Spaghetti Blacc/Carnival Of Redacted Sciences/Blacc Ski Weekend Industries/2019 Full Length Review

  New  York's  Spaghetti  Blacc  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  brings  in  a  mixture  of   classic  metal,  rap,  world  and  electronic  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Carnival  of  Redacted  Sciences"  which  was  released  by  Blacc  Ski  Weekend  Industries.

  Hip  hop  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  rap  style  vocals  a  few  seconds  later.  At  times  the music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Elements  of  ethnic and  world  music  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs  that  are  presented  on  the  recording.  One  track  also  introduces  electronic  music  sounds  and  programmed  beats  into  the  music  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  lot  more  variety  and  as  the  album  progresses  touches  of  ambient  are  also  added  into  the  music.

  Most  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  and  when  guitars  are  finally  added  into  the  music  they  bring  in  more  metal  influences. What  makes  this  album  different  from  previous  releases  is  that  the  harsh  noise  elements  are  absent  from  the  recording  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical, political  and  occult  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Spaghetti  Blacc  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  metal,  rap,  experimental,  world  and  electronic  music,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Location  On"  "Omega  Unorthodox"  "King  Midas"  and  "Distant  Solicitations  Of  Idolatry".  8  out  of  10.

https://spaghettiblacc.bandcamp.com/

    

Ashtoreth/Rites I&II/Cyclic Law/2019 CD Review

  Ashtoreth  is  a  solo  project  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  shamanistic  and  ritualistic mixture  of  ambient,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "Rites  I&II"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Heavy  doom  metal  guitar  riffing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  ritualistic  chants  while  both  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  A  great  amount  of  guitar  orientated  drones  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  some  heavy  amp  distortion.

  Dark  ambient  soundscapes  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  also  give  both  of  the  tracks  more  atmosphere.  Clean  guitars  are  also  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  nature  orientated  field  recordings  also  being  utilized  briefly  towards  the  end  of  the  first  track.

  Throughout  both  of  these  tracks  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  diversity  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  very  shamanistic  sounding  atmosphere  at  times  as  well  as  being  very  meditative  and  minimal  in  its  approach  and  taking  on  a  journey  through  nature.  Most  of  the  music  is  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Ashtoreth  is  a  very  great  sounding  shamanistic  and  ritualistic  mixture  of  ambient,  drone  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  f  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Rite  I".  8  out  of  10.

VIEW ON BANDCAMP   

Dark Awake/Will Of Iron/Heathen Tribes/2018 EP Review

  Greece's  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  neo  folk  and  neo  classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  ep  "Will  of  Iron"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Heathen  Tribes.

  Dark  ambient  style soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  ep  while  the  drum  beats  gives  the  music  more  of  a  militant  and  martial  feeling.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding.  When  clean  vocals  are  utilized  they  add  in  the  atmosphere  of  the WW2  era.

  The  second  track  is  a  cover  of  Bathory's  Song  to  Hall  Up  High"  which  replaces  the  metal  style  with  operatic  female  vocals  and  more  of  a  neo-classical  style  as  well  as  introducing  whispers  onto  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  ritualistic  sounding  along  with  all  of  the  tracks  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.

  As  the  ep  progresses  folk  instruments  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  getting  more  experimental  sounding.  The  ep  also  closes  with  a  cover  of  Lordian  Guard's  Winds  Of  Thor".  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism  and  Occult  Philosophy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  martial,  neo  folk  and  neo  classical,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  'Will  of  Iron"  and  "Libera  Nos  A  Mallo".  8  out  of  10. 

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/will-of-iron 

    

Autumn Tears Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

In addition to promoting the new album as much as possible, we have actually been working on new music for the next album since and even before the release of the new album. We currently have close to 43 minutes of new music composed already. With luck we should have another album ready at the start of 2020 if all goes well.

2.Early this year you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The two major differences are that unlike the earlier music which was more darkwave / gothic influenced and mainly supported with synth based music, the new music is more cinematic / classical in style rooted more in actual composition. The main difference, and this was always one of my goals with Autumn Tears, is that now all the music is recorded with all live classical instruments as opposed to keyboards or sound libraries / VST.

3.Before 2018 you had taken a 10 year hiatus from releasing music, do you feel their has been a lot of changes since then with the way people have changed in the music industry over the years?

Absolutely it has changed dramatically. For one, compact discs sales are nothing like they were 10 years ago. Everything is digital now. When we first started back in 1995, we were able to sell so many CDs back then, and even 10 years ago. Now it's all itunes, spotify, pandora, etc. I realize times change but I guess I'm old school where I still appreciate have the actual physical CD, or better yet, vinyl.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as a songwriter over the years?

