HateCrime Interview

 

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

HateCrime group was founded in September 2013. All started is very well, we recorded a demo of three songs, and we have a great plans. But then we have a lot of problems with the lineup - it was constantly changing, we had to look for new musicians, show them the old stuff, so we couldn't progress, write new music and even more so record albums.

About style - we don't have some kind of attachment to a specific genre or style of heavy music, we called our style Misanthropic Death Metal. But for a new listener, who is not familiar with us, it will be easier if he sees “Black” and “Death” metal.

For today we have a demo album,three Internet singles

and two full-length album - "The War,That Doesn't Exist", which came out on the Polish label "Putrid Cult" in february 2017, and «Music About Death», which came out on the two Russian labels GROTESQUE SOUNDS and WINGS OF DESTRUCTION in november 2019.

Currently, the group is active in live concerts in Russia, and preparing material for our third full-length album.

2.So far  you have released  a demo  and 2 full  lengths , musically how  do they  differ  from  each other?

The first demo was completely raw in terms of music and ideas, as the band was just looking for our sound. The first album was composed in a fashionable way by two different band structure, which changed each other, and therefore the album itself came out with a variety of styles. Well, the second album was composed already conceptually, both in terms of the musical component and the text load.

3.From 2013 to 2018 there was no music  being released , can you tell us a little  bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Well i answered this question with the first question, sorry

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

All the texts, starting with the demo, are permeated with one theme - Hating towards people, like biomasses, like a herd, towards parasites that have infected the planet. In the beginning these were texts full of sarcasm, later more seriousness and concept appeared in them.

5.One of your song titles is 1984 do you have an interest in the writings of George Orwell?

Yes, the second album is almost completely conceptual. We are talking about the theory of "dystopia", inspired by numerous literary works in this genre, such as Ourell's "1984", Zamyatin's "We" and others. The name is a reflection of the textual component - Dystopia is inevitable death, for the most part mental death, death of "individuality", death of "consciousness" as such.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name HateCrime?

it is a term for a hate crime, in our case, hatred of humanity.

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

The cover and design are the fruit of the labors of the drummer's wife Irina Aristova. She is a professional photographer and this was her idea and her photography. She is gloomy and approached us right away.What's on the cover? This is the secret of the group)

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!

There were probably two best performances. This is the presentation of our second album in Moscow and St. Petersburg. We prepared them very well, played well, having spent all our hatred and all our strength at these concerts. We always give our best at our performances to convey all our emotions to our fans.

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

At the worldwide level, this is certainly a strong saying, but in Europe we are listened to and played on the radio in several countries. They also receive reviews and reviews, on the whole very positive, well, people buy our music on the bandcamp, which already speaks for itself.

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

This is a big question for the Russian group. We want to seriously get on the European metal scene, which for some reason is not always easy for our bands, maybe this is a relic of the USSR ...

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?

Oh, we listen to a lot of the most diverse heavy (and not so) (I mean, classics for example) music. If I start to list all the styles and groups, then you will need all the magazine pages for this)

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

I want to wish everyone more strength, more power, more knowledge, more listening to Russian metal and more hatred! Stay Evil, Be Hating! Your DimaDima by HateCrime.

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Gravedancer/Ripping Metal/Hellprod Records/2020 EP Review

 

  Gravedancer  are  a  solo  project  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "Ripping  Metal"  which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  Hellprod  Records.

  A  very  hard,  heavy  and  retro  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  and  the  solos  and  leads  stick  to  an  old  school  style.

  NWOBHM  influences  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  music  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  ep  closes  with  a  cover  of  Venom's  "Welcome  To  Hell".

  Gravedancer  plays  a  style  of  blackened  thrash  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  first  wave  style  along  with  the  primitive  atmosphere  of  the  Brazilian  style.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  metal  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Gravedancer  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  thrash  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Winds  Of  Doom"  and  "Evil  Spell".  8  out  of  10.

