thisquietarmy/Langue Hybride/Consouling SOunds/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada's  solo  project  thisquietarmy  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  drone,  experimental,  post  rock,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2025  album  "Langue  Hybride"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Consouling  Sounds.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  and  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  while  the  clean  sections  also  add  in  elements  of  post  rock  and  shoegaze.  Stringed  instruments  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with  some  of  the  beats  also  being  programmed  and  the  recording  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times.

  A  lot  of  the  music  also  sounds  improvised  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  slow  and  heavy  riffs  are  also  done  in  more  of  a  doom  metal  direction  with  some  touches  of  black  metal  and  most  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  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  influences  of  krautrock  and  psychedelic  music.  All  of  the  album  also  sticks  to  an  instrumental  direction  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  slower  style  while  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  thisquitarmy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone,  experimental,  post  rock,  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Respirer,  I'instabilite"  and  "Solastalgie  impalpable".  8  out  of  10.

  https://thisquietarmy.bandcamp.com/album/langue-hybride      

 

Automatisme/Thisquietarmy/Station/Liberation Through Hearing/2018 EP Review

  This   is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  between  Canada's  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  called  "Station"  which  will  be  released  on  December  13th  by  Liberation  Through  Hearing  and  they  also  mix  electronic,  ambient,  experimental,  drone,  black  and  doom  metal  together.

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  some  avant  garde  and  electronic  music  elements  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  as  well  as  some  experimental,  noise  and  ambient  elements  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  drones  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Guitars  are  also  utilized  at  times  but  not  in  a  traditional  way  while  atmospheric  sounding  synths  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  some  black  and  doom  metal  influences  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  team  up  together  to  create  a  recording  that  mixes  experimental,  electronic  music,  ambient,  drone  together  with a  touch  of  metal  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  from  Automatisme  and  Thisquietarmy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  electronic,  experimental,  ambient,  drone  and  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAtcMvHs8J4&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR29fGUMA825VAXRx1x5B0Xoq4zuhMvRAR_JFwelhrhW43bL_dQQ4potGbA

Echtra/BardO/Temple Of Torturous/2018 CD Review

  Echtra  are  a  band  from  Olympia,  Washington  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  drone/doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "BardO"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Temple  Of  Torturous.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  drones  start  off  the  album  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  over  23  minutes  in  length  along  with  some  acoustic  being  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  and  after  awhile  melodic  riffing  is  added  onto  the  recording.

 At  times  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  a  brief  use  of  melodic  chants  as  well  as  some  elements  of  doom  metal  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times,  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  going  into  a  faster  direction  which  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Echtra  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  black,  doom  metal  and  drone  mixture  of  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  transmission  of  one's  existence  between  life  times.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Echtra  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black, doom  metal  and  drone,  you should  check  out  this  album. 8  out  of  10.

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thisquietarmy/The Body And The Earth/Consouling Sounds/2018 CD Review

  thisquietarmy  are  a  band  from  Montreal,  Quebec,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  post  rock,  shoegaze,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2018  album  "The  Body  And  The  Earth"  which  will  be  released  on  October  12th  by  Consouling  Sounds.

  Ambient  style  synths  and  drones  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  bass  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  post  rock  elements  and  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  experimental  while  elements  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  being  instrumental  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some  psychedelic,  krautrock  and  shoegaze  influences,  horned  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other.

  On  this  recording  thisquietarmy  takes  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  post  rock,  shoegaze, psychedelic,  black  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original  while  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  thisquietarmy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  post  rock,  shoegaze,  black  and  doom  metal ,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sixth  Mass"  and  "Algal  Bloom".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/thisquietarmy
      

Aksu Interview

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

AKSU is a duet composed of my cousin Guillaume (guitar, effects, trumpet) and I (drums and percussion). The project was born at the end of 2011 in Brussels, Belgium. At this time Gui was studying architecture and he was working on some contemporary asian artists and architects. 

One day his teaching staff imposed him some sort of workshop exam and he didn't want to present a classical architectural project with model, plan, outlines etc. so he called me, and we decided to make something special. A sort of spatial exploration of the museum near to the architectural school. 

An exploration based on improvisation and feelings related with the place we were in.

At the very beginning AKSU was supposed to be an ephemeral project but after this 1st try we understood that we've created something we liked and we wanted to develop. 

2.Recently you have released a new album, can you tell us a little bit about the musical direction it has taken?

