Monday, May 29, 2017

Wolvenguard Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
 1. The band is currently comprised of six members. Will Rohirrim and Justin Buller on Guitar, Adrian Steve on keyboards, Nikos Riekstins on drums, Ethan Wissman on bass/vocals and Jake Wayman on vocals. We started early 2016 and have been working diligently on shaping our own lane in the metal world. We are based out of Austin Texas.

2.You have an ep coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
2. The music is our take on combining  some of our favorite metal genres.  Each song has it's own thing going on but the ep has a consistent stylistic thread running throughout  which makes it come together as something all our own.
Fans of melodic death metal, folk metal and even black metal should be able to take something away from what we are doing with the band.

3.You label your music as 'primal archiac extreme metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?
3. The atmosphere of the music has this real primal, archaic spirit to it. It makes you think of the times of old.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
4. The ep title track  "Elemental Reclamation" is about nature reclaiming the planet back from the human race. The destruction and rebirth of earth. "Formless Aeons" is basically about the creation of the universe and "Vangrimst" is a battle song through and through.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Wolvenguard'?
5. The Wolvenguard is one of our local native american tribes. We felt it fit the sound of our music and relates to future topics we are looking to write about.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
6. We are still working towards our first few round of shows.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
7. No plans set in stone yet but we are definitely driven towards hitting the road in the future.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
8. We are currently on the search for the right fit for our brand of metal. Nothing set in stone there yet.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and melodic death metal?
9. We have received an overwhelming amount of amazing feedback from people all around the world. It's great seeing that people are connecting with what we are doing with the band.

10.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?
10. Ethan's band Cerebral Desecration plays regionally quite often and has a solid fanbase. Justin's band khringe plays regularly and his other band In oblivion is till active as well. Niko's plays for bands Sitri and Death Motif. They both play regularly in the Austin area. Will's other band Vesperian Sorrow is writing a new record.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
11. We are recording a full length record sometime in the near future, which will expand on the sound established on the ep. We are motivated towards playing live, touring.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an infleunce on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
12. Wolvenguard is mainly influenced by bands such as Amon Amarth, Borknagar, Bathory, Enslaved.
The newest Borknagar and Insomnium records have been on heavy rotation.

13.How would you describe your views on Paganism?
13. We do take up the pagan metal tag when describing the band so we do stand behind several different pagan viewpoints, philosophically and spiritually.

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
14. Spending time with friends and family, cooking out and catching a good metal show are all a few things we enjoy doing outside of the band.

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

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Sunday, May 28, 2017

Gates Of Ishtar/A Bloodred Path/Vic Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review


  Gates  Of  Ishtar  where  a  band  from  Sweden  that  played  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  1996  album  "A  Bloodred  Path"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  June  of  2017  by  Vic  Records.

  Blast  beats  along  with  some  heavy  and  melodic  guitar  riffing  starts  off  the  album  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  blackened  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  more  melodic  side  of  death  metal  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  music  really  displays  a  great  amount  of  influences  from  the  Swedish  bands  of  that  era and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  and  synths  can  be  heard  as  well  a s a  small  amount  of  clean  guitars  and  they  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  W.A.S.P's  :I  Wanna  Be  Somebody".

  Gates Of  Ishtar  played  a  musical  style that  takes  the  Swedish  forms  of  melodic  black  and  death  metal  and  mixed  them  together,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  the  era  it  was  recorded  while  the  lyrics  cover  depression,  solitude  and  inner  struggles  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Gates  Of  Ishtar  where  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  The  Winds  Of  Darkness  Blow"  "The  Dreaming  Glade"  and  "A  Bloodred  Path".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/gatesofishtarofficia

 

 

Friday, May 26, 2017

Wolvenguard/Elemental Reclamation/2017 EP Review


 Wolvenguard  are  a  band  from  Texas  that  plays  a  primal  and  archaic  form  of  black  metal  which  is  also  heavily  influenced  by  melodic  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  ep  "Elemental  Reclamation"  which  will  be  released  in  June.

