GomorraA Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

MD - Thank you in advance for being present at your interview, and thank you very much for the space you and me and Devastatör from GomorraA and hope that everyone who will read will enjoy the interview as well.

Come on! GomorraA now because of the infamous pandemic that we are living in, we took a while until the end of its second half of 2020, where we only got together 2 times so as not to let the band cool down, but already with plans for the new job, we dedicated some hours that we had (which were very few, but productive) to work on this new work, which will be a SPLIT with the band “VINGANÇA SUPREMA” with 4 new songs from the 2 bands and 1 special cover and already agreed by both parties.

We are returning, starting rehearsals very slowly (due to the COVID-19, which is still very strong here in Brazil, unfortunately, because of the President's garbage we have, who are not opposed to anything). Later this year we will enter the studio and make this EP / SPLIT come true, as it will consist of 2 different covers for this work, as we want to “honor” the great classic BR, the SPLIT Bestial Devastation / Secúlo XX (making it clear that none of the covers will have something related to this launch of the pioneers, just yes the idea is).

In addition, this year we will also have a 4 Way Split with the bands: Gomorraa, Retaliador, Nordeath and Total Desastre (all from BR) containing 2 songs from each band, the name and cover are ready and will call “DEATHRASHERS: ENSAIOS SOBRE O APOCALIPSE ” .

And that's it for now, give us our share we are well ahead of our goals, most likely that in the second half of 2021, I hope that both bands are all done and with material being released and with the labels for launch.

I hope everyone takes care of themselves in the best possible way in the midst of this worldwide catastrophe that we are all witnessing, as they will be taking care of the next, have more empathy for the next!

2.So far you have released a full length, a few ep's and a few singles, how do you releases differ form each other?

Devastatör - How all the band we look for evolution and the each release we look for it. "Obsessão Sexual" and "Cães do Inferno..." follow the old school with Bathory and Darkthrone. "Negro Culto de Rais" in the next from Death Metal, the our debut album is juncting of everything. The difference of the "Sordidus Fabellas..." to previous works is songs not be equal. Each the songs show very influences. Some songs influence of the Heavy Metal, others more Sarcófago, Dorsal Atlãntica, Pestilence, Slayer and very all. This is difference of our song from Gomorraa.

3.A lot of your lyrics cover occult themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

MD- The band's themes since its beginning were to quote Lust, the occult, depression and suicide.

At the time my biggest inspiration was Sextrash sung in Portuguese, in terms of themes and sound, but because we didn't have the necessary techniques, we couldn't, so guitarist Jhon was a fan of Destruction, Cruel Force and Bathory, so we followed that path.

Today the band with the change of formation, I have other ideas (some still intact) we are slowly changing the themes and maturing (but not losing the essence of the band), I comment that the “Sordidus Fabellas (Luxuries Et profanus)” was the end of a cycle between the EPs "Obsessão Sexual" and "Negro Culto de Rais" (where I touched on a little bit of history).

This new work will bring a new face to the band from now on in lyrical themes!

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

MD- Apart from the themes that I mentioned above “main”, now we will address more historical facts, social criticisms, Reflection of the core of the human being and the occult.

5.Originally the band was called 'Eterno Carno' what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'GomorraA'?

MD - We only made two presentations with that name, until we got to GomorraA, out of simple opinion that the name was a little long (and advice from friends also like Glauber from “Might Execution”) and that it was also better to find a name just like Destruction, Sextrash, Sarcófago and the like ...

We thought about the subject that was not so “flashy”, we arrived at the rehearsal and talked about a name that could take the themes of the band, we thought about the city of “Sodom and Gomorrah” that according to biblical tales that was destroyed by “God” due to their sins and the practice of acts contrary to morality.

We think it matched the proposal and it was easier to pronounce and more eye-catching, especially because it has a historical tale on top too.

Before the two AAs, nothing much, we put one more A before the countless bands that existed and exist under the name "Gomorra" or "Gomorrah", and differentiate themselves as Krisiun, Megadeth, Helloween etc ...

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

MD - The one responsible was my wife Solange Monteiro (the same one who made the cover of the first EP “Sexual Obsession”), she had drawn a goat at the time of “Negro Cult of Rais” (based on a face of a real goat), and I found the design simple and straightforward (I have always been fond of it, simpler and more objective), when I quote a real goat, I compare it to all band designs, especially percussion machines like Venom and Bathory, where goats are made in a more malicious way and fantasy or even half-humanoid like that of Venom himself. I always liked these more realistic parts in drawings and what I like to see in an art, I think it shows the clear message of the band and does not take away the essence that we wanted to put!