The new album, and even the EP "The Origin of Sleep" before that, are part of a larger concept based on the idea of the universe and the birth and of the goddess Gaia. I wanted to write something more meaningful and mature than much of the older, darker themes that were the root on Autumn Tears philosophy back in the 90s. Back then it was more of a trend to try and be as dark and depressing as possible with music, but i'm 48 now and quite happy, and want to touch on concepts that are on a much deeper level. Same goes with the songwriting. I've pent the last 10 years studying music composition so when we finally did make a comeback, the music would be so much more than it had been in the past.

5.I remember in the mid 90's and early 2000's the band would get a lot of press in the metal scene while being of a complete different genre, do you feel their is a lot of similarities between goth, classical and the more darker forms of metal?

I definitely feel there are many similarities and a lot of crossover interest between the genres. Back then (and even still) I was very much into the underground metal scene so I decided to take a chance and promote Autumn Tears in that market. It seems nowadays there are a lot of classical / metal bands so I think they style still fits like a glove. I'm not sure how much of a goth scene there really is anymore compared to the 90s but I know Project records is still around and they were one of the giants of the scene back then.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The cover was painted by an amazing Polish artist that I discovered named Graszka Paulska (https://www.facebook.com/graszkapaulskaart). Her paintings are exquisite and I felt her style was the perfect visual representation for the music. The imagery captures exactly how I want the songs to be represented. Her artwork also graces the cover of the Autumn Tears - Convalescence: A Retrospective Official 2018 compilation CD that was released last year on Dark Vinyl Records.

7.On the new album you worked with 30 different musicians, can you tell us a little bit more about how you went with this process and also do you feel it made the music sound a lot more powerful?

From when I first began Autumn tears in 1995, It had always been my dream and goal to one day use real classical instruments instead of keyboards and sound libraries for the music. Back then it was never really feasible with our humble budget or experience. We slowly started to employ organic instruments for the first time on the 2004 album "Eclipse", with the introduction of woodwinds and Contrabass. Then in 2007 for 'The Hallowing", we added some violins. After our 10 year hiatus, our comeback offering "The Origin of Sleep" was our first fully organic release employing a full string, horn and woodwind section as well as orchestral production. With the new 2019 album "Colors Hidden Within the Gray", we took it a step further by adding some ethnic and world instruments to diversify our sound, yet still retain that cinematic, orchestral feel which is grander and more powerful than any music we have released previously. For example, the song "The Day of Wrath" on the new album has 64 individual instrument tracks, something that we have never attempted before.

8.At one you also ran the 'Dark Symphonies' label,is there anything going on with that label these days?

I actually still run the Dark Symphonies label 24 years later, although now we no longer run a mail order or distro, and we specialize exclusively in classic thrash and death metal reissues on CD, as well and continue to serve as a home for Autumn Tears. In 2009 we opened a sub label - "The Crypt" which specializes exclusively in vinyl reissues of classic metal titles.

9.On a worldwide level how have your long time fans reacted to the musical style that is presented on the new album?

I am extremely thankful that everyone seems to have embraced the new style wholeheartedly from what I have seen and heard so far. Essentially I feel that we are still the same project and have not changed so drastically to have forgotten our roots, rather have just have expanded and matured in our style and sound.  It's Autumn Tears 2.0!

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

I definitely want to keep moving forward in the same direction, with fully orchestrated organic music, but if my ambition allows, I hope to make the scope of the project even more grand than it is now with even more musicians and vocalists. I suppose it is all a matter of how successful the project is and what the future budget will allow as we are still very much and independent act and self finance everything at this point.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Most of the influences from the newest album come mainly from classical masters both old and new, including Vaughan Williams, Albonini, Arvo Pärt, Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, Mahler, Barber and of course Jóhann Jóhannsson. As far as what I listen to now, in addition to many of the great composers I still listen to  a lot of classic underground death and thrash metal, as well as a good healthy dose of Devin Townsend.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I love illustration, film, nature walks, reading, and bing watching netflix shows!

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

I want to thank you again for this interview and the opportunity to share words with our fans. We apologize for having been gone so long, but we are definitely back for good now!

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Gridfailure/Sixth Mass-Extinction Skulduggery I/Nefarious Industries/2019 Full Length Review

  New  York's  Gridfailure  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  shows  the  music  going  into  a  more  experimental  direction  along  with  some  elements  of  extreme  metal  and  this  is  a  review  his  2019  album  "Sixt  Mass-Extinction  Skulduggery  I"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Nefarious  Industries.

