Langsuir Interview

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

1) We’re quite busy doing some gigs and materials for the next coming release.

2.In July you had release a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
2) Musically it’s not differ from the past releases but lyrically they are more mystic.

3.From 2006 to 2016 there was no music, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
3) Actually in 2008/09 the 2nd album called ‘Bullet’ should be release but due to some problem during the recording process, so it was unfinished. At that time Batara left the band for some personal reason. During that period we are still gigging with new line up and still no new materials until in 2016 the MCD called ‘Bantaigram’ was release under Mamat Rec.

4.Some of your lyrics cover Occultism, Eastern Folklore and Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
4) This eastern shore has many cultures which existed way back even before the European cultures/myths. Therefore, it is essentially for Langsuir to promote this. An excellent reference book that you can read is The Malay Magic by Walter William Skeat.

5.What is he meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Langsuir'?
5) It means she vampire and we want to bring out something differ from other local metal bands and the name suits us in musically and lyrically.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
6) The cover artwork on Dirgha Belasungkawa was about a shaman who terrorises the locals with its magic because he was protected by the Ara tree which has many demons. At his old age, as his strengths weakened, he was killed the locals. But the shaman has no regrets and he became the demon of the Ara tree himself. This is basically the story for the first track of the album, Ara.

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?
7) It’s hard to remember some of our best shows but for myself it was in Singapore between the year 1994 or 1997, Jakarta in 2012/13 (I guess) and 2019 in KL organized by Legion Music. Dark evil and curse we described our show.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
8) 29th February 2020 in Penang with some local acts. August 2020 in Sabah and still looking forward and plans doing some shows outside Malaysia.

9.The band is signed to 'Legion Music', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
9) A very good label so far and much dedicated to all bands they signed.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10) Not much international exposure yet simply because we have been underground much of the time do local shows. One time in mid 90s we were offered a recording deal by Nazgul Eyrie Productions (now the defunct Barbarian Wrath) but never materialised. Now we are looking forward to be known. Check out our music.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11) Only future can tell but our integrity is towards this eastern shore; the culture, the myths.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
12) I’m more into 90’s black/death metal stuff and and listening only from the good old days black/death metal bands. Some bands like Absu, Impaled Nazarene, Rotting Christ, Pan.Thy.Monium, Bathory, Immolation, Profanatica, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Tiamat and The Beatles and Duran Duran as well!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13) Thanx to you for this interview and having LANGSUIR for your next issue… Cheers from Malaysia!!! 

https://www.facebook.com/langsuirband/

Vile Crone Interview

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



Vile Crone is a solo project, blending Black, Death, Doom and Synth. Based in Adelaide, Australia Vile Crone started as a weekend hobby dabbling in music writing and production that quickly got out of hand. My aim with Vile Crone was to fully write, record and produce a body of music as well as create all at the visual elements - to create a true, fully solo musical and visual endeavor - which has always been a dream of my to do.



2.In January you released your first album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?



I can’t say I went with any specific plan, I kind of thought I just wanted to write and record music, so I recorded what I liked with what I had. The first Vile Crone song that fully wrote was As The Fire Fades, the final track on the album, It almost wrote itself once I got going, I found that with most of the songs on Apostle came about in a similar fashion. In reality I had expected I would end up just ripping of Darkthrone’s Transilvanian Hunger, but ended up going in my own direction.



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



I like to tell stories. I’m not big on writing more personal or emotional things, I consider myself more an entertainer than an artist. This is not to say I don’t try to channel some emotion into the delivery of the vocals or the music itself. Apostle the title track is basically a straight forward revenge story, inspired by the witch burnings of Europe and America, while Gatekeeper is a humours take how “exclusive” some members of the metal community act. I write the music first, then come up with lyrics that I think fit the tone of the song, based on various inspirations.



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



It honestly came from the Youtube Channel RedLetterMedia, on an episode of Best of the Worst - they watched a terrible documentary about “Crones”, essentially a kind of old fashion term for a transitional period in a Woman’s later life. I thought the word Crone had a great pagan sounding quality but was already an existing band. So like any hack, I added a word -  Vile - one of my favorite words and it just sound right. A quick google search showed no one was using it so here we are - Vile Crone - I just think its a good solid Heavy Metal name, a little sinister and a little cheesy and gave me the Crone mascot that features heavily in the related art.



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



I started working on the album artwork VERY early on in the process, I believe after the first song I wrote before I even had come up with the band name. Even after that first song I couldn’t help but start paling out the whole album presentation. I enjoy pin-up style art, so I wanted to do a darker, metal style of that. Once the name Vile Crone stuck, it kinda turned the figure into my mascot, or more so the Avatar of the music. That has extended to all the related artwork - each individual track has its own related illustration - which I also animated for the Youtube channel. I am also working on a fully animated film clip - but is a little while off being finished.



