Resin Tomb/Self Titled/Brilliant Emperor Records/2020 EP Review

  Resin  Tomb  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  ep  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Brilliant  Emperor  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  structures.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in a   mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Distorted  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  very  modern  style,  melodic  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.

  Resin  Tomb  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  dissonant  style  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  the  brutality  of  grindcore  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Resin  Tomb  are  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Penance"  and  "Bestial".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/resintombdeath   

Puro Odio/Self Titled/Sentient Ruin Laboratories/2020 EP Review

  Puro  Odio  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  ep  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Sentient  Ruin  Laboratories.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  music  also  brings  in a   great  amount  of  hardcore  punk  and  oi  elements.  Vocals  are  done  mostly  in  a  deep  and  growling  blackened  metal  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  first  wave  influences.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  takes  an  old  school  style  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  modern  day  heaviness  and  the  whole  ep  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.

  Puro  Odio  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  hardcore  punk  and  oi  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  anarchy,  hatred,  misanthropy,  nihilism  and  violence  themes.

  in  my  opinion  Puro  Odio  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "No  Us  En  Juego".  8  out  of  10.

  BANDCAMP RELEASE

    

Skeleton/Self Titled/20 Buck Spin/2020 CD Review

  Skeleton  are  a  band  from  Austin,  Texas  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  album  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  A  very  fast  black  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  screams  while  elements  of  punk  are  also  also  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  d  beats  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  The  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  80's  and  90's  influences  while  also  keeping  it  very  modern  at  the  same  time.  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  decent  portion  of  the  songs  being  short  in  length,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.

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

  In  my  opinion  Skeleton  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skeleton"  "Ring  Of  Fire"  "Taste  of  Blood"  and  "Catacombs".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Skeleton-1425382974369527
http://www.skeletonatx.bandcamp.com
http://www.instagram.com/Skeletonatx

Mustasuo/Katharsis/Off Records/2020 CD Review

  Mustasuo  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  crust,  grind,  punk  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Katharsis"  which  was  released  by  Off  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  D  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  drumming  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  blackened  screams  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  elements  can  also  be  heard,  The  riffing  also  brings  in  a  lot  of  crust  and  hardcore  punk  influences  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  short  in  length.

  A  couple  of  tracks  also  introduces  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  robotic  spoken  word  parts  which  also  adds  more  of  a  sci-fi  atmosphere  onto  the  album as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Mustasuo  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  punk,  crust,  grind  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Karpaset"  "Tuomitulle"  "Tuhoaja"  and  "Noitaympyra".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/mustasuo/
https://mustasuo.bandcamp.com/

The Ogre/Entity/Sliptrick Records/2020 CD Review

  The  Ogre  are  a  solo  project  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Entity"  which  was  released  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  vocals  also  add  in  more  of  an  80;s  thrash  style  as  well a s  having  their  demonic  moments  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  Some  of  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  elements  of  traditional  metal  while  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  keyboards  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  horror  movie  atmosphere  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  Some  of  the  vocals  also  bring  in  more  of  a  first  wave  black  metal  style  as  well  as  having  their  melodic and  clean  moments  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  blast  beats  onto  the  recording,  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Thelema,  Mythology,  Urban  Legends.The  Writings  Of  H.P  Lovecraft  and  Horror  and  Apocalyptic  themes  that  are  also  inspired  by  novels  and  movies.

  In  my  opinion  The  Ogre  is  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Macabre  Hooded  Spectre"  "Nightrider"  "Phantasmagoria"  and  "Beneath  the  Rain".  8  out  of  10.

Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | On Sliptrick  

Heksebrann/Spiritual Descending/2020 Full Length Review

  Heksebrann  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Spiritual  Descending".

  Dark  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  old  school  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  blackened  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  at  times,.

 The  music  also  takes  a  lot  of  80's  influences  and  mixes  them  with  a  more  modern  style  as  well  as  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  black'n'roll  touches  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  the  keyboards  also  make  a  brief  return  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Darkness,  occultism  and  Witchcraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Heksebrann  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  heavy  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Well  Of  Creation"  "Spiritual  Descending"  "A  Witch  Promised  Truth"  and  "Ignite  The  Fire". 8  out  of  10.