  Field  recordings  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  avant  garde  style  soundscapes  a  few seconds  later.  Growls  and  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times.

  Programmed  beats  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  they  also  give  the  songs  more  of  an  industrial  edge  as  well  as  the  theremin  bringing  in  a  very  haunting  atmosphere  when  it  is  utilized.  When  bass  guitars  are  added  into  the  music  they  also  give  the  tracks  a  more  dark  sound.

   Harmonicas  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  ukulele  when  it  is  brought  onto  the  recording  it  also  gives  the  music  more  of  an  ethnic  edge.  Electric  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  in  the  background  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  side  of  the  music.

  All  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  which  also  gives  the  music  more  diversity  and  as  the  album  progresses  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  When  percussion's  are  brought  onto  the  recording  they  also  add  in  more  of  a  tribal  and  ritualistic  style  and  later  songs  also  add  in  female  vocals,  keys  and  violins.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a  grim.  rapidly  approaching  reality  which  is  also  more  on  the  more  dystopian  and  apocalyptic  side.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Gridfailure  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  extreme  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sandy"  "Post-Attack  Habitat" and  "Exsanguination  Of  The  Utopians".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.facebook.com/gridfailure
http://www.gridfailure.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/GRIDFAILURE
https://www.instagram.com/gridfailure          

Death Has Spoken Interview

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

At the end of 2018 we had to find a new drummer because Tomek had to go his own way. As usual - these are difficult moments when you have to say goodbye to a friend. Right now we are in the process of practicing old material with a new drummer. We want to be 100% ready for upcoming concerts. However, we remember that our main goal is to record the next album this year.


2.So far you have released one album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?

It was simple because when we were recording the album, we didn't plan to form a band. It was a difficult time with a lot of sadness and uncertainty. It came out naturally, we gave vent to our emotions. It’s certainly death doom metal, but you will also find black and funeral metal influences here. We are looking for inspiration wherever you find sadness, death and loneliness.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

You can’t think "I'm going to write a sad song" and start writing. It doesn’t work like that. These emotions must flow from the depths of your bleeding heart, if you want it to be really honest and true. If you are not frank in what you do, people will quickly realize that you are faking. During writing lyrics on "Fade" I was fighting with other demons than now. I was in the process of tearing down my roots and the future was foggy. That's why the songs tell about the end, loneliness and emptiness. There’s a lot of melancholy here. But the next album will touch other issues. That's all I can say now.


4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Death Has Spoken'?

Meaning ... well ... I would translate it to: "The end has come”. Try to think about all the emotions that come with ‘the end’. There's a lot of it, right? Everyone thinks first about sad and painful things. But sometimes the end brings a bit of hope. All I'm trying to say is that we wanted to include in band name all the topics we're talking about. I think we made it.


5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?

This is a very good question because I never thought about it. The author of this art is our guitarist Marcin and i think he could say more about it. Our first idea was a burned candle in the darkness of the tomb. After a few weeks Marcin brought a different project and we loved it. No one asked any questions, we just said “this is it”. Well, I need to ask him about it.


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

I think all performances were on an equal level. Of course, you can always have a bad day and the show may not give you as much pleasure as always, but we don’t have bad memories of any performance. We try to play the best we can and give it everything, no matter how many people will be at the concert.


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

Of course. However, I’m not allowed to talk about them yet. But be sure that we will soon inform you about the details.


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

Honestly - we don’t have any proposals and currently we don’t try to get them. Probably, if they appears, we will consider them. So far, we’re going on our own and everything is going well so we don’t make radical changes. We cooperate with The Hanged Man Booking Agency which has expanded our concert possibilities.


9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music fans of doom and death metal?

Very good so far. Positive reviews and opinions of the listeners have given us confidence and mobilizing us for further actions.


10.When can we expect another recording and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We truly believe that we will be able to record a new album this year. But you know how it is - life can surprise you. Saying to everyone that this will be in this year, we are putting pressure on ourselves but we are mobilizing ourselves at the same time. We hope we will not regret this.

About the new album - we will continue to follow the doom path. That's all I can say now.


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?

Oh man, there are so many bands that I don’t know where to start. Right now I’m waiting for the new Candlemass and Swallow The Sun albums. A few days ago I was on a great Draconian concert and I also bought a Doom:VS album "Dead Words Speak" - one of my favourites albums of all time.


12.What are some of your non musical interests?

I think the same as hundreds of thousands of other guys. Too obvious to waste time, too boring to talk about.