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



I’m very controlling when it comes to creative projects. I want to do everything myself, regardless of my prior knowledge or skill - which is honestly a bit of a curse. I did, however, share my work in progress tracks with a very talented songwriting friend of mine, to get his opinion. Working by yourself honestly lends itself to a lot of self-doubts, but at the same time, you only need to compromise with yourself. I also find I generally enjoy bands or musicians who work solo or 2 person projects mores - those were always my biggest inspirations. I am contemplating the idea of a live band version of Vile Crone, and would love to feature some guests in the future, especially some female vocals - right now I’ll stick with being solo.



7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have receive any interest?



Absolutely - I cannot WAIT to sell out, first chance I get, I don’t care if they make me do Mumble Rap, I’ll do anything for a dollar! But in all honesty, it would be great to have that support and backing of a Label to get my music out there to a wider audience. I have been approached by a few labels, but they required me to pay money I simply don’t have, so not sure if they were just scams, watch out for those people!



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



The first week I had nearly 200 downloads and over 600 Track plays on Bandcamp  - Numbers I thought I would never even reach and continue to rise. I think I’ve had a bigger reaction internationally than I have locally - within the first day of release Apostle was upon Eastern European piracy sites - which was great! Most of my promotional offers and contacts have come from Europe and South America. That being said I was featured on local Radio Station twice in the first 2 weeks from release - which I never thought would happen, especially with the type of music I am making. Honestly, I’m thankful anyone takes the time to listen to my music, let alone enjoy it. I don’t consider myself a musician, and I think the music I have written could be divisive due to the blend of genres, but ultimately I write for myself, and if anyone else likes it, that's just a bonus.



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



I’m just gonna see where it takes me. I’ve already started working on new tracks, approaching how I write this release a little differently, trying a few new ideas I’ve stolen from better bands. I wanna take what I learned from writing and recording Apostle and try and build upon and improve that general theme and sound.



10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?



In terms of inspiration DARKTHRONE! - the biggest influence on actually making music at this point in my life! I’ve been listening to Black Metal since my mid-teens, Mostly the 2nd wave Norway bands like the aforementioned Darkthrone but also Emperor, Arcturus, Immortal, Burzum and of course Mayhem, and more recently bands like MORK and MGLA are really inspiring in there sound. I’ve also really gotten into the 80/90’s Death Metal sound (Ironic seeing as that's what those Black Metal bands were rebelling against), bands like Death, Morbid Angel and Obituary and I’ve been a huge Cannibal Corpse fan for a while now. I’ve also always been a big Doom fan, Type O Negative is my favorite band of all time, and I’ve been hugely inspired by local legends Virgin Black. Other Inspirational bands include Paradise Lost, 3 Inches of Blood, Ne Obliviscaris and Nine Inch Nails. Lately, I’ve made a conscious effort to listen to newer metal bands, just going on Spotify and listening to random playlists and things like that.



I also listen to a lot of other genres outside of metal, perhaps more. I’re really into the Australian grunge/pop-punk scene right now with bands like Slowly Slowly, Sly Withers and my boys in NO NO NO NO NO. I’m also massively into synth-wave, darkwave and synth-pop - bigger acts like Chvrches, Grimes and Pale Waves as well as acts like Perturbator, Stvngers, Nightclub, and KANGA.



11.What are some of your non musical interests?

I’m big into video games - especially the Dark Souls Series (As the fire Fades is inspired by Dark Souls) and the Witches. I’m also into tabletop gaming and RPGs. Other than that it's watching a good movie, eating good food and drinking good Rum and Scotch!



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

Just wanna say thank you to everyone whose given Vile Crone a listen - if you dig it, spread the word!

vilecrone@hotmail.com | Bandcamp | Streaming | Instagram | Facebook

Drittmaskin Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Drittmaskin started as a loose concept that our singer and lyricist Grindadrap fooled around with. He had some lyrics written that was lying around. Our drummer up until recently, Snöfökk, had a studio, and he asked if we should try to get together and see if we could work out something. So me (Avstralopithecvs) Grindadrap and him started practicing, and I started writing melodies for the lyrics. This way of working has been our mode since then. Either a melody from me first, or a finished lyric from Grindadrap. We had some lineup changes, especially on bass, but we landed firmly with Sorte Död who really helped us take things further. His old friend Ardipithecvs came in on guitar, and this really cemented our path. We had to change things around a bit on drums in late 2019, and we now have a great new drummer in Kvit Fosfor.

2.So far you have released one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?
I have worked with recording on my own since I was a kid, and have always had a strong connection with a kind of proto-sound, or lo-fi you might call it. Artists such as John Fahey, Moldy Peaches, early Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Darkthrone, David Pajo have all influenced me strongly in how I believe a recording and production process should be.

