Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Odium Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Since the release of our second record Burning the Bridges to Nowhere we have been going nonstop. This newfound momentum can be largely attributed to our band decision to bring a manager on board. We have 20+ shows booked between now and September, are CD is selling well in stores and online and our music video for the single "No Way Out" has proven to be a success. As busy and chaotic as things are, we know that our patience and hard work will pay off soon enough.

2. How would you describe  the musical sound of the new album and how it differs from previous releases?

Like most bands, when we listen to a past release we want to be able to hear how we have grown as musicians. As a band we feel confident we have succeeded on this front. And I know when we release the next one, we are going to be able to hear our growth and maturity even more. 

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

We could go on for days analyzing Tom's lyrics because he writes from such a deep emotional place. What I can say is he draws from personal experience mostly whether it be inner turmoil or exterior conflict. I think this is a big reason why he is able to deliver such heart wrenching performances. Sometimes he has lyrics that he has written in the past that he thinks would be a good fit for certain parts or other times he'll listen to the music and see what comes to him. Either way, it's always solid because he's rarely stuck and he can always deliver what he writes perfectly phrased.

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

I can remember Tom and I looking up words in the index of one of my Dad's books about the paranormal. We found Odium and the name has stuck ever since.

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

We have shared the stage with Alexis on Fire, Protest the Hero, Baptized in Blood and many others. Our live show is for us a lot of fun and for the crowd, a crushing good time! We are always trying to improve our live performance. This, for me,  means keeping my cardio in check and making sure my chops for both my hands and feet are crisp. In the future you can expect to see more live vocal support from Andrew and Dale. It will help to fill out all of those harmonies and overlapping screams that you hear on the record . 
We know that playing live is what keeps this band going, it's what keeps this band alive. Anything we can do to step up the performance and improve the show is going to be help our fanbase grow even faster.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the future?

We have a solid run of shows between now and September and are looking at a longer tour in September. We have brought a booking agent on board who can help us get into new markets. It's going to be tough for the next year or so as we transition between full-time job to part-time job and touring and then eventually to full-time touring. But hey, that is what we all signed up for and I can't wait to sink my teeth in.

7. Currently you are signed to Year Of The Sun Records, how did you get in contact with the label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?

Chris Ben and our bass player Dale were college friends. Dale figured he'd send it over to Chris and before you knew it, he had us on the shelves in HMV. We where stoked about our record actually being on the shelf beside our favorite bands. We continued working with Chris throughout the years after At the Bottom was released. He helped get us onto iTunes and into other online outlets. Additionally, he helped us release two music videos. One for At the Bottom and another for Population Zero. They both proved to be very successful. All in all, Chris has played an important role in launching our careers and we thank him for that.

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

A few weeks ago we broke 2000 likes on Facebook and we had a contest for some free Merch. I ended up shipping the stuff to the Yukon. We've also had some fans online contact us from Europe, from Sweden, Australia and Brazil. It seems  through a beautiful thing called the Internet, a lot of people are hearing our music and really digging it. 

9. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line up?

There aren't any other side projects currently. Given how busy we are right now,  I doubt there will be any.  We are all very focused right now on pushing this record and gaining more exposure.

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

For our next release you can expect,  every aspect of the record, of the show, and of the band in general to be stepped up.  That is what this is all about and by the time we release another record we are going to be quite a different band. We will have a lot more experience which will definitely affect which direction our sound chooses to go in.

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

We have been influenced quite a bit by bands like In Flames, Soilwork, Slipknot and Tool. Some music you'd be likely to hear in our tour van would be: Avenged Sevenfold, Steel Panther, Whitechapel, Born of Osiris, and Mars Volta. Also, with increasing popularity.... the Joe Rogan Experience! 

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

Other than family and friends my interests pretty much revolve around music. I built a recording studio in my basement and find myself spending any spare time I have there. Recently, I've been building a whole bunch of bass traps and high-frequency absorders for my studio so that I can start mixing. This will be my secondary income once this transition into part-time and full-time touring does take place. It's going to be a dream come true.


