Friday, February 28, 2014

Tonttu/Nekrognomekon/Panicmachine/2013 CD Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Tonttu  which  continues  their  martial,  industrial,  neo-folk,  metal  sound  with  the  album  being  released  by  Panicmachine  in  2013  and  called  "Nekrognomekon".

   The  album  starts  out  with  distorted  loops  before  adding  in  acoustic  guitars  and  a  more  neo  folk  sound  and  after  the  intro  symphonic  and  classical  elements  are  brought  into  the  recording  along  with  samples  and  spoken  word  parts  which  also  leads  up  to  militant  drumming.

  As  the  album  continues  the  music  starts  bringing  in  more  traces  of  experimental  and  industrial  music  and  as  time  goes on  by  guitar  riffs  solos  are  brought  into  the  music  and  the  album s tarts  having  a  more  atmospheric  metal  feeling  to  it  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  and  goes  into  a  more  black  metal  direction  which  also  comes  out  in  the  vocals  at  times  and  they  never  stray  too  far  away  from  the  neo  folk  sound  as  well  as  bringing  in  melodic  vocals  at  times  and  the  last  few  tracks  have  more  traces  of  electronic  music.  
  
With  this  album  Tonttu  continue  their  neo  folk  sound  while  also  having  more  industrial  and  black  metal  influences  this  time  around  and  all  of  the  music  has  a  very  original  sound  on   this  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  diversity.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  gnomes,  occultism  and  Lovecraft  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  dark  and  powerful  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length,.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Tonttu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  metal,  industrial  and  neo  folk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Suurin Petos"  "Taisteluni"  and  "Saunatoni".  8  out  of  10.

 http://digital.panicmachine.com/album/nekrognomekon

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Tonttu/Anti​-​Gnomen Divisionen 4 (Mastering the fine art of gnome eradication)/Panicmachine/2014 CD Review


  Tonttu  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  neo-folk  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Anti-Gnomen  Divisionen  4  (Mastering  the  fine  art  of  gnome  eradication"  which  was  released  by  Panicmachine.

  The  album  starts  out  with  an  intro  which  uses acoustic  guitars  and  brings  in  a  neo  folk  sound  along  with  other  folk  instruments  and  after  the  intro  am  radio  sounds  are  brought  in  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  the  music  goes  into  a  more  martial  and  medieval  direction  along  with  spoken  word  parts  and  after  a  few  minutes  melodic  pagan  chanting  is  added  into  the  recording.

  On  the  following  track  the  music  starts  adding  in  more  classical  influences  and  mixes  it  with  their  neo  folk  sound  and  on  the  5th  song  metal  and  industrial  sounds  are  finally  brought  into  the  music  and  the  music  has  a  ritualistic  feeling  to  it.

   Tonttu  creates  a  very  original sound  with  their  music  and  the  songs  are  very  experimental  with  traces  of  metal,  industrial,  neo  folk,  classical  and  martial  music  can  be  heard  through  the  6  songs  that  are  displayed  on  this  album.

  Song  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  gnomes  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  powerful  and  dark  sound  along  with  one of  the  tracks  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Tonttu  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde,  experimental  neo  folk  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "TONTTU"  and  "Jalkiruoka".  8  out  of  10.  

http://digital.panicmachine.com/album/anti-gnomen-divisionen-4-mastering-the-fine-art-of-gnome-eradication       

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Coltsblood/Into The Unfathomable Abyss/Candlelight Records/2014 CD Review


  Coltsblood  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  that  plays  a  mixture  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  sludge  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Into  The  unfathomable  Abyss"  which  will  be  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  dark  and  distorted  sound  along  with  drums  as  well  as  some  screams  in  the  background  and  after  the  intro  the  music  goes  into  a  more  heavy  funeral  doom  metal  direction  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  sludge  style  screams  make  their  way  into  the  music  and  after  awhile  dark  sounding  melodies  become  a  part  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  continues  death  and  black  metal  vocals  also  start  making  their  way  into  the  music  along  with  a  small  amount  of  guitar  leads  an d they  also  bring  in  a  very  fast  song  bordering  on  black  metal  and  crust  along  with  brutal  blast  beats  before  returning  to  a  slower  and  doomier  sound  while  also  speeding  up  again  in  certain sections  of  the  record.

