Nihilosaur/Icebreaker Hope/2014 EP Review

  Nihilosaur  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  with  some elements  of  black  metal,  avant  garde,  industrial,  psychedelic,  doom  and  sludge and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep "Icebreaker  Hope".

  Industrial  and  ambient  sounds  start  off  the  ep  and  a  minute  later  the  music  starts going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  and  a  few  seconds  alter  deep  and  aggressive  vocals  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  a  touch  of  death  metal  and  the  slower  riffing  is  very  heavily  influenced  by  sludge  and  death  metal.

  At  times  the  vocals  bring  in the  grim  feeling  of  black  metal  and  the  riffs  at  times  also  bring  in the  melody  of  post  hardcore  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  as  the  ep  progresses  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  are  added  into  the  music  while  the  main  focus  remains  on a  very  slow,  dark  and  heavy  sound  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken word  parts

  Nihilosaur  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  focused  on  death  metal  and  hardcore  but  also  mix  in  a  variety  of  many  other  genres  from  black,  doom,  sludge  and  industrial  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes  that  are  inspired  by  Aldous  Huxley,  Koheleth,  Jerzy  Prokopiuk,  and  Lech  Bukowski.

  In  my  opinion  Nihilosaur  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  metal  and  hardcore  with  elements  of  black  metal,  avant  garde,  industrial,  psychedelic,  doom  and  sludge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS    INCLUDE  "Sex  Sex Sex"  and  "The  Monument  Of  Venus".  8  out  of  10.  

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Horrida Vultuum/Sonitus Inferum/2015EP Review

  Horrida Vultuum  are  a  solo  project from  Brazil  that  has  been  featured before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  ritualistic  and  blackened  form of  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self   released  2015  ep  "Sonitus  Inferum.

  A  very  dark  and  occult soundscape  starts  off  the  ep  bringing  in  some  harsh  noise  elements  and  the  song  is  around  27  minutes  in  length  and  also  brings  in  more  of  an  underground  style  of  ambient  and  after   a  few  minutes  drones are  added  into  the  music  and  the  song  starts  having more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  and  the  song  is  all  instrumental.

  Horrida  Vultuum  creates  another  ep  that  is  all  instrumental  and  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  ritualistic  soundscapes  upon  a  dark  ambient,  black  metal  and  noise  influenced  sound  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from Horrida  Vultuum  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of  10.

http://horridavultuum.bandcamp.com/album/sonitus-inferum

II Vuoto/Sea Of Emptiness/2015 Demo Review

  II  Vuoto  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2015  demo   'Sea  Of  Emptiness".

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  doom  metal  direction  that  also  sees  solos  and  leads  being  added  into  the  music  and  after  a  couple  of  minutes  death  metal  growls  make  their  presence  known  on  the  recording  and  after  awhile  clean  playing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recoridng.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  brief  piano  and  violin  instrumental  which  also  makes  the  demo  sound  more  atmospheric  before  the  music  returns  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  last  track  and  the  whole  recording  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  II  Vuoto  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom  metal  that  is  very  heavy,  melodic  and  depressive,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.


  In  my  opinion  II  Vuoto  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom  metal  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  demo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Sea  of  Emptiness".  8  out  of  10.

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Apothecary Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

-We are called Apothecary. We formed around the end of 2012 and we wanted to make some slow, heavy music. For us it was just about getting the people I (Andy) was closest with together to jam. The bands we had played in recently had all dissolved so we wanted to keep the train going in one way or another. Being from Arkansas, you have a lot of musical inspiration surrounding you. So many great bands have been founded here, so its hard to stop once you get started.  

2.So far you have released an ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings?

-We are definitely proud of both releases. We feel the new album takes a turn from the first EP ,in the sense of, It was more of a collaboration between all of us and the EP was just one person writing the songs. We feel we refined the sound a bit more of the full length.  

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

-We are all big fantasy fans (Conan, Star Wars, DnD, ect.) so our lyrics reflect that heavily. The first EP and the full length are actually a connected concept about one persons very long journey. As far as future releases go, there will definitely be more wizard lyrics, haha. 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Apothecary'?

-A close friend of mine named Matt Velte actually gave us the idea for it. Seeing as our lyrics and sound,to some extent,reflect a fantasy world, we wanted a name that you could associate with that. 

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

-We have played a plethora of incredible shows around here. The local scene is not he biggest in the world, but I feel its one of the strongest. One that always comes to mind is playing with a band called Wreck and Reference. Definitely a humbling and crushing experience.    

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

-As of now we have commitments keeping us from leaving the state for too long, but we plan to be on the road as early as the fall. 

7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

-We have been fortunate enough to have received a few offers, but nothing that has struck us hard yet. We are keeping our ears to the ground for sure.  

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

-Fantastic so far. I think we get more attention from outside the US than we do inside, haha. It seems doom is on the upswing once again and people are really enjoying it. 