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

Thanks very much for your interest in the band. I had a lot of fun writing this interview and I'll catch up with you next time!!!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Odium/Burning The Bridges To Nowhere/Year of The Sun/2012 CD Review


  Odium  are  a  band  from  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  melodic  death  metal  and  hardcore with  a  blackened  edge  and  this  is  a review  of their  2012  album  "Burning  The  Bridges  To  Nowhere"  which  was  released  by  Year  Of  The  Sun.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  some  blast  beats  being t hrown  into  the  music  at  times,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing t hat  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  as  for  the  synths  when  they  are  utilized  they  have  a  very  dark,  symphonic  and  atmospheric  sound  to  them.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  melodic  death  metal  riffs  that  combine  hardcore  as  well  as  some  blackened  death  metal  in  the  riffing  along  with  a  brief  use  of  soft  and  lean  playing,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  melodic  sounding  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  range  from  deep  death  metal  growls, melodic  death  metal  screams,  hardcore  style  yelling  and  clean  singing,  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  hateful  and  everyday  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Odium  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  of  melodic  death  metal  and  hardcore  and if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style  of  music,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Burning  The  Bridges  To  Nowhere"  "Viral  By  Nature"  "A  Ghost  Upstairs"  and  "No  Way  Out".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Solvarg/Res Cogitans/2011 EP Review


  Solvarg  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  on  this  recording  that  I  would  describe  as  being  modern  day  neo  classical  music  and  this  is  a  review  of their  self  released  2011  ep  "Res  Cogitans".

  Synths  are  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  symphonic  sounding  expanding  more  on  the  neo  classical  elements  that  where  present  on  the  last  release,  while  the  drum  programming  has  a  very  militant  sound  to  it.

  Vocals  and  songwriting  are  all  absent  from  this  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while the  song  titles  are  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a very  strong  and  powerful  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Solvarg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  modern  day  neo  classical  music,  you should  check  this  ep  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Qui  vivra  verra".  RECOMMENDED.

https://solvarg.bandcamp.com/
  

Solvarg/Opus. I - Eutyfron/2011 Album Review


  Solvarg  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that  combines  neo  classical  music  with  dark  ambient and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released 2011  album "Opus.  I  -  Eutyon".

  Synths  are  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  combining  neo  classical  with  dark  ambient  while  having  the  music  focus  on  the  former  as  opposed  to  the  later  with  more  symphonic  elements  and  shorter  songs  than  the  previous  recordings  in  addition  their  are  some  new  wave  lements  being  utilized  on  the  bonus  tracks,  while  the  drum  programming  brings  a  militant  sound  to  the  music.

  Vocals  and  songwriting  are  all  absent  from  this  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while the  song  titles  are  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a v ery  strong  and  powerful  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  recording  from  Solvarg  that  is  more  symphonic  and  more  neo-classical  influenced  than  the  previous  recordings  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mvt.  Maestoso"  "Mvt.  Eroico"  and  "Postludium".  RECOMMENDED.

https://solvarg.bandcamp.com/

  

Thanatos Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about the project for those that have never heard of you before?
1. My project started in the late summer of the 2011, when I decided not to continue playing black metal to find some new forms of musical expression. So I’ve begun to show interest in drone-funeral doom and dark ambient: Thanatos was born as a consequence.



2. How would you describe your musical sound?



2. Thanatos’s sound is a dark, gloomy and chilly ambient which’s influenced by bands like Tangerine Dream, Sunn:O))), Vonn, Cult Of Luna for example. Moreover I am trying to integrate elements coming from Psych-rock, prog rock, because they were my first “love”, but also because I would convey the idea of something ever-changing, something that’s not stable.



3.What are some of the themes that you bring out in your music?
3. The most relevant themes you can recognize in my music (in spite of it’s all instrumental) are firstly the relationship between human being and the forced industrialization, solitude, sorrow, decay, depression caused by the lack of meaning in life. Secondly the tracks deal with the well-known lovecraftian universe, but, despite of that someone could believe, he has not weighed so much on my choices when I composed the songs.