  With  this  album  Coltsblood  continue  their  mixture  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  sludge  while  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  fast  parts  as  well  as  a  small  dose  of  black  metal  this  time  around  and  this  is  a  very  dark  and  heavy  sounding  recording  and  I  see  this  being  one  of  the  big  highlights  for  doom  metal  in  2014.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  myths,  legends,  history,  death  and  the  human  mind,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy,  dark  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  most  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  from  Coltsblood  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  sludge,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blood"  "Grievous  Molestation"  and  "Return  To  The  Lake  Of  Madness".  8/5  out  of  10.  

www.facebook.com/coltsblood


  

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Nors'Klh Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Since the last album? Nothing good really (...) in between scrap album and musical project. I have lost a tremendous amount of time for absolutely nothing. I am very unsatisfied and critic when it come to my work. I can write and compose for week's, to finally erase it all on a whim! Two and a half album and also tree others musical project have been put to there a end. Beyond that, i am currently composing a original sound track for the tabletop RPG Millevaux whit the help of Ruin from "Loki Fun Lilith" and Klver, two experimental dark ambient french artist. I also work for media of all sorts (publicity, TV...). Slowly, at my own pace, i am trying to make room for myself in the video game industry. Although i don't honestly think i have the patience to go all the way with this industry full of delusion and idiots, and i am a stubborn bastard!

2.You have a new album coming out in the fall, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction it has taken and also how does it differ from your past recordings?
Yes, i am supposed to release a new album (ATLAS) at the end of the year. But as i previously said, this work, like any other before it, is far from being shelter from a musical genocide. As for the artistic direction, compared to my last work, i have opted for a more uncanny and martial/orchestral approach with a little pinch of drone. further more, inspiration coming from motion picture soundtrack might be seemingly more present. for the time being, that all i have to say about it, it is in a early stage of gestation.

3.What are some of the themes and concepts you bring out with your music?
There is no grandiose philosophical ideal behind Nors'klh. No particular dogma or political believe, just fiction and imagination The theme is very simple: the destruction of the universe by a gigantic sprawling living celestial object, being that is, who is full of schizophrenic thoughts and desire to re-create space and time to its own liking. My work must be see a movie without image (for the time being). Each of them (apart from ANT) depict a part of that tale. There is also, of course, a lot of personal felling infuse in this endeavor. I tell you more about that in my answer to your next question.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nors'Klh'?
Nors'klh is born about 10 years ago from a violent bad trip at that time, i was disturbed, i was taking a lot of drug and was over drinking. I was literally becoming paranoid and schizophrenic. One night, i toke more that i can handle, and i saw this (...) Thing (...) this huge mountain right in front of me. His tentacles reaching for the stars. A sandstorm was burning my eyes but i could see it! I was frighten like hell. During the time i was senseless, a ghastly and cavernous voice coming from that mountain scream a word? A name? Nors'Klh, it was so weird. The morning come and that vision have shape my work the way it is now. Before that i was composing more extreme and noisy industrial stuff, with machinery sound. I didn't really know how to translate that word, i probably could have write it in hundred other way. I chose the more graphic and unpleasant way to pronounce it! I have stop taking drugs and i barely drink now a day, but i still can see that Mountain.

5.Has the band done any live shows or is this strictly a studio project?
No concert. Nors'Klh is my own egoistic studio project.

6.According to the fb page, the band is signed to Alchemic Sound Museum, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Alchemic Sound Museum is my own label with Ruin and Klver. Before that it was a label from Quebec owned by my friend V.V. Anxietas. He generously sell us is creation. So yeah, the contract was easy going, thank you. But i should have read more carefully the small character (...) Joking apart, til that, all my work was free download release, it was working well, my music got downloaded more than i expected, but i wanted to go to the next step, with a release on a CD. I look for a Label capable to produce my work. I got few offer, but nothing came to fruition. When me and my colleague got our hand on ASM, i took the opportunity to make our first production a Nors Klh Album. That way i could have full control over the final result.

7.A few years back you put out a split album with NauseA, what are your thoughts on the other band that participated on the recording?
The Split with NauseA is one of my best memory. I am a fan of the shadowy and depressive sound of Jacek (the man behind NauseA) So, of course, the proposition was trilling me. Although he doesn't know, i own him a lot. Is one of those artist who give me the desire to hold-on to my delirium. I sincerely regret the fact that he have stopped make music. Is sensitiveness and is art is something missing from the underground and i don't think i am the only one thinking this.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of dark ambient and industrial?
I don't have any idea! I have few hard-on fan who are closely following my work and giving me support. But "Worldwide" seems far fetch for me, i mean, i am in the underground underground. Scratch more, and you will see me reach the core of the earth. 

9.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I listen to absolutely all. Rap, hip hop, rock, electro ... obscure underground chinese band, german, mainstream music. My ears can be find anywhere. But i have more affinity with metal, i don't try to hide it. I am a kind of a newbie in therm of Martial / experimental and dark ambient music. What bring me to new horizon musically are the other artists and groups with whom I sail on the sea of underground music. To close that subject, something that may seem odd, my own music is inspired by a french artist call William Sheller (the track "Toholl" especially ), this as nothing to do with my own sounding, but without him. Nors'Klh would in a different form.

10.How would you describe your views on Occultism?
My angle of view on the occult topic... A endlessly vast question, i don't really like to tackle. To make it brief, i am a ex lavey satanic doctrine follower. My inner self being chaotic and schizophrenic, my belief tend to be not be consistent, start and stop believing at will ( disturbing pace.)

