Witches Hammer/Damnation Is My Salvation/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2020 CD Review

  Witches  Hammer  are  a  band  from  Vancouver,  B.C,  Canada  that  has  a  history  that  goes  back  to  the  early  80's  and  on  their  earlier  recordings  played  more  of  a  mixture  of  thrash,  speed  and  first  wave  black  metal  but  evolved  into  more  of  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  after  their  reunion  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Damnation  Is  My  Salvation"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  music  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  blackened  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  mid  80's  to  early  90's  style  while  showing  an  influence  of  Morbid  Angel.

  Elements  of  thrash  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  good  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  influences  of  death  metal,  growls  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  stick  to  a  heavier  direction  and  on  one  song  the  vocals  also  go  for  more  of  an  80's  shouting  style.

  Witches  Hammer  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  80's  and  890's  eras  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  more  modern  brutality  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Witches  Hammer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Across  Azeroth"  "Frozen  God"  and  "Nine  Pillars".  8  out  of  10.

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/damnation-is-my-salvation

 

  

Shitfucker/Sex With Dead Body/Hells Headbangers/2020 CD Review

  Shitfucker  are  a  band  from  Detroit,  Michigan  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  album  "Sex  With  Dead  Body"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hells  Headbangers.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier,  melodic  and  old  school  musical  direction.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  they  also  add  in  some  first  wave  touches.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while the  music  also  captures  the  raw  aggression  of  hardcore.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  old  school style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  nit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  and  90's  but  modern  at  the  same  time.  A  couple  of  songs  also  introduces  spoken  word  samples  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  vocals  start  going  for  more  of  an  old  school  semi  melodic  yet  rough  style.  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  darkness,  satanism  and  murder  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Shitfucker  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  thrash  metal  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Stab  The  Head"  "Leather  Lady  Lover"  "Divinating  Death"  and  "Touch  Me  I"ll  Scream".  8  out  of  10.

http://shitfucker-detroit.bandcamp.com/album/sex-with-dead-body

    

DØDSKVAD/Krønike I/Caligari Records/2020 Demo Review

  DØDSKVAD  are  a  music  project  from  Norway  that  plays  a  tripped  out  and  old  school  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  demo  "Krønike  I"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Caligari  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  marching  sounds  start  off  the  demo  while  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction.  The  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  slower  sections  of   the  songs  bring  in  touches  of  doom  metal  and  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  style  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  In  my  opinion  DØDSKVAD  are  a  very  great  sounding  tripped  out  and  old  school  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Pakt  Med  Dypet".  8  out  of  10.

http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/kr-nike-i 

  

Venomous Skeleton/Drowning In Circles/Everlasting Spew Records/2020 CD Review

  Venomous  Skeleton  are  a  band  from  Israel  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Drowning  In  Circles"  which  will  be released  in  April  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  synths  are  added  into  the  music  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  introduces  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  vocals  being  in  a  blackened  metal  style  along  with  some  death  metal  growls.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  also  being  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  old  school  style,  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Venomous  Skeleton  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  is  very  old  school  and  atmospheric  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  90's  orientated  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Venomous  Skeleton  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  and  old  school  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Divine  Realm  Of  Existence"  "Chalice  To  The  Other  World"  and  "Curse  Of  The  Moon".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/VenomousSkeleton

The Flesh/Vehicle Of Ruin/Tartarus Records/2020 EP Review

  The  Flesh  are  a  band  from  the  Netherlands  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  hardcore  and  crust  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  ep  "Vehicle  Of  Ruin"  which  was  released  by  Tartarus  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  elements  of  crust  punk  and  hardcore.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  some  touches  of  d  beat  and  on  the  closing  track  dark  yet  melodic guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  briefly

  On  this  recording  The  Flesh  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  black  metal,  hardcore  and  crust  punk  that  was  established  on  their  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  spiritual, physical  and  emotional  erosion  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  The  Flesh  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  metal,  hardcore  and  crust  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Last  Word"  and  "Prey".  8  out  of  10,.

https://tartarusrecords.com/album/vehicle-of-ruin

Forlesen/Hierophant Violent/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2020 CD Review

  Forlesen  are  a  band  from  the  Bay  Area  of  California  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  dark  ambient  and  slowcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Hierophant  Violent"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  both of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Whispered  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  evolving  into  clean  female  vocals  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  synths  and  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  psychedelic  music.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  slow  and  heavy  riffs  are  mostly  rooted  in  doom  metal.  Clean  male  vocals  and  black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  touches  of  slowcore  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  mostly  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  as  well  as  some  fast  playing,  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  also  being  utilized  briefly.

