Julii/Taste Of Truimph/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Julii  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  ambient,  neo  classical,  martial  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2021  album  "Taste  Of  Triumph".

  Martial  style  drum  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  and  soundscapes  a  few  seconds  later.  At  times  the  music  also  captures  the  atmosphere  of  an  epic  music  soundtrack  while  the  second  track  also  introduces  elements  of  neo  classical  onto  the  recording  and  all  of  the  music  is  also  instrumental.

  At  times  the  music  also  brings  in  touches  of  post  industrial  while  some  tracks  also  capture  a  medieval  or  iron  age  style  atmosphere.  All  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  the  synths  also  adding  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  as  well  as  some  of  the  drum  beats  also  being  programmed.

  Julii  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  ambient,  neo-classical,  martial  and  industrial  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  while  the  song  themes  revolve  around  Roman  events,  gods  and  legends.

  In  my  opinion  Julii  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ambient,  neo-classical,  martial  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "World  Destroyer"  "Taste  Of  Triumph"  "Jupiter  Calls"  and  "Endless  March".  8  out  of  10.

https://julii.bandcamp.com/album/taste-of-triumph    

Boban Ristevski/Occupied Head/The Secret Treachers/Attenuation Circuit/2021 CD Review

 

  Bobban  Risttevski  is  a  solo  artist  from  Macedonia  and  Occupied  Head  is  a  solo  project  from  Germany  and  together  they  team  up  to  create  a  mixture  of  drone,  ambient,  psychedelic  and  electroacoustic  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  collaboration  album  "The  Secret  Teachers"  which  was  released  by  Attenuation  Circuit.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  and  drones  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  field  recordings.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  sounding  along  with  the  music  being  all  instrumental  and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  elements  of  ambient.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  electroacoustic  sounds  along  with  each  song  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  and  the  music  also  has  its  psychedelic  moments.

  Boibban  Risttevski  and  Occupied  head  team  up  together  and  bring  in a   mixture  of  avant  garde,  experimental,  ambient,  drone,  field  recordings,  electroacoustic  music  and  psychedelic  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  Wicca,  Alchemy,  Tibetan  and  Egyptian  Mysticism.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  Bobban  Risttevski  and  Occupied  Head  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  experimental,  ambient,  drone,  field  recordings,  electroacoustic  music  and  psychedelic.  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Experience  Of  The  Ba  While  Awake"  and  "What  Lies  Ahead  of  us".  8  out  of  10.

https://emerge.bandcamp.com/album/the-secret-teachers        

  

  

Rack/Gridfailure/The Sun Exploded/2021 Collaboration Album Review

 

    New  York solo  projects  Rack  and  Gridfailure  team  up  and  bring  in  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  collaboration  album  "The  Sun  Exploded"  which  will  be  released  in  February.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  and  field  recordings  start  off  the  album  while  also  mixing  in  some  experimental  style  soundscapes.  All  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also   mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  power  electronics  and  harsh  noises    and  the  music  also h as  its  avant  garde  moments.

  When  elements  of  ambient  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  demonic  and  tortured  voices  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording.  Synths  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  a  very  apocalyptic  atmosphere.

  When  programmed  beats  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  some  touches  of  industrial  along  with  some  electric  and  bass  guitars  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  more  of  an  improv  vibe,  influences  of  extreme  metal  and  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  Rack  and  Gridfailure  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  extreme  metal  and  harsh  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "I"  and  "III".  8  out  of  10.

 

https://rack.bandcamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/gridfailure

http://www.gridfailure.bandcamp.com

https://twitter.com/GRIDFAILURE

https://www.instagram.com/gridfailure

   

Rome/Parlez-Vous Hate?/Trisol Music Group/2021 CD Review

 

  Luxembourg's  solo  project  Rome  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  him  expanding  on   his  mixture  of  neo-folk,  industrial  and  martial  from  his  previous  release  with  elements  of  punk  and  European  pop  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2021  album  "Parlez-Vous  Hate?"  which  was  released  by  Trisol  Music  Group.

