MALE mISANDRIA/E.DIN/2011 CD Review

  MALE mISANDRIA are a band from Italy that plays a mixture of noise/grind and black metal and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "E.DIN".

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a great amount of blast beats being thrown into the music, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone with grinding riffs that dominate throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine crust/punk/,noisecore, death and black metal together with a sound that is very brutal sounding and there are no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals are a mixture of high pitched black metal/noisecore screams, deep death metal growls and some spoken word parts, while the lyrics are written in a mixture of Italian and English with themes that cover Occultism and Alchemy, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and heavy sound to it.

In male opinion MALE mISANDRIA are a very sounding black/noise/grind hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "So Im Cook" "Earth Resist" "Vomitsoap Bub" and "Jizzo". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Male-mISANDRIA/318056652549
http://myspace.com/malemisandria

Dead Summer Society/Visions From A Thousand Lives/2012 CD Review

  Dead Summer Society are a 1 man band from Italy with some help from outside musicians that plays a very atmospheric form of gothic/black/doom metal with some and death metal influences and this is a review of their self released 2012 album "Visions From A Thousand Lives".

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with not much in the way of fast playing or blast beats, while the keyboards bring a very dark, atmospheric, gothic, depressive sound to the music mixed in with some violins that give the music a very ancient feeling, as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are all slow to mid paced riffs that combine gothic doom metal with death metal as well as some black metal influences mixed in with a good amount of dark sounding melodies as well as some clean playing that brings a dark ambient atmosphere feeling to the music with a good amount of full chords, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding doom/death metal guitar solos and leads.

Vocals are a mixture of deep doom/death metal growls, high pitched black metal screams, male and female spoken word parts as well as clean singing that combines both genders and whispers, while the lyrics cover dark, poetic and depressive subjects, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Dead Summer Society is a very great sounding atmospheric band that combines gothic/doom/black and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "I Met You In Heaven And Hell" "Down On You" "Her White Body From The Coldest Winter" and "Army Of Winter(March Of A Thousand Voices)". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://soundcloud.com/deadsummersociety

Ides Of Gemini/Constantinople/Neurot/2012 CD Review

  Ides Of Gemini are a band from Los Angeles, California that plays a mixture of black metal, doom, psychedelic and shoegaze and this is a review of their 2012 album "Constantinople" which was released by Neurot.

Drums are all slow playing with not much in the way of fast playing or last beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars.

Rhythm guitars are all slow riffs that combine elements of black metal with dream doom, psychedelic and shoegaze elements with a good amount of melody as well as some clean playing and there are no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals are all clean singing with no growls or screams, while the lyrics cover dark, psychological, emotional and occult themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Ides Of Gemini are a very great psychedelic doom/black metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Vessal And The Snake" "Ressurectionists" "Austrian Windows" and "Martyrium". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://idesofgemini.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/IdesofgeminI
http://idesofgemini.bandcamp.com

Emptiness/Error/Dark Descent Records/2012 CD Review

  Emptiness are a band from Belgium that plays a very blackened and experimental form of death metal and this is a review of their 2012 album "Error" which was released by Dark Descent Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with some fast playing and blast beats, while the bass playing has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they have a very powerful sound to them, as for the saxophone which is only utilized the second song it brings a very dark and avant garde sound to the music.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced death metal riffs that are very heavy and brutal sounding with some influences from black metal and experimental music as well as some industrial, while the lead guitars are very distorted sounding guitar solos and leads when they are utilized.

Vocals are mostly deep death metal growls mixed in with some high pitched black metal screams with a brief use of spoken word parts, while the lyrics cover dark and hateful themes, as for the production it has a very heavy, powerful, and professional sound to it.

