Epitaphe/I/Aesthetic Death/2019 CD Review

  Epitaphe  are  a  band  from  France  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  funeral  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "I"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Aesthetic  Death.

  Dark  souundscapes  and  drones  start  off  the  album  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.   Distorted  amp  noise  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  heavier  funeral  doom  metal  direction  and  grim  black  metal  screams  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  demonic  sounding  death  metal  growls.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  one  of  the  tracks

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  more  of  a  cavernous  death  metal  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  has a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  but  done  in  a  more  modern  style.  Synths  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  acoustic  instrumental  is  added  onto the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  following  tracks.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  negativity,  darkness,  despair  and  a  reflection  about death  and  the  futility  of  our  doomed  existences.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Epitaphe  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  funeral  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Embers"  and  "Downward  Stream".  8/5 out  of  10.

https://epitaphe.bandcamp.com/     

Crush The Altar/Abhorrent Oblation/Redefining Darkness Records/2019 EP Review

  Crush  The  Altar  are  a  band  from  New  Jersey  that  plays  a  mixture  of  blackened  thrash  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Abhorrent  Oblation"  which  will  be  released  on  June  21st  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  thrash  influenced  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  mid  80's  style  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  music  also  has  a  lot  of  90's  influences.

  Elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  remain true  to  an  old  school  death  metal  style. A  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  music  sticking  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  style  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

  Crush  The  Altar  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  mid  80's  and  early  90's  styles  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Crush  The  Altar  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  blackened  thrash  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Demonizing  the  Ancient  Lore'.  8  out  of  10.

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Evil Angel/Unholy Evil Metal/Hells Headbangers/2019 CD Review

  Evil  Angel  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Unholy  Evil  Metal"  which  will  be  released  on  May  31st  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  thrash  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  groups  and  the  music  also  takes  influences  from  both  the  first  and  second  wave  eras  of t he  genre.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  to  an  old  school  style  of  extreme  metal  and  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  early  90's  it  still  captures  a  modern  day  brutality.  A  touch  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  aggressive  direction. The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Rituals,  Necromancy,  Apocalyptic  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Evil  Angel  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  "Necro  Black  Mass"  "Nuclear  Hammer"  "Bestial  Necromancer"  and  "Ritual  Sacrifice".  8/5  out  of  10.

 http://evilangel.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-evil-metal   

Ares Kingdom/By The Light Of Their Destruction/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2019 CD Review

  Ares  Kingdom  are  a  band  from  Kansas  City,  Missouri  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019 album  "By  The  Light  Of  Their  Destruction"  which  was  released  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  War  orientated  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  bring  in  more  of  a  mid  80's  death/thrash  metal  style.

  Black  metal  screams  and death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  and  while  the  songs  are  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  it  still captures  a  modern  day  brutality.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  chaotic  and  old  school  extreme  metal  style.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  the  music  always  sticks  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Warfare,  History,  Ancient  Gods  and  Their  Myths  And  Symbols.

  In  my  opinion  Ares  Kingdom  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Thy  Hydra  Void"  "Eighteen  Degrees  Beneath"  and  "Tails  Chimera  Est".  8  out  of  10.

 http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/by-the-light-of-their-destruction   

Crestfallen Queen Interview

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

E: We’re five queens from Stuttgart in Southern Germany and play Blackened Doom Rock. A: We first got together in early 2016 to create something new.
K : Something that is challenging and without compromise

2.In May you have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous demo?

A: I think it is more detailed and has more depth to it, compared to the songs that we released on our demo. It took us quite a while to figure out, what the idea behind our first album should be. Once we had a story to it, we kept writing and adding little pieces to the songs that would fit to the whole idea.
K: It also differs in the production. The demo was recorded 100% analogue to cassette,which in itself was a concept.For the LP we returned to the same studio with the same producer ( Ralv Milberg) but this time to take full advantage of the facilities that he has to offer.Thus taking the music to the next level.

3.Some of your lyrics cover ancient mythologies and philosophies, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

E : Since I was a child I was always  interested in mystical stories and existential questions (Okay as a child it’s more like “Why can’t i watch TV, mom? Explain yourself”). Also I was super in strong female figures. Loved to read books as a child about Ancient Egypt and was totally mesmerized by Nefertiti and Cleopatra. I Also loved Xena the Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV. Later I studied Philosophy and Literature and dived deeper into a world of Greek and Roman philosophy and history and felt in love with Ovid, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the whole old world stuff. The only thing that always disturbed me: It was just men speculating on meaning of life and all human belongings. Where the fuck were the females? Mostly everything was about great men doing great things like Odysseus and all the big boys. Women were just attachments, evil – or the reason for a war. Like Helen. So I started to seek for the interesting female characters…and found the Crestfallen Queens...