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Evil/Possessed By Evil/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2020 CD Review

 

  Japan's  Evil  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  old  school  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Possessed  By  Evil"  which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  Blast  stats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  heavy  yet  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  an  old  school  style  and  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  adding  in  great  amount  of  80's  influences.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  a  lot  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  first  wave  style.  The  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  at  times  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  hardcore  punk  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Evil  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  that  was  established  on  previous  releases.  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Buddhism,  Evilness  and  Hell  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Evil  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Cycle  of  Pain" "Paramount  Evil"  "Bottom  Of  Hell"  and  "Evil  Way  of  Live".  8  out  of  10.

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/possessed-by-evil    

  

  

HateCrime/Music About Death/Grotesque Sounds Productions/Wings Of Destruction/2019 CD Review

 

  HateCrime  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2019  album "Music  About  Death"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grotesque  Sounds  Productions  and  Wings  Of  Destruction.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the album  while  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  vocals are a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Shouts  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  and   fast   parts  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  yet  melodic  style  along  with  a  couple   of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  acoustic  guitars   also  make  a  brief  return.

  HateCrime  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create   a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death  and  dystopian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  HateCrime  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  'Dead  Raven'  and  ''The  Purge'.  8  out  of  10.

  

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Blakkphang/Goatbone Deathcult/Reaper Metal Productions/2020 CD Review

 

  Blakkphang  are  a  duo  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal with  elements  of  traditional  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of their  2020  album  'Goatbone  Deathcult"  which  will be  released on  December  29th  by  Reaper  Metal Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  apocalyptic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  guitar  sounds  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  speed,  thrash  and  first  wave  black  metal  elements  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  more  aggressive  80's  hardcore/crossover  style.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  traditional  metal  influences  and  melody  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  old  school  hard  rock/metal  style.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  energy  of  punk  rock  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  and  the  sounds  of  knives  can  also  be  heard before  each  track.

  Blakkphang  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  thrash,  speed,  heavy  metal  and  punk  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Blakkphang  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed,  heavy  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Knife  Killer"  "Razor  Sharper"  and  "Ram  It  On  (Beast  like  A  Fuck)".8out  of  10.

https://blakkphang.bandcamp.com/album/goatbone-deathcult  

  

     

  

  

Human/2020 Singles Review

 

  Human  are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  both  of  their  2020  singles.

  "He  Who  Saw  the  Abyss".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  song  along  with  some  avant  garde  style  instruments  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal growls,  When  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Evil  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  and  the  song  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  90's  influences  along  with  the  song  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chants  that  also  give  the  song  more  of  an  ethnic  atmosphere.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism  themes, 

.      "Unto  Muspellsheimr,  The  Realm  Ov  Fire  And  Void".

  A very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  track  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  used  at  times.  Clean  vocals  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  track  as  well  as  the  tracks  sticking  to  more  of  a  mid  tempo  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Mythology  themes.

 In  my  opinion  Human  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  these  singles.  8  out  of  10.

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Sepulcros/Vazio/Transcending Obscurity Records/2021 CD Review

 

  Sepulcros  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Vazio"  which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  while  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  deep  sounding  death  metal  growls. 

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very   atmospheric  sounding  while  black metal  screams  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  one  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording.

  Sepulcros  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sepulcros  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  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  "Vazio"  and  "Hecatombe".  8  out  of  10.

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Hell-Born/Natas Liah/Odium Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Hell-Born  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Natas  Liah"  which  will  be  released  in  2021  by  Odium  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  synths  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths  and  evil  laughter.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Anti  Christianity  and  Black  Metal  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hell-Born  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "When  You  Are  God"  "Uroboros"  "Son  of  Earth"  and  "Blakk  Metal". 8  out  of  10.