4. I know that the project name out out of Greek Mythology, what are your interests in this field?
4. To tell the truth, the name “Thanatos” comes out from Sigmund Freund’s theory. According to him the human beings have two struggling principles in them: one is Love (Eros), the other is Death (Thanatos). For me the latter is stronger: war, suicide, homicide as well as the spreading depression which affects also the young people, show us how much men are bewildered by the modern society. They aren’t able to find an answer, a meaning, a value to fight for. Thanatos, deleting completely the song-writing and providing only atmospheres created by synths or other artificial instruments, wants to portrait this terrible situation. By the way, mythology, especially Scandinavian myths, is one of my interests outside Thanatos.



5. Currently there is only 1 member, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future or do you choose to remain solo?
5. No, I don’t believe I call other musicians to play with me in future. Thanatos was born for being my outlet, so I could not share with anybody my feelings: I’m shy. In addition I can’t stand not to have the full control on what I’m composing.



6. Recently you put out a split album, what are you opinions on the other project that participated?
6. Wear and Tear is an excellent band! I love so much the way Dave depicts his fall-out landscapes and the suffocating atmosphere he’s able to create. It was a great honor to make a split with him!



7. The split album came out on Aggressive Productions, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?
7. Aggressive Productions belongs to Dave from Wear and Tear that I knew on Facebook. One day speaking about our musical projects the idea of making a split came out. Aggressive supported me creating the artwork and printing the physical copies of the album. I am very satisfied with what they done.




8. I see that alot of the songs are based around Lovecraft's writings, what is it that interested you about this author and do you read any other authors?
8. H.P. Lovecraft is an underestimated novelist: he was able to forecast what it would happen during the second half of the XX century. Men are afraid and in many case lost, without the belief in one superior being that could give to them a certitude. Lovecraft understood this issue, picturing in his “morbid” tales so it comes naturally that I’ve chosen him as a fil-rouge to collect all my tracks. By the way I read everything I find: T.S. Eliot, Thoreau, Waldo Emerson, Marx, as well as Leopardi or Ungaretti.



9. Are there any other musical projects besides this one or is this full time?
9. Thanatos is and it will be my only musical project, notwithstanding I wish to have time to follow other acts.


10. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
10. Well, I guess the next Thanatos’s releases probably deal with the same elements I’ve previously described. Indeed three new tracks are almost ready to see the day light. Maybe I could say they are a little bit more experimental, but all in all, they don’t seem to be so different from what I’ve composed so far. During summer I’ll work on an EP, for sure, and on one or two split album. One of this could involve Silent Carrion. It’s a just an hypothesis, nothing more.


11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
11. Mmh…this a difficult question. I grow up listening Scandinavian black and death metal as well dedicating myself to progressive rock, blues, krautrock, folk music et cetera. It’s strange I end up to play drone or dark ambient! However while I was composing “Everything was destroyed, the end is near”, I was listening to Neurosis, Cult Of Luna, Monarch. Besides I am also a reviewer therefore I come in contact with myriad of musical styles that I could be influenced by them without being aware of it! Nowadays I’m very into what post-rock ensemble’re doing: they are the future of the music. On the contrary I don’t care a damn of nu-metal or alternative metal. It’s genre born from mainstream view of the world!


12. How would you describe your views on Occultism?
12. My vision in Occultism? I am very fascinated by the cults of Nature for example, or by paganism as well as celtic religion. But, to be honest, I don’t like magic or something like that: I don’t believe neither in spells nor in divination, but in the ancient spirits who live in the woods or upon a river, some manifestations of the indictable life of Nature. Men has nothing to deal with genuine occultism.

13. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of dark ambient?
13. Thanatos is not known outside Italy, so I can’t tell to you how, on a worldwide level, people have react to my work.


14. Outside of music what are some of your interests?
14. Outside the music I am a common dude: I come out with my friends, I practice sport like football and jogging, nothing special. But also when I am not putting myself in Thanatos’s shoes I am searching in what’re happening to me a mood, an atmosphere, an idea I can use for the project.



15. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
15. Thank you for showing interest in Thanatos.





 
 
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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Solvarg/Ars ok fridar/2009 Album Review


  Solvarg  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  a  musical  style  that combines  neo-classical  music  with  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2009  album "Ars  ok  fridar.