9.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

-Not really as of now. Andy has a one-man black metal project called Suffer that has been on the back burner, but we really just try to pour all of our creative juices into one project. 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

-We just got the opportunity to record a special Jethro Tull cover for a compilation that is being put together here in Little Rock. We are very excited about that. We are also writing new material for a new release. We are trying to line up a split with another band in the near future. 

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?

-Other than the classic doom guys like Reverend Bizarre, Vitus and Warning we are all really into 60s-70s prog. Bands like Magma and Gentle Giant had a big effect on this last album, but we also are heavily influenced by more recent bands like Swans. 

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

-We all play MMOs and all of that shit that shit that doesn't get us laid, haha. Not much else happens outside of music. 

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

-Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, and thank you to who ever gives us the chance and reads this. It means a lot to us!

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Apothecary/Drifting Towards The Ancients/2015 CD Review

  Apothecary  are  a  band  from  Arkansas  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2015  album  "Drifting  Towards The  Ancients".

  Clean  guitar  playing  starts  off  the  album  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  an  early  90's  influenced  doom/death  metal  direction  along  with  some growling  vocals  and  dark  sounding  melodies  and  the  music  also  brings  in  grim screams  at  times  which  also  gives  the  music  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  all  5  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Clean singing  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  which  also  gives  the  music  a  70's  feeling  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  avant  garde  sounds  and  all  of  the  album  of  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  clean  playing  also  makes  its return  on  some of  the  later  tracks  and  the  whole album  also sticks  to a  very  slow musical  direction.

  Apothecary  plays a style  of  doom/death  metal  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  early  90's  but  also mixes  in  traditional doom  vocals  at  times  along with  some  more  modern  influences  and  a  touch  of  black  metal to  create  a  sound  of  their own,  the  production  sounds  very dark,  heavy  and old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  sorrow,  lost,  and  concept.  

  In  my  opinion  Apothecary  are  a  very  great  sounding  doom/death  metal  band  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dawn  On  Me"  and  "Gamma  Soul".  8  out  of  10.

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Oktor/Another Dimension Of Pain/Solitude Productions/2014 CD Review

  Oktor  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  funeral  doom  metal  with  some  death  metal  and  atmospheric  elements  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2014  album  "Another  Dimension  Of  Pain"  which  was  released  by  Solitude  Productions.

  Classical  music  style  pianos  start  off  the  album  and  after  the  intro  the  music  starts  going  for  more  of  a  heavy  doom  metal  sound  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  depressive  sounding  melodies  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  that  are used  are  deep  death  metal  growls.

  Clean  playing can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording and  a  good portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  some  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  the  pianos  also  make  their  return  at  times  and  there  are also  a  couple  of instrumental  pieces.

  At  times  clean  singing  can  be  heard    and  the  solos  and  leads  that are  utilized  are  very  dark  and  melodic  and  as  the  album  progresses  violins  and  other  stringed instruments  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections of  the  recording  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a great  amount  of  atmosphere  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.   

  Oktor  plays  a  style  of funeral  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  dark,  melodic,  heavy  and  depressive  sounding  and also  mixes  in  a  touch  of  classical,  the production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  pain,  sorrow,  oblivion  and  despair.

  In my  opinion  Oktor a very  great sounding  funeral  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Conscious  Somatoform  Paradise"  "Mental  Paralysis"  and  "Hemiparesis  Of  The  Soul".  8  out  of  10.

Oktor Bandcamp (full streaming) 

Mekigah/Litrost/Aesthetic Death/2014 CD Review

  Mekigah  are  a  solo  project  from  Australia  that  plays  a mixture  of  funeral  doom,  death  metal,  gothic,  dark  ambient  and  drone  with  a touch  of black  metal  and this  is  a  review  of  his  2014  album  "Litost"  which  was  released by  Aesthetic  Death.

 Ambient  style  noises  start  off  the album  along  with  some  soundscapes  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  getting  more  distorted,  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  and  when  guitars  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  primitive  doom  metal  feeling  and  a great  portion of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Synths  are  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  the  vocals  also  bring  in  high  pitched  screams  that  add  element s of  black  metal  onto  the  recording  while  they  mostly  stick  to  a  death  metal  style  of  growling  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a brief  use  of  whispers  and  spoken word  parts  at  times  and  the riffs  also  bring  in  some  melodies  in  a  good  portion  of  the  tracks  and  the songs  also  mix  elements  of  noise  in  with  the guitars  while  later songs also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  cello's  acoustic  guitars  and semi  melodic vocals.

  Mekigah  plays  a  musical  style  that is  mostly  in  an experimental  and  dark  ambient  direction  but  also mixes  in elements  of  funeral  doom,  death  and  black  metal  along  with  a  great  amount of  drones  to  create an  album  that is  very  heavy yet  original at  the  same  time,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy while  the  lyrics cover  death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Mekigah  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of   funeral  doom,  death  metal,  gothic,  dark  ambient  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Sole  Dwelling"  "By  Force Of  Breath"  "Circuitous Revenge"  and  "An  Overbearing  Insanity".  8 out  of  10.

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