Black Shape Of Nexus/Negative Black/Exile On Mainstream/2012 CD Review

  Black  Shape  Of  Nexus  are  a  band  from  Germany that  plays  sludge  metal  mixed  in  with  some  influences  from  crust,  black  metal  and  ambient/soundscapes  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "Negative  Black"  which  was  released  by  Exile  On  Mainstream".

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  heavy  riffing  that  dominates  throughout  the  recording,  as  for  the  synths  which  are  only  utilized  briefly  they  bring  a  dark  ambient  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  sludge  metal  riffs  that  have  a  great  amount  of  heavy  distortion  behind  them  with  some  black  metal,  crust,  and  ambient  influences  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  in  addition  there  are  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  riffing  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  sludge  screams  that  have  a  slight  black  metal  influence  to  them  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  as  well  as  some  deep growls,  while  the  lyrics  cover  hateful  and  negative  themes,  as  for  the  production  it h as  a  very  dark,  powerful  and  heavy  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Shape  of  Nexus  are  a  very  great  sounding  heavy  and  dark  sludge  metal  band and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Illinois"  "1000uF"  and  "Neg. Black".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

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Tiger Lily/Annabeth/Never Lost Records/2012 EP Review

  Tiger  Lily  are  a  band  from  Fresno,  California  that  plays  a  blackened  form  of  doom/sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  ep  "Annabeth"  which  was  released  by  Never  Lost  Records.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to    mid  paced  riffs  that  utilize  some  influences  from  doom  metal,  sludge,  hardcore  and  black  metal  along  with  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  clean  playing  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  are  no  guitar  solos  or  leads  present  on  this  recording.

  Vocals  are  all  high  pitched  sludge  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  feeling  to  them  along  with  a  spoken  word  sample  being  utilized  on  the  last  song,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw,  primitive  and  heavy  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Tiger  Lily  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  blackened  doom  metal,  sludge  and  hardcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The  Devil".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.  

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Rare Candy Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?

Rare Candy is a melodic metal influenced 8bit project. I started it in June 2011 after leaving my previous band, Elctrikchair. It's no secret that a lot of metalheads are closet nerds, so with this project, I aim to appeal to the inner nerd of these metalheads, showing that video game music can be heavy too.

2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Melodic, that's for sure. While writing this album, I contemplated whether or not I should add vocals. I decided against it, and went towards a more atmospheric and dynamic route including harmonies, counter-melodies, specific filters on keyboard lines etc. 

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

Well, with this new album "The Truth", all of the songs are instrumental, leaving the meaning of the material up to the listener. However, I did base the song titles off of the current Pokemon TCG deck I use in tournaments, so I wrote the songs accordingly to how I perceive each Pokemon would have their own theme music. For example, "Kyurem" is a powerful, majestic, Ice-Dragon Pokemon, so I wrote the song in a powerful, melodic, 5/4 timing feel. 

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

The name Rare Candy comes from Pokemon (if you haven't guessed already, I am a huge fan) as it is an item within the game that automatically levels up one of your Pokemon. In relation to it being a band name, I took it to a more literal "Rare Candy" as the music is something you don't hear very often if at all, and when people listen to it, I want them to feel the same pleasure listening to my music as one would enjoy a piece of candy. I know I do. 

5. I know with your old band Elctrikchair, you where originaaly from Colorado then relocated to Kansas, what was the decision behind the move and how would you compare the music scene in both states?

Well, I joined Elctrikchair in 2009, shortly after they had already moved to Kansas. They relocated here, as it was a central location to tour. I have played several shows in Colorado when I was the bass player for them, and it seems Colorado has a more appreciative metal scene, while Kansas is kind of picky about their styles. I loved playing in both places though and I've met great people everywhere I've toured. 

6. Currently you are signed to Dod Incarnate records, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

I met Stefan (Dethcentrik, Dod Beverte, owner of Dod Incarnate) new years eve 2009, in Colorado Springs at an Elctrikchair CD signing at a cd store I honestly forget the name of... He and Bob (drummer of Elctrikchair) were friends back when Elctrikchair lived in Colorado, so he was automatically considered a friend by association. Shortly after leaving Elctrikchair, I get a phone call from Stefan, telling me to keep in touch and whatnot... So some time passes, and I start recording "The Truth" and he brings up that he can market my material and help me "rise up from the ashes" as they say. He's been a great help so far, and I look forward to working with him a lot more in the future.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of underground music?

