Wednesday, March 30, 2016

...From The Deep/The Absurd Horror/2015 EP Review


  ...From  The  Deep  are  a  band  from  Ottawa,  Canada  that  plays  a  melodic  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  death  and  groove  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  ep  "The  Absurd  Horror".

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  ep  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  to  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  that  introduces  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  more  of  a  modern  groove  metla  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  music  at  times  can  also  be  very  progressive  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  also  getting  more technical  as  the  ep  progresses  and  classical  guitars  are  also  utilized  briefly.

  ...From  The  Deep  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  modern  groove  metal,  progressive  and  technical  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  melodic  black  metal  to  create  a  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  ...From  the  Deeps are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  and technical  mixture  of  black,  death  and groove  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Unspeakable"  and  'We  Will  All  be  trees".  8  out  of  10  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO-ry3_WrE8  

     

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Enthean Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We're actively training our new bassist and preparing for our tour this year! Personally, we've all got bullshit jobs. We only have jobs to put money towards the band! Well, we like to eat occasionally.

2.In May you have a  new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The sound is a bit more mature and WAY more professional! We had Mr. Jamie King master the album and he did a killer job! The last thing we released was our demo and Brian mix and mastered it... Neither of us knew how to do much of anything concerning any of it.

3.This is the first release to come out in 3 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time span?
In 2013, I had a bad shoulder injury which prevented me from playing guitar or using my left arm in any way... so 2013 and into 2014 sucked a fat hogs dick. Then, in March and April of 2014, we played a TON of shows and went on a tour around the southeast and east coast of the US. We had a great reception and people dug the shit out of our sound! Our old bassist quit in mid-2015 and we've been looking since then. I do believe we've found the right guy, though.

4.Your lyrics cover some mythological topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this subject?
I'm interested in mythology altogether! Not just the stories but how they come to be. So, 'Priests of Annihilation' has a few songs based on the myth of the Christian story (Tones of Desecration, Before You, I Am), and the rest of the songs are mythologized events that have happened in my life except 'Ekpyrosis' which is a pretty cool scientific theory dealing with the cyclic birth/death of the universe.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Enthean'?
"Enthean" means "Divinely inspired". We knew right away that "Enthean" was going to be the band name! We wanted people to be curious as to which deity divinely inspired us... As far as I'm concerned, it's all of them since mythology is a key aspect of our writing.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
There have been quite a few at the world famous Ground Zero in Spartanubrg, SC! A few were in Asheville, NC at the Odditorium. One in Astoria, NY and a very memorable but quick one at The West Texas DeathFest put on by one of the guys in Abolishment of Flesh from Texas. I'd describe our stage show as manic... Both Brian and I switch off on vocal duties and leads and sometimes it happens at the same time, so... yeah, manic.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We plan to tour in late Summer of this year, so be on the lookout!

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We have had a great deal of interest from smaller labels but most of them want physical copies of the new CD before any one decides. We've gotten a few offers, but we're still looking for a home!

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal?
We've had a ton of positive reactions to our music worldwide. A ton of people dig us in Russia, parts of Europe, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. I've sent CD's to fans in all these parts of the world. We've had a few negative reactions... One of them is that we're not "true" black metal, which ya know what? Fuck it. Who gives a shit? We play what we want and whatever comes out is what it's gonna be. We're not trying to please any elitists. I've had one other experience in which people didn't care for us and it was from a guy in a doom band.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Again, we play whatever comes out... With that said, we have some new stuff written that sounds evil as fuck! We also have some very proggy, interesting music we're writing. So, we're still gonna be Enthean, but it's gonna be a different flavor.

11.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?
Emperor, Death, Pantera, Immortal, Origin, Nile, Cannibal Corpse, AngelCorpse, Krisiun, Nile, Deicide, The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dimmu Borgir, Bach, Beethoven, Segovia, Tarrega... too many to list! Those have all influenced our music... I'm personally listening to Motorhead and Pink Floyd.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
I really like to read. Mythology, History, and science articles are usually my go to reads. I do have quite a few books I'm trying to get through: '11/22/63' by Stephen King and 'Deviant' by Harold Schechter (a book about Ed Gein). I also enjoy cooking a great deal. Mostly Indian food and desserts...