Musically we are pretty multi-faceted, and we could just as well drop names from weird folk artists or from raw black, death or thrash metal. In our foundation there are certain stand-out metal albums like Scream Bloody Gore (Death) and Transylvanian Hunger (Darkthrone), or the typical early-Bathory sound and song writing, but also There is a Darkness by Bonnie “Prince” Billy or Is this Real by the Wipers.

I guess you could say our sources of inspiration are a bit schizophrenic or manic, but we want to have a straight-forward and raw energy to everything we do. We aren’t trying to make music for sleeping, if you know what I mean. Our mission is to pull out the life’s anger and frustration through a kind of physical music with a lyrical depth that takes no inspiration from the typical metal lyrical landscape.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?
We try to view the lyrical process as a prolongation of our experiences in life. We don’t want to stand on someone else’s shoulders, like most metal bands do. There is a boundary for how many times can you churn out a lyric inspired by HP Lovecraft or Tolkien.

Our lyricist Grindadrap has a strong voice, which is really inspiring to all of us. Almost like a Charles Bukowski, or Michel Houllebecq style, which at least to us reminds us what punk and metal really is: saying the opposite as everyone else, and nurturing your own mind and sense of creative freedom.

In terms of lyrical topics it can range from bashing low brow punks, to ass-fucking derailed and out-of-touch modern elite politicians, describing the dark feeling of wanting to leave everything, or pointing out the certain absurdities we see in our modern day and age.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Drittmaskin'?
The name to me personally symbolises a sense of total freedom. A machine where you ditch all your shit, and it gets filtered through our collective mind. The concrete meaning of the word could also mean “broken/malfunctioning machine”.

5.Can you tell us a little bit about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
We wanted to find an artists that embodied our feeling tied to this project. Our antagonism toward a punk and metal world who mostly is terrified of being different. To us, metal and punk is just that: The Will to be different. Wooden Cyclops has a unique visual language that reminds us of some of the shit we grew up loving like the Turtles, He-Man and Conan, and at the same time his style isn’t what you normally see in the world of black thrash or black metal, or even punk. We wanted to work with someone who had this weirdness. An Outsider like us.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
When we rehearse, we act just the same way as we do when we play live. I completely lose it. And this is the entire purpose of doing this. It’s this hole in the ground where you just wrench out every ounce of frustration and pain in life, and for me, when I do this, it turns into this relaxing feeling of euphoria. Almost like having sex. Our singer has a kind of intimidating presence which I also really enjoy. He just gives me the shivers. We’ve had so many crazy experiences live. It seems our Drittfolk just lose it together with us, like some kind of Dark and Unholy Mass. We’ve had people banging their head on the drum kit. Full on fighting. Headbangers. Crazy hippie dancers. We see all kinds of people losing it at our shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?
Our main goal is to continue our work on our second album, and rather aim for a proper tour in 2021, hopefully down through Europe too. We have a few shows in Norway lined up, but we also want to be able to focus properly on the recording process. So, Europe, just you wait! Fingers crossed for 2021. And if there are drittfolk out there who want us to come to their city, just reach out.

8.Recently 'Edged Circle Productions' re-issued your 2018 album on physical format, can you tell us a little bit more about the newer version?
First off, working with ECP is an extreme pleasure. Their vision and how they lift outsider music is just amazing, combined with all their experience in the business, just makes it even better. The new version is mainly a re-issue since we sold out the first pressing. Also we added some extra details in terms of packaging it with more detail, a poster and stuff like that.

8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and extreme metal?
It seems our message has hit a lot of people out there, who have the same kind of ideals and that are willing to let their guard down in terms of what to expect from a metal or punk act in 2020. We can’t just sit around and worship old heroes, you know. Plato gave Socrates a cup of poison, even though he was his mentor and great inspirator. People reach out from South and North America, around in Europe, and some strange photos have surfaced from Russian mad-men listening to our songs. To us it feels like getting in touch with lost family members, our own blood.

9.You have a new album coming out later this year, what can we expect musically once it is released?
We are working our asses off with this, and we have planned most of it, and we will work with the same people as on the first release, in terms of mixing and mastering and cover design. We are a bit unsure on how efficient we want to be, but we might round off the production some time this summer. So a release might come late autumn or something like that. Maybe early 2021. We’ll see how fast we can do things, without making any compromises in our vision. Musically we are more violent, more detailed, and we are tighter. The sound will be the same.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think I touched in on this in a earlier question?