  Choirs  and  clean  vocals  start  off  the  album  before  adding  in  some  acoustic  guitars  which  also brings  in  elements  of  neo-folk,.  Electric  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  punk  rock  at  times  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Industrial  style  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  guitars  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Some  of  the  tracks  also  show  an  influence  of  pop  music  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  martial  style  beats.

  Most  of  the  tracks  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  most  of  the  drum beats  also  being  programmed  as  well  as  one  of  the  tracks  also  introducing  whispered  vocals  onto  the  recording,  some  songs  also  add  in  spoken  word  parts  and  slide  guitars.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  World  War  II  and  Totalitarian  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Rome  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo-folk,  martial  and  industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Parlez-Vous  Hate"  "Death  From  Above"  "You  Owe  me  A  Whole  World"  and  "Alesia".  8  out  of  10.

  

  

The Joy Of Nature/Goddies/2021 Compilation EP Review

 

  Portugal's  The  Joy  Of  nature  have  returned  with  a  compilation  which  continues  their  mixture  of  experimental  and  neo-folk  form  their  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2021  ep  "Goodies"  which  consists  of  unreleased  and  compilation  tracks.

  A  very  dark  and  experimental  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  When  acoustic  guitars  are  utilized  they  also b ring  in  elements  of  neo  folk  along  with t he  vocals  being  done  mostly in  a  clean  style  and  the  music  also  adds  in  some  ambient  style  soundscapes.

  The  acoustic  guitars  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  finger  picking  and  full  chords  while  percussions  can  also b e  heard  in  the  background.  The  music  also  has  its  psychedelic  moments  along  with  the  tracks  also  mixing  in  flutes  and  other  folk  instruments  and  the  guitar  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  On  these  tracks  The  Joy  Of  Nature  brings  in  a  mixture  of  neo-folk,  psychedelia,  experimental  and  ambient  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  nature  and  esoteric  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  compilation  from  The  Joy  of  Nature  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  neo-folk,  psychedelia  and  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Knife  Reflects  The  Smile"  and  "Glass  And  Smoke".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/thejoyofnature/      

NCT333 Interview

 

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

I am currently writing new songs and refining other compositions that are going to be released soon.

I combine music composition with the study of the topics covered, merging myself as much as

possible with a specific psychic environment.

2.In December you had released a new ep, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

"Aion" has more metaphysical and ascetic temper; that's the reason why I used less rhythmic drive,

since rhythm is more linked to the instinctive human nature. Regarding the harmonic structure, I

followed concepts of dronic and hypnotic composition to better achieve the psychic tension and

monoideism, pivotal of the ascetic process.

3.This is also your first release since 2015, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?

Actually in July 2020 an anthology entitled "Dead Friends Dream Coldriver" was released for the

"Golden Catrame" label. In there I have collected compositions produced between 2012 and 2020 but

absent in the 2015 album "Black Summer of Trisomic Lovers". True to be told, in recent years I have

been quite erratic in composition due to the economic and job instabilities I had to face.

4.The song themes on the new ep cover Occultism, Gnosticism and Alchemy, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

Since I was a teenager, I had the suspicion that the totality of existence does not resolve itself inthe mere

material aspect. Therefore I have been attracted to books, comics and films that concern topics such as

supernatural, magic and occultism.

At my 20's, I discovered Julius Evola and the cultural movement of Traditionalism (authors such as Guenon,

Schuon and others). Thus, I integrated these interests into a more organic concept of spiritual evolution by

approaching doctrines as Alchemy, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic asceticism. Recently I have tried to

bring these studies back into the category of the Christian tradition in which I grew up and so I tried to

deepen the Gnostic and esoteric thought of the first centuries of Christianity.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'NCT333'?

The "NCT333" moniker combines two elements.

"NCT" is the beginning of my tax code.

The number "333" is taken from Crowley's kabbalistic exegesis in reference to the entity “Choronzon”,

whose function is to nullify the ego. The name therefore represents the purpose of dissolution of the false

ego, referring to the social and psychic aspect of profane individuality, linked to "name" and "form".