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

Thanks for your time. Stay tuned - Death will speak soon again.

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Sinister Downfall Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Sinister Downfall is a one-man project, which is rather atypical for this genre. It was founded in 2016. Since many ideas were already in mind at that time, it was possible to record a full album without first producing a demo.

2.In November you had released your first album with this project, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
For the kind of emotions and thoughts that Sinister Downfall pursues, a very slow tempo is best, which is supposed to emphasize the ruin and the emptiness. Large variations were deliberately avoided. Through the monotony I tried to convey an infinite void. An emptiness, as it would arise if all life would leave the planet.

3.You have participated in both black and doom metal projects, how would you compare the 2 different styles?
Besides the two mentioned genres I'm also working on a death metal project with a very aggressive sound, which is stylistically on a completely different track. Each genre, with its characteristics is better or worse suited to express and convey certain emotions. That's why I'm not someone who bites into one genre and doesn't allow anything else. Every genre has its justification and I use them to express my thoughts.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with your music?
The main theme is the end of all life on planet Earth. In my opinion humans are a misdevelopment, invading and destroying nature. This is of course known to everyone and can be seen daily in all its abnormal forms. No other living being develops such greed and unfounded destructiveness like man. Every phase of civilization comes to an end sometime, be it by a meteorite impact, an ice age or whatever. In my opinion, the era of the 'new' life, the era of the homo sapiens, will be ended by those sapiens themselves. And because the effects of human action bring about such serious destruction, the 'intelligent apes' will also drag all other living beings into damnation.
A theme that is included in almost all of my musical works is philosophical pessimism. This can also be found in Sinister Downfall.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sinister Downfall'?
I tried to describe the main theme of the music in two words. I am not someone who interprets too much into band names.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the album cover?
The cover was drawn by Paint-It Black Design and shows the main theme of the project in one picture, namely the humanized form of death. Man is the one who will bring about his own death, so it is the perfect personification.

7.On the album you had recorded everything by yourself, do you feel you are able to express yourself a lot more musically by working solo?
That's definitely the case. If I want to bring my own emotions into the music, then it inevitably only works individually. I can only make music by working alone. Why should it be any different than sculptors, painters, writers and other artists who always worked individually?

8.The new album was released on 'Funere', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Funere is a new label from Armenia, which is specialized in doom metal. The interesting and special thing about it is that it is run by a woman, which is rather an exception in metal. Sinister Downfall's 'Eremozoic' was the first album released on this label.  I really get along very well with the owner; the cooperation and support was excellent from the beginning and I don't care about the size of the label if everything else is good.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal?
I'm afraid I can't judge that very well because I don't follow it. Since there are people who order the CD and purchase the album digitally, it shows me that there are people who like my music and even if it were just one person, that would be enough for me.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that you are a part of?
I invest a lot of my free time in music and don't need long breaks of inspiration. Donarhall will release a new album in the near future. For Hexengrab a demo was released on CD just a few days ago and my death metal project is almost finished. Not long ago I released the album 'Ritual' by Dark Fields from the field of drone / dark ambient. In this project I work together with my wife, who makes the art for the releases. This work is a synthesis of art and music. But most of the time it takes a bit longer to release stuff, because a suitable label has to be found.  But all the other things are also permanently in work.

11.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
This is very difficult to answer and to be honest, I never look too far into the future. I will continue as before, learning from my previous works and trying to evolve. Music is a big part of my life and will remain so forever.

12.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?
I can't name a particular band that has influenced me significantly. I think every song I've heard in my life has left a certain impression on me and had a certain influence on me. Of course that doesn't just include metal.
Currently I listen to many different things. I like many young blackened death metal bands, who currently make excellent music. Of course I listen to a lot of black metal but also rather unconventional things, sometimes also classical music. Dark ambient and all its dark and experimental offshoots have always fascinated me very much.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I would like to thank all the people who listen to my music and support me. Also a big thank you to the labels that make analog releases possible and of course to people like you who are committed to the music and keep it alive through reviews, interviews and other reports. Keep supporting metal!

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Autumn Tears/Colors Hidden Within The Gray/2019 CD Review

  Autumn  Tears  are  a  band  from  Billerica,  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  mixture of  neo-classical,  cinematic  score  and  world  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Colors  Hidden  Within  The  Gray".

  A  cinematic  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  while  also  introducing  stringed  and  ethnic  sounding  instruments  onto  the  recording.  On  the  second  track  operatic  female  vocals  are  also  introduced  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  classical  music  and  the  first  3  songs  have  a  concept  to  them.