  A  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams  a  few  seconds  ;after  while  death  metal  growls  are  also  used  at  times  and  the  solos  and leads  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  clean  singing  is  also  used  at  times  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavy  style  while  also  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  Swedish  influences.

  Wolvenguard  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  their  own  style  of  primal  archaic  extreme  metal,  the  production  sounds very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolvenguard  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  black/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Formless  Aeons".  8  out of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Y5f0V4Deo

Thursday, May 25, 2017

El Camino/Cursed Congregation/Night Tripper Records/2017 CD Review


 El  Camino  are  a  band  from  Sweden   that  started  out as  a  stoner/doom metal  band  and  on this  release  expanding  on  the  style  by  mixing it  with  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Cursed  Congregation"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  Night  Tripper  Records.

  Clean  guitars  and  nature  sounds  start  off  the  album   and  after  awhile  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  where  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  using  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known.

  When  solos  and  leads a re  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  and  as  the album  progresses  elements  of  thrash  are  added  onto  the recording  and  some  of  their  early  stoner/doom  metal  style can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  tracks  and  spoken
word  parts can also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  either  to  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction.

  On  this  recording  El  Camino  takes  black  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  the  stoner/doom  metal  sound  they  are  known  for  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Lovecraft,  Darkness,  Decadence  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  El  Camino  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  thrash,  stoner  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Into  The  Dark"  "Penance  On  The  Pyre"  "Vengeance"  and  "Ordeal  Of  Faith".  8  out  of  10. 

www.facebook.com/elcaminocvlt

   

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

PreEmptive Strike 0.1/Eternal Masters/DWA/2017 EP Review


  PreEmptive  Strike  0.1  are  a  band  from  Greece  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine   and  plays  a  blackened  form  of  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Eternal  Masters"  which  was  released  by  DWA.

  Atmospheric  soundscpaes  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  electro  industrial  elements  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  faster  side  of  the  music  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  during  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in   a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  spoken  word  samples.

You can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  get  vrry  deep  at  times  and  the  songs  also  utilize  a  great  amount  of  synths  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  session  work  from  members  of  bands  such  as  Borgne,  Iperyt,  Eibon  La  Furies,  Dominanz,  Ered  Wethrin  and  Wolfheart.

  On  this  recording  PreEmptive  Strike  0.1  goes  for  more  of  a  blackened  style  of  electro-industrial  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  PreEmptive  Strike  0.1  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  industrial  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eternal  Masters  Vs.  Borgne"  and  "Panet  Eradication  Vs.  Eibon  La  Furies".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/PreEmptiveStrike0.1/

Monday, May 22, 2017

Plaguewielder/Writhing In Mental Torment/2017 Single Review


  Plaguewielder  are  a  band  from  Ohio  that  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  doom  and  sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  single  "Writing  In  Mental  Torment".

  Drum  beats,  heavy  guitars  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  song  while  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody and  back  up  shouts  along  with  elements  of  black'n'roll  are  also  added  into  the  track  along  with  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  gutiar  and  the  slow  riffs  mix  in  influences  of  doom  and  sludge  metal.

  Plaguewielder  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  black'n'roll, sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  dark  sounding  track,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Plaguewielder  are  a  very  great  sounding blackened  sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8  out  of  10.

https://plaguewielderoh.bandcamp.com

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Apes/Lightless/D71 Records/2017 LP Review


  Apes  are  a  band  from  Quebec, Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge,  grind  and  hardcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Lightless"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  D71  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  that  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  along  with  the  vocals  adding  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  more  traditional  hardcore  shouts  and  elements  of  grind  are  also  used  in  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  A  lot  of  the  slower  riffing  is  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  along  with  the  tracks  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing.

