Postvorta/Carmentis/Third I Rex/2017 CD Review

  Postvorta  are  a  band  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  post  and  sludge  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Carmentis"  which  was  released  by  Third  I  Rex.

  Atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  touches  of  ambient  and  drone  and  melodic  female  chants  are  also  used  briefly  and  they give  the  music  more  of  a  shamanistic  atmosphere  and  after  the  intro  clean  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  they  add  in  elements  of  post  rock.

 
  A  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  drum  beats  start  to  make  their  presence  known  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  once  the  music  gets  heavy  it  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and doom  metal.

  Vocals  are  mostly  angry  sludge  style  screams  along  with  a few  growls  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  vocals  can  be  heard  while  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  at  times  along  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction  and  slide  guitars  along  with  stringed  instruments  are  also  used  briefly.

  Postvorta  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  from  previous  releases, the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mythological  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Postvorta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge  and  post  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Colostro"  and "Patutu".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/POSTVORTA/



 

IIVII/Invasion/Consouling Sounds/2017 CD Review

  IIVII  are  a  solo  project from  the  Netherlands  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  science  fiction  orientated  form  of  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Invasion"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Consouling  Sounds.

  Dark  ambient  style  soundscpaes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  programmed  beats  while  the  clean  guitars  add  in  touches  of  post  rock  and  elements  of  vaporwave,  electronica,  and  drone  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  A  great  portion  of  the  songs  are  all  instrumental  while  all  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  classical  music  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  some  touches  of  industrial  that  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  sci-fi  orientated  atmosphere.

  IIVII  creates  another  recording  that  is  in  the  science  fiction  orientated  style  of  ambient  from  previous  releases  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  mixing  in  elements  of  drone,  industrial,  electronica,  vaporwave  and  classical  to  create  something  very  different  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great sounding  recording  from  IIVII  and  if  you  are  a  fan of  dark ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unclouded  By  Conscience"  "Painless"  and  "You  Die".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAgIQhU_qAU&feature=youtu.be
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Fleshpress/Hulluuden Muuri/2017 Full Length Review

  Finland's  Fleshpress  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  is  also  in  the  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  mixture  of  previous  releases  along  with  some  black  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2017  album  "Hulluuden  Muuri".

  Distorted  amp  noises  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   very  fast  direction  that  also  uses  a  decent  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  a  black  metal  feeling  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  distorted  style.

  A  great  amount  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  screams  more  close  to  that  genre  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  at  times  along  with  a  touch  of  psychedelic  traces  and  most  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  slow  direction.

  Fleshpress  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal mixture  of  previous  releases  while  also  having  some  psychedelic  and  black  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  misanthropy,  anger  and  disgust  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Fleshpress  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  stoner,  and  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Lunastuksen  Ajan  Vera  Riiti"  and  "Voiman  Taydellinen  Toteutuminen".  8  out  of  10.

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Bardspec/Hydrogen/By Norse/2017 CD Review

  Bardspec  is  a  solo  project  of  Ivar  Bjornsen  of  Enslaved  and  plays  a  mixture  of  ambient and  industrial   and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Hydrogen"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  By  Norse.

  Industrial  style  beats  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  synths  that  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  atmospheric  feeling  and  after  the  intro  clean  and  acoustic  guitars  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  most  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while t he  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Tribal  beats  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion  and  most  of  the  musical  is  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  experimental  along  with  spoken  word  parts  and  clean  vocals  also  being  used  briefly  and  some  of t he  riffing  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  metal.


  Bardspec  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  ambient,  industrial and  krautrock  and  mixes  in  more  guitars  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  with  only  a  small  touch  of  metal  and  the  production  also  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Bardspec  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ambient  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bone"  and  "Salt'.  8  out  of  10.

http://www.bardspec.com
http://www.facebook.com/BardSpec
http://www.instagram.com/bardspec

 

Helfir/The Human Defeat/My Kingdom Music/2017 CD Review

  Helfir  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  rock  and goth  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "The  Human  Defeat"  which  will  be  released  in June  by  My  Kingdom  Music.

   Electronic  music  sounds  along  with  some  clean  playing  starts  off  the  album before adding  in  a  more  heavy  goth  and  doom  metal  style  which  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  melodic  guitar  leads  as  well  as  some  death  metal  growls  being  utilized  at times  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  or  melody  in  the  riffing.