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with the music so far?

E: Our concept is to tell “herstory” not history. Each song is an homage to all the crestfallen queens in human history and their struggle with life and death and existence itself. We tell their stories to bring them back to general awareness. By doing so it becomes apparent that the struggles of these women were not unlike the issues modern people have: loss, anxienties, drugs, existential crisis, love, human abysses, empowerment and death. Let’s take “Queen of Swords” for example: There is a marble relief in the British Museum commemorating the release from service of two female gladiators, Amazon and Achillia. Until the relief was founded no one thought of women fighting in ancient arenas. How crazy is that? Fighting women were so “twisted” to society that they were erasured from human history – except this single relief. So the song is about two female gladiatrices fighting in an Roman arena. Normally one gladiator kills the other. Or they could beg for mercy. But the special thing here with Amazon and Achillia is that in this darkest moment of surrender (by putting the helmet on the ground) the other one also dropped her helmet to set an example: By doing so she’d shown solidarity with the weaker one – no matter if that meant death for both. So it is a song about female solidarity in unhuman times of misogyny and cruelty.




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

A: With Crestfallen Queen, we tell long forgotten or even non-told stories about crestfallen queens that suffered a tragic fate during their lifetime. Our idea is, to give them another chance to speak up and tell “herstory” through us.

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

E: "Queen of Swords" is full of passion and devotion, which is impressively underlined by the hand-drawn cover artwork of the Peruvian artist Jose Gabriel Alegría Sabogal. We were fans of his work long before doing the album and decided to ask him to do our artwork because his work fits perfect to our lyrics and band concept. It’s full of iconographic hints and speaks through them. Every little sign has its own meaning. Nothing is left to chance here. But we refuse to explain everything. The artwork speaks for itself and is a visual interpretation of the world we created in our music.

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

A: Up to now, we’ve  played 5 shows. Each time we try different set/show elements to see what works best, putting our music in the right spot.

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

A: Other than our upcoming release show on May 25th we have one in Rostock and one in Berlin. Both at the end of September. There is definitely one more to come in 2019...and it will be in Stuttgart.



9.The new album is coming out on 'The Church Within Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

A: We are really happy that Oli helped us to release our first LP. It is important for us, to be able to reach the right people with our music. Therefore, Oli is the right guy to make that happen.


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, doom, heavy and progressive metal?

A: we were quite surprised that our demo tape sold that well. out of that, we assume that people like our music, which always feels great.



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


A: Big thanks to everyone supporting us!

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Vitriol Interview

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

We’re a duo musical entity spawned from the gutters of Nürnberg, Germany. The band was formed with the urge to project individual personal and artistic ideas to a certain kind of music. In the beginning Vitriol experimented with different lineups to form a full band. However our efforts in that regard came to no avail yet resulted in the recording and release of our 2016 demo record.

2.You have a new ep coming out in April, musically how does it differ from your previous demo?

Our current EP ‘Chrysalis’ should be released by now. It contains two songs with a total playing time of over 20 minutes. It’s very different in many aspects compared to our first demo. The demo was a huge learning process for us, which helped us to figure so many things out, musically, productions-wise, composition-wise, artistically. The music and riffs on the demo were to some degree pre-Vitriol stuff and mostly written by only one of us, whereas we were both equally involved with the creative process that ultimately led to the recording of our second musical output. It reflects both of our visions and influences yet draws heavily from the experience we gained from the demo writing and recording process. I´d consider the record a much more versatile and experimental continuation of the foundations we built with our demo record – striving for improvement in every aspect.

3.You refer to your music as being 'cryptic metal carnage', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

In the first place it wasn´t much more than a cool-sounding catchphrase we printed on a few flyers to promote our demo record but I suppose it kinda sticked with us, albeit unintentionally. The ‘cryptic’ should reflect our intention to produce music which is not accessible from the very first listen, demanding effort from the listener. And the ‘carnage’ reflects the rough, dirty edge of the music...That was sort of our reasoning back then. However, I wouldn’t put too much brain efforts into this whole moniker.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored on both of the releases?

Considering the bedlam writing process it´s difficult even for me to determine which influences guide me to pen down such lyrics. Words often come flowing free to me from nowhere by “listening” to the songs inside my head, others are distilled from the mind by force. So far I´d say subjects covered are a weird conglomerate of Philosophy, Natural Sciences, Zen Buddhism, Mythology.. Is there a message? Possibly. You decide.

5.I know that the band was named after an archaic name for a sulfate which is also used in the alchemy and occult arts, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in occultism?