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I want everyone to check us out at all of our social media outlets and give us a like, love, a tweet, a play, a fuck off, or whatever is going on at any particular site at the time! Do it! Also, thanks to you guys for the interview!

http://enthean.bandcamp.com/album/priests-of-annihilation

Facebook.com/Enthean
Twitter.com/EntheanMetal
Reverbnation.com/Enthean
Soundcloud.com/Enthean

Monday, March 28, 2016

Fister/TEETH/Broken Limbs/2016 Split EP Review


 This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between  Missouri's  Fister  and  California's  TEETH  which  will  be  released  in April  by  Broken  Limbs  and  we  will  start  off  the  ep  with  Fister  a  band  that plays  a  blackened  mixture  sludge,  doom,  stoner  and  death  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  distorted  sound  before  going  into  a  heavier  sludge/doom  metal  direction  that  also  uses  a  great mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  track  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  riffs  also  use  a  small  amount  of  melody  along  with  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion,  the  production  on  their  side  of  the  recording  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dying  themes..

  In  my  opinion  Fister  are  a  very  great  sounding  blackened  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.

 Next  up  is  TEETH  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death metal.

  Their  side  of the split  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  sound  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  blast  beats  a  few  seconds  later  while  the slower  riffs  are  more  influenced  by  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  with  a  small  amount  of  melody and  the  songs  also  bring in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Teeth  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge,  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "To  Lay  Upon  Blistered Torns".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black,  death,  doom  and  sludge  metal.  8  out  of  10.  

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Saturday, March 26, 2016

Enthean/Priests Of Annihilation/2016 CD Review


  Enthean  are  a  band  from  South  Carolina  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal  and technical  death  metal  with  elements  of  thrash,  shred  and  classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2016  album  "Priests  Of  Annihilation".

  Symphonic  sounds  and  melodic  guitar leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  a  few  seconds  later  before going  into  a  fast  musical  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and  there  are  also  death  metal  growls  and  clean  singing  vocals  present  throughout  all  off  the  recording.


  Elements  of  thrash  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  some  of  the  solos  are  very  technical  and  incorporate  elements  of  shred  and  neo  classical  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  mixing  the symphonic  and  heavy  sounds  together  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  album  progresses  clean playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times.

  Ethean  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal  and  technical  death  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  elements  of  prog,  thrash,  shred  and  classical  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  reality  and mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion Ethean  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  technical  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tones  Of  Desecration"  "Ekpyrosis"  and  "Bring  Forth  the  Raven".  8  out  of  10.  

https://enthean.bandcamp.com/album/priests-of-annihilation

twitter.com/EntheanMetal

www.facebook.com/Enthean

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Cretura/Fall Of The Seventh Golden Star/WormHoleDeath Records/2016 Full Length Review


  Cretura  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic black  metal  and  goth  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Fall  Of  The  Seventh  Golden  Star"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Choir  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  and  drum  beats  as  well  as  an  atmosphere  of  a  fantasy  film  and  after the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  very  musical  direction  while  also  adding  in  melodies  and  retaining  all  of  the  symphonic  elements  and  adding  in  female  vocals  which  also   brings  in  more  of  a  goth  metal  feeling.

  Black  metal  screams  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful sound  to  them   and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very long  and  epic  in  length  while  some  of  the  fast  riffs  also  use  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  one  track  also  introduces  violins  to  the  recording.

  Cretura  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  melodic  goth  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  horror  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cretura  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  goth  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reign  Of Terror"  "Funeral  Roses"  "At  The  11th  Hour"  and  "The  Last  Song  Of  The  Earth".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.facebook.com/Cretura

     

Graves At Sea/The Curse That Is/Relapse Records/2016 CD Review


  Graves  At  Sea  are  a  band  from  the  Western  United  States  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  doom  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Curse  That  Is"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Relapse  Records.