  Forlesen  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  doom  metal,  dark  ambient  and  slowcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Forlesen  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  doom  metal,  dark  ambient  and  slowcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Following  Light".  8  out  of  10.

watch it here

https://www.facebook.com/Forlesen-515435575575427/ 

  

Head Of The Demon Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
- Since the recording we have foremost been preparing for the albums release in terms of working out the layout, release date, and currently doing promotional work for it.

2.You have a new album coming out towards the end of April, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
- I don’t think it differs that much but rather is a mesh of the two previous albums. A synthesis of the two prior full lengths if you will.

3.There seems to also be a 4 year gap in between releases, can you tell us a little bit more about it?
- Yeah, that is not something we have thought about and only came aware of now with the 3rd release. Perhaps it shows a pattern of our creative process cause it it isn’t planned in that regard. Perhaps it’s just chance.

4.All of the band members also having experience playing in other styles of extreme metal, what is it that you bring in to the music of 'Head Of The Demon' that you where not able to do with your previous groups?
- That’s a good question, and to sum it up I’d guess one can say experience and maturity. Experience in terms of having learnt different playing styles and techniques. Not to forget arrangements and all that comes with that. And maturity in that you don’t want to sound like your idols, but use the inspiration you get from them to find a unique style that expresses individualism.

5.The lyrics on the 2 previous album cover Satanism, Occultism and Left Hand Path themes. Can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the dark arts?
- My interest were sparked already at the age of 12-13 in terms of finding the occult and sinister approach to spirituality as something I wanted to seriously devout myself to. I then started reading about it in books that you could hold of in the library and noticed that some of my experiences were being described in sections of astral travels and the likes. It developed to a deeper level in my early 20’s and I then started practicing it besides only studying it theoretically. And since then I have more or less just submitted myself to over 20 years of practice. Meaning that several times a week you do hour long rituals and meditations to delve deeper into the path of initiation.

6.On the first album you covered the writings of H.P Lovecraft, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in his works?
- I have Morbid Angel to thank for a lot in my life and one of the things that I discovered when I came across Altars of Madness upon its release was Lovecraft. I started delving into his stories and somehow found them connected to my interest in the occult. And since then I have held him in very high regard and been fascinated by both his literary work and to some extent his life. Necronomicon and Lovecraft being quite synonymous with each other does yield quite the weight both for his stories and also the occult.

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
- For the first time we didn’t use an already ready image but had one drawn up for us specifically. The artist is Timo Ketola. It is foremost based on the albums title Deadly Black Doom and embodies the spirit and title very well.

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?
- We haven’t played live that much for having released 3 albums. But one that will never fade is De mysteris dom invicti in Ireland that Invictus Productions arranged for the labels 20th year anniversary. It was held in deconsecrated church, and we are not talking you cardboad box church. But one of dignity and medieval easthetics that evoke necromantic notions and had a genuine eerie feeling as it was surrounded by graves and a churchyard. When darkness fell on it it was sight for sure. And the gig went really well too.

9. Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
- There are some plans for a smaller tour in Europé but it is currently so far away that there is nothing to really talk about at this time. We do have gig planned the day after our albums release though. But with the current situation of Corona we’ll see if that even happens. But worst case scenario, it is postponed to another date.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and doom metal?
- Very good and very mixed I’d say. I think some are gladly surprised that it doesn’t sound like the bands we have played in while others are disappointed by that fact.

11.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
- There is for now only one member that has projects and a band and they are going well as far as I know. Some very interesting stuff will be coming from him in a not too distant future. 

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
- That is also a very good question, but also tricky to answer. We won’t remain on the same place that is for sure, but where we are heading is also very much up to the genii that guides us.

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?
- We are all metal heads in our bone but with time comes a wider acknowledgement of other styles and genres. Such as electronica, sound tracks, classical music, and generally what appeals to us. All of this taken together forms a back bone for our creative outputs and I do believe it shows in our music. As of late I have listened to a lot of Merciful Fate and King Diamond, early Metallica and plenty of Goblin.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
- Deadly Black Doom is upon us!

www.facebook.com/HEAD-OF-THE-DEMON-272786519504397