In my opinion Emptiness are a very great sounding experimental blackened death metal band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Error" "Worst" "Low" and "No Earth". RECOMMENDED BUY.

www.Emptiness.be

www.facebook.com/emptiness.be

Skeletonwitch/Forever Abomination/Prosthetic Records/2011 CD Review

  Skeletonwitch are a band from Ohio that plays a black, death and thrash metal and this is a review of their 2011 album "Forever Abomination" which was released by Prosthetic Records.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with some blast beats being thrown in at times, while the bass playing has a very strong and powerful tone with some melodic black/thrash riffing that dominates throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast riffs that combine black, death and thrash metal together with a good amount of melodic riffing, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos or leads that have a NWOBHM feeling to them at times.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep death metal growls, while the lyrics cover dark, occult and violent themes, as for the production it has a very strong, powerful, heavy and professional sound and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Skeletonwitch are a very great sounding black/death/thrash metal hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Reduced To The Failure Of Prayer" "The Infernal Ressurection" "Cleaver Of Souls" and "MY Skin Of Deceit". RECOMMENDED BUY.

http://www.skeletonwitch.com

Fisthammer Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the band for those that have never heard of you before?
We are Fisthammer, an extreme death metal band based out of Downingtown, PA. We started out in 2008, and after a lot of tours and line-up changes, we released our debut album, Devour All You See in January of 2012.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?
Fisthammer has always attempted to write music that would appeal both metal fans, and people who aren't as familiar with the genre. As musicians, we've always have the passion to write challenging riffs that push our abilities further At the same time, we strive to write songs with unique melodies. Our goal is to create a sound that pushes our limitations as musicians that will also get stuck in your head. I feel we've done that with Devour All You See

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Devour All You See branches out into some different sub topics at times, but the general theme of the album focuses on apocalyptic themes. For us, we've always tried to keep the lyrical content brutal and graphic, matching the sound of the riffs. We definitely have some pretty fucked up lyrical content as heard in songs Bullet Raped and Harvest. A lot of the album focuses on destruction on a larger scale, which to me, is a much more realistic and powerful subject.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?
The name was invented by a former member and Max Svalgard. As the band was just starting out, I was asked to join in the winter of 08. I hadn't even heard the music yet, but I was so attracted to the name, so I joined on the spot hahaha. That, and Max was wearing an Amon Amarth shirt.That helped.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance? We've had a lot of killer shows out 2011 summer tour. It was the first tour with guitarist Kevin Welch, and the reception from the crowds were killer. Cities such as New Orleans and Savannah have given us some of our most memorable shows. We try to make a Fisthammer show a different experience than your average death metal concert. Bringing as much visual aid to the show as possible is something I strive to do. Stage banners, 3 man vocals, etc. We also focus very hard on executing our hardest parts on the CD as accurately as possible live. As for me, my goal behind the drumset is to keep the energy as relentless as possible for start to finish.


6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?
We have a few bigger shows coming up in Philly within the next couple months. We are currently in the process of booking a 5 week entire US tour, which will be our longest to date. The tour will be late July into August, from PA to California. As for the fall, we play for a shorter tour, and then hopefully we'll be in the process of recording our 2nd album.

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by extreme metal fans?
So far, we've heard nothing by great things from overseas. Everyday online, its more and more fans from, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, etc, which is very exciting. I think the secret for Fisthammer is our communication skills within the band. Each of us has our own unique music taste, but when it comes to Fisthammer music, nothing gets created unless we are agree on the sound. Sometimes, that means feelings getting hurt in the process but ultimately the fans can tell when the band is in love with their own music. Thats what counts.

8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?
I play in a Rock band called On Top who released their debut album in Fall of 2011. Max is also involved in a few different projects as well. I personally love the experience I gain from playing all styles of music. Although metal is my passion, becoming the best drummer I can be is a never ending goal for me, and to do that, I feel I must learn all styles of music the best I can. Fisthammer is always my main focus though. I'm very lucky to have so many people in my life that are willing to see that, and still work with me.

9. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
About three months prior to going into the studio for Devour All You See, we felt we we're writing some of our best music yet. Razorwaves and Doom of the Gods were our last two songs we wrote for the album, and I feel are two of the strongest. After the release, we've been cranking out so many new songs, its getting hard to keep up haha. What's most important to me, is that we keep variety throughout the next album. We will obviously have the fast shit in there, as well as the groove parts, melodic parts, and the classic ballad track.

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

Amon Amarth has always been a band favorite throughout the years. Music that makes you wanna charge into a battle. Bands like Nile, Behemoth, Decapitated, and Gojira really inspire us. For me, I've always been drawn to dark/evil music. Metal or not. For me to get excited, it has to be more than just a blistering fast riff. I want to feel the power and darkness a band can deliver. Nowadays, I've been excited with all the new metal albums coming out. Ritual by Black Dahlia Murder was fantastic. Entity by Origin is also one of my favorite death metal albums lately. New Psycroptic rules. Some much good shit.


