Thursday, November 26, 2015

Wolfhorde/Towards The Gate Of North/Inverse Records/2016 Full Length Review





  Wolfhorde  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  folk  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  album  "Towards  The  Gate  Of  North"  which  will  be  released  in  2016 by  Inverse  Records.

  Classical  guitars  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  when  keyboards  are  added onto  the  recording  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  and  symphonic  feeling  and  on  the  second  track  tribal  beats  find  their  way  onto  the  album  and  they  bring  in  a  shamanistic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  very  melodic  folk  metal  feeling  to  the  songs   and  the  vocals  bring  in  both  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and  the  guitar  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  the  tracks.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  spoken  word  parts  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  the  clean  vocals  bring  in  elements  of  pagan  metal  and  the  music  at  times  also  brings  in  a  medieval  atmosphere  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Wolfhorde  plays  a  style  of  folk  metal  that  is  very  epic  and  symphonic  sounding  while  also  mixing  in  the  heaviness  of  black  and  melodic  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Finnish  and  cover  Viking  heritage and  mythology  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wolfhorde are  a  very  great  sounding  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fuimbulvter"  "The  Retribution"  and  "The  Gates  Of  North".  8  out  of  10.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Against The Plagues/Purified Through Devastation/Non Serviam Records/2015 CD Review


  Against  The  Plagues  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Purified  through  Devastation"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  A  very  fast,  brutal  and  technical  death  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  growling  vocals  and  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  atmospheric  sounds  in  the  background  at  times  and  after  awhile  melodies  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Black  metal  screams  are  utilized  quite  often  and  the  songs  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  bring  in  more  elements  of  melodic  death  metal  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  symphonic  elements  at  times  and  some  songs  also  bring  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken word  samples and  there  is  also  a  short  acoustic  instrumental  before  closing  the  album  with  2  heavy  tracks.

  Against  The  Plagues  plays  a  musical  style  that  mixes  brutal  death  metal  with  symphonic  and  melodic  black  metal  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Inner  Strength  and  War  Themes.

  In  my  opinion  Against  the  Plagues  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  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  "All  Flesh  Had  Corrupted"  "TerrorForm"  and  "Enemy  Herein".  8  out  of  10.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Satarial/Lunar Cross/Satanath Records/Metallic Media/Black Plague Records/2014 CD Review


  Satarial  are  a  band  from  Russia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  folk,  gothic  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Lunar  Cross"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  Records,  Metallic  Media,  and  Black  Plague  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  which  bring  in  a  touch  of  traditional  metal  and  a  few  seconds  later  operatic  female  vocals  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  make  their  presence  known  in  the  music  and  all  of  the musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

   Some  of  the  tracks  are  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  blast  beats  and  elements  of  industrial  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  whispers  being  utilized  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  the  riffs  also  mix  in  the  energy  of  gothic  rock  while  some  songs  also  bring  in  symphonic  elements.

  As  the  elements  progresses  elements  of  folk  music  are  added  into  some  of  the  tracks  while  the  influence  of  industrial  can  be  heard  at  times  and  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  and  the  album gets  more  diverse  with each  track  mixing  in  a  variety  of  many  different  influences.

  Satarial  plays  a  musical  style  which  mixes  symphonic  black  metal,  goth  rock,  industrial  and  folk  music  to  create  a  very  original  sounding  style,  the  production  sounds  very professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Satarial  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  goth  rock,  industrial  and  folk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Horned  One"  "Witches  Night"  "Flower  Of  Datura"  and  "Spell  Of  Formation".  8  out  of  10.  

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Monday, November 23, 2015

Fortress Black/I.N.R.I/Demons Run Amok Entertainment/2015 EP Review


  Fortress  Black  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  this is  a  review  of  their  2015  ep  "I.N.R.I"  which  was  released  by  Demons  Run  Amok  Entertainment.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  heavy  yet  dark  musical  direction  along  with  some  screams  that  mix  black  metal  and  sludge  together  and  the  music  also  brings  in  the  anger  of  hardcore  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  also  brings  in  elements  of  modern  post  metal.

  Some  of  the  riffs  utilize  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some  of t he  tracks  also  bring  in  growls  and  angry  shouts  along  with  a  touch  of  post  hardcore  and  the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  musical  direction  while  the  music  does  speed  up  briefly  along  with  a  few  seconds  of  blast  beats  and  you  can  also  hear  the  more  modern  side  of  black  metal  being  mixed  in  the  bands  musical  style  at  times  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.

  Fortress  Black  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  post  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  very  dark  and  heavy  musical  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark,  heavy and  modern  while  the  lyrics  cover  social,  emotional  issues  and  anti  fascist  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Fortress  Black  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leave  me  Alone"  and  "I.N.R.I".  8  out  of  10.

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Images At Twilight/Kings/Indie Recordings/2015 CD Review


  Images  At  Twilight  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  orchestral  form of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Kings"  which  was  released  by  Indie  Recordings.