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

The artwork for "Aion" is edited by Ubu Khan. The image was chosen because it encloses the colors of

the three alchemical phases recalled as track title's names.

The concept we wanted to point up is the bursting of the dimension of otherness into the contingent

manifestation during the contemplation of a void corner, an image strictly close to mental stillness as a

necessary mean to perceive the subtlest aspects of reality.

7.Have you done any live shows with this musical project or open to the idea?

So far I have never managed to find legitimacy for my electronic live. For about 20 years I have been

wondering what form it could take to acquire meaning. I played my own compositions while performing

as a DJ, but I never did a real live show with this project. It is my intention to do a full live when I'll find

the right answer.

8.The new ep was released on 'Ukhan Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

"UKhan Records" is a small and new label with a very clear and strong idea about musical and aesthetic

style which get correspondences with my works. For this reason I decided to collaborate with them as an

artist and as artistic producer for other artists's releases under the label, scheduled in 2021.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of dark ambient and industrial?

Thanks to the work of the label, this is the first time that my works are known abroad. I have received

interest good feedback from America to Eastern Europe and this makes me very proud.

I was recognised an original and not conventional approach to these genres and this is a source of

satisfaction for me.

Obviously the name NCT333 is rather unknown outside Italy and a new label has not too consideration

on magazines and webzines at the moment. For this reason, I sincerely thank those who like you, with

sincere interest and genuine passion, has give me space to

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

Lately I have been interested in some archaic musical traditions characteristic of southern Italy whose

origins can be traced back to residues of the pagan Bacchic and Dionysian rites of the Greek-Roman

tradition. I would like to be able take possession of these expressive codes and combine them in my

musical production. Also I would like to write soundtracks for videogames which, in many case, have

become a new art form that I really appreciate and has a lot of expressive potential

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?

My basic music culture can be traced back to post-punk and the seminal bands of darkwave and

industrial. In the first teen-age I was also listening to extreme metal (mainly black, death and doom)

influenced by a dear friend (owner of the black metal band "Fear of Eternity") who was very passionate about this genres.

I started to like electronic music in my late teens thanks to the influence of my friends "Loozoo" a band

that dealt with these sounds. My favorite electronics bands are Scorn, Coil and Pan Sonic. Nowadays I

am very interested in some aspects of the louder and noisy Shoegaze, for example I am literally in love

with the sound of "A Place To Bury Strangers" and I really appreciate some works of "Raveonettes",

"Singapore Sling" or the Italians "Kill Your Boyfriend ". I'm also intrigued by the sound of so-called

Trap-Metal by artists like Ghostemane, Bones, Scarlxrd and Suicideboys.

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

We are all experiencing difficult times in which the material and psychic conditions of existence have

become, and are likely to become more, harder and it is easy to get discouraged and collapse. In this

situation, my humble advice is to take advantage of it to discern the most futile aspects from the important

ones of existence and work on it, not letting yourself be involved, more than necessary, by the silly

diatribes and false problems that characterize and substantiate this era of chaos and dissolution. In

conclusion, I would like to thank my woman and close friends who have supported me so far in this

project.

https://www.facebook.com/NCT333NCT333/

Aura Hiemis Interview

 

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

R: almost completely slept for the reasons of covid. It has been really difficult to rehearse, a lot of problems that also started before, in the social revolution, we have a lot of difficulties to do things all together. So we could end the album release last year and we are not doing anything new for the moment. 

 

2.In 2020 you had released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

R: not much different than others, in fact songs are older than the album before. We have a lot of songs done a long time ago and in close time between each other, so this new album is a piece of what will come… each time we can we record, we have a lot of long songs, in any moment could be release a new album or split, we would like to do more splits to use songs in something.

 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters over the years?

R: Lyrics kept the topic over the years, is what came from the head, there are no plan for them, as the music, we leave that born without think about it, so that means that maybe is not a progress, or change, but there are a lot of songs without lyrics yet, so anything could happen in the future.

 

4.Onwe of your lyrical topics is also 'mysticism', can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

R: lyrics are more humanistic topics, about relationships, broken heart, sad love, loss… romantic shits but not happy things, not good relationships, loss of a couple, etc. 