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Torrefy/Life Is Bad/2020 Full Length Review

  Torrefy  are  a  band  from  Victoria,  B.C,  Canada  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  soem  elements  of  punk  and  classic  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Life  Is  Bad"  which  will  be  released  in  July.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style. Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  screaming  thrash  style  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  black  emtal  screams and  the  riffing  is  also  heavily  rooted  in  thrash  metal.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times. A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  elements  of  speed  metal  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  songs  also  make  an  old  school  style  sound  more  modern  as  well  as  some  tracks  also  showing  some  influences  of  punk  and  classic  rock,  some  songs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  back  up  shouts  along  with  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  some  tremolo  picking.  The  production  sounds  very  professional while  the  lyrics  cover  mortality,  misanthropy,  science  fiction  and  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another   great  sounding  album  from  Torrefy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black, death,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sarcophony"  "GFYD"  "Cells"  and  "Plague  Of  Empires".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/g20Lk8O5Wwk

https://www.facebook.com/Torrefy/

 https://torrefy.bandcamp.com/        

Angel Morgue/In The Morgue Of Angels/Redefining Darkness Records/2020 CD Review

  Angel  Morgue  are  a  band  from  New  Hampshire  that  plays  a  cavernous  and  blackened  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "In  The  Morgue  of  Angels"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  a  lot  of  blast  beats.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffs.

  At  times  the  vocals  also  get  very  deep  and  cavernous  sounding  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  dark,  melodic  and  old  school  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  evil,  darkness  and  blasphemy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Angel  Morgue  are  a  very  great  sounding  cavernous  and  blackened  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lust  Murder"  "The  Sigal  And  The  Key"  and  "In  The  Morgue  Of  Angels".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/biHyC5ARjU4            

Devastator/Baptised In Blasphemy/Clobber Records/2020 CD Review

  Devastator  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Baptised  In  Blasphemy"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Clobber  Records.

  A  very  heavy  and  old  school  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  the  first  and  second  wave  styles  of  black  metal  together.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  a  retro  style  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  the  faster  sections  of  the songs  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  thrash  and  speed  metal, 

Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  songs  also  introducing  death  metal  growls  onto  the  album  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  also  sticking  to  a  heavier  musical  direction.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Blasphemy  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Devastator  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Worship  The  Goat"  "Death  Slut"  and  "Baptised  In  Blasphemy".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/devastatorblackthrash       

Guerra Total/War Is The Pursuit Of Death: A Hymnal For The Misanthrope/Satanath Records/Iron, Blood & Death Corp./2020 CD Review

   Guerra  Total  are  a  band  from  Columbia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  an  old  school  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "War  Is  The  Pursuit  Of  Death:  A  Hymnal  For  the  Misanthrope"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records  and  Iron,  Blood  &  Death  Corp.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  also  adding  in  some  influences  of  early  90's  era  death  metal  as  well  as  a  few  growls.

  Clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  makes  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  solos and  leads  adding  in  touches  of  70's  to  80's  era  traditional  metal.  One  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  an  influence  of  speed  metal  can  also  be  heard  and  the  songs  also  make  an  old  school  style  sound  more  modern.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Spanish  and  English  and  cover  philosophy,  mythology,  atheism,nihilism,  cosmicism  and  selective  misanthropy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Guerra  Total  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death,  thrash,  speed  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ancient  Hymns  To  The  Goddess  Of  War(Inanna)"  "Ethnocide  (World  Cenotaph)"  "Holomodor  (La  Muerte  Roja)"  and  "Whiskey  Botch".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybQnGYuWWBQ&utm_source=Zineaholic+PR+Review+Submission+list+from+internet&utm_campaign=77b4dc4fcf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_18_07_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8b779bcf03-77b4dc4fcf-126662525           

Ormskrik/Self Titled/Fysisk Format/2020 CD Review

  Ormskrik  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2020  which  was  released  by  Fysisk  Format.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction.  Elements  of  hardcore  can  also  be  heard  in  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  melodies  are  also  added  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  hardcore  style  vocals  while  d  beats  can  also  be  heard.  Some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  influences  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  The  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  styles  of  extreme  metal  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  90's  style,  touches  of  death  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times,  the  closing  track  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ormskrik  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Occultness"  "Descend  To  Madness"  "The  Morbid  Arrives"  and  "Eye  For  An  Eye".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/ormskrikband 