The history of the category of Vitriols has a certain dualism which reflects the dualism of our band and also of our lyrical topics pretty well. Pondering the moniker now, associations of a perennial quest for reunification, a constant search for purification immediately rise inside my head. A journey that will probably never meet its end, an embracing of death, hardship and decay, a celebration of life in all its facets and its transformative nature. That being said, albeit pondering such concepts might be an interesting exercise our interest in the occult or engagement in literal practices gravitates toward zero.

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

The cover artwork was done entirely by ourselves, which proved as a perfect opportunity to present our music visually as close to our concepts as possible. The process was quite time-consuming, not least because neither of us is a visual artist or graphic designer – which makes our satisfaction with the result even greater.

7.Currently there is only 2 members in the band are you open to expanding the line up or do you chose to remain a duo?

Currently there are no plans to extend the band.

8.So far the band has worked with 'Hellthrasher' and Iron Bonehead Productions on the releases, do you feel both labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

Hellthrasher provided us a great opportunity to release our demo on CD and to give this release a different visual outfit compared to the tape release which was done by ourselves.
The work with Iron Bonehead is extremely pleasant and professional. We are very thankful that Patrick is providing us the opportunity to release our abhorrent visions on CD and Vinyl in an amazing quality.

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

We literally sold copies of the demo to almost every continent, which suggests that we hit some nerve on that.
The EP hasn’t been released that long ago but our impression is it was received pretty well. Anyway, reviews or ratings are interesting to see what our music is triggering in other persons minds but is nothing that would ever affect what or how we do things.

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

There are no plans to be spoken about yet but there is still plenty of musical and lyrical topics Vitriol has to discover. Since its inception the band has been subject to constant metamorphosis in every aspect, a process we don´t always seem to have full control over ourselves. Despite the fact that we´re currently living in different european countries we´re already looking forward to recording new music, even though the distance will force us to change our approach towards pretty much all creative matters.

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?

Both releases have some specific influences here and there but being mostly rooted in Death Metal. However, we always try to let the different influences not to become too strong and put different musical sources of inspiration into it too. Besides of the Black and Death Metal of the last few decades we don’t limit ourselves in terms of different musical genres. When writing the EP we were especially listening to a lot of 50thies and 60thies Jazz and some modern interpretations.

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

Thanks for the interview. New releases will come your way, sooner or later, so stay tuned.

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Intothecrypt/Vakor/Ordo MCM/2019 CD Review

  Intothecrypt  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom,  death  metal  and  Northern  folk  music  with  a  musical  style  they  call 'pagan  shaman  metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Vakor"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Ordo  MCM.

  Folk  instruments  start  off  the album  and  they  also  mix  in  with  a  lot  of  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Death  metal growls  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  being  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  nature  sounds  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  great  amount  of  90's musical  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  also  keeping  it  very  modern  at  the  same  time.  Some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  female  vocals  as  well  as  the  solos and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.

  Melodic  shamanistic  chanting  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling.  When  clean  male  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  more  of  a  pagan  metal  touch  to  the  songs  they  are  included  on,  as  the  album  progresses  whispered  vocals  and  keyboards  are  also  added  onto  the  recording. The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  Shamanism,  Slavic  and  Finno-Ugric  Paganism  and  Mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Intothecrypt  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  pagan,  folk,  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Si  Mas  Ver  -  This  Is  My  Place"  "Yavi  Sya,  Merek" "Dolne  Videnie"  and  "The  Incorporeal  Navya".  8  out  of  10.

http://ordomcm.bandcamp.com/track/leti-voy-nash     

Concilivm/The Veiled Engima/Dawning Septic Productions/2019 EP Review

  Concilivm  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "The  Veiled  Engima"  which  will  be  released  on  May  31st  by  Dawning  Septic  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  brief  use  of  chants  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  A  great  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while t he  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  yet  cavernous  death  metal  growls.  A  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  used  in  some  part  of  the  music  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  also  being  influenced  by  the  previous  mentioned  genre  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Coccilivm  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  "Dark  Zenith"  and  "Ars  Magna".  8  out  of  10.

http://dawningseptic.storenvy. com/collections/1685949- dawning-septic-releases/ products/26786145-concilivm- the-veiled-enigma 

Hellish Grave Interview

The answers are from Speed Demon (Drums) and Angelcörpse (Vocals)

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


Speed Demon: Yes, of course. We’ve been rehearsing and playing live in some underground venues here in Brasil. We also already doing one or another new song for a future release.


2.You have a new album coming out in May, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?


Speed Demon: Well, I think that there is a lot of things that are part of our nature, that is part of our essence and is a continuity in some way, like the heavy metal mix with black metal. I think that what broken and differs from past release are the more mature production, refreshing mix on the heavy metal/black metal mix, giving some classic metal touches to it, in the veins of Iron Maiden, Judas Pirest and Mercyful Fate.


3.According to the facebook page you refer to your music as being 'Ancient demonic metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?