  Melodic  singing  is  also  used  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  a  great  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  while  some  tracks  also  use  whispered vocals  while  a  great  amount  of  the  tracks  add  in  elements  of  neo  folk  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Helfir  expands  on  the  acoustic  dark  rock  style  of his  previous  release  while  adding  in  elements  of  goth,  death  and  doom  metal  to  create  something  different,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Helfir  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo  folk,  dark  rock  and  goth  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/helfirofficial/

Khost/Governance/Cold Spring Records/2017 CD Review

  Khost  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of  death  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review of  their  2017  album  "Governance"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Cold  Spring  Records.

  Harsh  industrial  sounds  along  with  some  melodic  yet  shamanistic  style  chanting  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  add  in  the  heaviness  of  doom  metal  while  also  having  there  melodic  moments  and  after  awhile  high  pitched  screams  and  death  metal  growls are  added  onto  the  recording.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to them  while  the  riffs  also  mix  in  elements  of  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  drones  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  operatic  style  singing  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  traces  of  ambient  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  songs  get  more  esoteric  and  avant  garde  and  all  of t he  tracks  stick  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.


  Khost  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  experimental,  drone,  death  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sounds  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Khost  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death  industrial  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Subliminal  Choroform  Violation"  "Deminized"  "Depression"  and "Stockholm  Syndrome".  8  out  of  10. 

http://khostband.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/khostband

Hjarnidaudi/PsykoStareVoid/Dead Sea Productions/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  another  review  of  a  recording  from  Hjarnidaudi  which  is  also  in  the  instrumental  mixture  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  drone  direction  and  the  album  was  originally released  in  2009  and  called  "PsykoStareVoid"  and  was  re-issued  in  2017  by  Dead  Seed  Productions.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitar  leads  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ambient  style  soundscpaes  and  drones  a  few  seconds  alter  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  side  of  the  music  while  the  guitar  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  fashion  and  the  riffs  are  in a   funeral  doom  style.

  Most  of  the  tracks a re  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  no  vocals  or  lyrics  are  ever  utilized  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  touch  of  post  metal  along  with  the  riffs  also  mixing  in a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  clean  playing  is  also  utilized  briefly  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slow  musical  direction.

  Hjarnidaudi  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  instrumental  mixture  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  from  previous  releases  while  also  showing  a  great  amount  of  progress  as  a  musician  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  HJarnidaudi  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "II"  and  "IV".  8  out  of  10.

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Hjarnidaudi/Pain: Noise: March/Dead Seed Productions/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  Hjarnidaudi  are  a  solo  project  from  Norway  that  plays  an  instrumental  mixture  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2006  album  "Pain:  Noise:  March"  which  was  re-issued  in  2017  by  Dead  Seed  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  funeral  doom  metal  sound  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  starts  off  the  album  and  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  while  all  of  the  tracks are  very  long  and  epic in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Clean  playing  along  with  elements  of  drone  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  music  getting  more  avant  garde  and  experimental  and  all  of t he  songs  stick  to  a  very  slow,  musical  direction  and  a  small  amount  of  melody  can  also  be  heard  in  the  guitar  riffing.

  Hjarnidaudi  plays a  musical  style  that  mixes  funeral  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  and  also  keeping  everything  in  an  instrumental  and  slow  direction a nd  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Hjarnidaudi  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  mixture  of  drone  and  funeral  doom  metal a dn  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should c heck  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Noise".  8  out  of  10.

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Below The Sun Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
Hi! We're rehearsing actively, experimenting with the sound, composing new stuff.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
The musical sound can be described as a mix of doom, sludge, post-metal and ambient. These are main pillars of our music. Our new album is much more contrast in an emotional way. There are some aggressive riffs, some melodic clean singing, some madness.

3.The lyrics on the new album are based on the novel 'Solaris' by Stainslaw Lem, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this writer and also are there any other science fiction authors that have had an influence on your song writing?
"Solaris" tells a story of a contact. And it's not just a contact with "grey people", there are no xenomorphs, no viruses, plants or mushrooms. It's a whole different story! Intelligent ocean that covers entire planet! It's something humanity never met and can not instantly understand. This is the deep and philosophical story which, first of all, provokes introspection.