  Tragic  sounding  orchestras  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  at  times.  Elements  of  world  music  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  the  female  vocals  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  goth.All  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  which  also  gives  the  music  more  diversity.

  As  the  album  progresses  some  of  the  tracks  also  start  getting  more  long  and  epic  in  length.  Later  songs  also  introducing  percussion  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  cinematic  elements  making  the  music  sound  more  epic  and  one  song  also  adds  a  small  amount  of  classical  guitars  onto  the  recording,  a  later  track  is  also  all  instrumental.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Autumn  Tears  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  neo-classical,  cinematic  score  and  world  music  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Day  Of  Wrath"  "Rainlight  Ascension"  "The  Earth  Song"  and  "Another  Day".  8/5  out  of  10.

autumntears.bandcamp.com

Seer Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

Aside from preparing Vol. 6 for release, not a whole lot. Usually by this point we have a good chunk of the next release written, but not this time. It was nice to have a bit of a break after recording this one, but we’re gearing back up as release day approaches.

2.In February you have a new album coming out, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Vol. 6 feels a bit faster than our previous releases, due in part to the black metal and traditional metal influences. We’ve been shifting away from the “stoner” thing since our last full length, although we never really embraced it.

3.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album while all of the lyrics on your previous albums also follow a narrative, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?

The narrative spans all of our releases, with a few thousand years separate Volumes 1-4 from 5 and 6. In the beginning, each new song would push the story along. We didn’t know exactly where it was going as we wrote it. The past few releases have been far more structured, with an outline laid out before the individual songs were written themselves.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Seer B.C'?

Well the “Seer” part is related to the narrative, although we haven’t explicitly stated how yet. “BC” isn’t really part of our name, but we tacked in on unofficially just in case another band comes for the Seer name.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

The artwork was done by Cauê Piloto, a Brazilian painter. We like to find talented artists that are just beginning to break out, and at the time I think he had only painted one other album cover, for Jupiterian. He’s since done the new Un album and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of him soon. The art depicts a few parts of the narrative brought together into a single piece. Our protagonist is present, as well as the entity he meets in the final act, and the monastery he belongs to is hiding in the back.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Our favourite gig so far was a year ago with Elder in Vancouver. It was one of those shows where the vibe was just right. Typically when things are going well, the members of the band fall into a trance and achieve maximum telepathic capacity, and the audience is pulled into the divine cosmic energy. You know?

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We have a gig lined up with Conan and Vancouver locals Bushwhacker in February. Aside from that we’re releasing the record and seeing what comes of it. We’re hoping to get on the road and play the new songs to fresh audiences.

8.The new album is going to be released on 'Artofact Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Artoffact has their roots in electronic music but are no strangers to rock and metal. They’ve released records for some of the legendary industrial groups like FLA and Decree, and have a bunch of young artists putting out some great stuff as well.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of stoner, sludge and doom metal?

To oversimplify: people who appreciate experimentation and genre-melding seem to appreciate what we do, and purists do not. That’s totally fine with us.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Peter plays in Empress and Kyle tours with Wormwitch. There are a number of side projects in the works that should surface in the near future featuring various members of the band.

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

We found ourselves a bit with Vol. 6. Things will continue to evolve, but at this point we at the very least have an idea of what we don’t want to do anymore.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

I’ll just go ahead and list a bunch. For Vol. 6 we took inspiration from Candlemass, Blue Öyster Cult, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Godflesh, Queensrÿche, Taake, Bathory, The Ruins of Beverast, Dissection, Ennio Morricone, and many others. Currently we’re listening to a lot of Triptykon, Necrot, Idle Hands, Blood Incantation, Ascension, Bölzer, Jesu, Drab Majesty, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore, Daughters, Primordial, and the list goes on.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

We have a number of projects and businesses we are involved in. Josh has a studio in East Vancouver called Vintage Rigs, Bronson runs a Norse-inspired jewelry and apparel online shop called Hellrune, and Kyle has a screen printing business called Rite of Permanence and hosts a podcast called The Process.

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

Spin Vol. 6! Check out Hellrune and The Process! If you need a print call ROP! If you want to record your band get at Vintage Rigs! Thanks!

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Raison D'Etere/Enthralled By The Wind Of Loneliness/Cyclic Law/Old Europa Cafe/2018 Vinyl Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Sweden's  Raison  D'Etere  which  continues  his  mixture  of  dark ambient and  drone  and  the  album  was  originally  released  in  1994  and  called  "Enthralled  By  The  Wind  Of  Loneliness"  with  the  re-issue  being  released  on  vinyl  in  2018  as  a  joint  effort  between  Cyclic  Law  and  Old  Europa  Cafe.