Every disc and art make clear all the influences contained in it, if you listen to the disc you will notice the influences contained, mainly national, which was our “flagship” of influences to compose our work.

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?

Devastatör - I liked very of the last show before the pandemic in the March 2020. The first time show of the new formation. Until call the cops haha… My performance on the stage I try to show live how it was recorded on the CD, always shooting 30-40 minutes before the show to warm up. Good that prevents injuries.

MD - One of the best shows I can particularly mention was at the bar called CIAM, playing alongside Flageladör before the release of the album “Sordidus Fabellas ...” we had already played some sounds from the album, the public responded well to the presentation.

About my performance in the band, I use and get inspired by bands from the 80s and early 90s nationals such as Sarcófago, Mutilator, Dorsal Atlântica, Chakal and the like ...

I can also say that Skonger is the only one in the band that uses Corpse Paint Complete because he is a fan of the Norwegian Black metal bands and we continue with the same “Theme” of the ODIN of the Grand Desaster (Germany) where only the same uses Corpse Paint.

8.Currently you are unsigned but you have worked with a label in the past, are you open to working with another label again in the future?

MD- We are always open to new proposals, because where it can be expanded better, I always think it has to be beneficial to both parties!

Of course, the idea continues in the partnerships that we are currently with with labels that I can say for some, are beyond labels, but as I said it has to be something beneficial to both, it is not just a matter of launching, but rather feeling that the whoever launches it is something that he really feels and enjoys the work done with us (I think it counts a lot, honesty).

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

Devastatör - So far we have received good feedback from those who heard our debut. Recently they played two songs on Metal Messiah Radio in the USA and the feedback was very positive. We had a few reviews from Greece, Holland and Ukraine that praised it well. We were very happy to know that a band that sings in Portuguese is pleasing the public abroad.

10.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?

Devastatör - I am also a drummer for Hell on Wheels which is a band that pays tribute to Belgium's Acid together with Andressa and Amílcar who are organizers of Guaru Metal Fest. At the moment we are stopped due to the lack of guitarists, but as soon as we stabilize the lineup, we will start composing copyright songs. I also play with the Arma de Metal Punk band that are recording their second album, but I'm just a live musician.

MD - Give me my share I have another Thrash metal band “Fúria Explicita” influenced by: Tauros, Dorsal Atlântica (always), Attomica, Korzus (Sonho Maníaco), Holocausto, MX, Explicit Hate, Obituary, Sepultura (Old) and the like ...

Where I share vocals with the Drummer and in this role I also play contra-Baixo, we are in harmony to record, we pause because of the pandemic.

And I have a Hardcore / Punk / Crust project called M.D (Michael Douglas- Droga) in this performance as a Distorted Bass and Vocal alongside another Bassist (now), guitar and drums. This will only be a project for now, we have a DEMO (it's a trio) on youtube whoever wants to listen, totally DYR and rotten, as it should be for me, but with plans to continue.

And also leaving here that another member who has a Thrash metal project is Crucifier, which has his band where he acts as vocalist and guitar “MadKill”.

11.When can we expect new music and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

MD - About the songs difficult to say (laughs), since since “Negro Culto De Rais” the band that makes the Riffs are people with different ideas and visions that is me (I get inspired by listening to bands from BRAZIL in the 80s and 90s, being him Do Heavy to Black Metal or Punk to Hardcore), Crucifier (Technical Thrash Metal) and Skonger (Norwegian Black Metal), so each one has their own way of composing and playing, we often make songs in 2 people (like : Condessa das Artes Cruéis, XXX e Submisso ao Prazer of mine and of the Crucifier, but also has Sinal Iminente das Trevas, Avante Forças Infernais e Ataque sobre a Cidade Liz, are my compositions and Sacrificio de Fogo and Lady Lust is of the Crucifier) and most of us took the songs to the rehearsal and polished some of these songs, others just set the times and voice fits and that's it, I can say that it is very fast because we don't get attached to anything, the important thing is if we all enjoy it that sound and we went on, with the proposal that the band has!

But I can say that SPLIT that will be released has a lot of hands of Skonger involved and we are very anxious, we are glad to be done and we look forward to presenting soon!