  Apes  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  grind,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together to  create  something  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  negative  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Apes  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  grind,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Asleep"  "Vitric  Persona"  and  "Oblivion".  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp:
https://apesqc.bandcamp.com/

Facebook :
https://www.facebook.com/apesqc

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

In Tormentata Quiete/Finestatico/My Kingdom Music/2017 CD Reivew


  In  Tormentata  Quiete  are  a  band  from  Italy t hat  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine  and  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Finestatico"  which  will  be  released in  June  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   very  fast  and  melodic direction  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  while  the  vocals  start  out  with  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with a  few  growls  and  you  can  also h ear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Female  vocals  are  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  sue  of  spoken  word  parts  and  when  synths a re  utilized  they  add  symphonic  and  psychedelic elements  onto  the  recording  and  some  songs  also  add  in  clear  male  vocals  and  acoustic  guitar  are  also  used  briefly.

  One  of  the  tracks  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  folk  instruments  while  the  clear  vocals  at  times  have  an  operatic  feeling  to  them  while  some  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in   elements  of  prog  metal  and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  In  Tormentata  Quiete  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  conceptual,  philosophical and  metaphor  themes.   

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  In  Tormentata  Quiete  and  if  you a re  a  fan  of  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should c heck  out  this  album  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zero"  "Eta  Carinae"  and  "Demiurgo".  8  out  of  10.

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Sunday, May 14, 2017

Odraedir/Legends Of The Dark Times/2017 Full Length Review


  Odraedir  are  a  band  from  the  Czech  Republic  that  has  been  featured  before in  this  zine  and  plays  a  pagan  mixture  of  folk  and  melodic  black/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of their  self  released  2017  album  "Legends  Of  The  Dark  Times". 

  A  very  symphonic  intro  with  pagan  chants  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes into  a  heavier  direction  while  also  introducing  melodic  guitar  leads  onto the  recording  along  with  some  grim  black  metal  screams.

  They  also  mix  the  folk  elements  in  with  the  heavier material  along  with  death  metal  growls  also  being  used  at  times  and  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  in  certain sections  of  the recording  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  when the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  Clean  pagan vocals  are  added  on  some  of the  tracks  and  while  some  of  the  songs  are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  throughout  the recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  nature  sounds  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  a  track  being  an  instrumental. 

  Odraedir  creates  another  recording t hat  remains  true  to  the  pagan/folk  metal  style  of previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Celtic,  Nordic  Paganism,  Nature  and  Battles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Odraedir  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan/folk  metal  band  and  if  you a re  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Heroes  Of The  Dark  Times"  "The  Dawn  Of  Odin's  Horde"  "In  The Name  Of  Thor"  and  "Path Of  The  Wolf".  8  out  of  10.

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Thursday, May 11, 2017

Netherbird/The Ghost Collector/Black Lodge Records/2017 CD Re-Issue Review


  Netherbird  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  had  a  decent  amount  of  material reviewed  before  by  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  played  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  style  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2008  album  "The  Ghost  Collector"  which  was  re-issued  in  2017  by  Black  Lodge  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into a   heavier  and  more  melodic  direction  as  well  as  mixing  the  symphonic  and  heavy  parts  together  and  after  awhile  grim  black  metal  screams  make  their presence  known.

  Death  metal  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  and  elements  of  goth  and  doom  metal  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  when the  music  speeds  up a   great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard,

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  vocals  while  classical  guitars  are  also  used  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  rain  and  thunder  sounds  and  some  of  the  songs  are  instrumentals  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  clean  male  vocals. 

  Netherbird  played  a  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording  that  was  very  melodic  and  symphonic  while  the  death,  doom  and  goth  metal  elements  made  the  songs  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness  and  struggles  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Netherbird  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Blackest  Breed"  "Lighthouse  Eternal  (Laterna  Magika)"  "Forever  Mournful"  and  "Boulevard  Black".  8  out  of  10.

https://netherbird.bandcamp.com/album/the-ghost-collector-2?utm_source=Promo%2BList&utm_campaign=d2ad4c8b6c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_05_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b7d3bffdfc-d2ad4c8b6c-159719745
   

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Synkvervet/Mistborn/2017 Full Length Review


  Synkvervet  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  symphonic  black  and  pagan/folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Mistborn"  which  will  be  released  at  the  end  of  May.