11.Hat are some of your non musical interests?
All of us have a deep connection with skateboarding and snowboarding, but we also do enjoy our fair share of literature like Carl Sagan, Jack Kerouac, Charles Baudelaire. Grindadrap had a period where he built stuff, constantly, in wood. All kinds of shit. Ardipithecvs enjoys hiking in the mountains, passionate love making, geopolitics and romantic movies. Kvit Fosfor has really dove into the world of brewing beer. Sorte Död is maybe the most practical of us all on his spare time. I think he practically has rebuilt his own house from the ground up. He also does a lot of illustration and graphic design. He kind of laid the whole foundation for our visual style through a huge book he put together where he gathered typography, photos, screenshot from movies, art objects and tons of other shit that really embodies what we want to do in sound. He’s the laid-back guy on stage, but he has great creative mind. He’s our John McVie.

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

www.facebook.com/drittmaskinband 

Hraun Interview

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

M.S.: From 2000 until 2011 I had a technical death metal band called SYMBIONTIC with which I released a Promo and 2 records gaining some attention in the underground scene here in Germany. When we quit the band the singer Volker and I decided to form a new band. We called it HURAKAN and also released one record with it. Due to the well-known ups and downs this band also ended in 2015. At that point of time Volker had the idea to write some doomy songs and I really loved the idea. So I wrote an entire album, which is now HRAUN! But I already knew that it was better to look for new musicians to release this fantastic material. I remembered S.B. whom I had met just a few times in early 2000…back then I was overwhelmed by his vocals and also the passion he has for his music. Just the same as I so I contacted him, first asking if he´d like to sing some backings, but when he instantly agreed I asked him if he wanted to become the lead singer of HRAUN. And here we are!

S.B.: I remember, M.S. contacted me after he saw a live video of my main band „Halphas".
I really appreciate him as a musician and as a person. So I didn't hesitate for long.

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

M.S.: As said my first idea was to walk a doomy path. But all the music I write includes several influences, so quite naturally the style is somewhat diverse. I would define it as dark and heavy, not doomy in the sense of a grave tempo, rather in the lyrical and musical penetrating power. We call it Doomed Dark Metal.

3.Some of your lyrics also touch on Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

M.S.: As the term says to me it is a search for encrypted meaning. I see it as a way of thinking rather than acting. So in my lyrics I express different ways to interpret and deal with reality.

S.B.: My personal believes are rooted in different types of occultism. However, explaining this would go beyond the scope of this interview.

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

M.S.: What happens when you have to face death and you try to rise up against it a last time, how can you deal with the eternal war inside yourself, the realisation of your own pettiness, losing your fight against depression, death wish…

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

M.S.: As I love language I also love specific words and/or their tone. So I came upon „Hamarinn“ and „Hraun“. When I translated „Hraun“ into German I immediately knew that this would be the name of my next band! Tone and meaning in a perfect symbiosis. It fitted exactly the dark and heavy direction in which I wanted to go with this band.

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

M.S.: Rebecca Weik is a friend of S.B. and I had seen some of her fantastic pieces of art before. So I contacted her if she wanted to create our logo and she agreed. I then was overwhelmed by the final version of it so I thought that she also should make our cover. And what should I say: the cover perfectly symbolises the black molten essence of darkness and heaviness that our music has. You see those energetic bubbles and what I would call synapses which deliver the energy…and of course right in the centre you observe what I would define as the power of defiance and self-assertion.

7.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?

M.S.: Right now I would say that we remain a duo, but who knows…

S.B.: Maybe we will add some one if we decide to play live

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

M.S.: At this point of time I cannot answer this question because I guess that nobody knows that we exist as a band. But once the album has been released I hope that lovers of that kind of music will become aware of our record. And then I am sure that many will observe its power. I mean S.B. is one of the best extreme singers with a broad vocal range.

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

M.S.: We will definitely write more songs using clean vocals, experiment with other instruments (this time we additionally used the Irish Bouzouki) and presumably will change the tone a bit. But we will stay dark and heavy!
S.B.: I will do more of my deep clean vocals for sure.

10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

M.S.: There are a lot of influences, of course. I mean, music makes my life since I was a child, so I could start with Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and then add hundreds of other bands and styles…
So I really can´t say what influenced me directly when writing for HRAUN - it is rather what made my compositional style and what influenced my way of playing my instruments.
The most important influence on my guitar playing are Morbid Angel and Death, how I nowadays compose my songs is an approach to song building influenced by Katatonia, Opeth, Paradise Lost and Dead Can Dance.

I love many bands and I still buy a lot of records but I keep listening to the same albums over and over again. Those I listen to the most are probably Morbid Angel´s Covenant, Katatonia´s Viva Emptiness, Gospel of the Witches´ Salem´s Wounds and  Opeth´s Blackwater Park.

S.B.: Type O Negative, Bethlehem, Bathory and Ulver inspires me al lot. But I would say most important to me are The Cure and The Doors.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

M.S.: Spending time with my family…

S.B.: Collecting vinyl records and movies, reading.

