Reaper Interview

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


Well… We’re a two-piece entity. Me, Flaggelator, and Impaler. Formed in the end of 2018, just before the recording of the demo. We’re from the outskirts of Sweden. Bergslagen. Nothing much here really at all. Besides hollowness, hardship and slime. It’s a piece of land with colliding interests. A shipwrecked soul with an undying philosophy to expand into the heavens. A lot to be said really, but that’s evidently always besides the point. Reaper is a lust for metal. A knuckle in your face, a sweet embrace of putrid death. It’s something to do. A little something between the oceans of emptiness.


2.You have your first full length coming out in 2020, musically how does it differ from the demo you had released in 2019?


Nothing much really. Reaper is and has always been about creating something that rings true to our idea of what metal should sound like. Something raw, barbaric and unadulterated. Nifelheim said something about their sound in an old interview that resonates; ”a tsunami of slurry manure”. Guess we’ve got something of a better soundscape this time on, production-wise… I mean… there’s one or two things considered compared to the demo, which pretty much just happened. A thicker sound? Well… Maybe. I guess. Some songs now are more fleshed out… more in the vein that we intended at first, but never had the patience to accomplish in the beginning.


3.Your music is very heavily rooted in the 80's style, do you feel extreme metal has been watered down over the years and has a less extreme outlook compared to past bands?


Sure… most bands and sounds that we like originates from the 80’s and 90’s. If you like to have a narrow-minded look at things, that’s when it all congealed and got a proper form. THE form if you like… We like that era. Where thrash was just about to go off into the obscurity of death and black. Fast, violent and raw. But it would be ignorant to dismiss the attempts that’s being made now to take it all some steps further, although that’s not our mission or interest. There’s a lot of great things being done out there still.


4.Some of your lyrics touch on the occult, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?


There’s always been an attraction to those things I guess. In a more shallow or, if you like, real sense. But nothing in Reaper is oriented around those things. It’s not a wessel for religious worship. Sure… we call upon the occult, but more in the sense of using those things as symbols for what’s real; the things that stabs you with a knife in the back or the metastasis in your ass. We can dabble on about luciferianism and to ”do thy will”, but that’s besides the point. Reaper is beyond reverence… beneath and against the servility of laws. We just don’t care. We read, observe. And learn. At best.


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


Pessimism I guess. That’s the overall theme… Yes. Pessimism. To gaze into the real. The void.


6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ’Reaper'?


Pure and simple; it’s lifted from the track ”Reaper” by Bathory. From the self-titled debut. Genius stuff. Important. Mandatory. And sure... we like the connotations of death that it brings. And the fact that you always reap what you sow. Everything is up to you. There's nothing out there that can respond to your cries, not the real ones anyways. The ones that matter.


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


Sure. no problem… It’s a collage of images. Made/compiled by me. Technically, a collection of etchings and woodcuts by artists from the 15th, 16th and 17th century. It’s supposed to symbolise the gospel of nothingness; the roaring silence of the void. The church where everything collides and turns to dust. The inversion of of belief, the anti-human need.


8.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?


It’s pretty crowded as it is. But there’s been some discussions about taking this thing live if the right opportunity rears its ugly head. If that’s the case we’ll be a force to be reckoned with. A lot of old-school fire power. Whatever happens we’re going to be at most two doing the songwriting. As I said; two is pretty crowded as it is. Pure and simple is the game…


9.The album is coming out on 'Iron Bonehead Productions', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?


Very happy. The service is awesome and the word exchange is sparse but efficient. Looks like they’re doing a good job promoting the stuff also, considering we’ve got no social media platforms, homepages, e-mails etc… Come to think about it; how did you get this e-mail adress? Our usual motto is FOAD when it comes to the social aspects of things.


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


Good question… We don’t care really. That being said; haven’t heard anything negative. Think they like it…. Understand it, that it have to have a place. Don’t mean to be assholes about it; just wanna emphasise that we know how we like it and abide to that fact. We do this in a way that it comes out in a fashion that we can stand for. We do this because it makes hell bearable. We know what’s called for and we do it. Pure…Simple…


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


We’re not about either future or progress… That in mind I guess we’re only in it for the worse. We’re gonna continue… In some form or another. That much we know. Some kind of continuation. An extension of existing form.


