Abyssic/Brought Forth In Iniquity/Osmose Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Abyssic  are  a  band  from  Norway  and  on  this  recording  goes  for  more  of  a  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  Brought  Forth  In  Iniquity"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  Osmose  Productions.

  Symphonic  sounds  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  throughout  the  recording.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  the  slower  doomier  side.

  On  this  recording  Abyssic  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  funeral  doom  metal  to  create  an  album  that  sounds  very  different  from  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness  and  feelings.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abyssic  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  symphonic  black  and  funeral  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chronicle  Of  The  Dead"  and  "Brought  Forth  In  Iniquity".  8  out  of  10.

  - BANDCAMP: https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/brought-forth-in-iniquity

- All Digital Links: https://bfan.link/brought-forth-in-iniquity    

Psionic Madness/Rotting Dominion/Vargheist Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Psionic  Madness  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  progressive,  technical  and  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Rotting  Dominion"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  Vargheist  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  deep  cavernous  death  emtal  growls  and  black  emtal s creams  are also  utilized  at  times.

  Throughout  the   recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style.  At  times  the  music  also gets  very  technical  and  dissonant  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  grindcore  elements  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length    

  On  this  recording  Psionic  Madness  takes  dissonant  black  and  technical  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  grindcore  to  create  a  very  diverse  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  posy  apocalypse  wasteland  and  the  effects  of  nuclear  war.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Psionic  Madness  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  technical,  dissonant  and  progressive  black,  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necrotizing  Miasma"  "Mutated  natural  Selection"  and  "Nuclear  Twilight".  8  out  of  10.

  

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Les Enfants De Dagon Interview

 

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

At first we are promoting our first album and our first book novel which is the continuation of the story of the first album. Thanks to our label Sliptrick Records that is doing a huge job to present our work in many places and we are focusing to explain in the better way the concept of the band : telling a deep an long story ! . 

And then we work on our future stage performances, Les Enfants de DAGON has always been based on this triptych :  music, literature and show ! We want to transcribe the atmosphere of our live music in the most original way possible.

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

It’s not easy one ! We didn’t pick a music style in particular : the male voices often come from extreme metal (death and black style) but there also slower riff could be related to doom metal. Céline made some vocals close to opera and symphonic metal. We have some more melodic and sad riffs that can be compared to heavy-metal !  

We have a lot of layers in our songs : drums, male / female vocals,  guitars, bass & keyboard ! It’s difficult balancing act between that will lead of the link of the music and the lyric.

Let’s says that the main genre is a kind of extreme metal.

3.The lyrics on the new album are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with this release?

indeed our first album is a concept album with a story that we follow and discover over the songs. The writing process is based on a concept that should lead us to release 3 albums and write 2 books along a large narrative journey around Dagon. 

In our first album, we follow the story of Pierre Duval, a former war chaplain who decides to leave France to take over the management of a small isolated parish in a port city, the city of INNSMOUTH... We will follow his interrogations on the folks of the port often afflicted with congenital defects, his questionings on his faith and his jostle in the madness as he discovers the truth of this place...

4.A lot of the lyrics and the band name is inspired by the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his works?

it's an interest that dates back a very long time, our singer and lyricist Laurent discovered HPL as a teenager, he practiced role-playing games, we met at that time and I discovered the universe of the master of Providence during his games. When we started writing the project, it was obvious that the new "dagon" will be the base of our group, we took the name "les Enfants de Dagon" in respectful homage of his work, the short story of dagon was obvious because it seemed to us more accessible than other more abstruse stories of HPL, the "few" descriptions contained in the novel left us more narrative freedom and means of digressed. It opens up a universe with a lot of richness, places and characters. And the moist, dark and strange atmosphere of the port town of Innsmouth seemed to us ideal for our wish to transpose the atmosphere on stage.

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

On the album cover you have on the top our Band Name as a simple logo. Then, in the middle of the picture, you have this esoteric circle, which is the logo of the sect that is inside the city of Innsmouth !!!

We wanted something simple that could define us visually. Other illustrations are inside the booklet, but also on  our books and for the show thanks to the work of Matisse, a talented illustrator, who offered a drawing by song.