"The Way to Destroy and Create things/ Screenplay and Outline for an Unexpected Space" is our 1st full length album. The other recordings you can listen on our Bandcamp are some live recordings.

We have recorded it during one night in the same architectural museum where we played the first time. 

This album is also entirely improvised, we've only chosen what we wanted to maintain for the album. We wanted something loud but complex at the same time. A mix between fury, dark ambient and spontaneity.

3.A few years back you released 3 separete live ep's which where all recorded on the same night, what was the decision behind releasing them in 3 different installments than putting them on a full or double album?

Actually they are 3 different live recordings, recorded during 3 differents events in 3 differents locations. 

We would like to release them together in cassette. A box containing those 3 cassettes could be a nice object! If one day a label is interested we will make it.

4.What are some of the themes and concepts the band brings out with its music?

We don't have any particular concepts. Every time we play, the only goal is to make something special and the most spontaneous possible. We try most of the time to divert sleeping architecture and conventional live conditions to create an other reflection of space and sounds, to be connected together and with the place we are in. The process is the most important for us. Improvisation is the core of our actions. It reminds me a sentence by Genesis P-Orridge, I can't remember it exactly but it's something like: "The joy of real creativity comes from the exploration of the unexpected". 

5.Currently all of the music is instrumental, are you planning on using vocals in the future or do you choose to remain instrumental?

Our music is changing all the time. For exemple Gui was singing during our last show.. so yes I think we could use vocals at some point. Maybe in the next album, maybe not.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aksu'?

Lots of meanings, lots of possibilities.

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?

We are not playing lots of shows but we try to make something musically different each time. Our stage performances are short, various and intense. 

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

Yes we really would like to tour but only if it's to play in special places, or at least not exclusively in classical shows venue. 

9.Currently is located in Belgium but all of the members are French, what was the decision behind moving to a different country?

We are both from south of France. We came to Belgium at first  because we decided to studying here. Gui just finish his architectural studies and I'm finishing mine but in History of Art. Belgium is a great country for music. Lots of great bands, great shows etc. we really like Brussels and Belgium.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your recordings by fans of underground music?

For the moment we have a very good feedback. Generally people find the album intriguing at first, then they really enter in it after 

a second listening. For the moment we have only positive feedbacks which is really rewarning for us, apprently we have made a good job!

11.Where do you see the band heading into music wise during the future

Don't know.. we will continue to record albums, find labels, trying to find great places to play..

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

We have a lots of influences from the musical world like SWANS, Boris, John Cage, Glenn Branca, Peter Brötzmann, Max Roach, Genesis P-Orridge, KTL, Steve Noble, Deathspell Omega and lots of other metal bands. Electronica and classical stuff as well. 

We are also very influenced by architecture (especially by ruins, bunkers, brutalism etc.) and art (Joseph Beuys and Piranesi among others).

13. What are some of your interests outside of music?

Too much things.. Gui paint and draws a lot since this year, some beautiful and very detailed pieces. I'm currently finishing my studies so I don't have a lot of time to spend in museums and exhibitions but it's of course something we love to do.

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

PEOPLE, don't hesitate to visit our pages and spread them everywhere!

thanks for this interview!

https://aksu.bandcamp.com/

Aksu/The Way To Destroy And Create Things/Screenplay And Outline For Unexpected Space/Paradgims Recordings/2013 CD Review

  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  Aksu  which  continues  their  improv  mixture  of  black/doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  dark  ambient  and  free  jazz  with  the  album  being  called  "The Way To Destroy And Create Things/Screenplay And Outline For Unexpected Space '  which  was  released  by  Paradigms  Recordings.

  The  album  starts  out  with  drum  beats  which  have  a  tribal  feeling  to  them  and  after  awhile  doom  metal  style  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  drones  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  harsh  noise  sounds  and  saxophones  which  makes  the  music  have  a  more  brutal  sound  to  it.

  As  the  album  continues  the  music  gets  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  as  well  as  showing  a  great  amount  of  growth  from  their  live  recordings  and  the  guitars  also  bring  in  a  blues  feeling  during  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  as  time  goes  on  by  the  synths  bring  in  dark  ambient  and  psychedelic  sounds  which  also  adds  in  a  horror  film  soundtrack  feeling  to  the  recording.