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?


Sure… We mostly dig in the past. Sometimes in the underbelly, but mostly in th more classical stuff. The usual grind; Necrodeath, Kreator, Sodom, Vilolent Force, Slayer, Autopsy, Urban Waste, Dismember, Shizo, Exodus, Sadus, Deep Wound, Mayhem, Wehrmacht… But. There’s a lot of contemporary stuff that’s happening that’s really great too. You’ve got Nekrofilth, Töxic Death and the whole of that ”scene”, Obnoxious Youth, Warthog, Funeral Mist… And then there’s gangs like Marduk. True troopers… Seems like they’ve been here since the dawn of times and they’re still ripping spines thorough assholes. Tremendous. I know there’s been a whole lot about their ideological leanings, but that always have to be besides the point. They rip. Period. Pure Armageddon. But… There it is again. The voice in the fog of the mind… Anti Cimex, Cortex, Deep Wound, Blood Feast… FUNERAL MIST! Fucking bliss!


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


We’ve compiled a new EP. It’s already mastered and ready to be employed. ”The Atonality of Flesh”. But guess it’s a bit early considering the LP isn’t out yet. We’ll see. Other than that; Play fast. Keep the double bass drum to a minimum. Keep the riffs based on single string knock-outs. Make the riffs congeal with one another. Bow to the goat of Medes, crawl into the crevice that’s Christ, read a book, draw conclusions, behold, await, transcend, be still… Build a war.


/Flaggelator

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Reaper/3540450325

Butcher/666 Goats Carry Carry My Chariot/Osmose Productions/2020 CD Review

  Butcher  are  a  band  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "666  Goats  Carry  My  Chariot"  which  will  be  released  in  2020  by  Osmose  Productions.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  emtal s creams  that  fight  in  with  both  the  first  and  second  wave  era's.

  Back  up  shouts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  while  the  music  also  incorporates a  great  amount  of  speed  and  traditional  metal  elements.  Power  metal  style  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  70's  and  80's  influences  but  also  keeping  it  modern  at  the  same  time.

  The  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction,  demonic  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Darkness  and  Violence  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Butcher  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Iron  Bitch"  "666  Goats  Carry  my  Chariot"  and  "Brazen  Serpent".  8/5  out  of  10.


Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butcherspeedmetal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bütcher-Speed-Metal-225752547610482
Bookings are all via Roadmaster Booking: http://www.roadmasterbooking. com 
    

Reaper/Unholy Nordic Noise/Iron Bonehead Productions/2020 CD Review

  Reaper  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  speed  metal  with  some  elements  of  d  beat  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Unholy  Nordic  Noise"  which  will  be  released  in  2020  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

   A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  bringing  in  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  and  spoken  word  samples  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  modern  feeling.

  A  great  amount  of  of  80's  thrash,  speed  and  first  wave  black  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  old  school  style  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  some  d  beat  and  punk  rock  influences  and  the  sticks  stick  to  mostly  a  mid  tempo  or  fast  style.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Demonology,  Darkness  and  War  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Reaper  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  speed  metal  with  elements  elements  of  punk  and  d  beat  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hero  Of  the  Graveyard  Files"  "Order  Of  Beelzebub"  "The  Birth  Of  War"  and  "This  Crystal  Hell".  8  out  of  10.

https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/reaper-horn-of-hades

  

Lotus Thief/Oresteia/Prophecy Productions/2020 CD Review

  Lotus  Thief  are  a  band  from  San  Francisco,  California  that  plays  a mixture  of  black.  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  ambient  and  post  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Oresteia"  which  will  be  released  in  2020  by  Prophecy  Productions.

  Avant  garde  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  clean  vocals  and  black  emtal  screams  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  some  elements  of  doom  metal.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  keyboards  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  avant  garde  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  Touches  of  ambient  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  along  with  some  songs  also  adding  in  influences  of  post  rock,  they  also  being  in  a  couple  of  instrumentals  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard. Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  a  later  song  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  Aeschylus  and  Greek  Mythology.