Angelcörpse: Well, it's just a denomination we put on the page (not seriously) referring to the roots of Death / Black metal that disseminate in the 80's, and all bands that used themes related to satanism and occultism in general, in which they became important references for the bands that appeared later using this obscure artistic theme.


4.Some of your lyrics cover occult and blasphemous topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?


Angelcörpse: Since I started to write, I always have certain obsession about this specific lyric themes. Nowadays, we are boarding the occultism more seriously, based on some things we read or about dark and insane feelings hidden in society. We have some songs that portray the horror in classical literature, from consecrated names like Bram Stoker, Frank De Felitta and H.P. Lovecraft. From the new album, we have “Lust For Youth”, based on Oscar Wilde’s Novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and in “Hell No Longer Waits” the lyrics is based on the Golgotha Falls by Frank De Felitta.


5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the music?


Angelcörpse: We have some songs that board the “headbanger pride” on the lyrics. On the debut album, “(We Are) Hellish Dogs” is about the metalhead union force represented by that each one defend and believe, anyway, the same cause that keep tha flames of this insane music alive in nowadays.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hellish Grave'?


Angelcörpse: When we talked about the name on the beginning, we wanted something "sepulchral", referring to the old school music and morbid metal roots. Hellish Grave is about something weird / supernatural that will arise from the grave, this is the message in the artistic concept.


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


Speed Demon: It was done by Fernando JFL, an great artist here in Brasil, and we think that he captured the whole idea of what we wanted, that was an oldschool, simple and plain art that synthesizes our essence. Not much digital touches, but an art itself, with an priest falling from a church tower, with an classic “grim reaper” apparition on it, the real ones will get the reference.

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?


Speed Demon: Some of our major experiences where in some far away from our houses shows. We played recently with one of our major influence, Bulldozer in Guaru Metal Fest, and that was an great show for us. Also we played with Nocturnal (great guys, cheers!) in Brasília, Capital of Brasil, among with another friends of Mortage, and some others. We also played this year an great show at Pomerode / SC, that was recorded sound and image, that we may use at some point. This was an great show with friends of Necrogosto (cheers), Creptum and Amem Corner.


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


Speed Demon: We are currently planning an intense show schedule after the release to promote the album. Soon we will be releasing that dates. Till now, only dates in Brasil.


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to the newer music by fans of black and speed metal?


Speed Demon: Well, in a worldwide level is a little complicated to state. We got a hell lot of support, and we thank so much all of our supporters out there! Here in Brasil we can talk a little more, because we live it. The support and reception had been great!! People always ask from copy of the new álbum (that is not released yet!). We hope everyone hear and feel the same energy as us producing the record and somehow link with the sound, that is totally made by heavy metal maniacs for heavy metal maniacs.


11.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?


Speed Demon: Well, they are still rolling on. In some shows some members play in two bands haha. Cost effective!


Angelcörpse: Actually, I have a thrash/speed metal project with a guy that played guitars in Cemiterio and Infected on the past. We already recorded and mastered our first album that will release probably on this year!



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


Speed Demon: Into some more morbid and obscure sound, as the master command. Also, we are focused in some even more mature production and execution of the song by us.


13.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?


Speed Demon: We are 100% inspired by the real heavy metal, total underground worship. We are heavly influenced by Vulcano, Sepultura, Sarcofago, Dorsal Atlantica, Possessed, Motorhead and Iron Maiden. We are actually listening to a lot of stuff nowadays. Each one of the members has an personal listening. As what come to myself, (speeddemon) Im listening to a lot of obscure NWOBHM acts of the 70’s and 80’s (like Traitors Gate, Saracen, Ritual, Desolation Angels, etc), also some prog from 70’s as Rush and Genesis. I am into the newer Possessed álbum, that is totally killer, and some brasilian bands as Necrogosto, Profundezas, Vazio, Murdeath, Atlantis, Amurians, Harpago and Açoite (hehe).


Angelcörpse: In the beginning our main influences come from Venom, Hellhammer / Celtic Frost, Possessed and Sarcofago. I personally inspired in the great master King Diamond on the stages. As the others important frontman like Bobby Liebling (from Pentragram), Dead (from Mayhem), and Angel (from Vulcano). I always listen the good death metal old school bands (one of my many favourite subgenres) from any part of the world, and traditional heavy metal bands too. Some of doom metal bands like Black Sabbath masters, Candlemass, Witchfinder General and Cathedral they are always destroying my ears too!


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


Speed Demon: We like to thank you so much for the questions and opportunity! Also, Thank you so much for everyone reading this and that support us in some way! Stay Morbid 666


Angelcörpse: Thanks a lot for the interview as the important opportunity, we hope to be able to play and bring our macabre songs around the world in the not so distant future. Till there, keep your minds insane and true!

