm/Napalm Records/2019 CD Review

  Netherlands's  Legion  Of  The  Damned  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Slaves  Of  The  Shadow  Realm"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Napalm  Records.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in a   decent  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Legion  Of  The  Damned  takes  their  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  into  more  of  a  modern  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  rage,  death,  war, occultism  and  anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Legion  Of  The  Damned  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Widows  Breed"  "Slaves  Of  The  Southern  Cross"  "Palace  of  Sin"  and  "Azazel's  Crown".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOtb-m9zi-g&feature=youtu.be

A Vintage Death/Acrid Death Fragrance/2018 EP Review

  A  Vintage  Death  is  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  ep  "Acrid  Death  Fragnance".

  Voices  van  be  heard  briefly  going  into  more  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  the  music.

  A  Vintage  Death  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  A  Vintage  Death  is  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  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "When  The  Spirit  Smell  His  Corpse"  and  "Acrid  Death  Fragrance".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: https://avintagedeath.bandcamp.com

YouTube: https://youtu.be/AM4TyZzMhXI

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

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7MiMLRoP6yI2gUAMZOlCGw?si=Qjgiw3h5QaCU5iSZI6dp_Q

Usurper/Skeletal Season/Dissonance/2019 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Usurper  which  continues  their  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1999  album  "Skeletal  Season"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  2019  by  Dissonance.

  Demonic  voices  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  influences  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in  more  of  a  Celtic  Frost/Hellhammer  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an old  school  style,  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  their  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  also  start  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  synths.

  On  this  recording  Usurper  remained  true  to  their  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Supernatural  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Usurper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shadowfiend" "Embrace  Of  The  Dead" and  "Wolflord".  8  out  of  10.

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Usurper/Threshold Of The Usurper/Dissonance/2019 EP Re-Issue Review

  Usurper  where  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  played  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1997  ep  "Threshold  Of  The  Usurper"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  2019  by  Dissonance.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount of  thrash,  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  influences  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  screams.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  Tom  G.  Warrior  influenced  vocals  are  also  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Mercyful  Fate's  "Black  Funeral  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  synths,  rain  and  thunder  sounds,  ritualistic  and  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard.

  Usurper  played  a  musical  style  that  took  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  and  mixed  it  with  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  death  and  supernatural  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Usurper  where  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  "Necrocult  Pt.  1  (The  Metal  War)"  and  "Threshold  Of  The Usurper".   8  out  of  10. 

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Maestus/Deliquesce/Code666/2019 CD Review

  Maestus  are  a  band  from  Portland,  Oregon  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Deliquesce"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Code666.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  slower  doom  metal  direction  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  and  melancholic  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean  singing  can  also  be  head  briefly.

  On  this  recording  Maestus  brings  in  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  melancholic  style  of  blackened  doom/death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  despair  and  romanticism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding recording  from  Maestus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Deliquesce"  and  "The  Impotence  Of  Hope".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/maestusdoom/

  

Decay/Brand New Nails/Loud Rage Music/2018 EP Review

  Decay  are  a  band  from  Romania  that  plays  a  blackened  form of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  'Brand  New  Nails"  which  was  released  by  Loud  Rage  Music.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  some  elements  of  thrash  and  heavy  metal  along  with  the  first  track  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  acoustic  guitars  also  being  used  briefly,  a  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  and  on  the  closing  track  blast  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Decay  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  dehumanization,  occultism and  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Decay  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  TRACK  "To  Survive  The  Time".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaUjqk6fbYg

  

Templar/Knights Of Nuclear Hell Decibelfucking The Charred Remains Of The Christ/2018 Demo Review

  Templar  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  demo  "Knights  Of  Nuclear  Hell Decibelfucking  The Charred  Remains  Of  The  Christ".

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  first  wave  black  metal  influences while  with  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  screams  which  also  add  in  some  semi  melodic  tones  at  times  and  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  roots  in  the  80's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  old  school  style  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  raw  aggression  of  punk  at  times  as  well  as  the  guitar  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  always  remains  very  heavy.