  In  my  opinion  Lotus  Thief  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  avant  garde,  ambient  and  post  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Agamemnon"  'The  Furies"  and  "Sister  In  Silence".  8  out  of  10.

prophecy.lnk.to/lotus-thief-oresteia-rervm



    

Nekkrofukk/Antikkrist Venomous Uteroplacental Injekktor Of Goat Semen & Mephistophallus Thermonukklear Messiah Violation/Putrid Cult/2019 CD Review

  Nekkrofukk  are a duo from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death metal  and  this  is  a  review of  his  2019  album "Antikkrist  Venomous  Uteroplacental  Injekktor Of  Goat  Semen  &  Mephistophallus  Thermonukklear  Messiah  Violation"  which  was  released  by  Putrid  Cult.

  Ritualistic  sounding  synths  and  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  as well  as  a  brief  use  of  goat  sounds  before  adding  some  demonic  death  metal  growls  and  heavy  riffing  onto  the  recording.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  influences  into  the  riffs  and  vocals.  Synths  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Evil  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  ritualistic  soundscapes  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sticking  to  a  slower  musical  direction,  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  the  closing  track  which  is  also  a  GG  Allin  cover.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christianity,  Blasphemy  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nekkrofukk  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mephistophallus  Injekktor"  and  "Chapel  Of  Sin".  8  out  of  10.

https://metalbite.com/news/11961/mb-premiere-and-review-nekkrofukk-antikkrist-venomous-full-album-stream



  

Apocryfal/Crushing Black Death/Mara Productions/2019 CD Review

  Apocryfal  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Crushing  Black  Death"  which  was  released  by  Mara  Productions.

  A  very dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  that  also  have  a  semi  guttural  tone  at  times  but  closer  to  the  old  school  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  in  some  of  the  riffing  and  vocals  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  onto  the  recording  and  touches  of  doom/death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Apocryfal  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Finnish  and  English  and  cover  death,  mythology  and  religion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apocryfal  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Truth  Has  No  Confines"  "Grievance  Part  II"  and  "Crushinf  Black  Death".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Apocryfal
https://apocryfal.bandcamp.com

The Way Of Purity/Schwarz Order Rot/WormHoleDeath Records/2019 CD Review

  The  Way Of Purity  returns  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  moving  even  more  far  away  from  their  black,  doom  and  death  metal  roots  and  going  for  more  of  a  goth  and  industrial  metal  style  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Schwarz  Order  Rot"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Electo-industrial  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  at  times.

  A  good  mixture  of  both  clean  male  and  female  goth  vocals  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.  Elements  of  metalcore  can  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  tracks  while  the  more  aggressive  vocals  show  an  influence  of  black  and  death  metal  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Touches  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  whispered  vocals  and  synths  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  programmed  beats.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  animal  liberation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Way  Of  Purity  and  if  you  are  fan  of  black,  death,  goth,  industrial  and  metalcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Plague"  "Wishing  Death  Upon  You  All"  "The  Lyncher"  and  "Spectral".  8  out  fo  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClQWmJRkT0&feature=youtu.be 

  

Throneum/Moloch Letalis/Martyxwar/Old Temple/2019 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Poland's  Throneum  and  Moloch  Letalis  called  "Martyxwar"  which  was  released  by  Old  Temple  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Throneum  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  which  also  introduces  blast  beats  onto  their  side  of  the  recording.  The  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  style.

  A  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  song  also  adds  in a  decent  mixture  of slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  old  school  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Throneum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  song.

  Next  up  is  Moloch  Letalis  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats. Vocals  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  blackened  style  along  with  the  music  being  mostly rooted  in  an  early  90's  death  metal   style.

  A  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  a  classic  death  metal  style,  the  fast  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  atmospheric  sounding  synths  are  also  used  briefly  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Polish  and  cover  anti  Christianity,  death,  hatred  and  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Moloch  Letalis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Czarny  Calun,  Wieczny  Sen".

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

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Throneum

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Moloch_Letalis

Impure Declaration/Mind Upheaval, Unclear Signs/Old Temple/2019 EP Review

  Impure  Declaration  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  ep  "Mind  Upheaval,  Unclear  Signs"  which  was  released  by  Old  Temple.