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

M.S.: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak about what we love to make – music. Our greetings to all the maniacs out there who also believe in the power of music and arts in general! And our gratitude to those still spending their money on records and still go to concerts.

https://www.facebook.com/hraundoom/

Ritual Dictates/Give In To Despair/Artofact/2020 CD Review

  Ritual  Dictates  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C, Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  with  some  elements  of  classic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Give  in  To  Despair"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Artofact.

   Melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  a  few  seconds  later.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  also  be  heard  and  some  of  the  solos  and  leads  also  show  an  influence  of  classic  rock.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  music  also  captures  the  raw  aggression  of  punk  rock  at  times.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a   decent  amount  of  melody  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  which  also  mixes  a  70's  influence  with  a  more  modern  sound,  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ritual  Dictates  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  with  some  touches  of  punk  and  classic  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dominance  And  Will"  "Last  Phase  Of  Life"  "Extinction"  and  "Terror  Of  Time".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/ritualdictates   

     

Sign Of Evil/Psychodelic Horror/Caligari Records/2020 EP Review

  Sign  Of  Evil  is  a  solo  project  from  Chile  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  some  elements  of  ancient  Italian  occult  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  ep  "Psychodelic  Horror"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Caligari  Records.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  that  also  get  deep  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style  as  well  as  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  a  horror  movie  soundtrack.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  while  also  capturing  a  modern  day  heaviness.  When  synths  and  whispered  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  along  with  some  psychedelic  and  occult  rock  elements  also  being  used  at  times,

  The  songs  also  add  in  some  influences  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  being  short  in  length  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sign  Of  Evil  is  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  mixture  of  black,  thrash,  speed  metal  and  occult  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  Will  Rise"  and  "Spilling  Black  Signs".  8  out  of  10.

http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/psychodelic-horror 

  

Crypt Dagger/From Below/Dying Victims Productions/2020 EP Review

  Crypt  Dagger  are  a  band  from  Germany  that plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  some  elements  of  punk  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "From  Below" which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Dying  Victims Productions.

  Spoken  word  and  movie  samples  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  while  the  music  also  mixes  in a   great  amount  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements.

  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some of  the  guitar  riffing  and  while  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  it  still  captures  a  more  modern  heaviness.  When  the  music  speeds up  a  decent  amount  of  blast beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Some  of  the  songs  also  add  in  the  raw  aggression  of  punk  rock  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording,  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction  and  the  ep  closes  with  a  cover  of  Dead  Moon's  "5440  Or  Fight".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

   In  my  opinion  Crypt  Dagger  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  some  elements  of  punk  rock  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  To  All"  "Blood  For  The  Crypt  Dagger".  8  out  of  10.

"Devastation":


    

Vile Crone/Apostle/2020 EP Review

  Vile  Crone  is  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  ep  "Apostle".

  Tremolo  picking  style  riffing  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  programmed  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.   

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  synths  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  spoken  word  parts  and  clear singing  can  also  be heard  briefly, and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Vile  Crone  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should check  out  this  solo project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gatekeeper"  and  "As  The  Fire  Fades".  8out  of  10.

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Vectis/No Mercy For The Weak/Heldprod Records/2020 EP Review

  Vectis  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "No  Mercy  For  The  Weak"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Hellprod  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  ep 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  melodic  and  old  school  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  The  tracks  also  bring  in a   great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  along  with  the  vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  while  the  songs  also  mix  in  influences  from  the  first  wave  era  of  that  genre  but  with  a  more  modern  take.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  tempo  parts  as  well  as  always  sticking  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  On  this  recording  Vectis  remains  true  to  the  blackened  thrash  metal  style  that  had  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Destruction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vectis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satanic  Force"  and  "Evil  Possession".  8  out  of  10.

Soundcloud | Bandcamp      

Hraun/Black Molten Essence/FDA Records/2020 CD Review

  Hraun  are  a  duo  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Black  Molten  Essence"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  FDA  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  clean  vocals  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  style.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  style  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  songs  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other,  keyboards  are  also  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  darkness  and  depression  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Hraun  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  goth,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Occult  Blood"  "Rituals"  and  "Through  The  River  Black".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/hraundoom 

Satan Worship/Teufelssprache/Folter Records/2020 CD Review

  Satan  Worship  are  a  band  with  members  from  Germany  and  Brazil  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Teufelssprache"  which  was  released  by  Folter  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  first  wave  influences.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  an  old  school  style.  Most  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  but  also  sounds  modern  at  the  same  time  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times,  most  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  mid  tempo  style  with  only  a  small  amount  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  being  utilized  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Sepultura's  "Antichrist".

  Satan  Worship  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black  and  thrash  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Death  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Satan  Worship  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  Incarnate"  "Satanik  Werewolves"  "Mass  Murder"  and  "Aokigahra".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/satanworshipofficial/

https://youtu.be/x_QbYn4sWJs



    

Funeral Cult Interview

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

First of all we’ve got in touch with Lusitanian Music. It was the milestone in everything what is going on now. They provide the suport and experience in promotion we couldn’t imagine. This is a huge thing for us.