4.Originally the band was known as 'Solvindur', what was the cause of the new change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Below The Sun’?
I'm surprised, where did you get this info? We played one experimental show in the woods - we had no name then. We didn't need one. Only when we decided to play on, we started to look for the name. And the name should be connected to space somehow. We browsed some options - there was "Solvindur" among them, but lasted less than a week, - and eventually took the name of one of our favorite Ahab's track.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Each show is unique. The audience feel our energy and return it back at a multiplied volume!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We're making a presentation at our city the next day after the release. It will be big Siberian summer festival, and Russian autumn tour then.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of experimental, post, and doom metal?
Although we didn't quite fit the specific genre, the worldwide feedback has been great! We were surprised how positive it was! Also, there were a lot of messages, like "It will be very hard to outperform the first album!", but we're doing all we can. And on the second album you can see our growth.

8.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?
Our drummer has a black metal project "Istina". The guitarists play in the psychedelic band "The Warp".

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We're going to play, experiment and search for our own style. This is the endless search. Maybe our next album would be something ambient mixed with other styles. We'll see, where the search brings us.

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?
We're listening to a lot of various music. Ranging from minimal techno to avant-garde styles. If it is specifically rock\metal bands that influenced us, then we can point out Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Ahab, Troum, Yob, My Shameful, Sunn o)) Khanate, Rabies Caste, Korn, The Mars Volta... and so on, the list is virtually endless!

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
The space!

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Look at the stars more often.

https://www.facebook.com/BelowTheSunBand/

The Soundbyte/Solitary IV/Temple Of Torturous Records/2017 CD Review

  The  Soundbyte  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  avant  garde  and  experimental  form  of  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Solitary IV"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Temple  Of  Torturous  Records.

  Drones  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  and  clean  post  rock  style  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  drum  beats  adds  more  power  to  the  tracks  and  the  music  also  mixes  in a   great  amount  of  ambient  elements  and  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  When  stringed  instruments  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  a  more  avant  garde  feeling  along  with  some  symphonic  and  neo  classical  touches  and  the music  also  gets  more  experimental  as  the  album  progresses  while  whispers  are  also  added  into  certain sections  of the  recording.

  When  female  vocals  are  brought  into the  music  they  give  the  songs  a  more  esoteric  and  goth  influenced  atmosphere  while  the  heavy  riffs  are  done  in  a  more  atmospheric  doom  metal  style  and  they  also  add  in  a  more  clean  yet  distorted  progressive  style  on  later  tracks  and  some  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  briefly  and  the  closing  track  adds  in a  touch  of  Norwegian  black  metal  into  the  riffing.

  The  Soundbyte  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  electro  acoustic,  ambient,  experimental,  avant  garde,  progressive,  post  rock  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

 In  my  opinion  The  Soundbyte  are  a  very  great  sounding  experimental  avant  garde  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical genre,  you  should   check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fanfare"  "Lamentations"  and  "Solitary".  8  out  of  10.   

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/The-Soundbyte-152342254790721/

Costin Chioreanu/There Is A Place Called Home/Svart Records/2017 EP Review

  Costin  Chioreanu  is  a  solo  artist  from  Romania  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  experimental  and  avant garde  with  some  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  ep  "There  Is  A  Place  Called Home"  which  was  released  by  Svart  Records.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  ep  along with  some  ambient  style  soundscapes  a  few  seconds  later  and  tragic  style  synths  and  after  awhile  clean  yet  distorted  guitars  are  added  onto the  recording  and  add  in  melodic  post  rock style  guitar  leads  and  all  3  of  the  tracks  are  mostly instrumental  as  well  as  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Elements  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording and  all  of  the musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use of  Romanian  style  flutes  and  all  of  the  songs  are  very  diverse  and  sound  very  different  from  each  other.