  Distorted  drones  start  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  gets  more  heavy  and  melodic  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  the  vocals  are  screams  that  are  close  to  black  metal  while  the  riffs  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  stick  to  more  of  a  dark  and  melodic  sludge/doom  metal  direction  and  acoustic  guitars  along  with  violins  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  you  can  hear  some  70's  influences  but  mixed  in  with  more  of  a  very  modern  and  heavy  sound  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  and  dark  musical  direction  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording  and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  last  track.

  Graves  At  Sea  creates  a recording  that  takes  black  metal  vocals  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  heavy  style  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  also  throwing  in  violins  and  acoustic  guitars  at  times  to  create  another  very  dark  yet  heavy recording, t he  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Witchcraft  and  Darkness.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Graves  At  Sea  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dead  Eyes"  "This  Mental  Sequence"  and  "Minimum  Slave".  8  out  of  10.

https://gravesatsea.bandcamp.com/

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Giant Of The Mountain/The Empty Quarter/Burning Dogma Records/2016 EP Review


  Giant  Of  The  Mountain  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death,  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2016  ep  "The  Empty  Quarter"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Burning  Dogma  Records.

  A  very  heavy  sludge  guitar  sound  starts off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast,  melodic  and  technical  direction  that  also  introduces  blast  beats,  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  onto  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  a  great  amount  of  modern  elements.

  Clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  lot  of  prog  metal  elements  as  well  as  a  huge  influence  of  melodic  death  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  use  of  a  great  amount  of   melody  and  almost  have  a  retro  feeling  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.and  some  songs  also  bring in  a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars.

  Giant  Of  The  Mountain  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  melodic  black,  technical  death,  and  mixes  it  with  doom  and  progressive  sludge  metal  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  H.P  Lovecraft  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Giant  Of  The  Mountain  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  progressive,  black,  death,  doom,  and  sludge  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should c heck  out  this band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Crawl"  and  "Instinct".  8  out  of  10.

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Negative Voice/Cold Redrafted/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2016 Full Length Review


  Negative  Voice  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  a  touch  of  doom  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Cold  Redrafted"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  Clean  yet  distorted  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  and  melodic  guitar  leads  making  their presence  known  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  whispers  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Clean  singing  can  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  while the  aggressive  vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts and  the  music  also  alternates  quite  a bit  between  soft  and  heavy  parts  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  along  with  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  while  the  songs  are  mostly  slow  or  mid  paced  and  the  music  can  also  get  very  progressive  at  times.

  Negative  Voice  retain  some  of  the  melodic  black/death  elements  of  the  last  album  while  also focusing  more  on  the  progressive,  goth  and  doom  metal  side  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  oblivion  and  desolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Negative Voice  and  if  you  are  into t he  melodic  styles  of  black,  doom  and death  metal,  you  should  check  out this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "City  of  Decaying  Gaze"  "Impasse"  and  "Draft Life".  8  out  of 10.

https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/cold-redrafted      

  

 

Monday, March 21, 2016

OfGhost Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Im a working father. I work my ass off. When I have some sparetime I create nonprofit alternative art in garage. Ofghost is good field for creative person. I have done this for years just for fun.

2.In January you had released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
My sound is heavy and aggressive, a little bit lo-fi and raw. I mix many underground playing styles so I try to keep my distortion good for multi purposes. Sometimes I put some electronic elements to make music  more interesting. This album is the best production I have done, still little bit fucked up, but you can hear that behind my chaos, there may be some kind of sense and potential....

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects that you explore with your music?
Ofghost is not a prisoner of one topic. Im quite flexible about lyricks....so I create lovesong, deathsong, hatesong and so on.....I just try to make it rock ok. Keywords for this album are death, darkness, loneliness, love, hate, despair....and beer....
4.Originally your musical project was called 'File Of Ghosts', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'OfGhost'?
I wanted to update the name of the band. I felt like "File Of Ghosts" was boring. I wanted more fresh attack to name so I made it short version. Word OFGHOST rocks better.

5.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
At the moment no activity for finding a lable...DIY is my style....good deal is hard to find...but more you eat the hunger you get, so what will happen it happens....I dont take pressure...I just keep on rocking, learning and banging my head on the wall...