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

We haven't yet done a concert with Les enfants de Dagon yet, we are still working with our principle of Trytique music, literature and show. The Show is the third milestone of the band, we want to transcribe the atmosphere of Innsmouth as faithfully as possible and that costs money, we take things as we go, we have composed a concept album which we are releasing thanks to sliptrick records, we wrote a self-produced novel (in French) which is available on our bandcamp and finally the third step the show. We will work out our first ideas in December 2022 and develop over the finances, our scenes and our desires the visual universe of the group in concert.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

To be honest, we haven't really looked into it. The covid has slowed down the project, we have not been able in France to have access to rehearsal or concert halls for more than a year and a half, we have contacts with turners but we are 7 in the band, we will not be able to play everywhere ! it requires some logistics but we are on the subject and it should be released in 2023. 

8.The new album is going to be released by 'Sliptrick Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

We made Preproduction for each songs , explained the project to the label , our triptych (music literature and show), they quickly hooked on our concept and our music and offered to distribute our album. Dagon helped us!!

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

So far the feedback is very good, the album hasn't been released yet, Sliptrick records has planned the date of October 4th! but the people who have had the opportunity to listen to our music have given us excellent feedback. We are not the most extreme in death or black but we wanted to create emotional and sad expressive music, the first listeners understood our desire and follow us, it is a real honor that they pay attention to us. There are so many bands, styles and creations, that we are happy to bring a bit of ourselves into this world. We can't wait to have the official release of the album and to be able to exchange it with those who want to follow « Les enfants de Dagon"

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

We are going to do a little teasing for our second album ;-) the action will take place 15-16 years after the end of the first novel and we are going to leave for New Orleans, one of the cradles of modern music, this will allow us to to satisfy our desire for brass, we will keep what makes the style of "les enfants de dagon", an emotional mix of black, death, doom, classical music and we will bring additional colors

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

With 7 musicians it's varied, all the nuances of metal, classical and even French variety, we listen to what gives us emotion, some of us like our singer are the guardians of the temple, they listen mostly extreme metal which remains the backbone of our compositions but no one in the band stops at a single source of inspiration. if you want groups as inspiration, let’s say  Dimmu burgir, King diamond, paradise lost and Loudblast...personally the last album I listened to is Crescent "Carving the Fires of Akhet ».

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Occult artifacts play an important role for us, the song haunted relic is about a powerful object, it's a mysterious and inspiring area that appeals to us as it attracts many, many metal fans. The widespread religions are ossified in their dogmas and can no longer bring anything uplifting to men. We all need this dark side in everything and occultism is one of the doors to a new knowledge, a new path. Everyone is free to take it, some will not, others are on the threshold and finally the last have taken the step. Everyone is free to join the Esoteric Order of Dagon !!!

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

First of all thank you for interviewing us, I hope your followers will have a better understanding of our music and the concept behind it. While waiting to meet maybe at one of our show, please support us on social networks, by buying our album available at sliptrick records from 04/10 and our novel on our bandcamp. 

And don't forget : PRAY DAGON !

Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | On Sliptrick

Gospelheim/Ritual & Repetition/Prophecy Productions/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Gospelheim  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  post  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Ritual  &  Repetition"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  Prophecy  Productions.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  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  clean  goth  metal  style  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in a  great  amount  of  black  metal  elements  and  blast b eats.

  Synths  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  influences  of  post  metal  are  also  utilized  at  times  The  songs  also  add  in  a decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  female  vocals  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  album  also  ad d in  touches  of  doom  metal  and  some  of  the  faster  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  Gospelheim  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  post  and  gothic  metal  and  mixes  it  with  dark  rock  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  existentialism  silent  horror  movies,  occultism  and  the  morality  of  the  human  condition.

  In  my  opinion  Gospelheim  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  post  and  gothic  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Satan  Blues"  "Into  Smithereans"  and  "The  Hall  Of  the  Consumed".  8  out  of  10.

   http://lnk.spkr.media/gospelheim-ritual    

Les Enfants De Dagon/De Profundis/Sliptricdk Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Les  Enfants  De  Dagon  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "De  Profubdis"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  Sliptrick  Records.