  Rain  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  keyboards  and  symphonic  elements  a  few  seconds  alter  as  well  as  some  drum  beats  which  also  leads  up  to  a  heavier  direction  along  with  some  operatic  female  vocals  as  well  as  adding  in  growls  and  grim  black  metal screams  and  they  also  mix  the  heavy  and  symphonic  styles  together.

  Clean  male  vocals a re  also  used  at  times  while  both  the  riffs  and  solos  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody  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  and  grim  spoken  words  are  also  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  folk  elements  and  a  more  pagan  atmosphere a re  added  onto  the  recording  and  some  of  the  fast  riffing  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking. 

  Synkvervet  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  symphonic  style  of  pagan/black  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  Nordic  Paganism,  Mythology,  Folklore,  Mysticism  and  Nature  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Synkvervet  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  pagan  and  symphonic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anthems  To  The  North"  "Through  The  Eyes  Of  The  Demon"  "Alone  In  Eternity"  and  "I  Den  Svarte  Solens  Rik".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/synkvervet

Selcouth/Heart Is The Star Of Chaos/I, Voidhanger Records/2017 CD Review


  Selcouth  are  a  international  band  with  members  from  France,  Finland,  Spain  and  Argentina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  avant  garde  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Heart  Id  The  Star  Of  Chaos"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

   Operatic  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  powerful  bass  guitars  and  grim  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  and  a  few  seconds  later  clean  guitars  and  ambient  style  synths  are  added  into  the  recording  along  with  the  music  getting  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  melody.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  progressive  style  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a small  amount  of  blast  beats  while    and  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  jazz  elements  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Some  songs  also  add  in  touches  of  post  rock while  also  mixing  in  some  influences  from t he  90's  Norwegian  era  of  avant  garde  black  metal  and  also  mixing  in  a great  amount  of  keyboards  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  introduces  touches  of  classical  music  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  brief  use  of  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Selcouth  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  rooted  in  the  90's  Norwegian  style  of  avant  garde  black  metal  while  mostly  avoiding  the  more  harsh  vocals  and  adding  in  elements  of  jazz,  progressive  and  post  rock  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  poems  of  Jukka  Ylisuvanto. 

  In  my  opinion  Selcouth  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Strange  Before  The  Calm"  "Querencia"  and  "Rusticus".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/selcouthconglomerate/

Les Chants Du Hastard/Self Titled/I, Voidhanger Records/2017 CD Review


  Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  an  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  orchestra,  and  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  titled  album  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records.

  Avant  garde  stlye  classical  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  orchestra  elements  and  after  awhile  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  start  to  make  their  presence  known  along  with  a  few  deep  growls  while  the  music  avoids  any  use  of  traditional  metal  instruments.

  Operatic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  drum  beats  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  martial  and  militant  atmosphere  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  songs  also  mix  in  a  great  amount  of  stringed  instruments  and  symphonic  elements.

 Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  takes  an  avant  garde  style  of  classical  and  orchestra  music  and  mixes  it  in  with  black  metal  style  vocals  to  create  something  very  different  while  also  having  its  roots  and  influences  from  80's  era  Arcturus  and  Elend,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  cover  universal  and  existential  themes  along  with  some  inspirations  from  the  writings  of  Comte  de  Lautreamont.

  In  my  opinion  Les  Chants  Du  Hastard  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  mixture  of  black  metal,  classical,  and  orchestra  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Le  Soliel"  and  "Le  Deiu".  8  out  of  10. 

https://www.facebook.com/leschantsduhasard/

Pereplut Interview


For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi. Well, Pereplut is folk-metal band from Siberian town called Tomsk, Russia. The band was founded in 2011. We play brutal and in the same time cheerful folk-metal. At the moment we have released one mini-album and one full-length album.