  Synths  are  very  dark and  atmospheric  sounding  combining  musical  influences  from  ambient  and  neo  classical  music  with  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  a  variety  of  many  different  musical  keys  being  added  to  the  music,  while  the  drum  programming  brings a  very  minimalism  sound  to  the  music, a s  for  the  sound  effects  which  are  utilized  on  the  last  song  they  bring  drone  elements  to  the  music.

  Vocals  and  songwriting  are  all  absent  from t his  recording  with  the  musical  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  song  titles  are  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound

  In  my  opinion  this  is another  great  recording  from  Solvarg  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical  music,  you  should  check  this  album  out.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skoge  Barn"  and  "Sangen  om  Solvarg  II".  RECOMMENDED.

https://solvarg.bandcamp.com/

Solvarg/1087/2009 Album Review


  Solvarg  are  a  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2009 album  "!087".

  Synths  are  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  combining  influences  from  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical  music  with  a  variety  of  many  different  musical  keys,  while  the  drum  programming  brings  a  minimalist  sound  to  the  music.

  Vocals  when  they  are  utilized  are  spoken  word  samples  dealing  with  serial  killers,  while  the  song  titles  are  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  themes,  as  for  the  production it  has  a  very  dark,  strong,  and  powerful  sound.

  In  my  opinion  Solvarg  are  a  very  great  sounding  hybrid  and  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style  of  music,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I  Ett  Ansikte"  "Mordad"  and  "Tomhet".  RECOMMENDED.

https://solvarg.bandcamp.com/

Saur Mass-Auditory Dark Matter/Kalpamantra/2011 Compilation Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  compilation  called  "Saur  Mass-Auditory  Dark  Matter"  which  was  released  by  Kalpamantra  during  the  year  of  2011  and  we  will  review  the  songs  one  by  one.

  Starting  off  the  compilation  is  Visions  with  "Vacuum"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Phelios  with "Outworld"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  avant  garde  sounding  soundscpaes  as  well  as  some  tribal  style  percussion.

  Next  up  is  Terra  Sancta  with  "Genesis"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  experimental  and  avant  garde  soundings  as  well  as  some  atmospheric  parts.

  Next  up  is  Kammerheit  with  "Landfall"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  dark  ambient  song  with  drone  soundscapes.

   Next  up  is  Troum  with  "Segeler  /SAIWS"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song  that  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  soundscapes.

  Next  up  is  Allseits with  "Deadline"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  avant  garde,  experimental  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Rasalhague  with  "Ganymede"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Vestigial  with  "Pale  Statues  Of  Nowhere"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  ambient  drone  song  with  experimental  soundscapes.

  Next  up  is  Contemptus  Mundi  with  "Seven  Gates  of  Death  (Yaldabaoth)"  a  veryn  long  and  epic  in  length  occult  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Lamia  Vox  with  "Enemy  Of  Heaven"  a  very  dark,  atmospheric  and  occult  sounding  ambient  drone  song  with  some  spoken  word  samples  and  drum  programming.

  Next  up  is  Atrium  Carceri  with  "The  Long  Walk"  a  very  dark  sounding  ambient  drone  song  that  is  alot  shorter  than  the  previous ones  mentioned.

  Next  up  is  Atum  with  "Der  Wille  I"  a  dark  ambient  done  song  that  startsoff  being  very  silent  and  gets  louder  as  the  song  progresses  more.

  Next  up  is  Phragments  and  Atranenia  with  "Evenfall"  a  very  atmospheric,  long  in  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Psychomanteum  with  "The  Existential  Collapse  And  Rebirth'  another  very  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Inner  Vision  Laboratory  with  "Through  The  Shapeless  Borderline"  another  very  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  esoteric  and  new  age  music  elements.

  Next  up  is  Aythis  with  "In  The  Sleep  Of  Haze"  a  very  very  dark  ambient  song  that  utilizes  some  depressive  sounding  synths  and  clean singing  female  vocals.

  Next  up  is  Instinct  Primal  with  "Black  Soil"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Sleep Clinic  with  "Counterbalance"  a s ong  that  combines  dark  ambient  drone  with  experimental  and noise  music.