  Operatic  female  vocals  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of t he  songs  at  times.  Spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard  in  certain  sections  of t he  recording  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also have   a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  death  metal  growls  are  also  a  huge  parts  of  the  songs.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal.  When  orchestra  sounds  and  synths  are  utilized  they  also  take  the  music  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  direction  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  The  riffs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  melody  along  with  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album,  a  couple  of  later  songs  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  and  classical  guitars  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  Gregorian  chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft. 

  In  my  opinion  Les  Enfants  De  Dagon  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Haunted  Relic"  "Esoteric  order  of  Dagon"  "Beyond"  and "Fallen  Angel".  8  out  of  10.

  Official Website | Facebook | Youtube | Instagram | On Sliptrick 

  

Gyaos:Diabolical/In Accordance With The Prophect/2023 Full Length Review

 

  Gyaos:Diabolical  are  a  solo  project  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  with  some  elements  of  digital  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "In  Accordance  With  the  Prophet"  which  will  be  released  in  2023.

  Spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  angry  shouts.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  A  small  amount  of  melody   can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Influences  of  digital  hardcore  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  touches  of  80's  era  crossover  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Gyaos:Diabolical  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  thrash  metal,  crossover  and  digital  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  trials  and  tribulations  emerging  from  the  systematic  eradication  of  individual  antimony  and  thought.

  In  my  opinion  Gyaos:Diabolical  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  thrash  metal,  crossover  and  digital  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Destroy  2000  Years  Of  Culture"  'Burn  The  World"  "False  Flag  Fury"  and  "Katahdin  is  Risen".  8 out  of  10.

  https://gyaos-diabolical.bandcamp.com/    

    

Veilburner/VLBNR/Transcending Obscurity Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Pennsylvania's  duo  Veilburner  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  an  experimental  and  dissonant  style  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "VLBNR"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  riffs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  dissonant  structures.   Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal growls.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks.  At  times  the music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  more  of  a  technical  style  and  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Sci-fi  style  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  synths  as  well  as  the  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  also  taking  the  music  into  more  of  an  atmospheric  and  progressive  direction  when  they  are  utilized,  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  industrial  style  beats  are  also  added  on  the  closing  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while t he  lyrics  cover  theology,  science  fiction  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Veilburner  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  dissonant  black  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Envexomous  hex"  "Lo!  Heirs  To  The  Serpent"  "Repulsed  by  The  Light"  and  "Ruin".  8  out  of  10.

  Official Video Stream #1

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Strychnos/A Mother's Curse/Dark Descent Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Strychnos  are  a  band  from  Denmark  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "A  Mother's  Curse"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Dark  Descent  Records.

  A  very  dark y et  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  death  metal  grows  a  few  seconds  later.  Dark  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  riffing  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  utilized.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  At  times  atmospheric  elements  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  more  brutal  side  of  the  album  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  and  clean  vocals,  synths  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks.

  Strychos  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  and  brutal  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  terror,  hope  and  tragedy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Strychnos  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Traumer"  "Horror  Sacred  Torture  Divine"  and  "The  Doppelganger  Stare".  8 out  of  10.

  

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Goatwhore/Angels Hung From The Arches of Heaven/Metal Blade Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  New  Orleans,  Louisiana's  Goatwhore  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Angels  Hung  From  The  Arches  of  heaven"  which  will b e  released  in  October  by  metal  Blade  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  demonic  voices  and  chants  before  going  into a   very  fast  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  black  metal tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats,  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also b e  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  ad d in a   decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  more  of  an  old  school  style  when  they  are  utilized  as  well  as  having  their  melodic  moments,  keyboards  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.

  On  this  recording  Goatwhore  remain  true  to  the  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism,  Darkness,  Esoteric  and  Human  Nature  themes.