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In Hell Interview

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


Fab Darkhell:

Hi and thank you for this interview. IN HELL is a band of extreme Black Death Metal from the north of France that I created at the end of 2013. It is composed of James Spar on vocals, Cédric Van Gele on bass, Gus on drums and Olivier Dentreuil and me even to guitars. We released a first Ep Hostis Ecclesiae in January 2015, which we reissued in November 2017. In January 2019 we released our first Lp Satanica Mundi at Mystyk Prod and distributed by Season of Mist.

2.In January, you released your first feature film, how is it different from the ep you released in 2015?


Fab Darkhell:

The Ep of 2015 had been recorded each at home, which is why we reissued it for a studio version and totally self-production. The Ep has a more black side than death with for example the title Call Of The Beast. For the album Satanica mundi, we have privileged the Black / Death titles by trying to highlight these two styles of metal and also accentuate the extreme on texts more denunciator and hard. For recording, we have always done self-production, except that we entrusted the mastering to Mickaël Bassignana of Omega Sound Studio.

3. This is your first publication since 2015, can you tell us a little more about what happened during this period?


Fab Darkhell:

As I mentioned before, we decided after a bad experience with a re-released label Ep Hostis Ecclesiae because we wanted to give it a better quality and also be able to offer it to fans during our concerts. Donations between 2015 and 2019 we worked on this reissue, the concerts, the recording of the album and for my part the composition of the next album.

4. Many of your lyrics cover satanic and blasphemous themes, can you tell us a little about your interest in Satanism?


Fab Darkhell:

So you have to know that IN HELL is more a vision of the world and the ability of man to destroy everything and manipulate the minds of the weak with these three monotheistic religions. All our texts are directed to the religious authorities of these three religions to make it clear to those who listen to us that evil is them and that hell is beautiful and good on earth and not elsewhere. The satanic side is our way of identifying those religions that rot our planet with thousands of years, murders, wars, rapes, manipulations, power and all that for a god .......

5.You also have lyrics that go into other areas of occultism such as Kaballah and The Knights Templar, how would you describe your interest in other forms of esotericism?


Fab Darkhell:

Indeed, James has worked extensively on the writing of texts and has learned a lot about books that deal with these topics. He especially wanted to bring more darkness by denouncing historical facts not glorious concerning religions.

6. What is the meaning and inspiration of the name "In Hell"?


Fab Darkhell:

IN HELL, is our way of saying that man and through religions are responsible for all this hatred that exists. They created a hell on earth by manipulating the minds and making believe that a paradise exists, not hesitating to use the worst abuse they could imagine to control and subdue the people. For IN HELL, religions are the worst and most dangerous on earth.

7. Can you tell us a bit more about the works on the cover of the album?


Fab Darkhell:

For the cover of the Cd, we worked with Vincent Law of BEAST CREATION who exactly reproduced what we are looking for to illustrate this cover and the result is more than satisfactory. We are very proud of it. Sure, the satanic side is well represented and directly announces the content but as the name of the album indicates, welcome in a satanic world ... "SATANICA MUNDI"



8.What are the best shows the band has played over the years and how would you describe your performance on stage?


Fab Darkhell:

I still can not speak about the best of the stage because even though we are starting to have some dates on our timers, we have often changed line up which required a lot of work on the set-up at each stage. change of musician. Today the line up has been stable for some time and we have found a real harmony between each member. So if I had to give my best memories of concerts with IN HELL, I would say the last three because it is with this version of the band that IN HELL gives all the violence that we want to bring out on stage ...

9. Do you have tour or show plans for 2019?


Fab Darkhell:

Yes we have already made three dates for the moment and others are scheduled in July and August plus one or two dates to be confirmed. For the future, we will focus on more suitable dates such as festivals, actually on a tour and why not on the first parts of beautiful headliners.

10.The new album is out on 'Mystik Prod', can you tell us a little more about this label?


Fab Darkhell:

It is a young label that was created in early 2018 by enthusiasts but also musicians to just give the chance to groups such as us. Today MYSTYK PROD has in its ranks the groups EQUINOX, DIRTYPROTEST, SCARLEAN, NOTHEIST, AKIAVEL, IN HELL and other very good that will arrive soon. They do a remarkable job and are 200 percent behind their groups.

11.Over the world, what was the reaction of black and death metal fans to your music?


Fab Darkhell:

Thanks to our first Ep HOSTIS ECCLESIAE which has been sold 300 copies in Europe and downloaded more than 600 times worldwide, but also more than 250 copis sold from the reissue. We were even surprised at such a craze for a first Ep. Then the arrival of MYSTYK PROD has obviously changed the situation for us because the album is distributed by SEASON OF MIST which is a big plus to have the visibility in other countries without forgetting the big work of promoting the label. So we received very good reviews with chronicles very well noted in different European countries but also other countries in the world on the Ep and the album and we are very happy.