I don’t know if we had any expectations with these three tracks we’ve recorded. We were about to release it by ourselves and just see what will happen. One day I realized why to kick the open door. I wrote to Lusitanian Music and it started. Because of that we hired Anna Jarzynska, very talented young artist, who made all the coverart and layout for us. Lusitanian Music took care of promotion abroad and we try to do our best in Poland.

Anyway, next to all this we work hard in our rehearsal room on new songs we’d like to put on full length album.



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

Simple but difficult question. Time passed, guys changed as people, grew up, I guess. The perspective has changed. Music has changed somehow. Old vocalist refused to take part in reactivation. I took his place. It is another huge change. My vocals are different and put the band on even black metal tracks. But still it has old soul. As Joao from Lusitanian Music said: „new material is keeping their dark ambiance but giving their new tracks more death/doom atmosphere”. I agree with that.



3. The band was broken up for 20 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

There is no option we live our lives without the music. This is the main factor which led us to reactivate the band. But yes, we’ve split-up for almost 20 years. The main reason was signing the contract with an unresponsible label in Poland. We went to the court at last. But it took two years. We couldn’t do anything because of the contract conditions. We had to make decison and take care of ourselves and our families. The end of story!


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

New vocalist, new inspirations. From slavic and pagan ceremonies to demonic possession. In short. Lyrics for „Possession Done” are inspired with Barian Lumley’s „Necroscope” horror series and „Exorcist”, the book and the movies. Tree sperate songs telling one whole story. A journey from being an extraordinary human to… what or where? A demon, lesser human, to hell or purgatory? You tell me…

Technically, guys create music, construct a song. Don’t ask me where it comes from. It just comes out of us. After that I put vocals into it. With random words. During this progres a story pops up. But the most important is that there is an idea for it. I know what I’m going to write about. I have always a concept. Demonic possession, loosing your soul or just being a lunatic was the idea for „Possession Done”. But it didn’t come from nowhere. We have full lenght never issued entitled „Mystery of Possession” and recorded in 1998. As new person in the band I had to close the past and open new door. This is what „Possession Done” is for.



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

The only plan was that we wanted to have a name with two words. We’ve chosen the best ones in our opinion at that time.
Of course it matches to our music very well. But subcondciously it was conneted to our interests.


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

Great job done by Anna Jarzynska & Phoenix Pictures. I’ve just told her a few details I wanted to have on the front cover of the EP. And it was far from it we’ve got back from her. Beutifly drawn my version of possession, madness, solitude, lost…



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?

After reactivation we’ve played five or six shows during one year. Some say to much, some say the opposite. Anyway, one of the best performances was with PILLORIAN in our home city, Lodz. What else to say… We try to make the shows consistent with the music and lyrics. So I go on stage hooded and during the show we try to transfer a lot of Energy to the audience. And we have very positive feed back from the audience.



8. Do you have any touring or show plans for 2020?

Yes. After the launch of „Possesion Done” by Lusitanian Music on February, 21st 2020, one day later we start live shows in Poland. We are going to visit big cities across Poland like Katowice, Czestochowa, Krakow, Lodz, etc. And we do it with our friends from death metal band Arcane Dust.



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

We’ve got positive reviews, a lot o magazines mentioned us, some radio stations aired our music. I think there is a lot of noise in Europe. But still a lot in front of us because we are releasing the EP in two weeks.



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

We are in the middle of creating the stuff for full lengh. I don’t know if we put any track from „Possession Done” to the full lenght. But it is not agreed yet. I have another concept for a full lenght. But it is not far from the concept for „Possession Done”. Anyway I don’t think we release full lenght before autumn 2020.

Musically there won’t be any revolution. We’ve put some faster moments in the new tracks. But still we like our rather slow doom music with some black metal insertions. Slow and simple, it makes a difference thesedays.



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?

Some say My Dying Bride, Celtic Frost, Anathema… I don’t know. It could be true. The inspiration is around us. It could be a movie, a book, an event or nature itself. We don’t have any favourite bands. We hear a lot of different music generes and styles, even non metal.



12. What are some of your non musical interests?

Aikido, shooting (not hunting), paragliding, books, movies and other stuff what makes us younger not older.



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

I’d like to thank you for the interview and your job. Many thanks to Lusitanian Music and the crew for what they do for us. Hope we go back to you with full lenght sooner than later. But for now find our EP „Possession Done” at Lusitanian Music store and other channels. Find us on Facebook and Youtube. Stay in touch.

 https://www.facebook.com/funeralcultband/

Nexorum Interview

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

Nexorum is a blackened death metal band based in Trondheim, Norway. The band includes members from various Norwegian metal bands, the most relevant being Keep of Kalessin, Chton, Khonsu and Vecordious.