 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Aura Hiemis'?

R: It had to be dark, cold… and you feel it in a winter breeze.

 

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

R: As almost all AH work is something that came up in the moment, not much thought about it, so it has what we like to see, darkness, the night, the moon, the forest… a lonely witch… we will try to replicate the style of the cover on the next albums, but is something that could change cause nothing is done yet

 

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

R: All of them have been good, playing with big bands of the scene of course has some other taste, as there are some ones in better places with more public, but we try to have a good time every time we play a gig. We played a few times in a year so we enjoyed all we could.

 

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

R: We don't really know… at least nobody has said it sucks.

 

9.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?

R: in the same way that AH, they are trying to resume the work in the best possible way

 

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

R: We can't say anything about it, cause the next 4 albums are written and they are in the same direction as the last one, it's like one really long album in chapters. So in any moment we could make new songs that we don't know how they will be and they can change until they get recorded some day...

 

11.What are you currently listening to nowadays?

R: Almost the same as a few years… Katatonia, Wolfheart, HIM, and so many other bands that i don't even remember everyday could be something new

 

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

R: I want to thank you for the space and the interesting questions. Thanks to the readers and I hope some of them listen to the band and enjoy it.

Bandcamp

Facebook

Wynter Arvn/Abysses/Antiq/2021 Full Length Review

 

  Winter  Arvn  are  a  duo  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture  of  neo-folk  and  neo-classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Abysses"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Antiq.

  Acoustic  guitars  start  off  the  album  and  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  neo  folk  feeling  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals.  Percussions  and  classical  guitars  can  also  be  heard  at  times  which  also  brings  in  a  decent  mixture  of  finger  picking  and  full  chords  and  clarinets  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  Some  of  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  90's  era  black  metal  while  all  of  the  tracks  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other..    At  times  the  music  also  captures  a  melancholic  atmosphere  along  with  a  brief  use  of  session  work  from  members  of  Spectrale  and  Skyforger  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  female  vocals  and  there  is  also  an  Xasthur  cover  which  introduces  grim  screams  unto  the  album  and  male  vocals   are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Winter  Arvn  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  neo-folk  and  neo-classical  and  mixes  it  together  with  the  melancholic  atmosphere  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In my opinion  Winter  Arvn  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  neo-folk  and  neo-classical  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Nocturene  II"  "Nocturne  III"  and  "Quand  Tombe  le  Jour".  8  out  of  10.

Emerge/Gerald Fiebig/Limited Liability Sounds/Attenuation Circuit/2021 Collaboration Live Album Review

 

  Emerge  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  has been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  does  2  different  live  sets  one  with  Limited  Liability  Sounds  and  another  with  Gerald  Fiebig  and  brings  in  a  mixture  of  experimental,  drone,  ambient,  psychedelic  and  improv  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  collaboration  album  which  was  released  by  Attenuation  Circuit.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.  Field  recordings  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  of  the  live  sets  along  with  some  psychedelic  style  soundscapes  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  an  instrumental  direction.

  All  of  the  music  is  also  improvised  while  the  music  also  gets  more  diverse  sounding  as  the  album  progresses.  Synths  are  also  introduced  on  the  second  track  and  also  takes  the  music  into  more  of  an  ambient  direction  along  with  the  music  also  keeping  a  very  avant  garde  style  as  well  as  incorporating  a  more  lo-fi  atmosphere.

  On  this  recording  Emerge  mixes  his  style  with  Limited  Liability  Sounds  on  one  set  and  Gerald  Fiegig  on  another  set  to  create  a  very  diverse  sounding  recording  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  Emerge,  Limited  Liability  Sounds  and  Gerald  Fiegig  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  drone,  experimental,  improv  and  psychedelia  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

https://emerge.bandcamp.com/album/fiebig-emerge-lls

  

  

BlackWeald/666 Minutes In Hell/2021 Full Length Review

 

  BlackWeald  are  a  musical  project  from  Hungary  that  plays  a  ritualistic  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  drone  and  field  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2021  album  "666  Minutes  In  Hell"  which is  also  over  11  hours  in  length.