12. Where do you see the band moving musically in the future?


Fab Darkhell:

Our goal is to professionalize as much as possible, which we have already started to do without necessarily burning stages because a group must obligatorily go through certain levels that must not be forgotten. We prefer to advance slowly without rushing. So we are going for the next album working with a professional studio to give a real quality of sound to our music while keeping the self-production side since we have our own recording studio with our bassist Cedric, the CEDBASSAUDIO. The purpose of all this and to see us propose quality events and why not be present on major festivals in Europe.

13.What are the bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and what are you currently listening to?


Fab Darkhell:

My influences come mainly from death, black and Thrash with a strong attraction for the extreme Polish scene. So groups like Behemoth and Vader are for me references. Regarding my listenings of the moment I would say, DunkelNacht who just released a fantastic album. Otherwise I listen to a little of everything that comes out in novelty and then of course, the classics Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Belphegor, Dark Funeral of which I am a fan ...


14.Before concluding this interview, do you have any last words or thoughts?


Fab Darkhell:

A big thank you to your ezine, to your readers and to all those who follow us, listen to us, come to see us in concert. We all need you to continue to live the French scene but also foreign. 🤘🤘🤘

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Noctambulant Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.- ok, first of all thanks for your time. Noctambulant was formed at the 2003 year with Haggeman XII (drums), Cochon (Bass), and Oscar Alcala (guitar & voice), a few months i joined the band (Arturo Belial) on guitar & voice. We record a first demo, "demo 2005" with only 5 tracks and spread a few copies, Oscar leave the band and the rest we decided continued with this dark art. At the 2007 year we enter a home studio to record a second work "Dominio Infernal", all of this with a dark influences about darkness, blasphemies and satanism. Now at the past 2015 we spread "Legions Of Hell" EP independent. Most brutal and blasphemous tracks and one cover song  from the almighty Judas Priest (Breaking The Law).


2.You had released 2 demo's and an ep, musically how do they differ from each other?
2.- Well, initially our music have an old influences like old death/thrash metal with lyrics about to darkness and black feelings, now or music it's like a black/death metal with touches old school, we take a different path; because i think what it is our way and thinking, the lyrics are more direct and concrete; we need a dark music we never look for a clear sound, but "Legions Of Hell" sounds stronger than the past works, we found our style. This is the difference.

3.Between 2005 and 2015 there where only 3 releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between recordings?
3.- problems like practice room, job, time between members, and many more... here we don't have recording studios you have to travel and that takes money and a lot of time and sometimes this is impossible.

4.According to the metal archives page the band had split up, can you give us more details on that?
.- The band take a break, we don't lose hope to raise again, the music remains there (18 or 20 tracks never recorded). But do not hesitate maybe the band will come back.


5.A lot of your lyrics also covered satanic and anti christian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
5.- we believe in us, in nature and the force of our existence, satanism gives us freedom to this concept, we do not believe in Christianity, can you see all wars, pederasty, people dying, hypocrisy, and all the etc in the name of a supposed god? This is shit and this is our hatred towards them, we don't care about criticism for this, we practice satanism in our own way and so it will be forever. Fuck the name of heavens! Mors ad caelus!...


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Noctambulant'?
6.- Noctambulant encloses the whole night concept, darkness, meditation and the silence of life, a progress in your spirit and life, all of this inspires, apart from being a dark name, a perfect mixture for our music, concept and expression.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that was presented on the last ep cover?
7.- Shows the dark side of the band, death and satanism, triumph of wisdom about human destiny. Is the sample of the occult that we manage.

8.What where some of the best shows that the band had played and also how would you describe your stage performance?
8.- Our best show was here in Colima, México, we play with around 18 bands from other countries and legendary Pungent Stench, and every show was intense, we on stage gives all of us, all passion and love for our work, you can find power and that dark feelings in our shows, we try to express our dark vibes and underground music, a real satanic death metal show.

9.On the ep you had also done a 'Judas Priest' cover, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
9.- Yes, our decision was to pay tribute to the gods of metal, and Judas Priest it is part of our world, because we also have covers from Venom, Metallica; and sometime we thought about recording an album of covers; bands like Possessed, Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Bathory, Mayhem, Transmetal (Mexican thrash/Death metal band).


10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10.- All metalheads around the world they have had good impression because they look for bands with new concepts and ideas, (we are not the only ones but i think we are part of a new era). Everything is good just lack of support of distribution to know the reaction of more metalheads.