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https://youtu.be/UgkTMZPcvvk   

Puro Odio/Demo 2018/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2020 Demo Re-Issue Review

 

  Puro  Odio  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  which  will  be  re-issued  on  December  11th  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  Distorted  amp  sounds  start  off  the  demo  before  going  into  more  of  a  hardcore  punk  and  d  beat  influenced  musical  style.  Vocals  are  done  in  a  deep  growling  style  while  also  bringing  elements  of  black/death  metal  into  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length  with  the  longest  being  under  3  minutes.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  both  slow  or  mid  tempo  parts  while  the  music  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.  The  songs  also  add  in  some  touches  of  crust  and  oi  along  with  all  of  the  riffing  being  done  on  power  chords  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Puro  Odio  displayed  their  earlier  mixture  of  black  metal  and  hardcore  punk  as  well  as  keeping  everything  in  a  primitive  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Puro  Odio  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal  and  hardcore  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Caos"  and  "Puro  Odio".  8  out  of  10.

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Karner/Knochnkerker/Wolfmond Production/2019 Demo Re-Issue Review

 

  Karner  are  a  band  from  Austria  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2018  demo  "Knochnkerker"  which  was  re-issued  in  2019  by  Wolfmond  Production.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  demo  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  black  metal  screams  also  being  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording.

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  vocals  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing,  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard on  the  closing  track.  

  Karner  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  nature,  death  and  the  decline  of  mankind.

  In  my  opinion  Karner  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gluat  ze  Feia"  "Sakrament"  and  "Infektion".  8 out  of  10.

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Slagthammer/Redneck Black Metal/Wolfmond Production/2020 CD Review

 

  Slagthammer  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review of their  2020  album  "Redneck  Black  Metal"  which  was released  by Wolfmond  Production.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  influenced  direction  while  blast  beats  can  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  more  of  a  first  wave  style.

  Back  up  shouts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  grim  second  wave  influenced  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times.  Throughout  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.  

  When  banjo's  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  American  redneck  vibe  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  elements  of  black'n'roll  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use of  clean  singing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  an  instrumental  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  some  violent  wife  beating  samples  and  the  album  closes  with  a  cover of  Demolition  Hammer's  "Human  Dissection".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  German  and  English  and  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Slagthammer are  a  very  great    sounding  blackened  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  original  sounding,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "FY!  "Genocidal  Holocaust"  "Wife  beater"  and  "Human  Dissection".  8 out  of  10.

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The Machinist Interview

 

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

John:

We’re from Manchester in the UK, and we play rather heavy industrial blackened death metal. We started in the latter half of 2018, but really came together with the focus of lockdown in 2020, despite not really being able to together to play shows. We’re pretty heavy,  really the best thing is to just check out our youtube channel and bandcamp, that will really tell you everything you need to know. 

2.You have your first album coming out in December, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

John:

Some of it was by design, some was by accident. I’ve always been into extreme metal music and electronic music, so I wanted to combing the two! A lot of my influences are both death metal and black metal, so the form it took was more of a blackened death sound. Primarily I was indeed looking for a drummer, using the machine as a stop gap to demo songs, but after a while we really just started to explore the possibilities and the range of sounds the drum machine could offer! 

Originally, I asked Scott to see if he wanted to contribute some vocals to the album, but he contributed so much and the performances were so strong, we felt having two vocalists was the only way to go!

3.Some of the band members are also a part of 'Reign Of Erebus', what is it that you bring into the music of 'The Machinist' that you are not able to do with your other band?

John:

The focus here is really more towards the industrial sound, being able to explore the extended range of sounds overtly electronic instruments can bring you. It’s also much more heavily geared towards death metal, which of course can allow for lower tuning and deeper vocals. In our case however, we tried to make sure the blackened parts really shrieked, so we opted for 7 string guitars to get that range. Reign uses good old fashioned 6 strings because that sound is utterly perfect for that band.

The lyrical focus is driven by myself, whereas Reign’s lyrical focus is more driven by Scott. In Reign he is also the lead vocalist, whilst we both take a fair crack at it in The Machinist

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

John:

Lyrically, I suppose I explore the frailty of life, our relationships with each other, and the crazy lengths our existential dread will push us to in order to feel significant. 