  Drum  beats   and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  blast  beats  and  elements  of  black  metal  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Impure  Declaration  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Impure  Declaration  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fumes  Replacing  The  Soul"  and  "Purgation  Through  Hallucination".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ImpureDeclaration/

Thoren/Gwarth II/Drylands Records/2020 CD Review

  Thoren  are  a  band  from  Detroit,  Michigan  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this zine  and  plays  an  instrumental,  progressive,  technical  and  dissonant  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Gwarth  II"  which  will  be  released  in  2020  by  Drylands  Records.

  Technical  sounding  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  black  and  death  metal.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  some  dissonant  sounding  structures  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  before returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction. 

  On  this  recording  Thoren  remains  true  to  the  progressive,  technical  and  dissonant  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  as  well  as  also  keeping  everything  in  an  instrumental  direction  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Thoren  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  instrumental,  technical,  progressive  and  dissonant  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gwarth"  "Vex"  "Raun  Raeg"  and  "Suith".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ThorenDeath/
https://thoren.bandcamp.com/    

Usud/As Old As The Hills/Geenger Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Usud  are  a  band  from  Croatia  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "As  Old  As  The  Hills"  which  was  released  by  Geenger  Records.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear   a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Tremolo picking  can  also  be  hear d in  some  of  the  faster  riffing,  Black  metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  making  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.

  A  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Evil,  Darkness  and  Fantasy  themes.

  In my  opinion  Usud  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Possessed"  "Throne  Of  Death"  and  "As  Old  As  The  Hills".  8  out  of  10.


https://usud.bandcamp.com/album/as-old-as-the-hills  
https://www.facebook.com/kultkrvi/

Into Coffin Interview

1,Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
-Since that time (last week) not so much, we had some concert in promotion of the album and we are looking forward for the next year show!

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
- In one word: “EXTREME” we are always on the research of a always more extreme and uncompromisingly sound, Our first album was clearly a classic death doom influenced, now our path in to the darkness is just began.

3.Some of your lyrics cover occultism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
Yes, occultism but more archeoastronomy and old Sumerian mythos and pre-deluvian.

4.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored over the years with the music?
In all our release until now the main subject was always fast the same, archeoastronomy , occultism and ANNUNAKI (eheh)

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Into Coffin'?
I think Into Coffin are a perfect words for describe our music… like be close in a fucking coffin and wait to die but after a really long and slow agony and panic attack… and join the spiritual  darkest abyss

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
Of course, the cover is a idea from G. And is just a representation of our lyrics in the album. We love that cover was a great work from Daniel Hermosilla (Not Fragor art). This is our 3rd work in his alliance, he can really represent our music.

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?
Our show are pretty foggy we like to great a really dark show, like be in the middle of an abyss. We love play live, live performance is where our music can complete be revelated. We had many good show, with many other bands, hard to say how was the best.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
We have already do 3 show for this new album and now we are looking for next year to get some good show where we can play this new album in his entirety

9.Earlier this year you where also a part of a couple of splits with 'Cenotafio' and 'Devoid Of Thought', what are your thoughts on the other bands that had participated on the recordings?
Cenotafio is a great Black/Death band from Chile, absolutely one of the best and we really like their other music! We hope to can play together in the future.
Devoid of Thought are friends of us from many years, we have already play many show together in this last 2 years. A split with the was a naturally evolution of our friendship. They had just 2 demo released until now but they are fucking crushing cosmic death metal and beast on live performance, we will for sure more show together.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, doom and death metal?
Until now pretty good, in the future we will see…

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?
Everybody of us is already dedicated to other music project the most always in the Black/Death/Doom area. I Think next year will coming-out  some release from each side-project. we can say more.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We have many project of course we will release more material and always try to be one step more in the center of total darkness sound.

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?
A lot of influences, but of course the main are band like: Grave Miasma, Vassafor, Spectral Voice, Temple Nightside, the all Australia and New Zealand is full of really great bands!

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Not so much, just thanks for your time and see you where the fog is!

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Prophets Of The Apocalypse/Threshold Of War/Sliptrick Records/2019 CD Review

  Prophets  Of  The  Apocalypse  are  a  solo  project  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Threshold  Of  War"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Blackened  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  the  riffing  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  thrash  metal.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style   while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  80's  and  influences  as  well  as  being  very  modern  at  the  same  time.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  and  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  on  some songs  the  vocals  add  in  more  of  a  thrash  style,  as  the  album  progresses  an  instrumental  is  added  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while the  lyrics  cover  war,  mythology  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Prophets  Of  The  Apocalypse  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ashes"  "Trophies  Of  War"  "Hierchy Of  Terror"  and  "Skye  Ablaze".  8  out  of  10.