11.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?
11.- Cochon has several projects and apparently it is doing well traveling a lot by presenting his music, Haggeman XII and me we are in "Wolves" (Black Metal), but i have other projects like: "Silent Tombs" (Doom metal), "Altumtenebris" (Black Metal), and i'm waiting for a new project of Doom Metal, we are all active and creating new bands.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that had an infleunce on 'Noctambulant'?
12.- Mainly Heavy Metal from the '80s and the beginnings of '90s, Death and Black Metal bands old school, but we make our music with our ideas because we do not try to follow or do what other, just our concept.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13.- Just say thanks for your time and interest, your support and spread our music, all the people involved in this project and readers. Not follow fashions and give support to their local bands that's the way to keep this going. long and eternal the flame of dark wisdom!!!

Cosmic Petrefaction/At The Threshold Of The Greatest Chasm/Caligari Records/2019 Cassette Review

  Cosmic  Petrefaction  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  cosmic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "At  The  Threshold  Of  The  Greatest  Chasm"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Caligari  Records.

  Distorted  sounding  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  clean  playing  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of   cavernous  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  technical  sounding  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  but  also  keeps  it  very  modern  at  the  same  time.

 As  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  chaotic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  while  synths  are  also  used  briefly  and  gives  the  music  more  of  a  sci-fi  atmosphere  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  cosmic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cosmic  Petrefaction  are  a  very  great  sounding  cosmic  blackened  death  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  cassette.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Acrimonious  Darkness"  "The  Ancient  Demagogue"  and  "The  Dismal  Black  Nothingness".  8  out  of  10.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-threshold-of-the-greatest-chasm

Noctambulant/Legions Of Hell/2015 EP Review

  Noctambulant  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  rp  "Legions  Of  Hell".

  A  bass guitar  lead  starts  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  some  heavy  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  an  a  very  dark  and  old  school  death  metal  style  but  also  having  their  melodic  moments.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  tremolo  picking  showing  an  influence  of  black  metal  as  well  as  the  screams  also  being  rooted  in  that  genre. A  good  amount  of  90's  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  elements  of  thrash  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  they  close  the  ep  with  a  cover  of  Judas  Priest's  "Breaking  The  Law".  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Anti  Christianity,  Hatred  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Noctumbulant  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  "Into  The  Satan's  Dominium"  and  "Slaughter".  8  out  of  10.

https://noctambulant.bandcamp.com/album/legions-of-hell

Gravefields Interview

> 1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi ! We are Gravefields, a Death Metal project from Ireland and France, formerly known as Dirtyprotest, we are about to unleash a brand new album through Redefining Darkness Records. Thanks for giving us this interview!

> 2.In June you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the album you had released in 2017?
The idea for the first album was a personal tribute to some of my favourite deathmetal bands from the early 90's. Entombed, Bolt Thrower,Bloodbath, Dismember to name a few, using the Boss HM2 guitar sound that i loved, and without ripping anyone off it was supposed to be a familiar sound with familiar riffs, noting new, and nothing original, just a tribute to the old ones !
The new album is defiantly a step up musically, a different style and direction, with more personal song writing. And in my opinion the production is way better (the album is self produced like the first album, this time JB Van der Wal(ex-Aborted) at Hewwetover Studio mastered the album) every  song is a little particular and Thomas has added a much wider vocal range with more epic  and hardcore additions to the sound. It sounds more epic, more melodic and more brutal, with a lot more  leads and faster blast beats,  more than traditional Death Metal as Dirtyprotest was. I would describe the album as a well balanced mix of old and newschool deathmetal, blasting grind, on a blackmetal plate, lots of atmosphere and catchy haunting melody's. Still using the HM-2 guitar tone but  with more of a modern Blackened Death Metal vibe. Like a mix between Behemoth, Grave and Dissection, if this makes any sense?

3.Your lyrics cover drugs and self destruction, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
The first album was focused on war-themed subjects. We wanted to make something a bit different this time, and talk about subjects that are a bit more unusual. The whole album concept is around derivated usage of drugs, addiction, self destruction and manipulation.  Some songs are about facing gods through a DMT trip, other about human experiments or manipulation with scopolamine. There is even a song making the bond between the two albums, "Narcotic Warfare", as it talks about amphetamines and pervitine use on German soldiers during WWII !