  When  we  get  more  into  the  album  clean  playing  is  brought  into  the  music and  adds  a  good  amount  of  darkness  to  the  recording  while  the  music  sticks  to  mostly  a  heavier  direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  distortion  and  experimental/psychedelic  effects.

  With  this  album  Aksu  show  a  lot  of growth  and  the  music  is  even  more  heavier  as  well  as having  more  structure  this  time  around  while  still  having  an  improv  feeling  and  there  is  a  good  amount  of  variety  on  this  recording  from  soft  experimental  sounds  to  heavy  doom  metal  riffing.

  Song  lyrics  are  all  absent  from  this  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  dark,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aksu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  improv,  experimental  and  heavy  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Multiples"  "Mantra  1.3"  "The  House  That  Burns  Everyday"  and  "S- E".  8  out  of  10.

http://aksu.bandcamp.com/
  

Aksu/XXVII/X/Xl Act III/2011 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  Aksu's  third  live  installment  which  continues  their  improv  mixture  of  black/doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  dark  ambient  and  free  jazz  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2011  and  called  "XXVII/II/X/XI  Act  III".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  amp  sounds  and  drones  along  with  drums  which  leads up  to  guitars  and  drum  solos  and  after  awhile  doom  metal  elements  are  brought  into  the  recording  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody  before  bringing  in  harsh  noise  effects  and  they  experiment  a  good  amount  with  this  improv  jam  and  towards  the  end  there  are  some  brutal  blast  beats  coming  out  of  the  drums.

  Song  lyrics  are  absent  from  this  recording  with  all  of  the  music  being  instrumental,  while  the  production  it  has  a  dark,  raw,  heavy  and  live  feeling  to  it  with  the  improv  session  being  more  than  20  minutes  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aksu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  heavy,  experimental  improv  music,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  8  out  of  10.

https://aksu.bandcamp.com/

Aksu/XV/X/XI. Live Act II/2011 EP Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Aksu  which  continues  their  improv  mixture  of  black/doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  dark  ambient  and  free  jazz  of  the  previous  recording  but  with  more  song  structure  with  the  ep  being  self  released  in  2011  and  called  "XV/X/XI. Live Act II".

  The  ep  starts  off  with  harsh  noises  and  high  pitched  screams  before  adding  in  drums  and  heavy  doom  metal  guitars  which  also  bring  in  traces  of  black  metal  and  drone  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  being  very  experimental  and  this  recording  also  has  a  more  metal  feeling  than  the  previous  one  that  was  reviewed  and  on  the  last  song  you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  melody  being  utilized.

  Song  lyrics  for  the  most  part  are  absent  with  most  of  the  music  being  instrumental,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  and  you  can  easily  tell  all  of  the  music  is  recorded  live.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aksu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  music  that  is  experimental  and  heavy,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

https://aksu.bandcamp.com/ 

Aksu/XI/X/XL Act I/2011 EP Review

  Aksu  are  a  band  from  France  and  Belgium  that  plays  an  improv  mixture  of  black/doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  dark  ambient  and  free  jazz  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2011  ep  "XI.X/XL  Act  I".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  drums  and  clean  guitars  and  after  awhile  electric  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  which  also  leads  to  a  more  doomier direction  along  with  the  drums  becoming  more  aggressive  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  drones  and  harsh  noises  find  their  way  onto  the  recording  and  after  17  minutes  experimental  sound  effects  find  their  way  into  the  improv  jam  which  also  leads  up  to  psychedelic  style  guitar  leads  and  keyboard  sounds.

  Song  lyrics  are  absent  from  this  recording  with  all  of  the  musical  being  instrumental,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  heavy  sound  to  it  with  the  jam  session  being  over  22  minutes  long.

  In  my  opinion  Aksu  are  a  very  great  sounding  improv  mixture  of  black/doom  metal,  drone,  noise,  dark  ambient  and  free  jazz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

https://aksu.bandcamp.com/ 

Lycus Interview

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

With the album release mayhem behind us, we plan on focusing on writing the next album. As of now we are playing 2 more local shows then taking a break to write.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from the demo?

I'd say more evolved and mature. Not necessarily because I'm trying to talk ourselves up or anything, but because the time frames were so different. The demo was completed in 2 months, including recording. "Tempest" has been 2 years in the making, resulting in the material being much more refined and way closer to what we are going for as a band. There is at least one song on the demo that I cannot stand to listen to these days because there are so many aspects I would change about it in retrospect.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?

