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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