  Costin  Chioreanu  creates  a  recording  that is  more  avant  garde  and  experimental  than  his  metal  projects  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  also  mixing  in  elements  of ambient  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Costin  Chioreanu  and  if  you are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  avant  garde  and  experimental,  you  should  check  out  this ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "The Night".  8  out  of  10.

https://costinchioreanu.bandcamp.com/album/there-is-a-place-called-home

   

The Blue Tapes House Band/Vol. 2:Coo/Blue Tapes And X Ray Records/2017 Full Length Review

  The  Blue  Tapes  House  Band  are  a  project  based  in  the  United  Kingdom  that  consists  of  many  musicians  from  the  same  label  and  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  drone,  and  musique  concrete    and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Vol. 2:"  which  was  released  by  Blue  Tapes  And  X  Ray  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  and  field  recordings  start  off  the  album along  with  some  loops  being  utilized  at  times  and  the  music  also gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  and  most  of  the  musical  is  instrumental  while  voices  are  also  added  into  the  background  of  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Pianos  can  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  they  also  add  in  a  classical  touch  and  after  awhile  traces  of  ambient  can  be  heard  and  when  programmed  beats  are  utilized  they  give  the  recording  a  more  militant  feeling  and  they  also  capture  the  raw  style  of  the  Walkman  sounds.

  The  Blue  Tapes  House  Band  plays  a  musical  style  that mixes  experimental,  drone,  loops,  ambient  and  musique  concrete  to  create  something  very  different  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw.

  In  my  opinion  The  Blue  Tapes  House  Band  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  drone,  and  musique  concrete  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out of  10.

https://bluetapes.bandcamp.com/

 

 

   

Red Moon Architect Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?
We've started to rehearse these new songs. We don't ever play the new songs together until the album is done so there's a lot to figure out. We've also had quite much to do around this album release. Promotion, gig booking etc. A lot of things to do!

2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past/
It's a weird mixture of heavy and lighter elements, still fitting in this funeral doom category. The sound is rough enough to get the point through, but at the same time production is pretty modern and polished for a doom band. Soundscape is big. A lot of reverbs, huge wall of guitars. That is then mixed with melodic synths and heavenly sweet female vocals.
Compared to our previous album “Fall”, the synths are in bigger role creating the atmosphere. Also the whole production and studio work was done in highest standards possible. No corners cut.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
When I (Saku) write lyrics, I mostly just try to put my emotions into words. It's a bit more abstract point of view. Anni, who did write lyrics for tracks “Tormented” and “NDE”, writes a bit more of concrete topics. They're more story-like than mine. Which is great. I think it gives our output much more diversity.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Red Moon Architect'?
I really can't remember where it came from back then. Red Moon has a lot of meanings in history and in different religions. It used to symbolize a new era or some bad event. It's also really appealing visually.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
There's been so many. Tuska, the biggest metal festival in Finland has been one of the highlights. We've also played few shows with Amorphis. Huge clubs and great audiences. Those are the nights to remember. Some of our very first shows have also very special place in my heart. Even if they were quite modest in many ways and we weren't at the same level as a band, it was awesome to play live with RMA for the first times.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We're playing some shows in Finland first. Album release party is 8th June in Helsinki, Finland. Estonia is on the list to go next.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal?
Really great! Although we have a lot of listeners that aren't just funeral doom fans. Reactions from media have been great since we started, especially with this new album. Fans think that our new material has always been better and better. So do we, so we're going to the right direction! We've also got some great feedback from people that usually don't listen to metal.

8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?
Our bass player Jukka plays also in Crimson Sun. They've been really active touring around Europe and writing new material. If you're into melodic metal and modern sound, you should really check them out!

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I really don't know. We're so happy with the outcome of our last album that I don't know what we could change. Usually the ideas will start to grow a while after the latest album is released. I'll start to write new material next winter. I don't want to make the same album twice, so we'll see. Everything is quite balanced now and the sound of our band is exactly how I've wanted it to be.

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?
I've been influenced more of nature, other people and my emotions than music. I've listened to a lot of dark ambient music lately and I think that can be heard on our album. For example, the intro track “The Haunt”. Many people don't just get it and think it's completely unnecessary track, but for me it's important when you listen the album as a whole. Shape Of Despair, the greatest funeral doom band from Finland has of course been a huge influence for me always.
I don't listen to metal a lot. I work as a record producer and mostly work with metal bands, but on my own time I'm more into fusion jazz. It may be days or weeks when I don't listen to any music at all. It's also a common joke that I don't know any of the bands out there. I really don't. I'm so out of scene, haha.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
Video games, whisky, food and my lovely daughter. Because of my job, music is so big part of my life, there isn't really space for anything else. I just don't have time to any more hobbies.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
If you're into melodic doom metal, or even if not, you should check out our new album “Return of the Black Butterflies”. It's our best album to the date and we're extremely proud to soon have it out there for all of you to listen. Thanks!