> 4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Gravefields'?
The name "Dirtyprotest" had its sense at the beginning of the band, but now as the sound has developed and is becoming more and more aggressive, that name was more suited for a Hardcore type band and did not fit  anymore. "Gravefields" is a homage, it is a song from the awesome band The Chasm, one of the greatest occult and cosmic Death Metal acts that ever lived.
>

> 5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
Having an art background, I made the artwork myself. I wanted to have it pretty simple with a dark theme. It represents a scene of destruction in a world that's destroyed , the void being  the gateway into another world and the key to this void  being psychedelics (especially DMT, which is found everywhere throughout nature, and this is what will more likely take us to the next world rather than man made technologies).,
>

> 6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
Yeah, who knows what could be next? It originally started as a solo project, now as a 2 piece working with Thomas. We are both  living on different continents, France and Egypt, and even tho we never actually met, I think the arrangement we have right now is very convenient. We have  a  good way of working  together using the internet to bounce ideas back and forth, and we can get the songs done really quickly.,I write and produce all the music  from A to Z, send him advanced demo tracks, he then came up with all lyrics and vocals and that's it. 2 albums in, it has worked well so far, I think another album will follow and we will see? I do really miss playing  shows and have thought about the idea of putting a full band together in the  future and play some shows. Even if it was jst one tour it would be cool, as I am moving back to europe this year so we will see what will happen  in the future.

> 7.The band started out in 2006 as 'Dirtyprotest' but you waited until 2017 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the earlier years and also the decision behind the name change?
Yes Dirtyprotest was a personal side project i was working on at home while i was playing drums in a local band here in Cairo Egypt. I was working on demos at home and had written about 14 songs, it was a bit of a mixed bag of songs, some heavier than others, and some i didn't really like anymore, I picked a few of the heavier tracks and published them online. After getting some good feedback I had a plan to take the project a bit more serious and write an old school deathmetal album. A track from the album was published online as i was on the look out for a good vocalist. Thomas got in touch and his style and dedication fit perfect so we started working to finish the album, a year later we had the album finished and it was released digitally in 2016 and then rereleased on French label Mystyk prod. And so Hellstorm was born, and Dirtyprotest became a real band rather than just a few random demos.
For a while now i thought the name "Dirtyprotest" diddnt really suit the music anymore,and also unaware at the time that there was a couple of other punk/rockabilly bands using the same name, we decided on a name change and came up with "Gravefields". I think the new name suits and fits  the music  much better, and as this is a relativity new project so it was best to change the name now rather a few years down the road.
>

> 8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
it has been unexpected but really cool. From the start of this project I didn't have any high expectations, I just enjoyed writing classic Death Metal songs. After releasing the first album as a free digital album it was good to just put it out there and see what happens, we didn't expect it to go out on a label a year later, because we are not touring and playing shows, the project was born online and only use the internet as promotion. Now after completing our second album and signing to U.S label Redefining Darkness Records, we'll see what kind of reaction there will be, first ones are really positive and it will be good to get our music out further afield !
>

> 9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Another album is definitely on the cards,i guess the new album 'Embrace the Void"will be a good starting point to what will come next. Maybe more Black Metal ? Something more experimental maybe? We'll keep on writing and see what may come.
>
> 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?
I guess a lot of the classic deathmetal bands from the early 90's would have a big influence. European and US bands,( Entombed, Dismember, Bolt Thrower,Carcass, Death, Morbid Angel), I also listen to a lot of early uk crust/grind bands, (Doom, Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death), the last number of years i have been listening to a lot of black metal so i guess it would be a mix of all these bands,also after living in Egypt for the last 15 years(long holiday), it has given me inspiration to write new music.

> 11.Does Occultism play any role in your music?
No, not directly other than some imagery on the album, but I do believe we all participate in some sort of occultism on a daily basis and most don't realize it.
>
> 12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Along with playing and producing music, i've been a tattoo artist/machine builder for nearly 20 years, its been a full time job running my own studio.

> 13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for your time and interest. "Embrace the Void" is about to be released, we are really looking forward to the feedback, and getting back to work on more material!

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Obscura Qalma/From The Sheol To The Aperion/Metal Scrap Records/2019 EP Review

Obscura  Qalma  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  and  orchestra  driven  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "From  The  Sheol  To  The  Aperion"  which  was  released  by  Metal  Scrap  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  they  also  mix  symphonic  and  orchestra  elements  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the music.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  modern  blackened  death  metal  style   while  also  having their  melodic  moments  as  well  as  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  good  amount  of  modern  extreme  metal  influences,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track.

  Obscura  Qalma  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  a  modern  style  of  blackened  death  metal  while  the  symphonic  and  orchestra  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Mysticism,  Occultism,  Death  and  Philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Obscura  Qalma  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Misanthropic  Perception"  and  "Roots  Of  Evil".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/obscuraqalma       

Vingulmork/Avgrunn/Crime Records/2019 EP Review

  Vingulmork  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Avgrunn"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Crime  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  which  also  introduces  black  emtal  screams  onto  the  recording.  The  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  utilize  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  good  amount  of  melody.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  The  riffs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  elements  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  brutal sounding  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  both  modern  and  old  school  influences.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Norwegian  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vingulmork  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternally  Swallow,  Eternally  Keep"  and  "Doderlein".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/rXMQH2X-R48