  A  very  dark  and  haunting  keyboard  sound  starts  off  the  album  using  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  as  well  as  having  whispers  and  growls  in t he  backgrounds  and w hen  they  music  speeds  up  it  brings  in  a  fast  black  metal  style  along  with  some  grim  screams  and  blast  beats  while  also  keeping  the  symphonic  elements  and  growls  which  also  gives  the  music  a  death  metal  vibe.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  solos  and  leads  the  band  uses  bring  in  the  more  melodic  side  of  mid  90's  symphonic  black  metal and  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  they  also  bring  in  a  couple  of  instrumental  tracks.

  Images  At  Twilight  takes  a  very  aggressive  and  melodic style  of  black  metal  which  they  mix  in  with  a  lot  of  orchestra  and  symphonic  elements  to  create  a  very  epic  sounding  album,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a   concept  album  based  upon  epic  fantasy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Images  At  Twilight  are  a  very  great  sounding  orchestral  black  metal  band  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ninhagaz"  "Awazor"  and  "Zatholoch".  8  out  of  10.

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Thulnar Interview


1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
1.Well, I'm a one-man band based in northern Italy. I put my first mp3 online back in 2004, very raw material. That year was a discovery... meaning I had to learn everything by myself: notation, orchestration and the use of a sequencer. My long-time friend Elrick Blackcrow helped me a lot with everything and he's the other pillar of Thulnar. Oh, about the name: Thulnar is the main character's name of the lore behind all my music, crafted by Elric and I. Because, you know, if you want to label yourself "Extreme Fantasy Metal", a concept is capital.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?
2.The musical sound is pompous and symphonic. I repeat: symphonic. Orchestra in my mind has the importance of the classic rock/metal quartet in the final mix balance, not a mere keyboard put in the rear. This often complicates things with producers and engineers, but once they understand my vision, everything flows smoothly.  So, think about Thulnar like Rhapsody (of Fire) plus Summoning and you get the idea.

3.This is the first release to come out in 8 years, can you tell us a little bit more bout what has been going on during that time frame?
3.Meanwhile, I released two demos, called "Thulnar Demo" (you cand find it online) and "The End of the Blissful Days" (try it on my Soundcloud page!).

4.Your lyrics cover Fantasy themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
4.This answer could last pages! Apart from classic philosophy books, my other readings are related to fantasy fiction. I buy stuff and stuff on Amazon Kindle just for the sake of discovering new and interesting fantasy authors; I read them in English, 'cause the vast majority is unpublished here in Italy... even if the knowledge of the language itself is far from perfect.

5.Originally the band was called 'Darken', what was the decision behind the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Thulnar'?
5.Well, "Darken" in a very common name in the metal... culture, underground? Call it the way you prefer. So back in the days I decided to change the moniker to avoid possible copyright trouble, just in the case the band will grow.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you chose to remain a duo?
6.I read, everyday, of splitted bands... Of founder members and main composer kicked out from the project they had created. Metal and rock, and metal and rock community as well, are not so deeply respectful towards composers and thus they lament downfall quality when these persons leave bands. Think about it: we remember Mozart and Beethoven, not the guys playing their stuff.

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
7.I'm not actively looking, because I lost hope. And some patience as well. Very few labels now-a-days want to take risks, they want bands that already sell. So... how can you call yourself an entrepreneur without taking risks? I just don't get it.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of metal?
8.In eleven years now, only a moderately bad review. I can't rely on music for a living, at all, but since my songs are genre mixed I can get a bit of attention. In the beginning, I didn't have so much expectations, but now the overall project is evolving slowly, yet in a positive way.

9.Are any of the band members also involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?
9.Elric, my singer, is involved in another Italian band called "Mors Tua", where he writes lyrics and plays trumpet. Yes, he's a classical trumpet Maestro, playing in various European symphonic orchestras all year around. By the way, check this out, if you are curious about "Mors Tua"! http://ilmaleproduction.bandcamp.com/

10.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
10.Musically, the band will follow the same genre directions. I will try to improve the quality more and more, 'cause I'm never satisfied, of course. I'm planning to release a single in 2016,  "Bellum".

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?
11.Rhapsody are my main inspirations. Hollywood movies' soundtracks as well. Early Immortal too. Mix these three elements and you obtain Thulnar!

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
12.Gaming and sport, road cycling and bodybuilding above all!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
13.Final thoughts are about the music industry. Always remember it's the fans who make the industry. We artists are creative and we are entertainers, but our art is inside of us. Without the listeners' minds, our art is a dead end. So, listen to music without genre boundaries and support the artists!

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The Canyon Observer/FVCK/Kapa Records/2015 CD Review


  The  Canyon  Observer  are  a  band  from  Slovenia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "FVCK"  which  was  released  by  Kapa  Records.

  Drum  beats  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavy  sludge  metal  direction  along  with  some  grim  yet  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  post  metal  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  being utilized  at  times.

   Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  being  brought  into  some  of  the  tracks  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  experimental,  noise  and  drone  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  on  the  last  track  the  music  starts  to  speed  up  briefly  and  also  brings  in  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats.

  The  Canyon  Observer  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black  metal,  sludge,  doom  and  post  metal  and  mixes  it  in  with  a  touch  of  experimental,  noise  and  drone  to  create  a  style  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  disturbing  themes.

  In  my  opinion  The  Canyon  Observer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  black  metal,  sludge  and  doom  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bounds  Tied Tight"  and  "All  Of  her,  Mine".  8  out  of  10.