   In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Goatwhore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  band,  you  should  enjoy t his  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Born  of  Satan's  Flesh"  "Death  From  Above"  "The  Devil's  Warlords"  and "And  I  Was  Delivered  From  The  Wound  Of  Perdition".  8 out  of  10.

  http://www.facebook.com/thegoat666

http://www.twitter.com/Goatwhore_NOLA
http://www.instagram.com/goatwhorenola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk1Y1HL_IcY

        

  

    

Daeva/Through Sheer Will And Black Magic.../20 Buck Spin/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Daeva  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that h as  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Through  Sheer  Will  And  Black  Magic..."  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  A  Dark  sounding  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  thrash  metal  influenced  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  to  early  90's  era.

  The  songs  also  take  an  old  school  style  and  mix  it  in  with  a  more  modern  day  brutality  while  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  a  retro  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mi  paced  and  fast  parts,  one  track  also  introduces  clean  playing  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  some  growls  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  the  closing  song  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.    

  On  this  recording  Daeva  remains  true  to  the  blackened  thrash  metal  style  that  they  had  established  on  their  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover    Satanism,  Luciferian,  Occultism,  Black  Magick  and  Anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Daeva  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Architect  And  The  Mountains"  "Loosen  The  Tongue  Of  The  Dead"  and  "Luciferian  Order".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/daevablackthrash

https://www.instagram.com/daevablackthrash

  

     

Moonspell/From Down Below - Live 80 Meters Deep/Napalm Records/2022 Live Album Review

 

  Portugal's  Moonspell  have  returned  with  a  live  recording  where  their  play  all  of  the  songs  from  their  2021  album  "Hermitage"  live  and  the  live  album  will  be  released  on  September  30th  by  Napalm  Records  and  is  called  "From  Down  Below  -  Live  80  Meters  Deep" .

An  intro  and  live  audience  reaction  starts  off  the  album  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Clear  gothic  metal  vocals  are  also  used  on  most  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Female  vocals  can  also b e  heard  briefly  along  with  the  harsh  vocals  also  bringing  in  elements  of  black  metal  and  keyboards  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  briefly,  one  of  the  songs  is  also  an  instrumental  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.  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  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Greater  Good"  "Hermitage"  "The  Hermit  Saints"  and  "The  great  Leap  Forward".  8  out  of  10.

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Deathsiege/Throne Of Heresy/Everlasting Spew Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Deathsiege  are  a  band  from  Israel  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Throne  Of  Heresy"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  while t he  vocals  also  add  in  a  lot  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Elements  of  death  metal  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  at  times.  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  epic  sounding  synths  before  returning  back  to  a  more  brutal  style  and  at  times  the  solos  and  leads  also  go  into  more  of  a  dark  and  melodic  direction.

  On this  recording  Deathsiege  remains  true  to  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Blasphemy,  Darkness  and  Nihilism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Deathsiege  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "All  Roads  Spiral  Downwards"  "Throne  Of  Heresy"  "Poisonous  Worlds"  and  "Siege  of  Death".  8  out  of  10.

  https://bit.ly/3cBFyVr  

  

Hild/ValFreiya/Odium Records/2022 CD Review

 

  Hild  are  a  band  from  Sweden t hat  has  previously  had  music  reviewed  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2012  album  "Va;Freiya"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Odium  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  thrash  metal  elements.  Vocals  are  done  in  mostly  a  shouting  black  metal  style  that  is  very  close  to  the  first  wave  era  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized.  Most  of  the  tracks  stick  to  the  2  minute  limit  along  with  songs  mixing  an  old  school  style  in  with  a  more  modern  day  aggression  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction  as  well  as  some  of  the  riffing  also  mixing  in  influences  of  crust.

  On  this  recording  Hild  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  that  they  had  introduced  on  the  singles.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nordic  Mythology  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Hild  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "ValFreiya"  "Hrist"  "Rota"  and  "Hild".  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/TWg23Yabje4

www.facebook.com/HildSweden

      

  

Anzv/Gallas/Exorcize Music/2022 Full length Review

 

  Anzv  are  a  band  from  Portugal  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Gallas"  which  was  released  by  Exorcize  Music.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   very  fast  and  brutal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  sow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark y et  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  elements  of  post  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as well  as  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  ethnic  music  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Anzv  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  aggressive  and  brutal  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  post  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  esoteric  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Anzv  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Isimud"  "Repentance"  "Rituals"  and  "Mist".  8  out  of  10.