6.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
Some listeners have said that my shit has gone forward. Im very happy about that.

8.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
At the moment this is my main project. There have always been and will be a little underground co-operations.


9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
My vision is to get some improvement to my sound and production...I think i have found an interesting path....maybe someday we hear this....

10.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?
I am an oldschool man, so I listened a lot of heavy metal in 80 and early 90 from c-casettes. Metallicas "fight fire with fire" effected a lot to me. It was extreme. Then came Slayer, Sepultura and scandinavian death metal for example. I listened finnish radioshow "METALLILIITTO" everytime it came those days. Then came Nirvana and the Prodigy. I have always listened all kind of music. KVELERTAKS "meir" album rocks very well.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Family, holiday, sports, movies, society, world, fixing things,  good food and DRINKS
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Take a listen OFGHOST few seconds. It wont kill ya...CHEERS from Finland!


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Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Darkend/The Canticle Of Shadows/Non Serviam Records/2016 CD Review


  Darkend  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  plays  a  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "The  Canticle  of  Shadows"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Operatic  male  and  female  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  takes  the  music  into  a  very  fast  and  symphonic  black  metal  direction  that also  uses  a  great  mount  of  blast  beats  and  the  songs  also  get  very  melodic  at  times  while  you can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are present  on  the  recording.

  Spoken  word  parts  can  be  heard  in  some  parts   of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  when  they  are  utilized  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  also  being  ritualistic  at  times.

  The  fast  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  some  songs  also  mix  in  elements  of  classical  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly and  some  songs  also  bring  in  violins  and  saxophones  and  spoken  words  are  also  added  onto  the  recording  at  times  and  there  are  also  some  session  work  from  members  of  Mayhem,  Shining,  Rotting  Christ,  and  Abysmal  Grief.

  Darkened  creates  another  symphonic  black  metal  recording  that  is  very  heavy  yet  epic  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Spirituality,  Philosophy  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Darkend  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Clavicula  Solomonis"  "A  Passage  towards Abyssal  Caverns  (Inmost  Chasm  II)"  and  "Congressus  Cum  Daemone".  8  out  of  10.   

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Cries Of Your Sins Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little about your musical project?

Cries Of Your Sins is my project I'm working on for a pretty long time... musicaly I'm based in more extreme form of metal but still keeping melodic touch in it. I released a few demos and I'm currently working on debut EP.


2.In February you had released a promo, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

I tried to do something very melodic and a little bit more technical than my previous stuff but people have to understand that all of my tracks I released yet are just demos... they're just my ideas. Now, after 2 years of writing different stuff I have pretty clear vision about the right COYS sound and the whole idea behind this project. That will be presented with my upcoming debut EP... everything I can say now is that new music will be more agressive and atmospheric.


3.You label your music as 'Melodic Extreme Metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

I have nothing to say about it... I just used this label so people can make some picture about my music - demos I recorded. That's it.


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

I don't want to get into this topic too much... the reason for it is, that I released only demos so I was just playing with different ideas. I would like to talk about these things but there's still time for it.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Cries Of Your Sins'?

The same thing as the lyrics. I don't want to people misunderstood this project so I will be more comfortable to talk about it when my debut EP will be finished..... yeah this project is that important to me. Hope you understand.


6.With the exception of a drummer, you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to work solo?

I like to work on this project alone... COYS became very personal to me. I wanna play live so I will be looking for live members. If someday COYS will become a full band, it will be only in case that I will play with people very close to me.


7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

I was looking for a label and a few labels were interested in working with me but the deals they offered were ridiculous. I'm planning to found my own label and release my upcoming album by myself. I was always interested in business side of music so I know something about these things and I started learning about it more. Also I like the idea of doing it by my own.... nobody can fuck me over.

 

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of extreme metal?

Pretty awesome... I'm getting only positive feedback which is really cool. I've been lucky to not getting any hate I guess and I really appreciate it.


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

I'm currently working on debut EP that will tell everything about this project so that's the only thing I'm focusing on. Nothing about this project is more important right now. I want to the album be almost ''spiritual''... it's not the right word but I don't know how to describe it. It's very important to translate that atmosphere into the music... anyway I want to go to completely different level from what I've done yet.