The inevitability of entropy, the idea that on a cosmic time scale and in the cosmic arena, we really aren’t that significant. It’s something of a common idea, and to some degree with all know this, but it’s really remarkable that even despite having this knowledge, we still occupy ourselves with petty grievances, racism, and territorial pissing contests. We also waste what precious time we have on greed, institutions, religion and ideologies specifically designed to make one person feel superior over another. None of us are getting out alive, and surely that means we should make what precious time we have count!

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

John:

It seemed like such a fitting name considering the cold, perfectly quantised sound of the drum machine. We’re really made no attempt to try and make them sound realistic at all, and even included a lot of obviously electronic sounds like distorted 909 and 808 kicks, as well as 909 snare rides. 

The stark, slightly unnerving nature of that evoked mechanical imagery, and of course a cold production was practically mandatory with that!

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

John:

The brief to the artist, Roberto Toderico, was  to create an image that evoked a sense of mortality, the alien, other worldliness, body horror and lovecraftian unknowability. The symmetry and coat of arms totally too us by surprise, and we were really blown away by what he came out with. It’s one of those images where something different jumps out at you each time you look at it

7.Are there any plans for live shows once the pandemic is over with?

John:

Absofuckinglutely! Hell.. we’re also looking into streams and live playthroughs. It goes without saying that as soon as this is over? We’ll be playing gigs 

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

John:

It’s been a mixed bag. Some labels are just unable to release at this time because of the pandemic, some labels have expressed admiration for the music but have just flat out said “it’s not the kind of thing we put out”. Death metal and black metal tend to be  very ‘pure’ genres, but I do find that while some listeners are “kvltists”, most are a lot more open minded than many labels give them credit for.

At this point I’m In two minds. We are in a good position in the sense that we have many platforms to get out music and news out to potential fans more than ever, despite the ever constricting social media algorithms that favour daft pet videos or bullshit fake news to art. If social media paid half as much attention to art as it did in spreading fake, enlightenment-undoing bullshit, we’d be up to our eyeballs in stunning music,

If the right label was to come along? Of course we’d be interested! Label support always helps, and we always want more like minded people to hear our music!

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

John:

The feedback that we have has has been super positive, which is a pleasant surprise as usually people only really speak up on the net to tell you something sucks! Haha! Even those on the more “pure” end of the spectrums have been positive, and we’ve managed to get onto compilations that otherwise feature more “KVLT” bands, so its encouraging!  

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

John:

It’s hard to say. We’re still kinda in the embers of this record, so where we could go next could be anyones guess. I’m not one to repeat the same thing again, so whatever it is, it’ll be different, but it’ll still be extreme. I really can’t say more than that! 

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?

John:

Bands like Anaal Nathrakh, Mayhem, The Berzerker and Emperor have all been a massive influence. We’re not afraid to slow down to really let the heaviness set as well, so bands like Amenra and Neurosis are also an influence. 

As for what I’m listening to now? For heavy listening, it’s usually the classics, haha! But there are an awful lot of good bands out there! For newer stuff, right now I’m oscillating between Akhlys  and Batushka (the first album before it went mental) for black, Devourement for death and Katatonia, Officers, Salem and Boards Of Canada for everything else, but that list is ever changing.

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

John:

Thank you so much for the interview and for giving us a platform to talk about our music! We hope you enjoy the album when it’s released, and when we do start to play shows, we hope to see you there! 

It’s a crazy old time, so look after yourselves and each other!

www.facebook.com/TheMachinistUK

Mayhemic/Mortuary Feast Of Skeletons/Awakening Records/2020 EP Review

 

  Mayhemic  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Mortuary  Feast  Of  Skeletons"  which  was  released  by  Awakening  Records.

  A  very  hard  and  heavy  thrash  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blackened  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  80's  era  German  influences.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  school  and  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  past  it  still  sounds  modern  at  the  same  time.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  some  melody  at  times,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  music  always  sticking  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Mayhemic  plays  a  music  style  that  takes  first  wave  black  and  German  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  a  more  modern  take  on  the  genres.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  destruction  and  violence  with  a  satanic  vibe.