11.Do you have any non musical interests?
I have all sort of non musical interest: my wife and my child! beside that, i paint and draws some comics. I have also slowly begins to look into computer assisted animation, and of course, i am a big geek and proud of it.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Of course, i thankful to you, to gave me the opportunity to share with you. This was a great pleasure. I also like to use this opportunity to thank "Le Piment Noir" (My ex graphic designer and musical genius.) This little fool to who i owe a lot, and is doing my musical education, and to my two accomplice Ruins and Marionita Paige with who i work from time to time.

https://norsklh.bandcamp.com/

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Blitzkrieg Baby/Kids World/Belatn/2014 EP Review


  Blitzkrieg  Baby  are  a  band  from  Norway  that h as  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  with  the  musical  style  on  the  new  recording  being  a  mixture  of  industrial,  electronic  pop,  and  neo-classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  ep  "Kids  World"  which  was  released  by  Belatan.

  The  ep  starts  out  with a  dark  avant  garde  sound  along  with  industrial  beats  and  synths  as  well  as vocals  that  border  on  black  metal  before  adding  in  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  singing  and  they  have  a  more  underground  industrial  feeling  this  time  around.

   As   the ep  continues  the  music  gets  more  dark  and  experimental  as  well  as  bringing  in  neo  classical  sounds  along  with  some  electronic  pop  as  well  as  a  militant  feeling  and  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  they  bring  in  traces  of  noise  music  without  having  the  harsher  elements.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  political  and  corruption  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  dark  and  raw  sound  to  it  that  has  an  early  80's  industrial  feeling  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Blitzkrieg  baby  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  the  more  darker  and  underground  forms  of  industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Kids  World"  "Those  they  Could  not  Fuck,  They  Killed"  "Incinerator  Symphony  1"  and  "Your  happy  Place".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJBbQ-8DOEU

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Illusions Play/The Fading Light/Fono Ltd/2014 CD Review


  Illusions  Play  are  a  band  from  Turkey  that  plays  a  very  symphonic  form  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is   a  review  of  their  2014  album  "The  Fading  Light"  which  was  released  by  Fono  Ltd.

  The  album  starts out  with  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  synths  which  also  bring  in  a  very  tragic  feeling  as  well  as  bringing  in  melodic  leads  and  programmed  drums  along  with  melodic  female  vocals  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  and  adding  in  death  metal  vocals  and  after  awhile  violins  and  whispers  find  their  way  on  to  the  recording.

  As  the  album  continues  it  sticks  to  a  very  tragic  funeral  doom  sound  while  also  being  a  bit  more  symphonic  than  most  bands  of  this  genre  as  well  as  adding  in  spoken  word  parts  and  melodic  male  vocals  which  also  leads  to  the  guitars  bringing  in  melody to  their  heavy  riffing  and  at  time s you  can  also  hear  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars.

  You  can  hear  a  great  amount  of  atmosphere  and  darkness  with  this  album  and  the  way  Illusions  Play  mixes  funeral  doom  metal  and  symphonic  music  is  a  bit  different  for  this  genre  but  they  still  have  a  great  amount  of  heaviness,  sorrow  and  melody.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  depressive  and  poetic  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  along  with  all  of  the  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  Illusions  Play  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  funeral  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "When  My  Ashes  Touch  The  Sun"  and  "Ablend  Lyfthelm".  8/5  out  of  10.

Bandcamp
Facebook
VKontakte
       

Monday, February 3, 2014

Helen Money/Arriving Angels/Corpseflower Records/2014 CD Re-issue Review


  Helen  Money  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  form  of  music  with  elements  of  doom  metal,  post  punk  and  noise  rock  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2013  album  "Arriving  Angels"  which  was  released  by  Corpseflower  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  very  dark  sound  along  with  drones  and  a  couple  of  minutes  later  heavy  guitars  make  their  way  into  the  music  and  bring  in  a  post  doom  metal  sound  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  continues  it  goes  fro  a  very  original  sounding  ambient  doom  metal  direction  along  with  electronic  violins  being  the  lead  instrument  as  well  a s being  as  heavy  as  a  guitar  as  well  as  bringing  in  tribal  sounding  drums  as  well  as  bringing  in  cellos  and  influences  from  early  20th  century  avant  garde  music.

  With  this  album  Helen  Money  create  a  sound  that  is  very  hard  to  categorize  while  it  has  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  it  also  has  elements  of  classical,  avant  garde,  noise  rock  and  post  punk  and  with  all  of  these  styles  combined  the  music  ends  up  having  a  very  dark  and  haunting  sound.

  SOng  lyrics  are  absent  from  this  recording  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental,  while  the  production  has  a  very  raw  and  dark  sound  where you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Helen  Money  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental/avant  garde  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rift"  "Radio  Recorders"  and  "Runout".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.corpseflowerrecords.bandcamp.com