Well, up until recently, I was just doing Rare Candy for the sake of writing music, and never originally intended on it being released other to a few close friends. So there is not too much to report on that just yet, but let's hope the future brings back good reviews!

8. Do you have any current projects going on besides this one?

Not really, I have been offered to play in several local bands here in Topeka, but I honestly like just doing my own thing now, leaving Elctrikchair left a sour taste about joining other bands.

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

It's too soon to tell now, but I'd like to hope that I get better at audio production and get better equipment to record vocals, as that would probably be the most logical step forward in future releases.

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

I listen to a lot of black metal, Viking metal, death metal, you name it, I've got it... Probably the most inspiration that shows in my music comes from Arsis, Arch Enemy, and The Browning as they all feature technical, melodic, and electronic aspects respectively. I have been getting in to some dubstep lately though, so maybe some of that in there too!

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

I am a Pokemon maniac, I always have been since 1998, and I don't see any sign of slowing down any time soon. It's always been there when I'm on a long road trip (touring) and I'm bored as hell, or even when life wasn't so great, and I turned to Pokemon for that escape to an alternative reality. I play the card game competitively, I own every single episode of the anime up to date, and I know almost everything about the video games. Sure, I'm addicted to Pokemon... I guess it's better than hard drugs, right?

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

Yeah, to all metalheads out there who are closet nerds, you aren't alone. Embrace your interests, regardless of what society thinks! Also, big thanks to Stefan for making this release possible, you've been a tremendous help and I couldn't have done it without you man! Thank you for this interview, it's definitely been a pleasure!

https://www.facebook.com/RareCandyVGMBand/

Rare Candy/The Truth/Dod Incarnate Records/2012 CD Review

  Rare  Candy  are  a  1  man  project  from  Kansas  that  is  a  side  project  of  one  of  the  members  of  Elctrikchair  with  a  musical style  I  would  describe  as  being  8  bit  metal and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "The  Truth"  which  was released  by  Dod  Incarnate  Records.

  Drum  programming  is  all  slow  to  mid  paced  programmed  beats  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  synths  bring  in  dark  ambient  elements  to  the  music  along  with  the  feeling  of  an  old  Nintendo  game  soundtrack  mixed  in  with  some  metal  influences,  and  there  is  no use  of  a  bass  guitar  on  this  recording.

  Guitars  and  vocals  are  absent  from  the  music,  with  the  music  being  all  electronic  and  instrumental,  while  the  song  themes  cover  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark sound  that  reminds  me  of  1980's  video  games.

  In  my  opinion  Rare  Candy  are  a  very  great  sounding  electronic  8  bit  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  that  is  different,  you  should  check  this  band  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kyerum"  and  "The  Truth".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/RareCandyVGMBand/

Merdarahta/Fault Of Air/Breathe/2012 CD Review

  Merdarahta are a band from Canada that has had their previous release reviewed in this zine with a musical style that I would describe as being dark experiemental/ambient/drone/doom metal and this is a review of their self released 2012 album "Fault Of Air/Breathe".

Noise effects and synths bring the ritualistic/experimental/ambient drone sound to the music, while the drums are all slow tribal beats and there is no use of a bass guitar present on this recording.

There is not much use of guitar riffing on this recording but you can still hear some heavy distortion coming out of a guitar amplifier, in addition the songs are very long and epic sounding, as for the acoustic guitars they are only used on the last song to add more darkness to the music.

Vocals and song writing are absent from this recording with the music being all instrumental, while the song themes cover breath and air, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion this is another great recording from Merdarahta which is more experimental and less doom metal influenced than the previous effort and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Fault Of Air II" and "Breathe". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/merd.rahta/

Merdarahta/Snake Charmer/Towers/2011 CD Review

  Merdarahta are a band from Canada that is a side project of the members from Fuck The Facts with a musical style that combines ambient/drone/experimental and doom metal together and this is a review of their self released 2011 album "Snake Charmers/Towers".