  

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The Chosen Interview

 

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

We have just completed our live line-up and are aiming to do a couple of gigs, to promote the band and the new album. We are also working on new material.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ form the stuff you have released in the past?

To be honest, the music isn’t that much different than our former work, at least musically. Maybe this time we have listened even  more to old school black metal. There are less death metal influences, but this isn’t done deliberately. We just wrote what came up in our sick minds.

3.The band was also broken up for more than 10 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?

The Chösen started as a solo project. But going live, meant more musicians. We had a blast, but also a lot of changes in line up. So in the end the gigs went bad and new material wasn’t coming, so time to pull the plug. While waiting for new inspiration we were busy doing other bands and projects, before you kno wit more then ten years have past.

In the meantime, we had been writing more thrashy, stuff. The logical thing was to release as a new The Chösen album. Lyrics I write on a regular basis, so there was enough to fill the songs with.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover Paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about the main Pagan path that you have an interest in?

Always a great subject to write about, the pagan world is so extensive. It goes from magic to politics and from nature to war. I hold Dutch/Germanic paganism close to my heart.

5.Lyrically you also cover war and historical themes, which wars and historical events have had the most impact on your songwriting?

From a very young age, I have been interested in history and in particular Dutch history. We are a small country, but we had a big impact on the history of the world. On one hand we were conquerors, but we were also the conquered. 

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'The Chosen'/

A couple of reasons: Those fallen in battle are chosen to either go to Valhalla or to Folkvangr. Another reason is to mess with modern religious people, all calling them the chosen people of their made up god. Now that name is also being used by us, heathen bastards. The Chösen also sounds like a cool gang name, as a scourge  in this dystopian society.

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

The snake represents chaos, the Yr-Rune represents death. Both are placed in a circle which represents glory. These are the main lyrical topics. The wooden swords are there to represent the pagan side of the band.

8.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Well the live line up is going to consist of three members. We have just recruited WAR to join us in the drums and we are working on a live set. So to be continued.

9.When you have a live line up what where some of the best shows that you played and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Many years ago we did a mini tour with Aborym, Blacklodge and Corpus Christii, wich was super. We als played in Baroeg, Rotterdam also great. We opened A black metal festival in Leeuwarden which went terrible from our part, we hope to redeem that. Gigs in Germany are always great, so we hope to go there some more. We have some plans, but it stil lto early to reveal.

The stage performance will be more rock ’n roll I guess. Just three guys going at it as furious as possible.

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

The reactions, up to now, have been really positive. Very nice to come back to that. Of course we have to see what the reactions will be once we get on stage.

11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the main member is a part of?

My other band is Standvast, together with Nortfalke. In this band I’m the vocalist. Dragontank playes bass with the dutch old school heavy metal band: Steel shock. Both of us are also busy with divers projects, a bit to many to mention. WAR has his own band, Gheestenland. He is and was also involved in many different projects.

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

In the future we hope to get an even better mix of thrash and black without becoming a parody of the genre.

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

Bands like Sodom, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone are always influences. But the same goes for Impaled Nazarene, Aura Noir, Absu, Destroyer 666 etc. But certainly a number of (swedish) crust-punk bands also play a big part. 

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

Thanks you for this opportunity, all the best!!!

 

Cátia Cunha

Music Publicist

email: catia@againstpr.com | againstpr@gmail.com

      

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https://www.facebook.com/Thechosen666

Rick Massie Interview

 

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

I’m a progressive metal music maker from the Yukon, Canada. I used to write music, and have played in several bands in the early 2000s, but then stepped away from music for about 14 or 15 years after getting sidetracked by life, work, and other responsibilities.

I started this new project (simply titled - Rick Massie) in 2017, since I felt a draw back to the magic of music, it truly felt like it was missing from my life. Over the years since I had last played guitar or written music, I’d come to love many types of music, not just metal. So I went into this new project with a fresh approach - I knew that I wanted to take elements of all the music I loved, regardless of genre, and build songs and stories using those as my inspiration. 

Lyrically, almost all of my music is about finding light and hope within the darkness. Within that, there are themes of love, loss, sadness, and unity. 