      

The Outsider Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the musical project since the recording and release of the new album?
-I have been using this lock down to write more and more music and record some ideas for future releases, as well as make some planning of what's next, I can say that new music will be released sooner than expected, I can also say that the musical concept of the project will suffer some changes

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
-It is way more experimental than the very first album, even if in that debut album there were some sparks of experimentation, in this new album I take it to a whole new level, and also I worked on improving the production, those are basically the main differences

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore on the new album and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriting over the years?
-It is all about horror found in many topics, in the very first album it was almost exclusively about the cosmic horror in the vein of HP Lovecraft, for this album I wanted to expand to other topics, such as mythological, fantasy or even sci-fi and of course, horror related to the human psyche. About my songwritting, I don't know if there is any actual improvement, but something I like to highlight about it, is that I almost NEVER state clearly what I am talking about, people have to figure it out, sometimes it is obvious, but sometimes it is not.

4.You have also mentioned being inspired lyrically by the writings of H.P Lovecraft, sci-fi and mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
-I can say that one of the main subjects of The Outsider concept is how little and even insignificant humanity is, so many of these topics are related to this concept, especially cosmic horror. I am also a big fan of horror in many kinds

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Outsider'?
-"The Outsider" is a short tale by HP Lovecraft, it was one of the first tales I read by him many years ago and it is also one that, in my point of view, depicts perfectly what cosmic horror, another reason of this name, is that musically I like to think and compose out of the box, dare to do something new or different, even if it is kind of disturbing and people think it is too strange, then they see you as some sort of outsider.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover/
-It is actually linked to the cover of the very first album, but in the first album this "monster" that appears on the cover is on the cosmos threatening earth, in this new album cover the "being" is somehow arriving to the earth, it is here! Horror is here! The time of humanity has come. Is it the same monster? You never know.

7.With the exception of a few quests you record most of your music solo, are you open to working with a full band?
-I am open to work with a full band when playing live, when recording maybe not since I can record many thing myself, I'd say that I am open on working with other musicians on a record if they have a very important input to make for my music, by now I will keep on working solo with guests, later...who knows?

8.You also have a few quests on the new album, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?
-Jörgen Munkeby is well known for his band Shining and for inventing what he calls "Blackjazz" he made some saxophone solos on the song "Suicide is Progress" in a very avant-garde and even chaotic way, which happens to be his somehow trademark sound, then there is Kelly Shaefer, he is the frontman of the legendary band Atheist, he made some guest vocals on the song "The Headless Horror", his vocals have a very disctinctive tone, which happens to be very different from my vocals, so you will spot them instantly.
Kristian Niemann is a swedish shredder who plays in a doom metal band called Sorcerer but is better known for having played with the legendary Therion, he played a great solo on the song "Bringers of the Apocalypse", and last but not least Rick Loera, he may be not as famous as the rest but he not only made some guest vocals, he recorded, mixed and mastered the album, also he was involved in the production, he is a great singer and has his very own metal band called The Legion of Hetheria

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
-I am not desperately looking for it, but if a good deal comes I will consider taking it, for me it would be very important to keep some creative freedom.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of symphonic, avant garde and extreme metal?
-I'd say that the reaction has been mainly positive among fans of avant-garde, of course some people has pointed some aspects of the music and production that can be improved, and I am glad with that, every constructive opinion is welcome, on the other hand, listeners of very traditional heavy metal have had a very bad impression of it, probably because it may be kind of shocking if you are not used to avant-garde dissonant metal, but that is why I like always to make it clear that it is not meant for everyone. Dark symphonic metal fans have also had a good opinion about it.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
-Improving my music and taking it to new horizons, as well as trying to take it to a new level of experimentation, as I said, I have been working on new music and some songs are very weird

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?
-I like to consider every artistic effort that tries to break some borders and limits as an inspiration, of course it has to be well done, so I like bands and musicians that have taken music and their music to a new level, such as King Crimson, the japanese band Sigh or Ihsahn, I also like bands that try to depict what darkness is in their music, such as Septicflesh. Lately I have been listening to many many avant-garde and experimental musicians, I actually asked my fans recently to recommend me the most disturbing and weird music they have listened to, the result was great with many highly experimental artists that I did not know and I have been listening to them these days, they will definitely have an impact on my now developing new music