Noise effects are very experimental and drone sounding with a ritualistic feeling to it along with some dark sounding synths as will as some ethnic and folk music sounding instruments and there is no use of a bass guitar on this recording, as for the drumming it is all slow and tribal/ritualistic sounding beats.

Acoustic guitars are all finger picking with some middle eastern and Hindu sounding scales, while the rhythm guitars are all slow and drone/doom metal songs with some riffs that dont offer any variety but add to the darkness that is coming out of the music with a great amount of heavy distortion.

Vocals are all high pitched black metal screams when they are utilized without the music being black metal, while the song concepts revolve around snake charmers and towers, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Merdarahta are a very great sounding mixture of ritual, noise, experimental, ambient, drone and doom metal, you should enjoy this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Snake Charmer II" "Snake Charmer III" and "Towers II". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/merd.rahta/

Creation VI/Nightspirit/Stormchild/2009 Split CD Review

  This is a review of a split album between Ukraine's Creation VI, Nightspirit and Stormchild and we will start of the review with Creation VI which plays dark drone ambient.

Synths are very dark ambient experimental sounding with a good amount of drones being thrown into the music, while the noise effects bring a very dark and ritualistic sound to the music, in addition the band teams up with Nightspirit and Stormchild on a couple of songs.

Vocals and song writing are absent from their side of the split with the music being all instrumental while the song concepts seem to cover UFO themes, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Creation VI are a very great sounding dark drone ambient band and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out their music. RECOMMENDED Track "The Visitors". RECOMMENDED.

Next up is Nightspirit which plays drone ambient.

Synths are all dark ambient sounding with a very primitive sound to it while the noise effects range from dark soundscapes to heavy drone's with the songs being very long in length.

Vocals and song writing are absent from the music with the music being all instrumental drone soundscapes while the song concepts revolve around dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Nightspirit are a very great sounding drone ambient band and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check them out. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Cosmic Sea". RECOMMENDED .

Next up is Stormchild which plays dark ambient gothic mixed with neo-classical.

Synths are all soft relaxing with musical styles that combine dark ambient, gothic and neo classical together with a brief use of violin on the last song which brings an avant garde feeling to the music.

Rhythm guitars are all slow distorted sounding doom metal riffs with somewhat of a black metal influence to it, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding guitar solos and leads.

Vocals and song writing are absent from this recording with the music being all instrumental except for the last song where there is a brief use og high pitched screams, while the song themes cover dark topics, as for the production it has a very dark and heavy sound.

In my opinion Stormchild are a very great sounding dark ambient/gothic/neo-classical music hybrid with a metal influence and also have the best music on this split and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out their music. RECOMMENDED TRACKS "Oblivion River". RECOMMENDED.

In my opinion this is a great split and I would recommend this to all fans of dark ambient drone and gothic music. RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://creation6.bandcamp.com/album/cns

Nebula VII/Nihil/2011 Single Review

  Nebula VII are a band from Russia that plays a mixture of drone/dark ambient and industrial and this is a review of their self released 2011 single "Nihil".

Synths are very dark ambient and drone sounding, while the noise effects are a mixture between industrial, experimental and harsh noises.

Vocals are all spoken word part, while the lyrics cover nihilistic themes, as for the production it has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Nebula VII are a very great sounding drone/dark ambient/industrial hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should out out this single. RECOMMENDED TRACK "NIhil". RECOMMENDED BUY.

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

Bloodline/The Citadel Of Everlasting Tyranny/Misnatrof ANTI Records/2011 CD Review

  Bloodline are a project from Sweden that has some members from The Swedish black metal scene with a musical style that combines ambient, industrial and metal together and this is a review of their 2011 album "The Citadel Of Everlasting Tyranny" which was released by Misnatrof ANTI Records.

Synths are very dark ambient sounding soundscapes which last through all 27 minutes of the only song on this recording with the end of the song having somewhat of a harsh noise effect while the spoken word parts cover Satanism,  Illuminati, New World Order and political themes.

Production on this recording is very dark, raw and primitive sounding which is a perfect fit for this style of music which is all a very long epic song that contains a message that people need to pay more attention to since we live in a corrupt world.