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | On Sliptrick    

Edellom Interview

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

We are a Dark/Doom metal band from Israel. Thank you for this interview!

2.Recently you have released your first full length, musically how does it differ from your previous demo?

The album is a direct evolution from the demo, with more influences of black metal and generally darker atmosphere and better production.

3.The band has been around since 2009 but so far has only released a demo and a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the gaps in between releases?

Edellom was originally a solo project, only around 2013 it became an active band. This also has to do with the compulsory service in the IDF, it slows down every other aspect in your life. Many high-school metal bands split-up shortly after the band members join the IDF, it's very hard to maintain an active band during this period.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

We draw inspiration from folk tales, myths and gothic literature. Sirens contains two different stories, one of them was written by Maria (singer) and the other by David (singer, guitars). Even though these stories are not connected, we found out they deal with relatively close themes, hence the title "sirens" and the artwork that represents both.

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

There's no meaning, David just liked the way it sounds.

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

As mentioned previously, the artwork demonstrates some of the elements of both stories. On the front cover you can see the way we imagined the Black Sorceress, the antagonist in David's story, and on the back is the serial killer from Maria's story. We wanted to visually "connect" them by making the killer hiding in the woods while looking at the sorceress, but again, these stories are separated.

7.The band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind expanding into a full line up?

David didn't know anyone who loves the genre and so he decided to do everything by himself. The original idea was to form a band but that didn't seem realistic at the time. Social networks didn't really exist at this point (not as intensely as today) and it was very hard to get to know other people with similar music preferences. A few years later, when a possibility of a first lineup was created, Edellom turned into an active band.

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

The best gig we had was most certainly the album's release show, we created a special atmosphere with tons of decorations and DIY items, like small shrines, branches, leaves, skulls and much more. The show itself was intense and the crowd's reactions were amazing.

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

Nothing concrete yet.
10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, dark, doom and gothic metal?

Reactions are great, we got some very positive reviews and we cannot wait to sit down and make some new materials.

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?

Currently all our band members focus on Edellom, the other projects and bands are unfortunately not active.

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

It's really hard to say, probably we will continue the general theme of dark, atmospheric and heavy music, with some developments and various influences.

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?

Some influences may be Behemoth, Swallow the Sun, Trees of Eternity, Mgła, Burzum, Paradise Lost, Draconian. It's hard to say exactly what we listen to today, we keep discovering amazing new bands thanks to Spotify and YouTube every day.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?

Good food, video games, action movies, making movies in general, literature, poetry and visiting new places abroad.

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, thank you so much for the interview, again. We cannot wait to execute some of our plans for the future, and we hope people connect to our music and the emotions we share. Hope to see you all some say!

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Dark Legacy/The Rejects/Black Vulture Records/2019 Full Length Review

  Dark  Legacy  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "The  Rejects"  which  was  released  by  Black  Vulture  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  symphonic  elements  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal.

  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  classical  music  influences  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  as  well  as  some  blackened  metal  vocals  also  being  added  onto  some  of  the  tracks,  when  clean  male  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  a  touch  of  goth  rock.  When  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also be  heard  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  is  also  added  onto  a  couple  of  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  sorrow  and  witchcraft  themes.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Legacy  and  if  you  are  a f an  of symphonic,  black,  doom  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Land  Of  Sorrow"  "The  Witches" and  "The  Rejects".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/oPVvre76X4Y

  

Tommy Concrete/Unrelaxed 2/Trepnation Recordings/2020 Full Length Review

    Tommy  Concrete  is  a solo  artist  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a mixture  of  progressive,  black,  doom  and  heavy   metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Unrelaxed  2"  which  will  be  released  in  2020  by  Trepnation  Recordings.

  A  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Ethnic  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  old  school  extreme  metal  style.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  clean  singing  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  hard  rock/metal  style,  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  doom   metal.

  At  times  the  music  also gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  some  synths  and  orchestra  sounds  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  industrial  and  electronic  music  can  also  be  heard  briefly,  a  couple  of  the  later  songs  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  neurodiversity,  ableism,  and  mental  health  empowerment.