  Next  up  is  Unknown  Vistae  with  "What  Has  Found  Us?"  a  dark  ambinet  drone  song  that  utilizes  some  drum  programming  and  atmospheric  parts.

  Next  up  is  Nebulosation  with  "Claustrophobia"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  ambient  drone  song  with  some  militant  drum  programming  and  atmospheric  synths.

  Next  up  is  Igneous  Flame  with  "Fire  In  The  Sky"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  ambient  drone  song  that  combines  synths  with  soundscapes.

  Next  up  is  Siddhartha  Barnhorn  with  "Oceans"  another  atmospheric  and  dark  sounding  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  First  Human  Ferro  with  "Particles  of God"  a  very  short  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Klver  with  "Solm"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  ambient  drone  song  with  some  experimental  soundscapes  along  with  a  brief  use  of  tribal  drumming.

  Next  up  is  Tabor  Radosti  with  "Divinorum  (Salvia  Remix)"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  ritualistic ambient  song  with  some  demonic  spoken  word  parts.

  Next  up  is  Phaenon  with  "Mind  Diving"  a v ery  long  and  epic  in length  avant  garde  experimental  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Vladimir  Hirsch  with  "Iscariot"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song  that  utilizes  some  spoken  word  parts  and  influences  from  experimental  music.

  Next  up  is  Shrine  with  "Rapture"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  ambient  song  with  drone soundscapes  in  the  background  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  samples.

  Next  up  is  Tears  of  Nature  with  "The  Spirit  Box"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  avant  garde  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Dead.Circuit  with  "Drawn  Into  The  Solar  Vortex"  a  very  short  and  avant  garde  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Girney  Giesmes  with  "Brandinta  Kupole"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  experimental  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  atmospheric  elements.

  Next  up  is  Worms  Of  The  Earth  with  "Sealed  Within  An  Earthen  Tomb"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Mystified  with  "Kanya"  a  very  short  and  atmospheric  dark  ambient  song  with  drum  programming.

  Next  up  is  Plague  Machinery  with  "Anti-Clockwise  Rotation"  a  very  experimental  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Brighter  Death  Now  with  "There  Is  Nothing  Left  in  This  World'  a  very  sounding  harsh  noise  song  with  some  distorted  growls  and  spoken  word  samples.

  Next  up  is  Nox  210  with  "Bipolar  Psychoalchemy"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  hrybid  of  occult  noise  and  ambient.

  Next  up  is  Staruha  Ma  with  "Wheel  of  The  Year"  a  very  experimental  hybrid  and  industrial  and  dark  ambient.

  Next  up  is  Emme  Ya  with  "Astron-Ophis  (The  Star  And  The  Serpent)"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  ritualistic  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  tribal  drumming  along  with  some  ethnic  sounding  musical  instruments  that  gives  the  song  a  shamanistic  feeling.

  Next  up  is  Tapephobia  with  "Mourning  Over  Something  That  Is  Lost"  a  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  experimental  elements.

  Next  up  is  Whispers  Of  Ghosts  with  "There  Is  No  Silence  In  death"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  NecronoiZ  with  "Anitya"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  song  that  mixes in  elements  of  industrial  music.

  Next  up  is  Akoustik Timbre  Frkeuncy  with  "AvhAna"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  ritualistic  occult  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Treha  Sektori  with  "Devehassiah  Entrestereh"  a  very  short  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up is  Nagaul  Art  with  "The  Gate"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  ambient  drone  song with  some  shamanistic  female  vocals  and  a  dark atmosphere.

  Next  up  is  Aural  Whiteout  with  "Boiling  Inside  (Part  II)"  a  very  short  dark  ambient  song  with  drone  soundscapes  and  spoken  word  samples.

  Next  is  Sumornost  with  "I  Give  You  Unto  The  Earth  And  Time".  a  very  atmospheric  and  dark  sounding  ambient  song.

  Next  up  is  Tapage  And  Espoir  with  "One  Limited  Cheap  Swine"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Joran  Laperre  with  "Sterebellen"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Letum  with  "A  Scent  Of  A  Tear  (Irritant  Remix)"  a  song  that  combines  dark  ambient  with  industrial.