In my opinion Bloodline are a very great sounding ambient/industrial/ metal hybrid and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.facebook.com/Bloodline-245425058870257/

Eirik Skrangle/Brenneven/Miantrof ANTI Records/2007 CD Review

Eirik Strankle (R.I.P) was a musician from Norway that had some people from the Norwegian black metal scene help him with his solos stuff which I would describe as being a combination of punk and folk rock and this is a review of his 2007 album "Brenneven" which was released by Misantrof ANTI Records.

Drums range from slow to mid paced drumming with no fast playing being utilized at all, while the keyboards and flutes bring the folk music feeling to the music, as for the bass playing it has a very strong and powerful tone with riffs that dominate throughout the recording.

Rhythm guitars range from slow to mid paced riffs which are done on both electric and acoustic guitars which combine influences from both folk and punk rock with a brief use of finger picking while the lead guitars when they are utilized are very melodic sounding leads.

Vocals are mostly male clean singing vocals with some female back ups and a brief use of black metal screams, while the lyrics are written in Norwegian with themes that cover dark and poetic themes, as for the production it is produced decently and you can hear all of the musical instruments that are present on this recording.

In my opinion Eirik Skkrankle was a very great musician with a decent back backing him up and if you are a fan of folk/punk rock, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Maen" and "nar gur gar". RECOMMENDED BUY.

Dead Black Arms/Kyatess/Drowning Productions/2009 Album Review

  Dead Black Arms are a project from Denmark that has had one of their albums reviewed before in this zine and on this album they go more for a meditative doom/drone approach and this is a review of their 2009 album "Kyatess" which was released by Drowning Productions.

Sound effects are very dark ambient and experimental sounding and are kind of mixed down low in the mix to give the guitars a more powerful sound, in addition both of the songs on this recording are very long and epic sounding.

Rhythm guitars are all slow doom/drone metal riffs that are very long and dont have much diversity in the riffing going for a more primitive sound along with a great amount of heavy distortion and there are no guitar solos or leads present on this recording.

Vocals and song writing are all absent from this recording with the music being all instrumental while the production has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion this is another great album from Dead Black Arms and if you are a fan of very heavy meditative drone/doom metal, yuo should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Holy Bloodshed For Nothing". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1240164-Dead-Black-Arms

Dead Black Arms/Slow Burning Ocean/Drowning Productions/2010 Album Review

  Dead Black Arms are a project from Denmark that plays a very experiemtnal form of drone and this is a review of their 2010 album "Slow Burning Ocean" which was released by Drowning Productions.


Noise effects are very long sounding drones that have a very epic feeling to them with the song being minutes and they range from more mellow dark ambient, experimental and then turn into some very harsh noises, as for the acoustic guitars they are only used briefly and they use full chords to bring an avant garde sound to the music.

Vocals and song writing are all absent from the music since it is all instrumental, while the drums when they finally kick into the music are all slow tribal beats as for for the production has a very dark, raw and primitive sound to it.

In my opinion Dead Black Arms are a very decent sounding experimental/drone project and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/1240164-Dead-Black-Arms

Moongazing Hare/The Sunderland Wreck/Drowning Productions

  Moongazing Hare are a project from Fano, a small Danish island in the Wadden Sea which plays an esoteric form of drone/neo folk and this is a review of their 2012 album "The Sunderland Wreck" which was released by Drowning Productions.

Sound effects are all nature oriented sounding drones with some distortion being put behind the music which captures a very esoteric vibe which fits perfect with the very long songs that are present on this recording.

Acoustic guitars are all primitive sounding riffs that utilize alot of finger picking and full chords along with some electric guitars that bring the distorted drone noises into the music while the synths bring a very dark ambient sound to the music.

Vocals and song writing are all absent from the recording except for a brief use of chanting being utilized on one song as well as a spoken word part on the last song, while the song themes cover dark themes, as for the production it has a very dark, powerful and epic sound to it.

In my opinion Moongazing Haze are a very great sounding drone/neo folk band and if you are a fan of this style of music, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Better All The Time" and "The Body Of Christ". RECOMMENDED BUY.

https://moongazinghare.bandcamp.com/album/the-sunderland-wreck