  Ritualistic  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the   music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  ambient  style  synths.  A  lot  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  field  recordings  along  with  one  of  the  songs  also  introducing  Gregorian  chants  onto  the  album.

  Clean  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  some  songs  also  adding  in  spoken  word  parts.  When  pianos  are  utilized  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  atmosphere  along  with  the  whispers  and  demonic  voices  also  enhancing  the  ritualistic  nature  of  the  recording.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals  while  some  tracks  also  mix  in  a  decent  amount  of  drones  and  cinematic  soundscapes.  Most  of  the  songs  also  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  the  spoken  word  parts  also  giving  the  album  more  of  a  narrative  atmosphere  when  they  are  utilized.

  A  couple  of  the  songs  also  introduces  electric  and  acoustic  guitars,  clean  playing  and  drum  beats  onto  the  album  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  programmed  beats  and  industrial  influences  onto  the  recording.  and  as  the  album  progresses  female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  atmospheric  moments,  some  tracks  also  show  an  influence  of  black  metal  and  a  later  track  also  introduces  homemade  instruments  into  the  music.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  based  upon  hell,  death,  the  black  arts  and  Hungarian  gloom.

  In  my  opinion  Black  Weald  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ritual,  dark  ambient,  drone  and  filed  recordings  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Iron  Walls  Of  Dis"  "Earily  Howling  Crypts"  "Pape  Satan,  Pape  Satan  Aleppe"  and  "Eternity  Opens".  8  out  of  10.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/blackweald/666-minutes-in-hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98PDawjh9GE&t

https://blackweald.bandcamp.com/album/666-minutes-in-hell 

  

Ghone/Low Texture/Sea Of Sand/Submersion Records/2021 Split Album Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  s  split  album  between  Greece's  Ghone  and  Low  Texture  called  "Sea  of  Sand"  which  was  released  by  Submersion  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Ghone  a  solo  project  that  plays  of  avant  garde,  ambient,  experimental  and  noise.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  avant  garde  style  soundscapes  while  his  track  is  also  over  23  minutes  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  along  with  the  track  also  being  an  instrumental  as  well  as  some  elements  of  noise  also  being  added  into  the  music  as  the  song  progresses  and  towards  the  end  touches  of  ambient  can  also  be  heard  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Ghone  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  avant  garde,  ambient,  experimental  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.

  Next  up  is  Low  Texture  a  band  that  that  plays  an  improvised  form  of  experimental.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  ambient  soundscapes  and  clean  playing  while  both  of  their  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  a  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  also  being  added  into  the  background.

  All  of  the  music  is  also  improvised  while  guitar  leads  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  on  both  songs  with  some  ambient  style  synths  also  being  added  on  the  second  track  who  sounds  very  different  from  the  first  song,  black  metal  style  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Low  texture  are  a  very  great  sounding  improvised  mixture  of  experimental,  drone  and  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "This  Light  Is  Blinding  Me".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  ambient,  avant  garde,  drone, experimental  and  noise.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Ghone.temple

https://www.facebook.com/lowtexture

https://submersionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sea-of-sand

        

NCT333/Aion/UKhan Records/2020 EP Review

 

  NCT333  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  industrial,  downtempo,  IDM  and  glitch  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2020  ep  "Aion"  which  was  released  by  UKhan  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  and  programmed  beats  a  few  seconds  later.  The  music  also  brings  in  a  decent  amount  of  industrial  and IDM  elements  along  with  a  powerful  bass  sound  in  the  background  and  a  one of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental.

  Glitches  and  downtempo  style  beats  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  while  each  song  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other.  The  tracks  also  add  in  a  variety  of  many  different  influences  from  the  different  electronic  music  genres  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording,  melodic  chants  can  also  be  heard  on  the  closing  track.  

  NCT33  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dark  ambient,  industrial,  downtempo,  IDM  and  glitch  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while t he  song  themes  revolve  around  Alchemy,  Gnosticism  and  the  Apocalypse. 