  Templar  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  metal,  war,  blasphemy  and  Templar  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Templar  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  "Decibel  Tyrant"  and  "renegade  Templar  Of  The  Radiating  Deserts".  8  out  of  10. 

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Letheria Interview

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

Letheria plays music of hate and death in the way that we see fit. It started as a melodic-metal. It turned from gothic doom to death metal, and from death to black metal again. Music is familiar, yet different. It focuses on the atmosphere and energy of the music and not on the sport of speed, or technical skill. It’s Metal

2. You have your first full length coming out in November, what are some of the things the band has done different with this recording that you where not able to do with your previous ep's?

Band was so used to do 4track recordings, so the first full length was a journey to discovery and experience. The knowhow has been present for many years. With new line-up we practiced songs like it just started in 1998, only with more songs. Everything had to be done in the very perfection like in the past of Letheria. In the early years we were experimenting with melodies, other instruments, and sounds. ‘Thornweed’ was very melodic. ‘Rancid & Profane’ was a solid death metal. ‘Self-destruction Overload’ was very harsh sounding and too much black metal. The first full length has the same ambition, passion and determination that the first Letheria demo had .it combines the bands history.

3.The band has been around for 20 years and while there has been a good amount of demos and es, you waited until 2018 to release your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait?

Letheria was in 1998 a band of teenagers. People have needs to grow. One wants to be a doctor, and one needs to be a scientists. And one has the need to do music. There was never a good opportunity do full length until now.  Also the music is very different to other bands alike. It’s not death metal or black metal. It’s also not death/black metal. So it has been very hard to sell this format to labels.

4.What are some of the lyrical topic and subjects the band explores with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

Destruction of mankind . Destruction of nature by mankind. The self-destruction of mankind. The wrath of God striking death and destruction upon mankind. The greed of Hell, sucking mankind into destruction. The false Shepard guiding mankind to the raging sea.
Compared to the past, the themes are more ‘mature’ now
The world around gives us the themes for the songs. We are lucky, that how disappointing human is. The stupidity of man is a never-ending stream to drink ideas from.

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

Lethe is a river where the dead drink their oblivion, and that place is Letheria. Drink to forget.

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

Destination. Faith gathers our history, and Death slices our throat. We can’t avoid it, but we can accept it.

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

Rare shows. All with great audience.

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

Planning yes, but nothing solid so far. The music is meant to be played live.

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

Impossible to say at this point. We hope our listeners listen to same stuff that we do. From classical rock to metal of death, black and doom etc.

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

We’re making new songs, and we head towards the end. Would be great to have some spare time and effort, to re-product-record or even re-compose and write some old songs of Letheria.  Same energy and inspiration is present, so there is no end to this path.

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?

There are bands like Metallica, Slayer, Sentenced and Dissection that you have listened so much, that it has grown to the spine. Like a cancer. Those influences come without notice.
Then there are bands that you can’t hear from the music, but the influences are there. Bands like Rotting Christ, Samael and Impaled Nazarene have had some impact in the bands history.
The bands now that we listen….There are many new bands to listen to, but very hard to pick something special. What the Label Saturnal Records is doing, is something worth to mention.


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

Follow no one, and create your own path. The lesser man will follow.

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Majestic Downfall/Waters Of Fate/Solitude Productions/Weird Truth Productions.2018 CD Review

  Majestic  Downfall  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  has  had  an  album  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Waters  Of  Fate"which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Solitude  and  Weird  Truth  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  slow  yet  heavy  doom  metal  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  very  melodic  style.