I think about the musical path as I said above and my band brother “Devastatör” said it is evolution, but I say that without losing the essence that the band transmits.

12.What are you currently listening to nowadays?

Devastatör - I listen from Blues to Black Metal, lately I've been listening to a lot of Traditional Heavy Metal. A week ago I came back with the Metal Attack Brazil Program, it is a podcast where I promote Brazilian bands from Metal Underground. Only access through Soundcloud to hear the program.

MD - I currently for influences to compose musical Riffs and lyrics for GomorraA being: The Mist, Korzus (Sonho Maniaco), Genocide, Bathory, Chakal, Dorsal Atlântica, masters of Black Sabbath (all phases, but it was T. Martin mainly), RDP, Cólera, Exterminio (RJ-BR), Vulcano and the like ...

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

Devastatör - Thank you for the space provided for us to talk about Gomorraa and wait for us to have some news. And one last message "Palmeiras doesn't have Club World Cup!"

MD- I thank you so much  Larsen for being here in this great great interview.

I thank everyone who will read and support the band in some way!

May the true black metal of death never die. Fuck the system and its god and let us all be free of all chains that bind us!

Live culture, subculture and the arts as a whole and the materialization of art never dies.

Go Vegan!

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Swampbeast/Seven Evils Spawned Of Seven Heads/Translation Loss Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Swampbeast  are  a  band  from  Los  Angeles,  California  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Seven  Evils  Spawned  Of  Seven  heads"  which  was  released  by  Translation  Loss  Records.  

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  cavernous  sounding  death  metal  growls  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  short  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  On  this  recording  Swampbeast  takes  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  world's  current  state  of  humanity  along with  some  horror  and  mythological  orientated  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Swampbeat  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Orcs  Anvil"  "1000  Years  Of  Pestilence"  "The  First  Prime  Evil"  and  "The  Smell  Of  Decay".  8  out  of  10.

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The Impaler/A Fate Worse Than Death/2021 Full Length Review

 

  The  Impaler  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  album  "A  Fate  Worse  Than  Death"  which  will  be  released  on  February  19th.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  adding  in  some  death  metal  growls  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  heavier  direction.  Black  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  some  elements  of  deathcore  being  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  album.

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

  In  my  opinion  The  Impaler  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres.  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Voices"  "Mourn"  and  "Release".  8  out  of  10.

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GomorraA/Sordidus Fabelias (Luxuries et profanus)/2019 Full Length Review

 

  GomorraA  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Sordidus  (Luxuries  et  profanus)".

  Bass  guitar  leads  and  horror  movie  style  keyboards  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.   When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  and  the  riffs  also  add  in  80's  era  thrash  metal  elements.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  done  in  a  first  wave  black  metal  style.  The  music  also  captures  the  raw  aggression  of  the  early  Brazilian  extreme  metal  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in   a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  as  the  album  progresses  keyboard  also  make  a  brief  return  and  the  album  closes  with  a  live  track.

  GomorraA  plays  a  musical  style  that  goes  back  to  the  80's  era  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Portuguese  and  cover  BDSM,  Anti  Christianity.,  Occultism,  Depression  and  Suicide  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  GomorraA  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  "Avante  Forcas  infernais"  "Sacrificio  de  Fogo"  and  "Arco  do  Bode".  8  out  of  10.

https://gomorraaxxx.bandcamp.com/album/sordidus-fabellas-luxuries-et-profanus

  

Estuarine Interview

 

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

   Yea for sure, I've stayed busy. The recording for the EP took place in June of last year and probably wouldn't have happened at all if all my plans for last year didn't get pushed back. So besides the obvious CD layout and promotional stuff that comes with releasing new music, I've gotten back into what I was doing before I even thought to record an EP which is continue work on the next two Estuarine full lengths. I hope to keep releasing music consistently for the next couple of years and this EP is just the first part of a much larger body of work that will release over 2 to 4 releases depending on how I decide to break it up. A lot of new Estuarine is on it's way.

2.In March you had released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past? 

   I've got kind of an unspoken rule about EPs where if I'm gonna release something short then there's no reason not to use the opportunity to make something that's super cohesive and just really concentrate on a certain aspect of what I like musically, so with that in mind the thinking behind this EP was short songs that are as intense as possible. That was the single thought that drove this whole EP. If you listen to my older stuff there's a lot of clean guitar sections and progressive builds mixed in with the heavy parts but for this EP I took all the ingredients and condensed them into songs around a minute long. I've done this kind of micro-song type composition since I started writing music as a teenager so it was very comfortable writing and recording this way; so much so that I may start making more short grindy EPs like this in the future. 