Grief, loss, the expansion of consciousness, the flaws of industrial civilization, etc.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

To be technical, the name means "river" in greek. It is also the son of Poseidon in Greek mythology, but when it comes down to it, we really just liked the way it sounded. Kind of anti-climactic, but if you looked into it it's the reason behind a lot of bands choosing their names. 

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

All of the shows on our last US tour were extremely gratifying, especially Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle and Portland. Each person in the band kind of has their own thing regarding stage presence.. Not really sure how to describe it from an audience perspective.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new album?

We've already toured the west coast and the southwest/midwest. We are planning an east coast tour that will happen in the next couple months as well (if all goes accordingly). This next tour will probably be our last until our next album is completed.

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

We've received extremely positive feedback, both for the demo and for "Tempest." Most of this feedback came as a complete surprise to us, as we are kind of our own harshest critics and always constantly evaluate the quality of our material. (probably why it took 2 years to write this last record).

8. Are there any other musical projects going on these days?

Bassist Daniel is currently in a grindcore band called "Your Enemy." Our other guitarist Dylan is in a shoegaze band called "Barn Burning,"

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

I can't accurately say. Just as our sound has evolved since recording the demo, I predict it will continue to evolve in future releases due to forces beyond our control, though I don't plan on consciously taking song writing in a different direction.

10. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Honestly, with our collective influences, almost every style of music out there from funk and soul to grind, black metal, and doom metal. Not so much into electronic music unless you count darkwave and industrial.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?

Bikes. Craft beers and brewing. Rock climbing. backpacking and hiking. Collecting records. Playing pool. Swimming. Skating. Many many more but I'm lazy and trying to write this on behalf of everyone in the band.

12. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Yes, we'd like to thank everyone who's supported us in the last couple years.... Bought any of our merch, came to our shows, wrote reviews, thank you so much. It is extremely gratifying to know that there are people out there that enjoy our music as much as we enjoy creating it.

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This Quiet Army/Hex Mountains/Denovali Records/2013 CD Review

  This Quiet  Army  are  a  band  from  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine with  a  musical  style  that  combines  experimental,  post,  rock,  drone,  doom  and  black  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Hex  Mountains"  which  was  released  by  Denovali  Records.

  "From  Darkness"  begins  with  some  dark ambient  synths  and  after  a  minute  they  start adding in  some  atmospheric and  post  rock elements,  halfway  through  the song  there are  some  programmed  drum  beats  being  added to  the song  which  also  leads  to  the  music  going into  a  more  drone  direction  along  with  some  heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffs  which also  utilize  some  melodic  leads  and  solos  that bring  in post  black  metal  elements.

  'Wraithslayers" begins with  some  experimental  drone  sounds  and melodic  chanting  along  with  some  avant  garde  noise  sounds  and  then t he song  starts focusing  more  on  dark  ambient  soundscapes  for the  remainder  of  the song  ranging  from  soft  to  loud.

  "Digital  Witchcraft"  begins with  some  experimental  and  krautrock  sounds  and  then  the  song  mixes in  quiet  ambient  soundscapes  and  experimental  elements  and  as  time  goes  on  by the  ambient  sound s get  more  powerful and  the  song  also  goes  into  a  darker  direction  along  with some  distorted  elements  and  ritualistic  sounds  and  towards  the  end  clean  sounding post  rock  guitar  riffs  make  their  way into  the  song  along  with  some  drum  programming  and  loops.

  "Spirits  In Oblivion"  begins  with  silence  before  adding in  some  ambient  synths and  sound  effects and  the  music  gets  more  powerful  as  time moves  on  by  with  some atmospheric  and drone  elements  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  programmed  drum  beats  and  bass  guitars  are  added  to  the  song  and  make  the  music  a  lot  heavier  sounding  and  halfway  into  the  song  heavy  guitar  riffs  are  added  into  the  music