The band formed back in 2017. We have spent these last years writing, recording and mixing our debut album, Death Unchained.



2.In March you have a new album, can you tell us a little bit about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Back when we started talking about forming this band this was very important for all of us.

We did not want to be a tech death metal band and certainly not another old school black metal band. We wanted the music to be heavy as fuck, groovy and “easy” to perform live, but also atmospheric, brutal and with a good song structure. From there we just evolved through each song and ended up as we are now.

During this writing process, our guitarist Roger has done a lot. He has his own home studio and he has a good ear, so we recorded the entire album ourselves with him as producer. Drums and vocals in our rehearsal place, and guitar and bass at Roger’s house.



3.Most of the other band members are also involved with other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Nexorum' that you are not able to do with your other groups?

Well, mainly the death metal type of writing. Khonsu and Keep of Kalessin are very melodic and majestic. Nexorum is more brutal and in your face.


4.Some of your lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism or Left Hand Path themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?

Like so many artists before us, be it musicians, writers, painters, sculptors.. you name it, we find the stories, myths, legends and the over all concept of Satan very interesting, and draw a lot of inspiration from it. This shines through in a handful of the Nexorum lyrics.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nexorum'?
Nexorum derives from the latin word Nexus, which literally means "binding together" or "connection". We chose this name since it represents the way we got this band together and how we create our music as a band.



6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
We wanted something that captured the essence of the album, both musically and thematically. We sent an email to Rafal Wechterowicz with some of our visual ideas, along with a couple of songs and lyrics, so that he could get a feel of what we were all about. This is what he came up with, and we really liked it.

There's no stronger symbol for death than a human skull, so that had to be the center piece of the artwork. The snakes and chalices are slight references to some of the lyrical content.

Robin, our bass player, did the layout for the album. He put one of Gustave Doré's illustrations from The Divine Comedy in the background to put an extra layer to it all, as well as adding the frames, which ended up looking pretty sick.

Robin who also plays in Keep of Kalessin is a real artist. Design and drawing is something that he is really good at.



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

We will have our first concert with Blood Red Throne in March.
It will be aggressive and we are certain that people will feel our energy from the stage.



8.Do you have any touring plans once the new album is released?
Not yet, but we will be an active live band.


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music  by fans of black and death metal?
So far, so good.
It seems like we are hitting a nerve. Maybe people are a bit tired of the all the same stuff that is out there and really like the sound of the band and the production of the songs. The open song structure, the groove and the catchy riffs.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are already working on 3 new songs and will aim to play as much live as possible.
The new album will be insane, although we are early in the writing process I can feel and hear already that we will nail this one as well.
It will be Heavy, groovy and brutal.


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?
Well, what can I say.. We are Norwegians and have all grown up listening to all of the Norwegian bands from Burzum to Dimmu Borgir and everything in between.
The band is trying to do things a bit different and I think we sound unique. I don’t think I've heard any bands, at least from Norway, that play quite like us.
I personally listen to a lot of Wardruna these days.



12.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?
They are lurking in the shadows with things. Stay tuned.


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you for the interview and to everyone who read this. Thank you and please continue the support by playing our music. Hornz up!

https://www.facebook.com/nexorum.official   
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdgp6IGlTLC3SEx0oxiRrqg 
https://www.instagram.com/nexorum.official

Treurwilg/An End To Rumination/2020 Full Length Review

  Treurwilg  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  funeral  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "An  End  To  Rumination"  which  will  be  released  on  February  22nd.

  Clean  playing  starts  of  the  album  and  are  also  used  on  the  other  tracks  while   spoken  word  parts  are  also  utilized  at  times,  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  guttural  death  metal  growls.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  post  metal  elements.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized   they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  atmospheric  style,  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slower  direction.

  Treurwilg  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  black,  funeral  doom  and  post  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  and  tells  the  tale   of  a  man  and  its  fears.

  In  my  opinion  Treurwilg  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  funeral  doom  and  post  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  Ruin  And  Misery"  and  "Shallow  Pools  Of  Grief".  8  out  of  10.

https://treurwilg.bandcamp.com/track/shallow-pools-of-grief 

 

 

   

Hellion Interview

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

 H: We are fiends since the high school. Our musical likes clicked since the days we met each other. The band started in september 2014 under the name Infernus. We thought it was not good enough, so we decided to change the name to Hellion. Some people don't like the name, but we don't give a fuck.

After two years of composing songs and play some little shows at local venues, we recorded a demo called "The Rising of Wizards", which was produced and released by Sabbath Productions. A year later the band started to work in the making of the first Full Length, which is called Hordes of Witchery, and was released by the label La Pija Producciones. After two years of rehearsals, shows along the country and work for musical improvement, the band signed with the chinese label Awakening Records,to reissue the existent titles, and release a new album. This last one saw the light in november of 2019, and is called "Rebel's Curse". Currently the band still composing new songs and working to spread the plague to the world of underground Metal.