  In  my  opinion  Tommy  Concrete  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  progressive,  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burn  Out  From  Masking"  "Just  Let  me  Last  Today"  and  "Nothing  About  us  Without  Us".  8 out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fGpSI20j9E  

Bunker 66/Vuil/Metal Sacrifice/Ripping Storm Records/2019 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Germany's  Bunker  66  and  Scotland's  Vuil  called  "Metal  Sacrifice"  which  will  be  released on  December  17th  by  Ripping  Storm  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Bunker  66  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  along  with  some  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later.  The  music  also  mixes  in  some  elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  along  with  the  vocals  being  first  wave  black  metal  style  screams  which  also a dds  in a   touch  of  the  second  wave  era.

  Throughout  their  side  of  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  an  80's  style.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bunker  66  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Army  Of  The  Dark".

  Next  up  is  Vuil  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of   thrash  and  speed  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy and  retro  sound  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  elements  of  thrash and  speed  metal. Vocals  are  done  in  a  very  rough  yet  melodic  80''s metal  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a   decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's.

  Both  of  their  tracks  sound  like  they  could  of  easily  been  recorded  and  released  more  than  30  years  ago  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  evil  and  blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vuil  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Head  Basher".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  emtal.  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/Zw2HUTJ-3X4

https://youtu.be/tjPzlaM8U1E            

Whipstriker/Bunker 66/Four Deadly Bites/Ripping Storm Records/2019 Split EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Brazil's  Whipstriker  and  Italy's  Bunker  66  called  "Four  Deadly  Bites"  which  will  be  released  on  December  17th  by  Ripping  Storm  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Whipstriker  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black,  speed  metal  and  punk.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  amp  noises  before  going  into  a  heavier  speed  emtal  direction  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style.  Elements  of  punk,  d  beat  and  thrash  metal  are  also  added  into  the  music  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style.

  The  second  track  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  mid  tempo  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  giving  the  80's  style  a  more  modern  atmosphere  and  both  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  heavier  direction,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  their  side  of  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording from  Whipstriker  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Warfreaks'  Shellshock".

  Next  up  is  Bunker  66  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  black,  thrash and  speed  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  80's  influenced  old  school  sound  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on t heir  side  of  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  and  while the  music  is  rooted  in  the  past  it  still  has  a  modern  day  aggression.

  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  sticking  to more  an  an  80's  influenced  extreme  metal  direction  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  nuclear  war  and  urban  tale  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bunker  66  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Winds  Of  Damnation".

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

https://youtu.be/JywAT7yHMMo

https://youtu.be/EgOmW5yQeDE

    

Moonspell/Sin/Pecado/Napalm Records/2019 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  album  from  Portugal's  Moonspell which  showed  the  music  moving  away  from  the  black  metal  elements  of  previous  releases  and  going  into  more  of  a  mixture  of  gothic  and  doom  metal  with  some  darkwave  and  electronic  elements  and  the  album  was  released  in  1998  and  called  "Sin/Pecado"  with  the  re-issue  also  containing  bonus  tracks  from  their  1997  ep  "2econd  Skin".

  A  very  dark  and  cinematic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  chants  and  spoken  word  parts  before  adding  in  some  electronica  elements  of  the  later  track  which  also  shows  the  music  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  clean  gothic  rock/metal  style  while  whispers  are  also  utilized  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  also  introducing  exotic  sounding  scales  onto  the  recording.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  bringing  in  elements  of  darkwave  and  on  some  tracks  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  aggression  which  is  closer  to  their  black  metal  roots  but  keeping  the  focus  more  on  a  clean  style,  one  track  also  introduces  tribal  sounding  beats  onto  the  recording.

   As  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements.  Programmed  beats  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  of  them  also being  long  and  epic  in  length,  clean  playing,  acoustic  guitars  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  on  the  ep  bonus  tracks  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Depeche  Mode's  "Sacred". The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  poetry,  religion,  philosophy  and  esoteric themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Moonspell  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  gothic  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "handmadeGod"  "Magdalene"  "Mute" and  "The  Hanged  Man".  8  out  of  10.

www.moonspell.com
www.facebook.com/moonspellband
www.instagram.com/moonspellofficial  .