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Vin De Mia Trix/Palimpsests/Hypnotic Dirge Records/Cimmerian Shade Recordings/2017 Full Length Review

  Vin  De  Mia  Trix  are  a  band  from  Ukraine  that  plays  a  progressive  form  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Palimpsests"  which  will  be  released  on  May  31st  as  a  joint  effort  between  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records  and  Cimmerian  Shade  Recordings.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drones  also  being  used  at  times  along  with  a  small  amount  of  nature  sounds  and  some  shamanistic  style  atmosphere  is  added into  some  parts  of t he  album  and  after  awhile  clean  playing  and  melodic  guitar  leads a re  added  onto  the  recording.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  slow  riffs  also  mix  in  the  heaviness  of  funeral  doom  metal  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  and  melodic  chants  and  both  post  and  progressive  rock  elements  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  A  great  amount  of  clean  vocals  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of t he  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  after  awhile  death  metal growls  also  start  to  make their  presence  known  along  with  a  small  amount  of  black  metal  screams  while the  acoustic  guitars  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  progressive  touch  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  and thrash  influences  can  be  heard while  most  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  slower  direction.

  Vin  De  Mia  Trix  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom  metal  that  also  mixes  in  elements  of  epic  traditional doom,  black  metal,  post  and  progressive  rock  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  myths  and  archetypes  from  different  cultures  and  how  they relate to  each  other.

  In  my  opinion  Vin  De  Mia  Trix  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  funeral  doom  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Martarisvan"  and  "Noe".  8  out  of  10.

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Merchant Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new EP?
We've been quietly writing new material in the past few months alongside a few big shows. We recorded the album in December, so since then we've done a few headlining Melbourne shows, supported Cough/Windhand in Melbourne on their Australian tour and we have just gotten back from our first overseas tour, a short run in New Zealand with the legends in WATCHTOWER.

2.You have a new album coming out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
'Beneath', very much picks up where 'Suzerain' left off, especially in the fact that it is an exercise in low end brutality. We try and write music that is not your standard sludge, something with a bit more complexity and with more layers. The EP has a higher level of intricacy, extended psychedelic parts and is just a bit more surgical than 'Suzerain' - or at least we like to think.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
While our first one dealt with the mourning of others, the state of the world and our sanity, Beneath deals with the concept of the Self. The lyrical themes have a common thread in that they deal with identifying inner darkness and grappling with it in an effort to better our own existence.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Merchant'?
Merchant just sounded tough to us.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Our NZ tour last week was definitely the pinnacle of our live rituals so far. The buzz from heading to another country and playing to people there is otherworldly. In terms of our stage performance, we're a pretty aggressive unit and we try to deliver something as visually devastating as we aim to be sonically.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
We've got shows booked in Sydney, Ballarat and Melbourne over the next month and we're  currently mapping out where we're going to get to before the end of year. We aim to hit every Australian state and then we'll probably look a bit further away for next year.

7.The new EP is coming out on 'Black Bow Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Undoubtedly. Jon Davis (Black Bow/Conan) has been incredibly easy to deal with and has helped us out at every step. It's a huge confirmation for us that we're on something resembling the right track by having him put this EP out on Black Bow.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of sludge and doom metal?
We've been stoked at the feedback we've had from all over. We're literally just four dudes playing loud amps in a small room for the most part, so to see people listen to our music, recommend us to their friends, wear our shirts is hugely humbling.

9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
It's difficult to say. We will always be a heavy band at heart but experiences within a musical journey and outside of it will always influence where we're going. It takes a long time to get to where you want to be artistically and in reality, it takes people's whole lives' as they hone their craft.

There'll probably be a few really brutal slow riffs in our future though, that's for sure.

10.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?
Both myself and Ben grew up on tech-death and bands like Gorguts, Spawn of Possession, Necrophagist before falling down a cavern of sludge. These bands and their odd riffing will always be part of the Merchant writing style, but stuff that's influenced us heavily as of late includes Sumac, Amenra, Cobalt.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?
We are all a bit partial to an ice cold adult beverage. 50% of our band seem to like tattoos, the other 50% don't like much.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Stay grim and wear more long sleeves with metal as hell sleeve prints.

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