Atomic Witch/Crypt Of Sleepless Malice/Redefining Darkness Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Atomic  Witch  are  a  band  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Crypt  Of  Sleepless  Malice"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Redefining  Darkness  Records.

  

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  an  aggressive  thrash  metal  style  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  the  music  also  updates  the  80's  and  90's  style  for  the  modern  era.

  Power  metal  screams c an  also b e  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Element  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of t he  faster  riffing  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  also  being  utilized  when  the  music  speeds  up  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also h ear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  one  song  also  introducing  classical  guitars  and  synths  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  groove  to  the  riffs  at  times.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Atomic  Witch  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  "Psychic  Miasma"  "Lovre  Curse"  "Cemetery  Mud"  and  "Crypt  of  Sleepless  Malice".  8  out  of  10.

  https://atomicwitch.bandcamp.com/

      

Culto Negro/La noche oscura del alma/Godz Ov War Productions/Mythrone Promotion/2022 Full length Review

 

  Culto  Negro  are  a  band  from  Costa  Rica  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal  and  this  is  a review  of  their  2022  album  "La  noche  oscura  del  alma"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Godz  OV  War  Productions  and  Mythrone  Promotion.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  music  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  and  speed  metal  elements.

  Vocals  are  done  in  a  very  aggressive  first  wave  black  metal  style  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  80's  era  but  mixed  in  with  a  more  modern  day  aggression.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  an  old  school  style  along  with  some  tremolo  picking  also  being  added  into  the  faster  riffing  at  times.

 The  songs  also  sticking  to  mostly  a  fast  or  mid  tempo  direction  along  with the  whole  album  also  sticking  to  a  heavier  musical  style  and  the  recording  closes  with  a  cover  of  Hermitica;s  "Desterrando  A  Los  Oscurantistas".  The  production  sounds  very  old  school  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Spanish  and  cover  Spiritualism,  Occultism,  Witchery  and  Drugs.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Culto  Negro  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash  and  speed  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Desdoble"  "Navajas,  Cadeneas  Y  Espejos"  "Salvajes  Destructores"  and  "La  Larga  Marcha".  8 out  of  10.

  Contact: cultonegrocr@gmail.com

More info: www.facebook.com/cultonegrocr 

  

Scarlet Oath/Where Their Worm Dieth Not/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Scarlet  Oath  are  a  band  from  New  Brunswick,  Canada  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  gothic  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2022  album  "Where  Their  Worm  Dieth  Not".

  A  very  dark  and  apocalyptic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  return  on  some  of  the  later  tracks.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  keyboards  can  also b e  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  also b e  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  ad d in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also b e  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  black  metal  screams  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a lot  of  blast  beats.

  When  female  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  a  gothic  metal  touch.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  growls  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clear  male  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  faster  riffing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  th e lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Scarlet  Oath  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom  and  gothic  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Their  Worm  Dieth  Not"  and  "Cursed  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhTkteFg5pg&feature=youtu.be

https://open.spotify.com/album/3MYyhYevo6BmtjwWcLuD6l

https://scarletoath.bandcamp.com/album/where-their-worm-dieth-not  

Encryptment/Dödens födsel/Nuclear Winter/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Encryptment  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  plays  a mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grindcore,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Dödens  födsel"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Nuclear  Winter.

  A  very  fast,  aggressive  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  yet  old  school  style  as  well  as  having  their  melodic  moments  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a   decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  dark  sounding  melodies.

  Vocals  are  done  in  more  of  a  classic  Swedish  death  emtal  style  while  the  music  also  adds  in  elements  of  crust,  grindcore  and  d  beats  at  times.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  songs  also  mixing  in  a  lot  of  blackened  death  metal  influences  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  clean  playing  and  synths  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  one  song  also  introduces  hardcore  style  shouts  onto  the  album.