11. What role does Occultism or Mythology play in the music?
A large amount of our lyrical content is based around satanic and norse "mythology" and the reasoning is that Satanism is about freedom and power and rebelling against what you have been taught and choosing for yourself, and odinism is about understanding that fate is inevitable and living and dying with honor.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
For me, there isn't too much in my life that is not in some way connected to music. I teach drums/music 6 days a week, the 7th being an all band practice day. I enjoy traveling, although when I have the time, staying at home relaxing by myself is something I can't see every getting old. Other than that, video games and reading.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
Thanks for the interview! If you haven't heard Fisthammer's Devour All You See, you can youtube us, facebook us, or purchase our album via Itunes or at http://hpgd.comoj.com/store/hpgd038.html

Keep an eye out for tour dates near you, we will most likely be in your state this summer!

LLVME Interview

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

Eric: We’re currently consolidating the band with new members to prepare the songs of our new album so we can go on stage and give a few gigs; it’s not easy to find people who are interested, have time and share the same music tastes as us, but we are about to finish our line-up and will begin to rehearse very soon.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new release and how it differs from previous recordings?

Eric: With this album we wanted to stop thinking on what we were composing as long as it sounded great, and the result has been a very unpredictable album full of variety. Each song is very different to the rest and, however, they all fit perfectly. It’s dark and melodic at the same time; you don’t know what will come next when you are listening to a song and that’s a very positive point for us. It differs from the previous album in the fact that it is more melodic and less doomy, probably because it has a more modern point of view since the songs are more direct, aggressive and catchy. We’ve still maintained our folk roots with violin, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy melodies, which is what characterises Llvme’s rural sound and makes the listening of the album very attractive and we’ve added female vocals in a few songs, so, those who listen to this new release expect a dark sound with magic melodies and be open to surprises ;)

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Nandu: We talk about our region: our costumes, our ancient kingdom, our ancient heroes, our ancestors... The concept of “Yía the nuesu” (in english “is our”) is the feeling of our “membership” to the leonese country and to our culture. For example, “Helmántica” (which is the ancient name of our city, Salamanca) talks about the resistance of the celtic people to Hanibal in the year 220 before Christ, “Conceyu” is about the leonese culture, “Purtiellu de la llïaltá” is a tribute to Bellido Dolfos, a leonese knight who killed the Castile's king in the middle ages to defend the leonese kingdom... We don't need to write about viking or something similar because we're not viking, we're from the south of europe and we have our own culture and our own history.

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

Nandu: “Llume” means fire and we love fire. But don't worry, we're not pyromanics!

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

Eric: One of our best memories is a show we played in our hometown Salamanca after the release of our first album; we didn’t expect that great reception and people got crazy when we started to play.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

Eric: We wish we could, but I’m afraid our personal lives don’t allow us to do much touring.

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been recieved by fans of black, doom and folk metal?

Eric: We are very glad to see how the first album was rated and reviewed by webs, magazines, reviewers, etc. It was good received mainly by doom metal fans since the album took that style direction, but we think this new release will be welcomed by all of them the same way since the styles are more balanced.

8. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

Eric: Some of us have other bands, but Llvme is our main project.

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

Eric: That’s not easy to say to be honest, because our music tastes change very often and we don’t like to label what we compose as long as it convinces us. But, Llvme’s sound will probably more and more difficult to label in the future.

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

Eric: Nandu and me have quiet a few bands in common, but have a different taste on what we usually listen to everyday, so when we compose separately the result is obviously different. He’s up to doom/black/folk bands and is influenced by My dying bride, Shape of despair, Negura bunget etc. and I’m more interested in metalcore bands currently, although it has nothing to do with our sound.

11. How would you describe your views on Paganism?

Nandu: The paganism is loving the nature and the planet. We only have one and we have to take care it.

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

Eric: We love to escape from the city when we can and get lost in nature; the mountains and the fresh air of our forests make us feel alive. Going to the cinema, gigs or partying like everybody does is also cool for us ;)

Nandu: Right now, my main interest is “Song of fire and ice”. I can't stop reading!!!!

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

Eric: We hope you enjoy this new album which we did with a lot of effort and which is coming out on 26th of March. We appreciate very much your interest and a massive thank you for all of you reading this interview.

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