  Most  of the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  blast  beats  and  black  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  riffs  and  screams  and  as  the  albums  progresses  a  brief  use  of  atmospheric sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  and  one  track  is  all  instrumental  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Majestic  Downfall  remains  true  to  their  melodic  style  of  doom/death  metal  while  still  having  some  elements  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  human  disgust  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  From  Majestic  Downfall  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  melodic  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Veins"  and  "Collapse  Pitch  black".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTj8SXlUSAQ

    

Cerberon/Self Titled/2018 EP Review

  Cerberon  are  a  band  from  Scotland  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  and  self  titled  2018  ep.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep while  the  riffs  also  add  in  elements  of  90's  era  groove  and  industrial  metal  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  a  mixture  of  growls  and  black  metal  screams  as  well as  some  back  up  gang  shouts  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  more  of  an  old  school  groove  metal  style  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  when t he  music  speeds  up  and  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  mid  tempo  direction  and  clean  playing  is  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Cerberon  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  90's  groove  metal  style  while  also  adding  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  death  metal  to  create  their  own  style  of  blackened  heavy  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cerberon  are  a  very  decent  sounding  blackened  heavy  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  different,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stroggified"  and  "Blood  On  The  Mountain".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/descentintocerberon/  

Musmahhu/Reign Of The Odious/Iron Bonehead Productions/2019 CD Review

  Musmahhu  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Reign  Of  The  Odious"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  brutal  musical  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in a  very  melodic  yet  chaotic  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  the  music  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard.

  Musmahhu  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  was  established  on  the  previous  release,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  horror,  apocalyptic  and  blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Musmahhu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Apocalyptic  Brigade  Of  the  Forbidden"  "Reign  of  The  Odious"  and  "Thirsting  For  Life's  Terminus".  8  out  of  10.

http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/musmahhu-musmahhu-rise/s-zUw0s     

Aempyrean Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
BR: Greetings. We're an extreme metal band from Bangalore, India. Formed in 2015, we recorded our debut EP "Fireborn" in 2016-17, got signed by Cyclopean Eye Productions in 2017 and put out the title track as a single in March 2018. The lineup that recorded this EP is Avi S (drums), Ajay N (bass), Clinton S & Sailesh K (guitars) and BR (vocals).

2.So far you have released an EP and single, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on these recordings?
BR: Some of our main influences are Morbid Angel (early), Sarcofago, Possessed, Necrovore, Angelcorpse, Morbid Scream, Absu, Destroyer 666, etc. This served as a good reference for us when we started out, but we had our own takes and idiosyncrasies while writing this music that we put to good use. We just wanted to write and record the most hateful music we could while keeping the old traditions alive - a focus on riffs and a decent degree of musicianship to translate our thoughts to music.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
BR: The lyrical topics include war, violence, death worship, the occult, a need to break the barriers of human weaknesses to truly achieve greatness and a whole lot more.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aempyrean'?
BR: "Aempyrean" is just an alternative spelling for the word "empyrean" - a realm of fire that is supposedly the highest level of a celestial body. The name of the band, what we titled our record and everything within it ties back to simply this: it's supposed to represent who we are and what we aspire to be - ruthless in our pursuit to achieve what we set out to and leave behind the "clayborn" decay.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the EP cover?
BR: The cover art was designed by Sang Moon (Vhan Artworks, Thy Sepulchral Moon, Shadows of Black Candlelight, etc.), an extremely talented and intuitive artist who's also an accomplished purveyor of vicious black/death himself. The artwork depicts wolf-faced humanoids slaughtering humans while leaving their structures and establishments in ruins.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
BR: We've only played a handful of gigs so far in our hometown and have had well-received performances sharing stage with some of the best bands in India like Kryptos (heavy metal) and Dying Embrace (death/doom metal). However, our best live performance was opening for Sri Lankan black/death warlords Genocide Shrines in 2017. As far as describing our performances, we go onstage with murder on our minds and just deliver absolute furious black/death/thrash.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
BR: We do plan to play live and tour in future if the right opportunities are presented and it makes sense for the band.

8.On the EP, you had also done a cover of Morbid Angel's "Chapel Of Ghouls', what was the decision behind doing your own version of this song?
BR: Call them what you will today (and much of the negative reaction from the die-hards is very deserved), but Morbid Angel from 1986-1993 were untouchable. There were few extreme bands that even came close to sounding as ferocious and demented as they did, and even fewer who sounded that genuinely evil. Obviously, Altars of Madness is a hugely influential record and we were jamming Chapel of Ghouls during practice. When it came to planning our EP, we decided to commit our tribute to Morbid Angel on record. It doesn't differ much from the original as we tried to stay faithful to the old sound.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and thrash metal?
BR: Only a few have actually got their hands on this record outside of our country, and the official worldwide release is 1st December (which is still a few weeks away). But thus far, the reaction from maniacs, who genuinely are into this extreme art form, has been very positive.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
BR: We commence writing soon and intend to be back in the studio mid next year to record a full length. I just expect our music to get heavier and more twisted in the future. We have a new addition to the line-up that we'll be announcing later.