   The production for this EP was also very different. This is the first project that I tracked all the parts from home and it's also the first project to utilize a lot of new gear that I've acquired since my last full length album in 2018. I'm super happy with how this EP sounds as a first try but it's just the beginning of a much larger learning experience. The next albums are gonna sound even bigger thanks to what was learned making this.

3.The lyrics on the new ep cover the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his writings?

   Yep that's right, specifically a short story of his called Nyarlathotep. This was one of those weird magical things where that story just kind of fell in my lap at the perfect time and made the right impression on me so I based the EP on it. I can't remember how I first heard about Lovecraft, but it was probably through metal lyrics when I was around 8 or 9 so I've known about his writings for a good chunk of my life. As far as my interest in his writing it's pretty simple, I like monsters.. My entire life I've gravitated towards monster related shit, anything from Godzilla to Bigfoot and everything in between, so of course when I first heard a song about Cthulhu I was immediately interested and had to check out more. All that being said, I never planned on writing Lovecraft lyrics as there's plenty of other bands that already have that covered. That Nyarlathotep short story just really said something to me on the day I randomly decided to read it.

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

   Pretty much anything. Every record I try to have some kind of coherence in the lyrical themes between songs but from album to album the themes stay pretty distinct. In the past I've had albums dealing with dreams, suicide, entheogens, nature, spirituality, creation and destructive living habits. Death and reincarnation are big recurring themes. I feel a shift in my lyrics as of late though where my inspirations are less about wonder and more about frustration. I'm probably just becoming more angry as a person as I get older which sucks but I know for a fact that I'm not the only one who's been feeling this way lately. 

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

   Estuarine just means that something is from an estuary and I'm from Tampa, Florida so I've been around estuary habitats my whole life. I've always been proud to be from Tampa too so I picked a name that honored where I was from. This city's weird as Hell but damn it this is where I'm supposed to be, I wouldn't be who I am if I was from anywhere else. 

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

   This art was done by an artist that I'm a really big fan of, The Lung Swarm (Austin Weber). This is the only time I've used anyone else's art for one of my albums actually; in the past I always used my own paintings. He specializes in a digital surrealist style that is really eye catching and I love all his work but the reason that I picked this particular piece is because it's an actual painting done on canvas so it fits right in with the rest of my album covers. Plus the title of this painting is "Exiting Reality" which anyone familiar with the Nyarlathotep story understands how fitting that is.. And it was another one of those magical accidents where the art was offered to me at the exact right time and made the right impression. That happened a lot while making this EP..

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

   Honestly, I don't even know what I want to do in that regard. I feel different about that every time it comes up. On one hand, I want to play live. Playing live was my first love as a musician so naturally I miss it. On the other hand, being in control of everything is addicting. Being able to to be sure the songs are exactly as I want them is gonna be hard to give up after so many years of doing this solo. I had a separate band that was playing live to fill in the gaps but shows haven't really been a thing this last year and a lot of those members have moved pretty far away so I'm not sure what's gonna happen there. We'll see what happens but I do know is that I'm not actively looking for members myself so if you think you're passionate about playing Estuarine songs you need to contact me! There are definitely a lot of amazing musicians out there that I'd love to work with.

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

   I feel the same way as I do about finding other members.. I know there's a lot of pros and cons. I'm definitely passed the "all labels are bad" mentality that I had for a long time but at the same time I like to be in control. I might be a control freak even, who knows.. I've been contacted by a lot of labels over the years but they seem to lose interest when I start asking questions, so that tells me all I need to know in those situations. It's like I said with the band members though, if anyone out there with a label is well intentioned and legitimately interested in working with Estuarine, contact me! 

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

   It's been great! Better than I could really ask for. I didn't take any short cuts to make a ton of fans at any point in my career but with every release I got more and more support and it motivates me to keep pushing. I definitely feel appreciated and I think that fans know how much I appreciate them too. I wouldn't trade the fans I've got for anything.