  Water  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  soundscapes  a  few  seconds  later  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  synths  being  used  throughout  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  while  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  all  instrumental  along  with  the  synths  also  mixing  in  elements  of  neo-classical  at  times  while  also  using  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys.  Programmed  beats  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  and  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  martial  or  militant  feeling.

  One  track  also  introduces  monk  chants  into  the  music  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.  Ethnic style instruments  are  also  added  onto  a  couple  of  tracks  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  and  atmospheric  sounding  drones  are  also  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a touch  of  noise  being  added  in  at  times.  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  tribal  percussion  and  field  recordings  can  also  be  heard  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Raison  D'Etere  which  is  also  very  different  from  the  previous  albums  reviewed  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Awakening"  "The  Narrow  Gate"  "Pathaway"  adn  "Maze  Shrine".  8  out  of  10.

 VIEW ON BANDCAMP

Death Has Spoken/Fade/2017 CD Review

  Death  Has  Spoken  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  funeral  doom/death  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017 album  "Fade".

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Elements  of  funeral  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  music  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  clean  guitars  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  some  of  the  more  atmospheric  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  touch  of  melodic  doom/death  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  as  well  as  the  music  also  capturing  a  depressive  atmosphere  which  also  invokes  a  great  amount  of  sorrow  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  for  being  a  self  released  recording  while  the  lyrics  cover  death,  mourn,  despair,  hopelessness,  and  depression  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Death  Has  Spoken  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  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  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Respite  From  Tears"  and  "To  The  Darkness  of  The  North".  8  out  of  10.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Nr1XV5tV0

Raison D'Etere/Prospectus I/Cyclic Law/2018 CD Re-Issue Review

  Raison  D'Etere  are  a  musical  project  from  Sweden  that  has  recently  had  music  reviewed  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient, industrial  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  1993  album  "Prospectus  I"  which  was  re-issued  in  2018  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  bells  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling.  Spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  while  the  synths  also  add  in  elements  of  dark  ambient.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Gregorian  chants  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  as  well  as  some  programmed  beats  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs.  A  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  a  good  amount  of  diversity.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  the  synths  also  experimenting  more  with  different  sounding  keys  as  the  album  progresses.  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  also  all  instrumental  and  at  times  the  programmed  beats  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  militant  and  martial  feeling  and  some  tracks  while  some  tracks  also  sample  church  choirs.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  theology  and  religion  from  a  philosophical  perspective.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  very  great  sounding  recording  from  Raison  D'Etere  and  if  you  are a  fan  of  dark  ambient, industrial  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Katharsis"  "Mesmerized  in  Sorrow"  "Penumbra"  and  "Inquest".  8  out  of  10.

VIEW ON BANDCAMP

      

Coltsblood/Un/2019 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  split  between  United  Kingdom's  Coltsblod  and  U.S.A's  Un  which  will  be  released  in  February  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Coltsblood  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  while  also  showing  more  of  a  black  metal  influence  this  time  around.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  atmospheric  sounding  synths  and  a  powerful  bass  guitar  sound  which  also  evolves  into  more  of  a  slower  funeral  doom  metal  direction.  Their  track  is  very  20  minutes  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  used  at  times.


  The  riffs  also  capturing  the  heaviness  of sludge  metal  while  the  music  also  uses  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up.  Distorted  guitar  leads  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  along  with  the  song  also  adding  clean  guitars  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  spoken  words  also  being  used  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  myths.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Coltsblood  which  shows  them  mixing  black  metal  in  with  their  mixture  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Un  who  return  with  their  mixture  of  funeral  doom,  death  and  sludge  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  clean  playing  along  with  some  drums  after  awhile  while  their  track  is  21  minutes  in  length.  When  the  music  goes  into  a  heavier  direction  it  brings  in  more  of  a  slow  funeral  doom  metal  style  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  their  side  of  the  recording.

  At  times  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  while  the  dark  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  in  the  riffing  go  back  to  the  early  90's  atmospheric  doom/death  metal  era  and  the  song  always  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  as  well  as  some  screams  also  being  used  briefly,  towards  the  end  drones  are  also  added  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the lyrics  cover  death,  emptiness,  grief  and  desolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Un  which  shows  their  music  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  than  previous  releases  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom/death  metal.  8  out  of  10.