 Song themes  cover  darkness,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful  and  dark  sound  with  the  songs  being  very long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  This  Quiet  Army  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  drone  with  elements  of  black  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  Darkness"  and  "Spirits  In  Oblivion".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

https://www.thisquietarmy.com/

Lycus/Tempest/20 Buck Spin/2013 CD Review

  Lycus  are  a  band  from  California  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  funeral  doom  metal   with  elements  of  death,  drone  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Tempest"  which  was  released  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  playing  with  only  a  small  amount  of  fast  drumming  and  blast  beats  being  present on  this  recording  which  are  only  utilized  in  the  black  metal  parts,  while  the  sound  effects  bring  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sound  to  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  noise  and  drone,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  tp  fast  heavy  riffs  that  combine  funeral  doom,  black  metal  and  early  90's  death/doom  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  funeral  doom/death  metal  growls  to  clean  singing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  high  pitched  black  metal  screams,  while  the  lyrics  cover  grief,  loss,  and  depressive  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Lycus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  funeral  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK "Tempest".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lycus/156095311142662
http://lycus.bandcamp.com

Year Of No Light/This Quiet Army/Consouling Sounds/2012 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  France's  Year  Of  No  Light  and  Canada's  This  Quiet  Army  which  was  released  by  Consouling  Sounds  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Year  Of  No  Light  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom,  ambient  and  black  metal.

  Drums  are  all  slow  playing  with  no  fast  drumming  or  blast  beats  being  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording,  while  the  keyboards  and  samples  bring  elements  of  ambient  to  the  recording,  as  for  the  bass  playing  it  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  are  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  slow  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  drone  and  doom  metal  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  some  melody  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  at  times  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  and  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  and  song  writing  are  all  absent  from  their  side  of  the  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes,  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Year  Of  No  Light  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Vous  Etes  Un  Nada  Mort  Marchant  A".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  This  Quiet  Army  another  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone,  doom  and  black  metal.

    Drums  and  bass  guitars  are  absent  from  this  recording,  while  the  synths,  programming  and  effects  bring elements  of  drone,  ambient,  experimental,  krautrock,  psychedelic  and  shoegaze  to  the  recording.

  Rhythm  guitars  are  all  slow  and  heavy  riffs  that  combine  black  metal,  drone,  doom  and  post  rock  together  to  create    a  sound  of  their  own  with  a  great  amount  of  heavy  distortion  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  clean  singing  female  vocals  which  has  an  esoteric  feeling  to  them,  while  the  song  themes  cover  darkness,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  dark  sound  with  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  This  Quiet  Army  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  drone,  experimental,  ambient,  doom  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Aphorismes".  RECOMMENDED.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  drone,  doom,  experimental,  ambient  and  black  metal.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://thisquietarmy.bandcamp.com/album/year-of-no-light-thisquietarmy

The Year of No Light/Asserwelt/Conspiracy Records/2010 CD Review

  The Year Of No Light are a band from France that mixes shoegaze, sludge, drone, doom metal and black metal together together and this is a review of their 2010 album "Asserwelt" which was released by Conspiracy Records.

Drums are mostly slow drumming with some mid paced parts that do not use any fast playing or brutal blast beats except for maybe the last song with a lot of ambient sounding effects being used, while the bass playing has a dark sound to it with some slower riffs.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow doom metal riffs that have a slight ambient black metal feel to them mixed in with some shoegaze elements, while the lead guitars are very droned out slow sounding guitar solos that have a depressive feel to them.

There are no vocals or lyrics on this album it is all instrumental and the production has a very dark, raw but still professional sound.

In my opinion The Year Of No Light are a very good band that would appeal to the more open minded fans of black metal, and doom metal, if you are a fan of drone, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Peresphone I" and "Abbesse". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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Echtra/Paragate/Temple Of Torturous Records/2011 CD Review

  Echtra are a band from Oregon that plays a style that I would describe as being atmospheric blackened drone/doom metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Paragate" which will  be released by Temple Of Torturous Records.

Drums are mostly slow playing with some fast parts but not much in the way of blast beats being used on this recording, while the synths when they are heard have a dark ambient feel to them, and there are no bass guitars being used on this recording.

Rhythm guitars are mostly slow riffs that combine influences from black,drone and doom metal and there is a small amount of fast black metal riffing being utilized briefly, and there are no guitar leads or solos on this recording, as for the acoustic guitars when they are utilized they are very dark and repetitive sounding with some finger picking and full chords being used.

Vocals when they are utilized have a very dark and grim black metal feel to them with some occasional clean singing, there are no lyrics on this recording but the music touches on the winter on autumn solstices with a feeling that some dark spirits are being invoked, as for the production on this album, it has a very dark, raw and heavy sound to it.


In my opinion Echtra are a very good black/drone/doom metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.myspace.com/23echtra23