2.So far you have released a demo, a couple of lengths and have been a part of a split, musically how do they all differ from each other/

H: During the years we have tried to worry to improve our selves musically and artistically. As the years pass we try to be more accurate and professional without losing the focus and devotion for the underground and raw sound. The musical influences and the song writing style haven't changed so much, but we always search to feed the new songs with the knowledge we get through the time.

3.Some of your lyrics cover Satanism and Witchcraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?

H: The only cult we're loyal to, is the Metal cult. We're not religious for any side, we dont' believe in god or the devil more than we believe in winnie the pooh. Those are fiction characters which have inspired many stories and have given to Rock n' Roll an identity.

We're against the religious doctrines of any kind. But the christianity and all abrahamic religions are the most pure manifestation of the stupidity and not deserved human pride. An invention and excuse to feel special among the rest of the animal reign.



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

The Metal lifestyle, women, rebellion, weed, lust, blasphemy, speed, death, the running of time... there are no bounds.

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

H: We took it from the W.A.S.P's song. There are also some texts that claim that the Hellion is the devil's child. A rebel angel, similar to lucifer. The prince of evil.

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

H: It was made by the art master Wang Jiabin from Awakening Records. He just asked us for some ideas and referents, and started to work... the final result was that awesome piece of art which gives a face to our new album. He also made the artwork for the reissue of "The Rising of Wizards". Pretty insane!

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?

H: Every show we play in, has something special. We enjoy each show as if it was the last.

Just to name some: Rock C4 2016 (Medellín), Silent Scream 2018 (Bucaramanga), Barranquilla Metal Massacre 2018 (Barranquilla), Whiplash Southamerican Tour 2019 (Medellín) Katio Metal Fest 2019 (Andes).

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

H: Yes, we have. We are working and dealing to tour and play at the main cities of Colombia in 2020 in order to promote the last production. There are five cities confirmed so far. We have been also planning and working to get out of the national frontiers. Let's see what happens.

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

H: There are many countries where some maniacs have shown their support and good energy. I don't know if we can call it all worldwide level, but our music has reached lots of places that we never imagined before, and we feel it well received.

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

H: As i said before, we are always working to upgrade our musical skills and become more professional through the time. We are searching for an authentic sound, without forget our roots and everlasting influences. We'll still speed, we'll still evil, we'll stay thrash.

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?

H: Almost all the 80's Metal bands from heavy to death metal have influenced our music in some way. There are also some bands in the Colombian Scene that we have grow with and developed a huge admiration for. Some new wave of old school bands have inspired our path.

H: Just to name a few: Bathory, Possessed, Warrant, DeathHammer, Metallica, Nocturnal, Exodus, Slayer, Witchtrap, Masacre, Anvil, Savage Agression, Reencarnacion, Destruction, Kreator... and the list never ends.

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

H: There only remains to say thank you, michael for the interest in our work and our history, and for keeping the flame of Worldwide metal always and forever burning!!

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Hallucinator/Another Cruel Dimension/Carbonized Records/2020 Full Length Review

  Hallucinator  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  plays  an  esoteric  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Another  Cruel  Dimension"  which  will  be  released  on  February  14th  by  Carbonized  Records.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  using  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  and  at  times  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also done  in  a  very  dark,  old  school  and  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  black  metal  screams  which  also  mix  both  the  first  and  second  waves  together.  The  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of   mid  80's  to  early  90's  era death  metal  influences  but  keeps  it  modern  at  the  same  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  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.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  a  classic  sci-fi  or  horror  movie  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  As  the  album  progresses  a  couple  of  instrumentals  are  also  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  also  do  a  cover  of  R.A..V.A.G.E's  "On  They  Slay".  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  esoteric,  dark,  violent  and  alcohol  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hallucinator  are  a  very  great  sounding  esoteric  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Clotted  black  Blood"  "Ruthless  Transgression"  "Mad  Reaper"  and  "Chapel  Perilous".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/HallucinatorCA    

Malleus/Storm of Witchcraft/Armageddon Label/2020 EP Review

  Malleus  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Storm  of  Witchcraft"  which  was  remastered  and  will  be re-issued  on  February  14th  by  Armageddon  Label.

  Sounds  of  wind,  field  recordings  and  dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  influenced  direction.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  some  elements  of  first  wave  black  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Vocals  are  mostly grim  sounding  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  an  old  school  style.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Elements  of  speed  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  all  of the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  music also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Witchcraft,  Occultism  and  Demonology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Malleus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blackened  Skies"  and  "Storm  Of  Witchcraft".  8  out  of  10.

http://armageddonlabel.bandcamp.com/album/storm-of-witchcraft-remastered