  In  my  opinion  NCT333  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  industrial,  downtempo,  IDM  and  glitch  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "White  Sophia  In  The  Bridal  Chamber"  and  "The  Sacrifice  Of  Fire  Of  the  Cosmic  Female".  8  out  of  10.

ukhanrecords.bandcamp.com

   

..........................      

Das Tote Kapital/Gerald Fiebig/Self Titled/Attenuation Circuit/2021 Collaboration Album Review

 

  Germany's  Die  Tote  Kapital  &  Gerald  Fiebig  team  up  on  this  recording  and  bring  in  an  improvised  mixture  of  experimental  and  electroacoustic  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2021  album  which  was  released  by  Attenuation  Circuit.

  Drums  and  electronic  music  sounds  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  ad  avant  garde  sounding  at  times.  All  of  the  music  is  also  improvised  along  with  some  field  recordings  and  acoustic  style  instruments  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  recording  and most  of  the  tracks  are  instrumental.  

  A  couple  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  each  track  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  which  in  return  makes  the  recording  more  diverse  sounding.  Some  songs  also  add  in  some  amplified  objects  and  samples  along  with  some  touches  of  avant  jazz  and  early  20th  century  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Die  Tote  Kapital  &  Gerlald  Fiebig  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  avant  garde,  experimental  and  electroacoustic  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  improvised  and  instrumental  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  Das  Tote  Kapital  and  Gerald  Fiebig  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  avant  garde,  experimental  and  electroacoustic  music ,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Chance"  and  "Horror  Vacui".  8  out  of  10.

https://emerge.bandcamp.com/album/das-tote-kapital-gerald-fiebig      

Earthflesh/Hostile Surgery/Hyperpyrexia/Short Run Industries/Basement Corner Emissions/2020 Collaboration Track Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  between  Switzerland's  Earthflesh  and  Hostile  Surgery  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise,  drone,  experimental  and  industrial  which  was  released  in  2020  as  a  joint  effort  between  Short  Run  Industries  and  Basement  Corner  Emissions.

  An  almost  silent  sound  starts  off  the  track  which  is  also  45  minutes  in  length  before  adding  in  some  drones.  After  awhile  dark  industrial  style  beats  start  making  their  presence  known  in  the  music  while  some  power  electronics  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  and  the  whole  recording  also  sticks  to  an  instrumental  direction.

  As  the  track  progresses  the  music  also  starts  adding  in  more  harsh  sounding  noises  while  the  song  also  has  its  experimental  moments.  Static  sounds  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  which  also  adds  in  touches  of  harsh  noise  wall  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  repetitive  moments.

  On  this  track  Earthflesh  and  Hostile  Surgery  team  up  together  to  create  a  45  minute  instrumental  track  that  mixes  harsh  noise,  drone,  experimental  and  industrial  together  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  between  Earthflesh  and  Hostile  Surgery  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  harsh  noise,  drone,  experimental  and  industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8  out  of  10.

EARTHFLESH : https://earthflesh.bandcamp.com
HOSTILE SURGERY : https://hostilesurgery.bandcamp.com

      

Alexander/I/Superbob Records/2020 Full Length Review

 

  Alexander  are  an  international  duo  with  members  from  Germany  and  Canada  that  plays  a  mixture  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2020  album  "I"  which  was  released  by  Superbob  Records.

  Distorted  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  decent  amount  of  programmed  beats.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  primitive  and  repetitive  sounding  along  with  both  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  chants,  whispers  and  screams  are  added  into  the  music.

  When  bass  guitars  are  utilized  they  also  add  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  while  the  drums  and  percussion  also  take  the  music  into  more  of  an  apocalyptic  direction.  All  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  along  with  both  of  the  tracks  sounding  improvised  and  ritualistic  soundscapes  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Alexander  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Runes  and  Occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Alexander  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Runes".  8  out  of  10.