10.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?

I'm influenced by many different music genres  and artists. Even non musical stuff... any kind of art I find interesting inspires me. I love art. About music I'm listening to... there's so much different music I like that if I had to pick up one band from every genre... it would be a long list. I'm not listening to  just metal... that would be very stupid and ignorant.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

There's not many interests besides music. I love music and art. It's my lifestyle. I'm trying to paint sometimes... yeah and I'm planning to try some filming and photography.


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

Thanks to all of you who are interested in this project and for your support. I appreciate it. Stay tuned for upcoming stuff.

Mike Coys

https://www.spirit-of-metal.com/en/band/Cries_Of_Your_Sins

Mantar/OdeTo the Flame/Nuclear Blast Records/2016 CD Review


  Mantar  are  a  band  from  Germany  that plays  a  mixture  of  black  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Ode  To  The  Flame"  which  will  be  released  in  April  by  Nuclear  Blast  Records.

  A very  distorted  yet  atmospheric  drone  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  punk  influenced  riffs  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  musical  direction  where you  can  also  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on t he  recording  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  at  times.

  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  slow  riffs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  sludge  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black'n'roll and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  death  metal  growls  and  as  the album  progresses  some  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  elements  while  the  whole  album  sticks  mostly  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  there  is  a  brief  use  of  fast  playing  and  blast  beats  and  there  is  also  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing  on  one  of  the  tracks.

  Mantar  plays  a musical  style  that  takes  punk,  sludge  and  doom  and  mixes  it  in  with  black  metal  screams  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mantar  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  doom  and  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you should  check  out t his  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Praise  The  Plague"  "Born  Reversed"  "Cross  the  Cross"  and  "Sundowning".  8  out  of  10.



 

   

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Phobous Interview


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

My project is a blend of melodic, atmospheric, and progressive genres. Tonal melody, symphonic feel, and technical details are the greatest focal point of my songs.
I strive to attain versatility as well, so the riffs and arrangements of all the songs remain different, to some degree.


2.So far you have released 2 albums, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings and also how do they differ from each other?

Like I said above, all my songs are a blend of melody, ambiance, heaviness, and technical details, the latter varying in levels from song to song.
The second album saw shorter tracks, as I was able to remove excess repeats and shorten passages. I also feel there's better harmonizing on the second album.
My lyrical delivery improved greatly too. I don't just say words on quarter notes, but on eighth notes for second album.


3.The musical project has been around since 2000, but so far you have only released 2 albums, can you tell us a little bit more about the gap in between releases?

While I created Phobous in 2000, I didn't really find my style and approach (one-man band) until 2002.
As the bio on my website states, my early recordings were uninspired, and subsequently abandoned in 2003 (blame the tunnel vision for rush attempts and poor prioritizing of selected songs, LOL).
After understanding this was the root of the problem, I reformed my one-man approach in 2005. I learned home recording methods from scratch starting in 2006, but with work and school priorities on my plate, I wasn't fully focused on these technical matters. In short, bad choices, trial and error, and additional obligations delayed  the recording and publishing processes. Happily, I sense those issues are behind me, or at least more manageable. Recording was slow, but composing was certainly not, and I've already got material ready for the next album, or two...


4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?

These can be as diverse as the music itself. My topics run the gamut from the spiritual and mystical, to the sociological, to the psychological, even the philosophical.
One song could be about ancient goddesses, and the next could be about street crime. In general, I deal with matters that are extreme and often ignored, but can really get people to think outside their usual patterns. Here are some examples. “Realm of Disorder” essentially describes the overlooked facets of our own world, details we don't know, or choose to ignore in favor of oversimplifying. This sets the tone for the other songs, which are more specific. “Blood Ties to Bloodshed” deals with the families of violent criminals, asking what they experience, and how they react to having blood ties to the source of bloodshed (and being probable next victims). “Vain Sacrifice and Desperate Hope” points out how the willingness to make great sacrifices may be a weakness and not a strength, and how despairing hope prompts people to repeat this mistake and not realize it.