  In  my  opinion  Mayhemic  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  thrash  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shaking  Ground"  and  "Mayhemic". 8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Mayhemic-705028416515501  

        

Vulpecula/Fons Immortalis/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2020 EP Review

 

  Vulpecula  where  a  band  from  Kansas  City,  Missouri  that  played  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Fons  Immortalis"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  December  2020  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  An  ambient  orientated  synth  intro  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  dark sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffing  also  adding  in  some  early  90's  era  death  metal  elements.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  while  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style.  The  slower  riffing  also  shows  an  influence  of  doom  metal  along  with  the  ambient  elements  also  making  a  return  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Vulpecula  played  a  musical  style  that  was  mostly  rooted  in  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  of  black  metal  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  ambient,  doom  and  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while the  lyrics  cover  astronomy,  cosmology  and  esoterica  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vulpecula  where  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  "Fons  Immotalis"  and  "Seven  Layers  Of  Light".  8  out  of  10.

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/fons-immortalis   

Sequestered Doom Interview

 

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

Hello everyone and thanks for interviewing me. Sequestered Doom is just me, one - man project, music from the soul. Born as a project formally in 2007, but exists for ever as soon as I am alive.

2.Can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you have went for on the recordings so far?

It is dark, raw, spiritual music. The only style for this music is intended to be the darkness in all forms. So that is probably how the music on published records may fit into the frame of atmospheric black metal, funeral doom metal and dark ambient.

3.So far all of your music has been instrumental, are you open to using any vocals in the future?

Sequestered Doom is a solely instrumental project, and should remain so, since it is trying to bring the listeners into a meditative, dreaming state of mind and soul, to let you to dive into the world of cold and darkness, to feel the spirits all around us and inside, to return to the fundamental state of the humans nature - no words are needed for this, no language can subscribe this inner journey of each of us.

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

The meaning would be something like "isolated fate". What I am trying to say is, that each of us will make its own journey through the music, each listener will be isolated from the humanity and remain only with himself.

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

All artworks represent the nature in its dark side - gloomy forest under the snow, mountains covered with woods, fog on the river. The nature is the only source of inspiration for Sequestered Doom, as it represents our origin and the only spiritual roots on the mankind.

6.With this project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians or do you prefer to work solos?

For this project I am doing everything on my own and this should remain unchanged, since I am trying to “leave” the real world and place myself in the spiritual world, which is linked to me through the music that I am writing. That's why I have a lot of songs written, but rarely finished and released - they all will appear at the proper time.

7.You have also worked with a good amount of record labels on your album, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you have worked with so far?

Depressive Illusions Records (TAPE edition) is an amazing label from Ukraine doing awesome job releasing truly dark art. Black Mystic Productions (CD edition) was a really great discovery for me, to find such an interesting label from Asia releasing so many creative and awesome underground bands. Kryrart Records (Digital edition) is a label that I have founded with some supporters. It is dedicated to support the honest and dark art coming from the worldwide underground music scene, mainly focusing on black and death metal.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of ambient, black and funeral doom metal?

The reaction was much better that I was expecting. The first recording (Hiems Symphonia) was done in 2008, and then after the short life time self-released on MySpace, it disappeared in the abyss. I decided to release this record again officially exactly 10 years later, as a try to proof, that there are enough people around that will like to hear something without super production, without super promotion, without super well known people involved. I wanted to show, that the underground is alive, that a homemade raw, unpolished, old, one-man and totally "anti-mainstream", but honest record can gain some attention as some piece of art. And really, I was surprised, how many people have supported me, spreading, buying and commenting this work. Other 2 short records of Sequestered Doom that I published subsequently have gain same attention as the first one.  

9.Can you tell us a little bit more about the other musical projects that you are a part of?