  Encryptment  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  metal,  grindcore,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  Swedish  and  English  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Encryptmnt  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black,  death  metal,  grindcore,  crust  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dödens  födsel"  "Central  disharmoni"  and  "Withered  hands".  8  out  of  10.

 

http://nuclearwinterrecords.bandcamp.com/track/d-dens-f-dsel

www.facebook.com/Encryptment-714904648621738 

  

  

    

Incantvm/Strigae/I, Voidhanger Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  Incantvm  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  an  atmospheric,  orchestrated,  progressive,  horror  and  occult  themed  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "Strigae"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  A  very  dark   and  nature  orientated sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  classical  music  style  instruments  into  the  music  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also b e  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  recording  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can be  heard  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  giving  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  when t hey  are  utilized.  Touches  of  Italian  folk  and  avant  garde  music  can  also b e  heard  at  times  as  well  as  some  melodic  choirs  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  clear  vocals  can  also b e  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  the  witch  hunts  and  summary  trials  that  sentenced  hundreds  of  women  to  the  stake  during  dark  and  terrible  centuries. 

  In  my  opinion  Incantvm  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  orchestrated,  progressive  horror  and  occult  themed  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t hose  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II  Chercio  e  il Fuoco"  and  "II  Processo".  8/5  out  of  10.

  https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/strigae    

Anzv Interview

 

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

ANZV emerged at the end of 2019, after being off for a good few years from songwriting. I started composing as I had some ideas, which were initially kept for personal consumption.

Initially I thought about taking on these themes for another project that I had, but that at the moment had no live expression. But ANZV grew in a very different way and required some visual component different from what it had already done.

The sound required another type of environment and atmosphere and the concept itself began to take on a much darker dimension. And as soon as the initial body appeared, it was necessary to add the members to complete the whole. It was time for ANZV to ascend!

 

 

2.Recently you have released your first album can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

There's nothing previously established. ANZV fuses the northern winds with the Mesopotamian universe showing a Death Black Metal sound that wanders between classic and some post-black metal. Things just came out naturally as well the oriental vibes that have influenced my path over the years.

 

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

They are all about a journey through this nihilist void, defying any believes or values printed in the subconscious realm of our mind.

 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Anzv'?

ANZV (refers to Sumerian Anzû) is a mythological wild creature of the mountains. Part-lion-and-eagle demonic creature born from the primordial waters of Apsu, a personification of unexplainable elements of nature like thunderstorms and strong winds.

We thought it would be auspicious to be under those wings.

 

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

It represents the rising of ANZV, in a ritualistic invocation of the self.

 

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

Till now we played two shows regarding the presentation of the album “Gallas”. Both were incredibly intense, powerful and covered in a very obscure aura. Press described them as “a ritual made of incense, blood, and other distant scents.”

 

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

We have already a couple of non-confirmed dates. In the right time we will announce them.

 

8.The new album was released on 'Exorcize Music', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

It’s an old label which has released a few albums from well-known Portuguese bands in the past and now it’s rising once again, marking their return with the release of our album “Gallas”.

 

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

I knew I had a great album in hands and had worked hard to get things where they are now, so I’m very thankful that all that effort is being paid off largely!

 

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

We are always working with our feet on the ground, aware of what is happening now trying our best to reach our goals. Which goals? Well, we don’t know exactly...we are enjoying the journey, free to know where it takes us.

 

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

There are hundreds of bands that came across our paths during more than 30 years involved in the metal scene which probably influenced us creatively.

Those bands can go from Alternative Rock into the rawest Black Metal. It would be reductive to name just a few bands.

Even when I’m thinking about what I have been listening lately, it’s not accurate, since I’m always jumping between styles and new or old releases. To give you an example, right now on my LP player it is “La Morsure du Christ” from Seth. On my Cd player is “The Karelian Isthmus” from Amorphis and on my car “Apocalypticists” from Kriegsmaschine.

 

 

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

An immense part of it…

 

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

Thank you for your interest in our work. Hope to see you around in one of our rituals.

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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