Alexanderseye.com

Facebook.com/alexanderfuneraldrone

https://schneidercollaboration.bandcamp.com/album/alexander

http://alexanderseye.bandcamp.com    

Savo-Karelian Enigmas/The Time Of Gods/Savo-Karelian Productions/2021 EP Review

 

  Savo-Karelian  Enigmas  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  pagan  and  ritualistic  mixture  of  neo-folk  and  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  ep  "The  Time  Of  Gods"  which  was  released  by  Savo-Karelian  Productions.

  Shamanistic  style  percussions  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  ritualistic  chanting  a  few  seconds  later.  Throat  singing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in   nature  sounds  and  folk  instruments  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  songs.

  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals  while  a  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  also  very  short  in  length.  When  synths  are  added  onto  the  recording  they  also  introduce  elements  of  ambient  into  the  music  along  with  some  clean  pagan  vocals  also  being  utilized  briefly  and  each  track  also  sounds  very  different  from  each  other  which  also  gives  the  recording  a  lot  more  diversity  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.

  Savo-Karelian  Enigmas  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  neo-folk,  ritual  and  ambient  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  European  Paganism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Savo-Karelain  Enigmas  are  a  very  great  sounding  pagan  and  ritualistic  mixture  of  neo-folk  and  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Age  of  Vikings"  "Journey  Through  Tuonela"  and  "Blodsutgjutelse".  8  out  of  10.

   https://youtu.be/KRa1vEhflJY

Jugendwerkhof/Genus Inkasso/Low Life High Volume/2021 Split Cassette Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  cassette  between  Germany's  Jugendwerkhof  and  Genus  Inkasso  which  was  released  by  Low  Life  High  Volume  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Jugendwekhof  a  solo  project  that  plays  a  harsh  form  of  noise.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  power  electronics  while  also  adding  in  some  voices  before  going  into  a  harsh  noise  direction.  His  track  is  also  almost  15  minutes  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  getting  diverse  sounding  at  times  while  the  production  also  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi.

  In  my  opinion  Jugenwerkhof  are  a  very  great  sounding  harsh  noise  solos  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Genus  Inkasso  a  musical  project  that  plays  a  very  harsh  form  of  noise.

  There  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  harsh  noises  and  nature  orientated  soundscapes  while  there  track  is  over  15  minutes  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also gets  very  primitive  sounding  as  well  as  adding  in  some  diversity  as  well  as  the  song  also  adding  in  some  atmospheric  elements  towards  the  end  while  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  lo-fi.

  In  my  opinion  Genus  Inkasso  are  a  very  great  sounding  harsh  noise  musical  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.

  On  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  harsh  noise.  8  out  of  10.

https://lowlifehighvolume.bandcamp.com/album/split-3

http://lowlifehighvolume.biz/LLHV-22.html  

Cernichov Interview

 

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

 

Nothing strange, we are a couple of old friends, we know each other from the late '90s, we both like hard and difficult music and one day we told to each other "Let's try... why not?"

 

2.So far you have released 2 albums, musically how do they both differ from each other? 

 

Like the most part of the first albums, our self titled is more spontaneous, unripe, naive... in one word: young. The Mold Legacy instead has been looking more to an aimed sound palette and generic aestetic we had in mind prior to the production phase, leveraging on what learned with the previous work.

 

3.What are some of the themes and concepts you bring into your music?

 

We explore through the writing, production and mixing process what's inside in our mind, our thoughts, idea consciously and un consciously,… we don't use words, lyrics, so it's always interesting when we try to communicate something only through music and atmospheres. The first album turned around the idea that our times, our generations, are just the ruins of the past. With our second work instead, we only would like to kindly inform that everybody is already under the legacy of the mold and there is no escape.

 

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

 

Jakov Cernichov (or Cernikhov, or Chernikhov, etc) was a soviet constructivist architect and graphic designer. In his head utopia and innovation mixed in order to create a new world. I invite everyone to check his works out, it's the best way to know him.