Overall, the music generally leans to the darker side, but definitely has healthy doses of positive and uplifting or epic moments thrown in when they fit. 

 

 

2.Recently you have released a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

For my new album, “Guided to an Imperfect Light”, it’s very similar to the majority of my music, I guess you could call it my “sound”. You’ll end up finding long songs that go through many changes and genres within each song. What starts out as doom metal may morph into progressive metal, hard rock, classical, and pop. I’ve gotten old enough to stop worrying about whether something sounds dark enough or metal enough. It just needs to sound good, and needs to work for the song. 

 

I’ve been told that this album has something for everyone, no matter what type of music you listen to. I guess that’s probably fairly close to accurate. Sure, there are some genres you won’t really hear on this one, but it covers a fairly broad spectrum I think. 

 

When I look back and compare this new one to my first album, however, I noticed that you’ll find a few more catchy parts than on my first album. Of course, I don’t really ever follow the usual verse-chorus-verse formula, but for this album I’ve found a way to bring back some of the important parts for a sort of a “chorus” type effect. For example, in Counting the Stars, the synth-driven section near the middle “feels” like a chorus, and sure enough, it comes back again right at the end of the song. And for Need, a similar thing happens, though the second time around it uses different chords and different melodies, so it feels familiar, yet different at the same time. 

 

 

 

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

All of my songs focus on the idea of finding light amidst the darkness. With that in mind, there are still a few areas within that theme that I’ve explored. For example, the idea of fear, and the search for safety. And mental health, and taking the time you need to decompress and become your best self. 

I’ve also touched on topics such as love, unity, and equality, with the idea that even in these dark times, we can embrace these ideals to help make the world better. 

All in all, the lyrics tend to mix well with the music - there’s a lot of darkness, but there’s always moments of hope, love and joy trying to overcome that darkness. 

 

4.How would you describe the metal scene in the Yukon Territory of Canada, where you reside?

We’ve got a very, very small metal scene here. There have been some incredible metal bands here over the years, but the live metal scene feels like it’s dropped to just a few shows a year at most. However, just in terms of music, there are some amazing artists who are active right now - just check out The Animal Warfare Act or Jesse Berezan. Incredible stuff. 

I’ve also stumbled across a few Yukon artists I’d never even heard of by browsing Bandcamp. I’m not even sure who those people are, so there’s probably more Yukon metal than I even know about, from acts who self-release with little to no promotion. 

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

 

I was so excited for the artwork for this album. It took a while, but I worked up the nerve to reach out to Priska Wettstein. I’ve loved Priska’s work for years, and always thought it would fit so well with some of my music. 

 

Initially, I had an image in mind, one that was already published and available for sale. But when I reached out, Priska, to my surprise, was a metal fan and was also excited to work on some art for me. So instead of choosing an existing image, I sent Priska the unfinished album and let her use it as a soundtrack to create some new images. And in the end, what she came up with was beyond incredible. I absolutely love the artwork, and I don’t think anything could have suited the music better than the one she created. 

 

You can check out more of her amazing work at 8 Ravens Studio

 

 

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

I love working as a solo project, since I can take my time and work on things at my own pace. There are no stresses from trying to manage schedules of other people, and I get full control over the vision. Which is somewhat important to me, since the music I create doesn’t really fit into any particular genre or template. It wouldn’t work out too well if I had someone telling me to do a traditional verse-chorus-verse structure throughout the album, because that’s completely different than what I want to create. So in many ways, working solo is perfect for me. 

 

However… with that said, I really do want to work with others in a different way. I don’t want a band, but I would love to have some other musicians add instruments, melodies, leads, and harmonies on some of my songs. I’ve met a lot of talented people over the years, and I’ve been thinking about reaching out to secure some guests for some upcoming songs. I have very particular soundscapes in mind when I write my songs, and I know there are quite a few people out there who would fit perfectly into some of the different songs and sections. 

 

7.Do you also have any experience playing in other bands or musical projects?

Not recently. The last band I played in was in 2004, and I actually gave up playing all instruments from about 2004 to 2017. I only picked the guitar back up in 2017, with the intent to write an album. 