Bandcamp: www.coltsblood.bandcamp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/coltsblood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coltsblood/
Bandcamp: https://unvibes.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unvibes
Instagram: https://instagram.com/unvibes 

 

    

Treha Sektori/The Sense Of Dust And Sheer/Cyclic Law/2019 CD Review

  Treha  Sektori  are  a  solo  project  from  France  that  plays  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2019  album  "The  Sense  Of  Dust  And  Sheer"  which  was  released  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  first track  is  25  minutes  in  length  while  the  synths  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  along  with  some  demonic  sounding  growls  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  and  whispers  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Programmed  beats  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  they  give  the  music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  along  with  some  drones  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  some clean  singing  also  being  used  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  small  amount  of  percussion,  ethnic  instruments  and  tribal  beats  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  one  track  also  introduces  guitar  sounds  into  the  music.

  Teha  Sektori  plays  a  style of  dark  ambient  that  is  very  atmospheric  while  also  having  its  experimental  and  ritualistic  moments  which  also  gives  the  music  more  diversity  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark..

  In  my  opinion  Teha  Sektori  is  a  very  great  sounding  dark  ambient  solo  artist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Sense  Of  Dust  And  Sheer"  and  "Sahe  Fernah". 8 out  of  10.

VIEW ON BANDCAMP

Seer/Vol. 6/Artofact/2019 Full Length Review

  Seer  are  a  band  from  Vancouver  B.C,  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Vol.  6"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Artofact.

  Ritualistic  sounding  instruments  and  sounscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  a  few  seconds  later  while  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  as  well  as  some  aggressive  growls  and  screams  which  also  adds  in  elements  of  black  metal  also  being  utilized  at  times.

 A  great  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  blast  beats  also  being  used  briefly  when  the  music  speeds  up  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  NWODHM  and  folk  music  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  Seer  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  the  folk,  ambient,  black  metal  and  NWOBHM  elements  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  a monk  who  belongs  to  a  monastery  built  upon  the  tallest  mountain  on  the  planet.

  In  my  opinion  Seer  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  folk,  ambient,  black  metal  and  NWOBHM  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Seven  Stars,  Seven  Stones"  and  "As  The  Light  Fades".  8  out  of  10.   

www.facebook.com/seervancouver  

Split/Cross/Rise Of Discontent/2019 Full Length Review

  Split/Cross  are  a  band  from  Pennsylvania  that  plays  a  mixture  of  d  beat,  crust  punk,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2019  album  "Rise  Of  Discontent"  which  will  be  released  on  January  31st.

  Distorted  amp  noise  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  samples  along  with  some  powerful  sounding b ass  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  before going  into  more  of  a  d  beat  and  crust  punk  direction  while  the  vocals  bring in  a  mixture  of  hardcore  style  shouts  and  growls.

  Elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  grindcore  influences  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  short  in  length  as  well  as  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow, mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  as  the  album  progresses  traces  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard.

  Split/Cross  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  d  beat,  crust  punk,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  along  with  some  touches  of  black  and  death  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  for  being  a  self  released  recording  wile  the  lyrics  cover  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Split/Cross  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  d  beat,  crust  punk,  grindcore,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Blindspot"  "Splinter"  and  "Soaked  Ground".  8  out  of  10. 

https://splitcross.bandcamp.com/album/rise-of-discontent      

Sinister Downfall/Eremozoic/Funere/2018 CD Review

  Sinister  Downfall  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Eremozoic"  which  was  released  by  Funere.

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  going  into  more  of  a  slower  and  heavier  funeral  doom  metal  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording.

  A  decent  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  as  well  as  the  screams  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Sinister  Downfall  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom  metal  that  is  very  slow,  dark,  heavy  and  atmospheric  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Sinister  Downfall  is  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Dark  Veil"  and  "Where  Solitude  Prevails".  8  out  of  10.

Onset Interview

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



Calvin - Onset was formed around early 2017 by Shamtos and myself. Initially we had a drummer and functioned as a three-piece before the drummer got way too busy with his personal life. That was when the idea came around to continue writing and recording as a two-man unit. It was an even greater challenge to the both of us when we decided to record the two songs in a live studio environment, which meant we had to be pretty well-rehearsed to be able to pull this off. Prior to this, both Shamtos and myself were in other previous bands many years ago and had completely stopped playing music for a good number of years as well.





2. So far you have released an EP, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style you went for on the recording?



Calvin - Indeed, the “Unstructured Dissemination” EP was released about a month ago and to be frank, both of us had different visions on how Onset was going to sound like. Shamtos thought we were going to be a Stoner band and I wanted to write something way darker and sinister. As it turns out, both of us wrote the two songs in a darker but more atmospheric direction.