5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Phobous'?

Initially I just wanted something that didn't sound cliched, and Phobous is something I found in a dictionary while looking up Phobos, a Martian moon and part of the setting for the video game Doom. It sounded interesting at the time, and as I thought of more lyrical topics, it matched up perfectly. A lot of my subjects deal with things we fear, our phobias.
Do we fear being too reckless, or too reluctant? Are we too blind-sighted, or too indecisive. Too insensitive? Too hypersensitive? Is it fear of disorder in our world that leads us to deny obvious complexity?


6.With this musical project you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with a full band or do you prefer to remain solo?

For composing and recording, I definitely prefer to remain solo. After my first, low-quality recordings were discarded in 2003, I tried forming a full band under the impression it might solve the problem. As my songwriting is very decisive, the problem was not solved in this manner. Plus, the more members you have, the more conflicting personalities and schedules there are which may disrupt productivity. However, I would gladly accept a short-term session line-up for live performances, and would happily work with “guest” musicians for recordings.
In fact, I have plans to bring in a female vocalist for a few songs on the next album.


7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a  label or have received any interest?

I do have label interest, yes. I've not received any interest as I've not had much promotion thus far. In all honesty though, I am not a full-time musician, so tours would certainly not be my strong point. As a solo act, even local shows won't came as naturally as they would for full-bands. I'd gladly accept any label that offered their services.
I just don't know if I could offer everything they ask in return.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of symphonic black and melodic death metal?

As promotion was very weak for the first album (lack of time and money upon its publication), I've not received much feedback thus far. What I've gotten has been positive though, and all word-of-mouth feedback from friends and acquaintances has been great. No haters, so far :)


9.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

I see myself staying in the general direction of melodic heaviness with atmosphere and technical diversity. I might try for more uncommon rhythms when possible, and maybe experimenting with eastern-style scales. More use of major scales will probably happen. Since video game music inspires me as well, it would be interesting to try soundtrack composition for games or animation. However, I don't see this becoming a regular profession.


10.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?

Megadeth, Children of Bodom, early Dimmu Borgir (nothing after Dimensions), older Cradle of Filth (sparingly), Later Death (Human and up), Sirenia, Dark Tranquillity, Soilwork, Nightwish, game soundtracks. I still keep up with most of these groups. Nowadays, I also have some non-metal favorites like Faun, Yanni, Blackmore's Night, Omnia, and Two Steps From Hell.


11.What are some of your non musical interests?

Art is one. I have a BS in game art/design, so I do a lot with sketching, Photoshop (how I do my album artwork) and CGI programs like Maya. Story writing is another, and I hope to write a fiction series one day. Other interests include pagan religions, polytheism and pantheism, 9/11 truth, sociopolitical happenings, and generally “esoteric” matters.


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

Thank you so much for conducting the very first Phobous interview. I hope you enjoyed making it, as much as I enjoyed answering it. Good luck with your future endeavors.
For words of wisdom, seek truth, fuck trends. Arm yourself with knowledge, don't get blinded by your own biases. Be skeptical if you must, but never close your mind. Blessed be, Namaste.

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Monday, March 7, 2016

Dark Circles/Abstracter/Halo Of Flies/L' Oeil Duu Tigre Records/Sick Man Getting Sick Records/Moment Of Collapse/Shove Records/2016 Split EP Review


 This  is  a  review  of  a  split  ep  between Canada's Dark  Circles  and  California's  Abstracter  which  was  released  by  as  a  joint  effort  between  Halo of Flies Records, L'Oeil Du Tigre Records, Sick Man Getting Sick Records, Moment of Collapse, and Shove Records  and we start  off  the  review  with Dark  Circles  a  band  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  crust,  d  beat  and  hardcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split starts  out  with distorted  amp  sounds  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  crust  direction  along  with  some  d  beats  and  black  metal  screams  and   you  can  also  hear  elements  of  post  hardcore  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  use  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  You  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  crust  influences  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  which  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  atmospheric  synths  and  spoken  word  parts  are  added  onto  the  last  track,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Circles  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  crust  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ashen"  and  "Isolate".