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
-Yeah, I would like to mention that there is something I used for some songs of the album, specially for "The Headless Horror", it is called 8 Dimensional Audio, it is an effect that makes the processed track literally revolve around your head (headphones or at least earphones required), and that should be enough to evoke some curiosity on listeners haha, it takes what horror in music to a different level and makes The Outsider a music an experience, so if you are into horror metal or want to try something new, try giving "From Ancient Gods and Forbidden Books" a spin.
I also want to thank you for having this interview for me
Cheers,

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Existential Emptiness/Neverending Pain-Everlasting Sorrow/Australis Records/2020 CD Review

  Existential  Emptiness  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album "Neverending  Pain-Everlasting  Sorrow"  which  will  be  released  on  June  21st  by  Australis  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  only  track  presented  on  the  album  is  over  31  minutes  in  length.  Synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  song  also  add  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  track  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounds  also  being  used  briefly.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  some  whispered  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  track  also  bringing  clean  playing  into  certain  sections  of  the  song  and  towards  the  end  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  an  individual  that  goes  through  an  existential  crisis.

  In  my  opinion  Existential  Emptiness  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Existential.Emptiness.Official/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtsHyxn5uxk

Actus Septem Interview

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

We are Actus Septem. We are a black / doom metal band from a small city in Central Greece, Lamia.
We are four members in the band. Three of the members are brothers. We started playing together in 2016.

2.So far you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

Well we wanted to express our emotional state through our music, so we naturally composed with this in our minds. We like to export our music heavy.

3.One of your songs references Greek Mythology',can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

You are right. Dominion Castigation is influenced by the Greek Mythology. Actually the song is about guilt and the struggle someone or everyone is carrying on deep inside. So the song referred to Orestis and his struggle against his guilts. Everyone has their guilt one way or another. Assert in Death has also a reference on the Greek History and the battle of Thermopylae.
Everyone has to guard their Thermopylae, on a moral level.

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

The lyrics on the EP and on songs except the EP, have an anthropocentric view. We write for what we believe; emotions that everyone has inside and tries to fight towards inner peace, redemption and freedom. Fear, sorrow, pain, culpability, loss it is what we are  mostly all of us made of.

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

Actus Septem means in English, Seven Actions. Seven it is of course a symbolic number all over history and in most religion dogmas. It is a spiritual number. But it is also a main number in science: biology, maths, astronomy. Every Week consists of seven days. We live our seven days and act on them. Seven are also the deadly sins that more or less exist in every person. Day seventh is the day of mankind.

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

Gustave Dore is the original artwoker of the cover. The artwork is about the biblical  Babel Tower where people tried to reach their God and failed. We chose this cover because it shows the will for searching the truth.

7.Has the band had any opportunities to do any live shows or open to the idea/

Until this day we decided not to do any lives until our album is released. We now have some discussions on live shows with other Greek bands.

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

We are searching for a label so we can publish our next work. We have some offers mainly outside Greece.

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

Well, luckily it's not that hard these days to promote your music through platforms like Bandcamp or YouTube. Obviously we do not have our audience yet but we received messages from in and outside Greece. Maybe black metalheads are a bit more supportive of our music than doom metalheads. Until now Brazilians are those who showed us the biggest support for sure and we are grateful to them.

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

In the end of July we are going to start recording our first full length album. We believe that in the middle of the Autumn we will release it.
The album will have a more black metal sound and direction.
We can't predict our future compositions. We just compose our music and who can say for the future? Surely we continue heavy.

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?

We started by the basics, like Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden.
Surely bands like Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Anathema, Rotting Crist and Behemoth are an inspiration .

Giorgos:
Nowadays I am listening to Riverside and their album Love, Fear and the Time Machine,
Dark Tranquility, Katatonia, Bruce Springsteen and Evergrey.
Nick :
Melechesh, Nevermore, Yoth Iria, Human Serpent

Vaggelis
Satyricon, Septicflesh

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 
Thank you for the interview and the opportunity to share our thoughts.
We want to thank all our brothers and sisters for their support.
Spread the Words; Actus Septem.