  Next  up  is  Arronax  And  Weedran  with  "Acid  Sunshine"  another  song  that  combines  dark  ambient  with  industrial.

  Next  up  is  False  Mirror  with  "Prayer  To  Broken  Stones"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone song.

  Next  up  is  Chrysopee  with  "Uni-Vert-Sel"  a  very  nature  orientated  dark  ambient  song  with  a  great  amount  of  atmosphere.

  Next  up  is  Coph'Antae  Tryr  with  "Wvyart"  a  very  dark  and  atmospheric  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  a  symphonic  edge.

  Next  up  is  Geodesic  with  "Gedankenexperiment"  a  song  that  combines  dark ambient  drone  with  atmospheric  and  industrial  music.

  Next  up  is  New  Risen  Throne  with  "Hive"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  experimental  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  some  noise  music  elements.

  Next  up  is  E.V.P  with  "Sky  Ritual"  a  very  ritualistic  and  occult  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song  that  utilizes  some  acoustic  guitars  and  chants.

  Next  up  is  Wasteland  Transmissions  with  "Ghosts  In  The  Machine"  a  very  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  ambient  drone  song  with  some  spoken  word  samples.

  Next  up  is  Aidan  Baker  with  "Fever  Dreams"  a  very  dark  sounding  ambient  song  with  acoustic  guitars  being utilized.

  Next  up  is  Mytrip  with  "Mother  Worm"  another  long  and  epic  in  length  avant  garde  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Hoyland  with  Cthulhu  Rising  (Demo  Vision)"  a  very  long  and  epic  in  length  ritualistic  occult  dark  ambient  song  with  neo-classical  elements.

  Next  up is  Bisclaveret  with  "I'm  Insane  In...(Gods  Bow  Remix)"  a  song  that  mixes  dark  ambient  with  experimental  and  industrial  music.

  Next  up  is  Topografia  with  "Genius  Loci  II"  a  long  and  epic  in  length  avant  garde  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Deorsum  Fluens  with  "Gleaming  Are  The  Unseen  Structures"  a  dark  ambient  drone song  that  is  under  5  minutes.

  Next  up  is  Dead  Frail  Honesty  with  "Goria  Battlehead"  a  very  experimental  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  distorted  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  screams  that  have  an  industrial black  metal  feeling  to  them.

  Next  up  is  Tohu  Va  Vohu  with  "October"  another  long  and  epic  in  length dark  ambient  drone  song  with  neo  classical  music  elements.

  Next  up  is  Serum  Fantis  with  "Night  Gaunts  I"  a  very  dark  sounding  ambient  drone  song  with  some  new  age  style  chanting  along  with  some  avant  garde  soundscapes.

  Next  up  is  Bad  Sector  with  "2011-08-31T22:31:12+0:1:00  DONE"  a  very  short  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  spoken  word  parts.

  Next  up  is  Kristoffer  Nystroms  Orkester  with  "The  Red  Room"  a  song  that  mixes  dark  ambient  drone  with  industrial  and  noise.

  Next  up is  Electric  Uranus  with  "She  Goat  Lost"  a very  experimental  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song  with  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some  noise  music  elements.

  Next  up  is  Stuzha  with  "Lost  In  Catocombs  II"  a  very  ritualistic  sounding  dark  ambient  drone  song.

  Next  up  is  Akrabu  with  "Before  Time  Was  Written"  a  very  Middle  Eastern  orientated  folk  music  song.

  Closing  the  compilation  is  J.  Orphic  with  "In  The  Beginning"  avery  dark  and  avant  garde  sounding  neo-folk  music  song  with  spoken  word  samples.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  great  compilation  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  dark  ambient,  experimental,  ritual,  noise,  neo-classical  and  neo-folk  music.  RECOMMENDED.

https://kalpamantra.bandcamp.com/album/saur-maas

  

Taphephobia Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the project these days?