How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
Our sound is formed by electric instruments, such as guitar and bass, and acoustic folk instruments, such as bagpipes, flute, violin, hurdy-gurdy, cello and others. We try to balance between different styles of metal, first of all thrash metal and heavy metal mixed with folk tunes and melodies.

      3. Your lyrics cover folk tales, paganism, mysticism, and anti Christian themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in those topics?
We are really interested in Slavonic folklore and history, because it’s very important to know your roots, we think. Also we don’t’ like the Christian lie that there was not any culture before the baptism among the Slavs, their hypocrisy and greed which aren’t inconsistent with their religion, and their attempts to cancel some metal gigs in Russia. Also there are a lot of plots in traditional Russian folk tales connected with amoral behavior of pops. So that’s why we use these themes in our songs.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pereplut'?
Pereplut is a god from the pantheon of the Slavs. There is no a lot information about Pereplut in the annals. We know exactly that people praised Pereplut with round dances, as people at our concerts do.

What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We gave a lot of concerts. The best ones were our performances at Horned Folk Fest and Metal Hail Fest.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Yes. This summer we are going for some regional fests. Then in autumn we want to go on a small tour in support of the released album. Then we would like to release a single, and closer to the summer of next year we are going to release the second full-length album.

Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
At the moment we are unsigned, but we are going to send our demos to major labels to be signed.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of folk metal?
We got the feedback from different countries, France, Brazil, Ukraine, USA, Serbia, Japan.
Some of these people buy our album from BandCamp, some of them order our СD by post, our fan from Serbia even makes fan videos on YouTube. We are really grateful to all of them.

Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Perhaps we will expand the arsenal of folk instruments. We will also use some elements from different styles of metal.

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?
All of us were influenced by classical rock, punk and metal bands. In these latter days we listen bands playing in the genre related to our music such as folk metal, pagan metal, black metal.

What are some of your no nmusical interests?
We don’t have a lot of time for nonmusical hobbies or interests. Most of us have jobs and families. If talk about every single member: our guitarist Eugene is interested in European history and folklore and goes to the gym. Dmitry (flutes) likes PC games, also he had been engaged in airsoft before he came to the band. Vyacheslav (bass) is engaged in wood carving. Alexander (vocals) is also interested in history and folklore, before he came to the band he had been a football fan. Ivan (drums) is interested in politics. Also Eugene, Alexander and Ivan play in heathen metal band Lutowrat.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks for the exciting questions and interest to our band. We hope to see your readers at our concerts)



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Saturday, May 6, 2017

Nocte Obducta/Totholz (Ein Raunen aus dem Klammwlad)/MDD Records/2017 CD Review


  Nocte  Obducta  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  an  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Totholz  (Ein  Raunen  aus  dem Klammwlad)"  which  will  be  released  on  May  26th  by  MDD Records.

 Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  and  an  atmospheric  background  starts  off  the  album  along  with  drum  beats  and  heavy  yet  melodic  guitar  riffing  and  they  also  mix  in  avant  garde  elements  into  the  heavier  side  of  the  material  while the  fast  sections  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  van  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  at e utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  playing   can  also  be heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Keyboards  are  utilized  in  the  music  at  times  and  also  give  the  songs  a  more  symphonic  and  psychedelic  edge  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  the  Norwegian  black'n'roll  style  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic   in  length  and  the  last  track  is  very  experimental  and  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  and  melodic  vocals  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  guitar slides.

  Nocte  Obducta  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  more  in  the  avant  garde  side  of  the  genre,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  Dark  Poetry,  Nature,  and  Depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nocte  Obducta  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Die  Kirche  der  wachenden  Kinder"  "Totholz"  and  "Wiederganger  Blues".  8  out  of  10.

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