My main topic throughout the years has been dark ambient. You can feel it in Sequestered Doom, but other projects are more into it. The Proprius Project is my one-man dark ambient project dedicated solely to the Chernobyl Disaster and the catastrophic consequences of our industrialized civilization. Alchon is a collaborative project with a friend of mine, dedicated to nature - feel the rain, the thunder, the sky above us, the wind, see the field and the grass, touch the trees... Alchon is similar to Sequestered Doom by soul, but the production is less raw, purely ambient, and contains some vocals. Kaminnuu Xpect is another dark ambient project of mine, totally abstract music, containing some symphonic / neoclassical elements. Dance of Shadows is the only from my projects that has had a live line-up, but currently restored as an international project creating epic symphonic and atmospheric black metal. Legio Sergia is a melodic death metal project dedicated more to inner feelings and personal struggles - the last album released this year is based actually on my own life story, it is about the mental self-burning. The conceptual story is happening basically in the mind of the protagonist, who meets nevertheless the personification of death in the physical world.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

I will be always creating honest and dark art, the music just as I feel it, without consideration of any industry trends.

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?

A short list would be : Pantheist, Colosseum, Katatonia, Ulver, Emperor, Dissection, Satirycon (early), Immortal, Opeth, Cynic, Jeremy Soul, If These Threes Could Talk, In Flames (early), Anathema, Cradle of Filth (early), Children of Bodom (early), Pink Floyd, Tenhi and a lot of others.

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

Stay yourself, listen to your inner spirits and save our mother nature.  

Thanks!

26.11.2020

Proprius / Sequestered Doom

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Extirpation/A Damnation's Stairway To The Altar Of Failure/Redefining Darkness Records/2020 Cassette Re-issue Review

 

  Extirpation  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  an  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  progressive  form  of  blackened  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "A  Damnation's  Stairway  to  the  Altar  Of  Failure"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  cassette  in  December,  2020  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  keyboard  intro  starts  off  the  album  which  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  

  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  taking  an  old  school  style  and  making  it  sound  modern  modern  as  well  as  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  as  the  recording  progresses  synths  also  make  a  brief  return  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  madness,  hate, paranoia  and  world  decay  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Extirpation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Into  Disease"  "Faith  Of  The  Parasite"  and  "...to  The  Altar  Of  Failure".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/OO_dQjFZauo      

      

Sequestered Doom/Hiems Symphonia/Kryrart Records/Depressive Illusions/Black Mystic Productions/2018 Full Length Review

 

  Sequestered  Doom  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  funeral  doom  metal  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Hiems  Symphonia"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Kryrart,  Depressive  Illusions  Records  and  Black  Mystic  Productions.

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  style.

  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  more  atmospheric  side  of  black  metal  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  All  of  the  music  is  also  instrumental    along  with  one  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Sequestered  Doom  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black,  funeral  doom  metal  and  dark  ambient  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Sequestered  Doom  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  funeral  doom  metal  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  The  Shade  Of  The  Great  Forest"  and  "On  The  Hills  Foldet  in  Mist".  8  out  of  10.

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The Machinist/I Am Void/2020 Full Length Review

 

  The  Machinist  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial  and  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "I  Am  Void"  which  will  be  released  in  December.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  sounding  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  returning  on  the  later  songs.

  One  of the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  along  with  some  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed  as  well  as  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  utilizing  tremolo  picking,  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Anti  Religion  and  Darkness  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  The  Machinist  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  industrial  and  blackened  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skin  Is  Not  Enough"  "Death  Cults  Of  Abraham"  and  "Schwarzschild  Radius".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/TheMachinistUK    

 

 

Zed Destructive/Corroded By Darkness/Grimm Distribution/Wings Of Destruction/2020 CD Review

 

  Zed  Destructive  are  a  band  from  Israel  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Corroded  By  Darkness" which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Grimm  Distribution  and  Wings  Of  Destruction.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal sound  starts  off the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  Melodies are  also added  into  some  of  the guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences but  keeping  it  modern  at  the  same  time.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Some  of  the  tracks  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars   before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  along  with  some  of  the  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  some  tremolo  picking  and  the  album  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Deicide's  "The  Truth  Above".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  anti  religion  and  anti  social  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Zed  Destructive  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Repulsive  Society"  "Church"  "Your  Lies"  and  "Eternal  Damnation".  8 out  of  10.

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