At the moment I am waiting for the 5th Taphephobia release to come out. I hope it will be out soon since the music has been finished for a long time ago and the coverart is also ready. And lately Kalpamantra releases a  4*split cd. The other projects on this split besides Taphephobia are Cogwheel, Rasalhague and Psychomanteum. The split is called ”The unreality of time”.
I am also working on 7 new songs. I don`t know how many of them will be on a future album, split or whatever. Time will tell.

2.   How would you describe the musical sound of the newer material and how it differs from previous recordings?

The songs on the S/T album are very much in the same vein as Black city skyline and Access to a world of pain. I will say that there is more variation than on these mentioned albums. It is an album with 6 songs which are very much different from each other.


3.   What are some of the themes that you bring out in your music?

On the S/T album I have two songs about serial-killers (Cult & Entering the woods, green river) Middle of the night is about insomnia, Butterflies with needles is like lovely butterflies in the stomach meet Freddy Krueger.  The garden of fire is about erasing something, like memories from the past or something concrete in the present. It`s up to the listener to decide. Now it`s dark enough is a tribute to the beautiful silence of night. the wonderful feelings you get when you are the only person walking on these dark streets. Sometimes when I have these trips,  I fantasize about being the last person alive. I`m so tired of noisy people and cars.



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

The name of the project is simple: the phobia about being buried alive. I think this is something everyone is afraid of. I remember listening to the song Buried alive by the metal band Venom. It gave me the chills, and I could picture how terrible it would be to be buried alive haha

5.   Have you done any live shows with project or is this strictly a studio project?

Some live shows here in Trondheim. I played here 3 times. Blåsvart aften I, II and IV, ambient events presented by Jan R of Svartsinn. And I was on a tour with Northaunt and Svartsinn in East-Europe 3 years ago. Great tour, Met a lot of great people on this tour, including the woman I am living with now J. We were  playing in Dresden, Prague, Bratislava and Budapest. I will likeably play on a festival called Støy på landet (this means approx. ”Noise on the countryside”) in July. I have to decide soon. It`s still not decided where it exactly will take place in Trøndelag. Somewhere on the countryside.

6.   On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to this project by fans of experimental and dark ambient music?

You don`t get rich by making ambient music, so nice words from the fans of the music is almost the only thing you get. And that is great, especially when someone tells me that this song or cd changed their life. Anyway, all feedback is good.  It`s hard for me to say how  many people listen to it though, I think that there are a lot of people who haven´t discovered it yet. For sure.

7.   Are there any other projects besides this one or is this full time?
I al 
I al Also have a sideproject called Mulm with members of Northaunt and Avsky. The feedback so far has been mindblowing, some say they have not heard such a great dark ambient release for a very long time. I also have a black ambient project called Aural Whiteout. It`s not a very active project, I am not often in that mood.

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

I can only talk about the new songs I am actually working on. I will say that is a bit far out to be called dark ambient. The guitarsound is more clean. There are less sound-manipulation and more melody in the music (if melody is the right word?)
I think this is the direction I am aiming for, but things can change. It is very difficult to plan things like this, is better to let the mood and taste of music decide. The only thing I can say is that my style of playing will be the same, the characteristic sound of Taphephobia will not change.

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

I listen to everything from pop music like Radiohead to grindcore like Carcass, It`s a bit hard for me to say how many projects there are that inspire me a lot. But I think Ulver, Robert Rich and Hammock are my main inspirations at the moment.  When I make music I`ll never aim to sound like a certain project. If it happened, it is in most cases an accident. Sometimes I can read in reviews or comments that ”Taphephobia sounds a bit like this project..or that project”, and I never even heard about the mentioned project. Funny, but strange.

10. Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Occultism inspires me, that is all I can say. Just listen to songs like ”In the moonlight” and ”Black cloud” and you will hear what I mean.

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

Getting drunk with friends and watching a lot of movies. And I have healthier hobbies as well, like walking in the woods. It makes me feel free. 

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

Thanks for the interview. And to the people out there I would like to say: check out Taphephobia and Mulm, to see if you like it. If you have no experiences with ambient, take some time to discover this unique genre. This is not commercial or ”easy-to-digest” music.

Support the underground where real music lives. 

https://soundcloud.com/taphephobia