3. So far all of the music has been instrumental, are you open to using vocals on future releases?



Calvin - This question really struck a chord with me because recently I was mentioning to Shamtos about having vocals on the next album. We’re still undecided but all I can tell you is that we’ve already started recording the new album and it’s halfway through the recording process now.





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



Calvin - We were searching for a name that had to be pretty simplistic and we wanted the name to have a foreboding meaning behind it. Whilst looking around, I came upon the word Onset and everyone agreed on it. Looking back now, I think I probably had the word Onset at the back of my head from Necrophagist’s debut album title.





5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the EP cover?



Calvin - Pol from Branca Studio did the cover artwork for “Unstructured Dissemination” and he was already on our top few choices very early on. Pol has done a lot of killer shirt designs and his style seem to always tell a good story no matter what he did, shirt or album cover wise. I presented to him a concept of what the EP was about and he nailed it perfectly just after sending us a second draft.



Basically, the concept behind this EP is a very rough adaptation of the Black Death and so some of the few visuals aspects that I put out to Pol was to have a group of diseased humans crawling, reaching towards a void or portal, a nightmare of perpetually falling or jumping into an abyss and an abstract depiction of human suffering.





6. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding your line up or do you prefer to work as a duo?



Calvin - This is another very good question. We’re very comfortable functioning as a two-piece; we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses and every decision gets decided much quicker as well. Plus, we already have a pretty good chemistry when it comes to songwriting. However, we have also toyed with the idea of performing live and it’s probably not easy to perform those tracks live as a two-man band. And actually, we’re still contemplating whether Onset should even be a live act or not.





7. You also had some quests on the EP, can you tell us a little bit more about who they are and also their contributions to the recording?



Calvin - Microchip Terror is a very good friend of mine, so it was really a no-brainer to get him on board when it was decided that we needed to have a different soundscape in contrast to the wall-of-fuzz that we’ve already built on. We like to think that this is a pretty unique collaboration and for these two sounds to co-exist, everything had to feel and sound right for every different passage. But all of us come from a Metal background and so we already have a mutual understanding of how the music should sound ‘right’ to us. Microchip Terror’s lucid understanding of the Doom genre gave us a very integral and focused sound on the EP.





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



Calvin - Like I mentioned earlier, the EP has been out for a month and the response till today has been positive, so to speak. We weren’t sure how the reaction would be but we figured we’d always forge ahead and continue to do what we do regardless. On the contrary, we have had very good reaction especially from the Post and Doom community and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has bought our EP, be it digital or physical.





9. When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?



Calvin - Also, like I have mentioned in the previous question, we’ve already started recording for a new album. It’ll be just one track with a running time of 30 minutes plus and this new track is definitely heading towards a much heavier direction with a more Death Metal approach as well. I can’t really divulge much info yet as we’re still in the process of recording although I should mention that the drums and all rhythm guitars are already done. This has proven to be one of the biggest challenge for us as we also recorded the song live in the studio as well.





10. 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?



Calvin - One of the weirdest inspirations for us would have to be Green Day. For some strange reason, when we are trying to figure out a structure within a song, we will sometimes base ideas off from how Green Day does it. It’s not very obvious of course and I’m sure no one will be able to spot it.



We usually don’t have a direct influence when we write but personally, I find Pallbearer’s unique style of chord-structuring very alluring, it’s like they know how to write heavy sections using unusual phrasing and chordal shapes which I find it to be extremely exciting. Conan was another band that also had an influence of how I wrote some of the more direct and punishing riffs that doesn’t require a lot of chord movements. But since both of us grew up listening to old Death Metal, we took apart some of the morbid-sounding riffs and put them into a more slowed-down Doom context. I even snuck in an Autopsy soundalike riff on the track ‘Pestis: The Suppressing & Recurrence’.



On my playlist right now are the latest Frontierer, Lik, Siege Column, Atrament, YOB, Doldrey, Vanhelgd, Sobs, Devil Master, Author & Punisher, Foreseen, The Secret, Khemmis, Alice In Chains, High On Fire and last but not least, Clandestine Blaze.





11. What are some of your non-musical interests?



Calvin – Honestly, I’m a pretty boring person and most of the things that I enjoy doing are usually music related. I do enjoy drinking wine but I’m nowhere an alcoholic by any means.





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



Calvin - Thank you so much for having us here and we’re really pleased with the reaction of our debut EP so far. We will continue to write and record more material and we think this is barely a beginning for the band; we have so much more to explore and it’s very exciting for us to see what the future of the band will be.

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