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?
BR: I've mentioned some of our collective influences earlier. However, there's a lot of individual influences that sometimes creep into the music and we run with it if it makes sense. For example, everyone in the band are huge fans of classic rock and metal. Our drummer (Avi S) is an accomplished percussionist who has a background in prog, jazz and Indian folk and classical music in addition to metal, and our bassist (Ajay N) is a very well-rounded musician with varied tastes.
Some of the bands I'm listening to lately, in addition to the usual classics, are Infernal Execrator, Weregoat, Tetragrammacide, Spectral Voice, Tomb Mold, the Chthe'ilist EP, Mournful Congregation, Ritualization, the new Portal, Desolation Realm, etc.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
BR: "Fireborn" releases worldwide on 05th December via our label Cyclopean Eye Productions. Reject the pretenders, denounce the herd and crush the pious. Thanks for your time and support. Hail!

ORDER "FIREBORN":
https://cyclopeaneyeproductions.bandcamp.com/album/fireborn-black-death-metal
OR EMAIL at: mail@cyclopeaneye.com

MORE INFO:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/aempyreanin
https://www.facebook.com/cyclopeaneye
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbWJooSKCjxypGAEsa7Qjhg    

The Order Of Apollyon/Moriah/Agonia Records/2018 CD Review

  The  Order  Of  Apollyon  are  a  band  with  members  from t he  United  Kingdom  and  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Moriah"  which  was  released  by  Agonia  Records.

  Acoustic  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  in  the  tremolo  picking  riffs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  synths  and  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard.

  The  Order  Of  Apollyon  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  blackened  death  metal  style  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spirituality  and  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  The  Order  of  Apollyon  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Lies  Of  Moriah"  "The  Original  Cries  Of  Jerusalem"  and  "A  Monumnet".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/SlUa3diHOhI
https://youtu.be/JqxyBgJzaeA 

Noctambulist/Atmospheres of Desolation/Blood Harvest Records/Helter Skelter Productions/2019 CD Review

  Noctambulist  are  a  band  from  Denver,  Colorado  that  plays  an  atmospheric  and  dissonant  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Atmospheres  Of  Desolation"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  as  a  joint  effort  between  Helter  Skelter  Productions  and  Regain  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  angry  screams  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  a  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  structures  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  some  elements  of  black  metal  in  the  tracks  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  atmosphere.

  Noctambulist  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  dissonant  sounding  while  also  being  very  brutal  at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Noctambulist  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  dissonant  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Abnegation"  and  "Habitual  Falsehood".  8  out  of  10.

https://helterskelterproductions.bandcamp.com/album/atmosphere-of-desolation

Automatisme/Thisquietarmy/Station/Liberation Through Hearing/2018 EP Review

  This   is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  between  Canada's  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  called  "Station"  which  will  be  released  on  December  13th  by  Liberation  Through  Hearing  and  they  also  mix  electronic,  ambient,  experimental,  drone,  black  and  doom  metal  together.

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  some  avant  garde  and  electronic  music  elements  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  as  well  as  some  experimental,  noise  and  ambient  elements  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  drones  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  but  not  in  a  traditional  way  while  atmospheric  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  some  black  and  doom  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  team  up  together  to  create  a  recording  that  mixes  experimental,  electronic  music,  ambient,  drone  together  with a  touch  of  metal  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  from  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  electronic,  experimental,  ambient,  drone  and  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAtcMvHs8J4&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR29fGUMA825VAXRx1x5B0Xoq4zuhMvRAR_JFwelhrhW43bL_dQQ4potGbA