Monday, December 31, 2018

Ethir Anduin/Loneliness Of My Life/Symbol Of Domination Productions/More Hate Productions/2018 CD Review


  Ethir  Anduin  are  a  solo  project  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Loneliness  Of  my  Life"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Symbol  Of  Domination  and  More  Hate  Productions.

   Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  slow  riffs  are  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  black  metal  elements  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  some  synths  also  bringing  synths  onto  the  recording  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  are  also  added  onto  the  recording.

  Ethir  Anduin  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  atmospheric  black,  doom  and  post  metal  while  keeping  most  of  the  music  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Ethir  Anduin  and  if  you  are  a  fn  of  instrumental,  atmospheric  black,  doom  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lethargy"  "Cold  Embrace  Of  Death"  and  "Meaningless  Existence".  8  out  of  10.

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Decay Interview

1.For those that have never heard of yo before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1. Hello, I'm Goat from DECAY. We started the band with my brother Ray (now in So What?! In 1996. After 2-3 years we broke up. Then in 2001 we makes a homemade demo (vortex of thoughts). Just one CD I have. Never was
released. After a period I started again without Rat, we started to play live too, for ex. with Negura Bunget, Coronet and many other bands.Finally we makes an ep with current lineup (Brand new nails) and now
prepare a fullenght album (THORN-MAN-THORN).

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does this differ from the demo you had released 14 years ago?
2. The vocal is same but the music is more different. It's still death metal but with more black and thrash metal riffs and great solos.

3.This is your first release in 14 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
3. Nothing special. Just I didn't have the musicians around me. Now I'm happy with these guys. I hope this lineup will remain the same in the future too.

4.The band was broken up for 5 years, what was the cause of the split and also the decision to reform?
4. Same answer 🙂

5.Some of your lyrics cover Occultism, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
5. I was always attracted about the dark and unholy things. And I try to mix my visions with reality. That's all, nothing special.

6.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
6. It's a perfect word for many thing. Ex. :this world, life, death, hate and many other thing what represent our life and death.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
7. It is full with nails what puncture the hand of christ. We can say,every new songs what we have on ep, is a brand new fucking nail for our nice christ :)))

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
8.With Negura Bunget and with Coroner was great to play on the same stage but the best gig was in this year with Gothic. Was a better sound. This gig u can find on you tube (Live decadence). Our live performance, u can
say boring :)))), because with don't use corpse paint and other funny thing. Just we go up and try to feel great on the stage while we play our songs.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
9. No. First of all we want record the full length album and after that if we will be invited we go everywhere.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?
10. Here in Romania was very shit the reactions but in Brazil, Mexico, USA, Iran and Japan was great.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11. I hope we can play on bigger festival in Europe.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
12. I listen to death, black and doom bands. Mostly the old bands. For me the nr. 1 is Deicide and Morbid Angel. We listen the same bands and genres.


13.What are some of your non musical interests?
13. Hip hop, rap no way. But the 80s pop bands I like.


14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
14. Thanks for your interest. Hope we will see guys soon on a gig. Hail Satan motherfuckers! \,,/

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Friday, December 28, 2018

Karkosa/Harvest Of The Adept/Dark Horizon Records/2018 EP Review


    Karkosa  are  a band  from  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana  that  plays  an  occult  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Harvest  Of  The  Adept"  which  was  released  by  Dark  Horizon  Records.

  Ritualistic  soundscpaes  and  whispers  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording    while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  brutal  sounding  blast  beats  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  chants  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  some  synths  also  being  added  into t he  background  briefly.

  Karkosa  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  modern,  dark and  brutal  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism,  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Karkosa  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sleep  Paralysis"  and  "Chambers  Of  Necromancy".  8  out  of  10.

https://karkosa.bandcamp.com/releases

  

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Legion Of The Damned/Slaves Of The Shadow Realm/Napalm Records/2019 CD Review


  Netherlands's  Legion  Of  The  Damned  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  their  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Slaves  Of  The  Shadow  Realm"  which  will  be  released  in  2019  by  Napalm  Records.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in a   decent  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  first  wave  style  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

  All  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  while  sounding  very  modern  at  the  same  time  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  keyboards  can  also  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Legion  Of  The  Damned  takes  their  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  into  more  of  a  modern  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  rage,  death,  war, occultism  and  anti  Christianity  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Legion  Of  The  Damned  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Widows  Breed"  "Slaves  Of  The  Southern  Cross"  "Palace  of  Sin"  and  "Azazel's  Crown".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOtb-m9zi-g&feature=youtu.be

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

A Vintage Death/Acrid Death Fragrance/2018 EP Review


  A  Vintage  Death  is  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  ep  "Acrid  Death  Fragnance".

  Voices  van  be  heard  briefly  going  into  more  more  of  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  some  clean  vocals  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  90's  influences  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  the  music.

  A  Vintage  Death  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  A  Vintage  Death  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "When  The  Spirit  Smell  His  Corpse"  and  "Acrid  Death  Fragrance".  8  out  of  10.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Usurper/Skeletal Season/Dissonance/2019 CD Re-Issue Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Usurper  which  continues  their  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1999  album  "Skeletal  Season"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  2019  by  Dissonance.

  Demonic  voices  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  musical  direction  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  influences  along  with  the  vocals  bringing  in  more  of  a  Celtic  Frost/Hellhammer  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  remaining  very  true  to  an old  school  style,  spoken  word  parts  can  also be  heard  briefly  and  their  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  riffs  also  start  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  a  couple  of  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  synths.

  On  this  recording  Usurper  remained  true  to  their  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Supernatural  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Usurper  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Shadowfiend" "Embrace  Of  The  Dead" and  "Wolflord".  8  out  of  10.

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Usurper/Threshold Of The Usurper/Dissonance/2019 EP Re-Issue Review


  Usurper  where  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  played  a  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1997  ep  "Threshold  Of  The  Usurper"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  2019  by  Dissonance.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount of  thrash,  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  influences  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  screams.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  Tom  G.  Warrior  influenced  vocals  are  also  brought  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  very  true  to  an  old  school  style  and  they  also  bring  in  a  cover  of  Mercyful  Fate's  "Black  Funeral  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars,  synths,  rain  and  thunder  sounds,  ritualistic  and  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard.

  Usurper  played  a  musical  style  that  took  first  and  second  wave  black  metal  and  mixed  it  with  thrash  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  death  and  supernatural  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Usurper  where  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  "Necrocult  Pt.  1  (The  Metal  War)"  and  "Threshold  Of  The Usurper".   8  out  of  10. 

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