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The Outsider/From Ancient Gods And Forbidden Books/2020 Full Length Review

  The  Outsider  are  a  solo  project  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  symphonic  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2020  album  "From  Ancient  Gods  And  Forbidden  Books".

  Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  symphonic  moments.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  sounding  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.  During  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  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  spoken  word  parts  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  middle  eastern  and  Asian  style  musical  instruments.

  Touches  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  a  decent  amount  of  90's  influences  but  also  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time, when  percussion's  are utilized  they  also  give  the  recording  more  of  a  tribal  feeling  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief use  of  acoustic  guitars,  saxophones, clean  singing  and  jazz  influences  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  cosmic  horror,  dark  sc-fi  scenarios  and  mythology  while  also  having  some  influences  from  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  The  Outsider  is  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  avant  garde  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  "I  Belong  To  Te  Stars"  "The  Wish  That  Became  A  Curse"  "Suicide  Is  Progress"  and  "Lost".  8/5  out  of  10. 
   

Ea/Ea Taesse/Solitude Productions/2020 Album Re-Issue Review

  Ea  are  a  band  with  embers  from  Russia  and  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  and  blackened  form  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  20006  album  "Ea  Taesse"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  July,  2020  by  Solitude  Productions.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  riffing  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  depressive  and  melodic  style,  Death  metal  growls  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  some  female  vocals  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  some  elements  of  atmospheric  black  metal,  one  of  the  tracks  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction

  Ea  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  some  elements  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Ancient  Sacred  Texts  in  A  Dead  Language.

  In  my  opinion  Ea  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  blackened  funeral  doom/death  metal b and  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Laeleia".  8  out  of  10.

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Ethir Anduin/Pathway To Eternity. The Agony/Grimm Distribution/2020 CD Review

  Russia's  Ethir  Anduin  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  band  adding  vocals  into  their  mixture  of  black,  doom,  progressive  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Pathway  to  Eternity.  The  Agony"  which  was  released  by  Grimm  Distribution.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Clear  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats.  Spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  can  also be  heard  briefly  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  post  rock  elements.

  The  slower  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  Clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  and  some  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  synths  can  also  be  heard  on  some  of  the  tracks   and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Ethir  Anduin  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  doom, progressive  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Awareness  Of  The  Frailty  Of  Being"   "Eternal  Shining  Star"  and  "Last  Struggle".  8  out  of  10.

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Cirkeln/Kingdoms That No One Remembers/Naturmacht Productions/2020 CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Sweden's  Cirkeln  which  continues  his  old  school  and  epic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  and  the  album  will  be  released  on  June  25th  by  Naturmacht  Productions  and  id  called  "Kingdoms  That  No  One  Remembers".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  word  samples  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of   the  songs  while  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  are  also  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up. The  tracks  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  both  old  school  and  modern  influences   along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  some  touches  of  folk  music  along  with  the  songs  also  having  their  atmospheric  and  epic  moments.  Keyboards  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length. 

All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  showing  some  influences  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal  and  one  track  also  introduces  clear  pagan  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  movie  samples  can  also  be  heard  and  most  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  fantasy,  mythology  and  some  of  the  writings  of  J.R.R.  Tolkien.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cirklen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  old  school  and  epic  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "In  His  Deep  Hidden-Hall"  "The  Dreaming  City"  and  "Kingdoms  That  No  One  Remembers".  8/5  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MliVTJuwWL0&feature=youtu.be  

Cirkeln/Stormlander/Mourning Light Productions/2020 EP Review

  Cirkeln  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  an  epic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  ep  "Stormlander"  which  was  released  by  Mourning  Light  Productions.

  A  very  dark  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  brief  use  of  clear  chants  and  percussion  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  musical  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs.

  Most  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  early  90's  era  while  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts.

  One  track  also  introduces  folk  instruments  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.   A  couple  of  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  the  music  also  adds  in  some  influences  of  traditional  metal  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover  Paganism,  Ancient  Lore  and  Fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cirkeln  is  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  and  epic  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  heavy  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Old  Demon  King"  and  "As  The  Gods  Burn".  8/5  out  of  10.

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