 

Prior to 2004, I’d played in quite a few bands - Wars of Winter, The Sacred Innocent, Archaeon, did some session work for Eclipse Eternal, and even played in cover bands playing rock classics in small bars in Newfoundland. I learned so much from those years, and without the experience form those years, I’d never have been able to just pick up the guitar and write several albums worth of music after such a long break. To be completely transparent, the writing was easy, but getting usable takes was not so easy. I’m still not even close to as good at guitar as I was back in 2004, but luckily the only deadlines I have are self-imposed, so I can do as many takes as I need until I get a song right. 

 

 

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

I’m not actively looking for a label, mostly because I tend to enjoy spending more time on the musical side of things, not so much on the business side of things. So I basically just keep making music, but don’t spend any time reaching out to labels who might be interested in getting my music out. On the surface level, I’d definitely say I’d like to be on a label, but it would have to be a good fit. And I’m not sure how receptive most labels would be to my music - I’ve spoken to playlist creators, and more often than not, my music doesn’t work for their content needs, since it covers so much ground, but doesn’t really fit nicely into any particular genre. 

 

However, if any labels are interested in multi-genre metal/rock, I’m definitely open to a conversation!

 

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

The reaction has been amazing. It’s everything I hoped for and more. Everything I’ve heard has been positive, even beyond what I could have expected. I think my biggest hurdle right now is getting the music into the ears of more people. I think that there is a certain audience that gets intrigued by something labelled as “prog/doom/black/death/symphonic/rock/electronic”, so those people are probably the ones to check it out, and they probably like it because it’s so varied. However, not being able to properly label or describe the music probably keeps a lot of people from checking it out at all, which is a tough obstacle for me. 

 

But overall, it’s been incredible to see so many people from so many countries all over the world reviewing, buying, and commenting on my music. It’s very humbling, and I truly appreciate all the support, no matter which form it comes in. 

 

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

 

I honestly expect I’ll keep doing more of the same. I know what I like, and I know the type of music I want to hear. I definitely can’t imagine myself starting to write pop hits, or standard song structures. But with that said, I can see myself starting to integrate more, and different, influences into my music. I’ve been listening to a lot of different and non-metal music, and I fully expect I’ll keep finding tricks and techniques I want to try in my songwriting or production. So in the end, I guess that’s what I expect for my future; to keep learning, and to keep experimenting to create the songs I want to hear. 

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?

The biggest influences on my songwriting would have to be Devin Townsend, Opeth, Vintersorg, Sentenced, Paradise Lost, Edge of Sanity and Yes. Most of these bands are the influences that guided me when I was younger, in my previous bands, before my long break from guitar and songwriting. Devin Townsend is a relatively new influence, and was definitely the inspiration to begin writing songs again. 

 

Devin Townsend was key in one major way - I recall writing a few “happy” sounding riffs back in my younger years, but I could never find a way to fit them into a song. After finally discovering Devin Townsend, I learned how a songwriter could integrate “happy” riffs with the darker material. And that was so important. Because I knew I didn’t want to write music that was just “dark” anymore. I needed a way to acknowledge the darkness, but also to show the light. Fun fact: one of those “happy” riffs I wrote years ago will finally make it into a song on my next album. 

 

In terms of listening, my playlist has been filled with Ghost, The Darkness, and Marianas Trench. I’ve also been listening to quite a lot of Witnesses and Egor Lappo. And of course, Devin Townsend always works his way into my listening on a regular basis. 

 

I don’t expect that my future music will sound like any of these in particular, but I’m sure certain elements of each will influence and show up in at least some parts of some songs. 

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

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I really appreciate the support. I’m just a middle-aged dad making strange music, and the support of publications like yours really help get the word out. 

My final thoughts are the words from the motto I live by, so graciously gifted by Bill and Ted. “Be excellent to each other”. 

Bandcamp: https://rickmassie.bandcamp.com/
Website: http://rickmassie.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickmassiemusic/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rickmassiemusic 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rickmassiemusic 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYP00ehdXc42rcBDa8guBQg 
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCSW42VyKh5XxvtVn_y-2Qtg?feature=share 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OnNWLouJqbKl3glksSkR2
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/1486053559