 

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

 

Well, we tried to create an artwork that described the concept of the album, at different scales of magnification; moreover, especially thanks to the logo, we wanted to give the idea that our music (although we are talking about drone, noise, ambient) has many black metal influences, or rather, it takes inspiration from that big cauldron that is called "blackened", where quite different genres mix and find a meeting point, such as ambient, shoegaze, screamo, deathcore, etc

 

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

 

We don’t stand people and the period we are living is showing the weakness of democracy, so... no, i don't think this will happen.

 

7.The band members also live in different countries, how does this work out in the recording process?

 

Technology killed physical barriers and we pollute the environment exchanging files, until we both agree that the song is ready. 

 

8.So far you have worked with 'Cathedral Transmissions' and 'Dorrnwald Records', do you feel these labels have been very helpful when it comes to getting your music out there heard?

 

Yes, in different ways but absolutely yes. Cathedral Transmission is a trademark for what relates to ambient music. Their runs are always limited but taken but the scene as guarantee of quality. Dornwald is embracing totally the project using at the best their capacity to exploit our work, despite the hard times.

 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of ambient?

 

As in any other music genre, the offering is massive and very easy to get lost. We cannot complain so far: we got good reviews, wherever we had a chance to get a feedback, this had been always positive.

 

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

 

The main path is there, how this will evolve depends on how our lives will and how the changes will impact us under the skin. Therefore we don't think about it, we like to do it, we like the process, we like to work on the songs as a self satisfying process

 

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?

 

Every song or any kind of music we digested till now has contributed to our vision for sure... Talking about what we are listening now, for example Marco is listening to Flow Milli, David instead…only good music.

 

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

 

Yes, paraphrasing a The Locust song: anything Jesus does, we can do better.

https://www.facebook.com/Cernichov/

Eurynome/Obsequies/2020 CD Review

 

  Eurynome  are  a  duo  from  Italy  that  plays  a  musical  style  that  they  describe  as  being  '19th  Century  Funeral  Doom  Metal'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2020  album  "Obsequies".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  slower,  heavier  and  atmospheric  funeral  doom  metal  direction.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  and  symphonic  sounding  along  with  the  songs  also  using  two  distorted  bass  guitars  in  place  of  a  regular  guitar  to  capture  the  heaviness.

  Death  metal  growls  are  also  a  very  huge  parts  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  captures  the  romantic  and  tragic  atmosphere  of  the  19th  century.  All  of  the  drum  beats  are  also  programmed  along  with  the  female  vocals  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  operatic  feeling  when  they  are  utilized.

  Stringed  instruments  and  orchestra  structures  are  also  a  very  huge  part  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  melodic  moments.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  instrumentals  as  well  as  the  piano's  also  expanding  on  the  more  melancholic  side  of  the  music  when  they  are  utilized,  all  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  graveyards,  funerals,  decadence,  solitude  and  apocalyptical  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Eurynome  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Eloquence  Of  The  Doomsday  Fog"  and  "Conducting  Our  Own  Funeral".  8  out  of  10.

 Bandcamp - https://eurynome.bandcamp.com/releases

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eurynomedoom
Instagram - @eurynomedoom
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHHfCc9U-kTbBosnBKWDEw

Metal-Archives: https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Eurynome/3540475436

Aura Hiemis/Inflicting Ravage To The Holy Cattle/Australis Records/2020 CD Review

 

  Aura  Hiemis  are  a  band  from  Chile  that  plays  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2020  album  "Inflicting  Ravage  To  The  Holy  Cattle"  which  was  released  by  Australis  Records.

  Rain  and  thunder  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  playing  a  few  seconds  later  before  adding  in  some  drum  beats  and  synths  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music.  Dark  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  are  also  added  into  the  guitar  and  the  slow  riffs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  funeral  doom  metal.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal growls  which  also  show  an  influence  of  the  90's  era  doom/death  metal  era.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  on  most  of  the  songs  as  well  as  one  song  also  being  an  instrumental,  as  the  recording  progresses  melodic  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  slower  direction.

  Autra  Hiemis  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  very  slow,  atmospheric,  dark  and  heavy  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  depression  and  mysticism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Aura  Hiemis  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  funeral  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Black  Dream"  and  "Dead  Cold".  8  out  of  10.

  Youtube music

Band Facebook