  Next  up  is  Abstracter  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  crust,  sludge  and  doom  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  that  also  brings  in  a  touch  of  drone  and  after  a  few  seconds  drum  beats  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  grim black  metal   screams  and  you  can  also  hear  some  tremolo  picking  in t he  guitar  riffing  and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  deep  growls  at  times.

   You  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  elements  in  the  slower  riffing  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  both  of  their  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the lyrics cover  darkness,  dystopian  and  metaphysical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Abstracter  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Where  All  Pain  Converges".    

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  black  metal,  doom,  sludge  and  crust.  8  out  of  10.

https://abstracter.bandcamp.com/album/split-with-dark-circles      

Cries Of Your Sins/2016 Promo Review


  Cries  Of  Your  Sins  are  a  solo  project  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  promo.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  later  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  melodic  style  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the songs  also bring in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the promo  have  a  very powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  incorporates  many  different  genres  from  traditional,  thrash,  death  and  black  metal  into  the songs  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  on  the  second  track  and  the  promo  also  sticks  to  a  very  heavy  and  melodic style.

  Cries  Of  Your  Sins  creates  a  very  melodic  and  extreme  style  of  metal that  is  mostly  rooted  in  black  and  melodic  death  metal  while  also  being  influenced  by  other  genres,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Cries  Of  Your  Sins  are  a  very  great  sounding  extreme  melodic  project  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  promo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "King  Of  No  One".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.spirit-of-metal.com/en/band/Cries_Of_Your_Sins
  

OfGhost/The Awakening/2016 Full Length Review


  OfGhost  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  metal,  death  metal,  industrial  and  hardcore  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "The  Awakening".

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic musical  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  a  few  seconds  later  aggressive  vocals  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Black  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  some  of the  riffing  while  the  melodies  are  very  close  to  the  melodic  side  of death  metal  and  the music  also  gets  symphonic  at  times  while  also  mixing  in  industrial  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melodic singing  and  as  the  album progresses  it  starts  bringing  in the energy  of  punk  while  one  of  the  tracks also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  OfGhost  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  symphonic  black  metal,  death,  thrash,  industrial  and  hardcore  punk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  OfGhost  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   symphonic  black  metal,  death  metal,  industrial  and  hardcore  punk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pimeys  El  Sinua  Hylkaa"  and  "Jokienen  Hetki  On  Askel".  8  out  of  10. 

 http://ofghost.bandcamp.com/album/the-awakening

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Bloodred/Nemesis/2016 Full Length Review





  Bloodred  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2016  album  "Nemesis"  which  will  be  released  in  April.

  Atmospheric  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  going  into  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  black  metal  screams  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  before  going  into  a  faster  direction.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  faster  riffs  bring  in  tremolo  picking  and  the  blast  beats  bring  in  more  of  a  brutal  style  and  when  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  a  touch  of  melodic  death  metal  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  synths  are  also  brought  into  the  music  at  times  and  one  track  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Bloodred  creates  another  recording  that  takes  melodic  black  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  brutal  death  metal  to  create  some  very  aggressive  sounding  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  violent  themes along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  written  in  German.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Bloodred  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic,  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nemesis"  and  "Spirits  Of  The  Dead".  8  out  of  10.


 

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Onkel Hryum/Ragnaroll/2015 CD Review


  Onkel  Hryum  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  folk  metal  with  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Ragnaroll".

  Animal  sounds  starts  off  the  album  before  adding  in  folk  instruments  and  a  heavier  musical  sound  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  when the  music  speeds  up a  great  amoiunt  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  melodic  death  metal  feeling  and  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  at  times  and  elements  of  black  metal  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  songs  and as  the  album  progresses  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  and  the  songs  stick  mostly  to  a  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  Onkel  Hryum  creates  a  different  style  of  folk  metal  going  for  more  of  a  heavier  approach  that  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  as  well  as  being  less  melodic  than  most  bands  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Russian  and  cover  folklore  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Onkel  Hryum  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  folk,  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Puzzle"  "Achad"  and  "Come  To The  Forest  With  My  Beauty".  8  out  of  10.

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