10.When can we expect another full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

   I think by 2022 I should have the first full length ready. It's about 85% at the moment and it's very experimental and very brutal. Like I said earlier I'm recording the next two full lengths at the same time. This first one is leaning into speed, technicality and heaviness and it mixes in a lot of non metal influences for added chaotic effect. The second is more atmospheric, progressive and melodic, also mixing in non metal influences but in a much less chaotic way. I'm very confident in the new material so I'm gonna take as much time as I need to get it right but yea, I'm thinking in about a year you'll at least be hearing some new singles starting to come out.

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?

   At this point I listen to more or less everything but it wasn't always like that. My current favorites are for the most part the same favorites I've had since I was a kid, the Florida legends (Death, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Nocturnus, Athiest, Cynic, Cannibal Corpse...) the Norwegian legends ( Mayhem, Burzum, Ulver, Ved Buens Ende, Satyricon, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Thorns, Solefald...) Negura Bunget, Carcass, Marduk, Cephalic Carnage, Gridlink, Napalm Death, Spawn of Possession, Bathory, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Lykathia Aflame, Necrophagist, Children of Bodom, Nile, Cryptopsy, Behemoth, Akercocke, The Amenta, Timeghoul, Wormed, Demilich.. A ton of old video game music.. I could go on forever.

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

   Yea first things first, I want it to be known that this new EP is dedicated to the memory of my good friend and former bandmate, Collin "Asmodaeus" Andrews (Led by Serpents, End Unseen), rest in power brother. Also rest in power to Satorn (Torched Ebony Skies, Nakhiel) and Lord Tartarus (Imperial Conquest) to whom my last EP was dedicated. These were all great musicians from my local scene who died way to soon, do yourself a favor and check out some of their work.

  On a lighter note I also want to shout out any one who has ever supported me in any way over the years. I appreciate the shit out of you! To anyone new to the project, I've made it easy to get caught up on my back catalogue, get all my music from my bandcamp page for free (https://estuarinemetal.bandcamp.com) and if you really like what you hear tell your friends about it. Also check me out on Youtube where I do a lot of playthrough videos and debut a lot of songs (https://www.youtube.com/user/RMAIGW)).

  Thanks for the interview, cheers!

Reaper/The Atonality Of Flesh/Iron Bonehead Productions/2021 CD Review

 

  Reaper  are  a  duo  from  Australia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  touches  of  punk  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "The  Atonality  of  Flesh"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  thrash  metal  influenced  direction.  The  songs  also  capture  the  raw  aggression  of  punk  rock  and  d  beat  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  grim  black  metal  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  the  first  wave  style.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  of  extreme  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also b e  heard.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  speed  metal.  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  still  maintains  a  more  modern  era  aggression,  clean  playing  also  makes  a  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Death,  Darkness  and  Violence  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Reaper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  and  speed  metal  with  touches  of  punk  and  d  beat,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dogs  Of  The  Crumbled  Firmament"  "Raid,  the  Heavens"  "Me,  You  And  The  Juices  Of  Death"  and "Rise  Epimetheus".  8 out  of  10.

http://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/reaper-raid-the-heavens      

Bactherion/The Miracle Of Death/Caverna Abismal Records/2021 Demo Re-Issue Review

 

  Bactherion  where  a  band  from  Portugal  that  played  a  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1991  demo  "The  Miracle  Of  Death"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  February  26,  2021  by  Caverna  Abismal  Records.

  A  very  dark,  demonic,  lo-fi  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  demo  while  also  introducing  heavier  riffing  onto  the  recording.  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  demo.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  the  first  wave  era.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  style  along  with  the  closing  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  soundscapes  and  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style.

  Bactherion  played  a  musical  style  that  took  first  wave  black  metal  and  mixed  it  with  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  underproduced  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  gore  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bactherion  where  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Miracle  Of  Death".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp (Caverna Abismal Records)

    

Moonspell/Hermitage/Napalm Records/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Portugal's  Moonspell  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  mixture  of  black,  dark  and  gothic  metal  from  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Hermitage"  which  will  be  released  on  February  26th  by  Napalm  Records.

  Clean  playing  and  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clear  goth  style  vocals  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  heavier  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  When  aggressive  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  bring  elements  of  black  metal  into  the  music  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  show  influences  of  doom  and  dark  metal.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  couple  of  the  songs  also  introduce  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  and  ethereal  sounding  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  being  an  instrumental  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  poetic  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Moonspell  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Greater  Good"  "Hermitage"  "The  Hermit  Saints"  and  "Without  Rule".  8  out  of  10.

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

www.napalmrecords.com/moonspell