Arcana-The New Light/Cyclic Law/2017 CD Re-Issue Review

  This  is  a  review of  another  recording  from  Sweden's  Arcana  which  shows  the  music  going  into  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  darkwave  and  the  album  was  originally released  in  2004  and  called  "The  New  Light"  with  the  re-issue  version  coming  out  in  November  of  2017  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  dark  ambient  style  synths  which  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  while  folk  instruments  are  also  used  at  times  and  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  and  some  of  the  tracks  are  instrumentals.

   Melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  elements  of  darkwave  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  when  whispers  are utilized  they  give  the  music  almost  a  black  metal  feeling  and  when  drum  beats  are  finally  utilized  they  add  in  more  of  a  tribal  and  ritualistic  feeling  as  well  as  the  music  also  incorporating  elements  of  neo  folk  and  female  vocals  are  added  onto  the  closing  track.

On  this  recording  Arcana  goes  for  more  of  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  darkwave,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  nature  and  poetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Arcane  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reminiscence"  "Wound"  "Through  The  Glass  Horizon"  and  "Roots".  8  out  of  10.

https://cycliclaw.bandcamp.com/album/the-new-light-reissue 


  

Arcana/Petrichor/Cyclic Law/2017 CD Review

  Arcana  are  a  band  from  Sweden  that  has  been  around  for  more  than  20 years  and  plays  an  atmospheric  mixture  of  neo-classical,  goth,  folk  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Petrichor"  which  will  be  released  in  November  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Dark  and  atmospheric  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  acoustic  guitars  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  neo-classical  elements  and  when  female  vocals  are  utilized  they  give  the  songs  more  of  an  operatic  and  ethereal  feeling.

  One  of  the  tracks  is  an  instrumental  while  the  acoustic  guitars  on  some  of  the  later  tracks  add  in  elements  of  neo  folk  along  with  some  male  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  one  of the  tracks  is  15  minutes  in  length,  when  percussion  is  utilized it  gives  the  music  more  of  a  tribal,  shamanistic  and  ritualistic  feeling  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  variety.

  Arcana  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  atmospheric  dark  ambient,  goth,  folk  and  neo-classical  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness and  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Arcana  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  atmospheric,  dark ambient,  goth,  folk  and  neo  classical  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Emperor  Of  The  Sun"  'As  Night  Turns  To  Day"  "Precious  Stone"  and  "For  Our  Continuity".  8  out  of  10. 

https://cycliclaw.bandcamp.com/album/petrichor
  

Dark Awake/Atropos Of Eudaimonia/Dornwald Records/2017 CD Review

  Greece's  solo  project  Dark  Awake  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  his  mixture  of  ritual,  neo-classical,  martial,  neo-folk  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Atropos  Of  Eudoimonia"  which  was  released  by  Dornwald  Records.

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  along  with  some  elements  of  harsh  noise  and  martial  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  female  choir  vocals  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  the  more  underground  side  of  industrial  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  Gregorian  chants.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  ritualistic  and  occult  sounding  while  oriental  style  folk  instruments  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  being  very long  and  epic  in  length  and  there  is  also  a  cover  of  Sol  Invictus's  "Kneel  To  The  Cross"  which  also  introduces  clean  male  vocals  onto  the  recording.

  Throughout  the  recording  the  music  also  incorporates   a  great  amount  neo-classical  elements  while  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  one  track  also  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental.

  Dark  Awake  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  ritual,  neo-classical,  martial,  dark  ambient  and  neo  folk,  the  production  sound s very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  O.N.A  Satanism,  Alchemy,  Persian  Occultism,  and  Greek/Hermetic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  From  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo-classical,  folk,  martial,  ritual  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Algol  And  Naos"  "Kneel  To  The  Cross"  and  "The  Medusa  Of  Despair".  8  out  of  10. 

https://dornwaldrec.bandcamp.com/album/atropos-of-eudaimonia

    

Tuskar Interview

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

Tyler: We are just a couple of guys making some angsty music together. We just make the music we want to hear and hope other people want to hear it too.

Tom: Yeah, from our beginnings just jamming in a room we've continued to go where the wind takes us, like Pocahontas.



2. How would you describe your musical sound?

Tom: Imagine you have a big cauldron of music and you throw in some doom, sludge, black, and maybe a bit of Madonna and that's pretty much Tuskar.

Tyler: We are trying to create something a little bit different from the scene, we take inspiration from all the great bands around us but put our own twist on it. We feel it helps that we're both pretty young so we have a fresh approach to how doom should be done.



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

Tyler: Well the first EP is based around the Celtic goddess Arianrhod. The majority of the lyrical content is based around fate and the concept of time. Like life is short, so control your own destiny.



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

Tom: As much as Tyler doesn’t want to admit it, we are named after a video game character, we were in the pub and struggling for a name so I just thought of the doomiest sounding character I could think of. No deep shit here haha.



5.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?

 Tom: While the idea has crossed our minds I think we both enjoy the dynamic of being a two piece - less people to organise, less people to have creative differences with, and less people to share rider beer with.

Tyler: Yeah I don’t think we're gonna expand anytime soon, but it’s never going going to be completely off the table.





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

Tyler: Playing with Monolord was one of my favourite shows, they are such an on point band live! And as for our show I try to create energy on the stage that translates across into the crowd, despite me being in the same place I try to never stay static on stage.

Tom: I think our shows are a bit like a journey. There's a beginning, a middle and an end and hopefully you’re in a different place than when we started.



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

 Tyler: Yeah we have a few more shows to finish the year off, including an awesome hometown show supporting Red Fang. Then we are gonna leave the beginning of 2018 off to work on the new EP and then hit the road in March and April, hopefully hitting Europe in the process!



Tom: There's some killer lineups we’ve been added to in November and December that I can’t wait to play, we're going to be on the road from the 30th of Nov to the 3rd of Dec including our first headline show.



8.Currently the band is signed to 'Riff Rock Records', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

 Tom: Riff Rock is great, ever since we got on board they’ve been behind us all the way. We definitely wouldn’t be speaking to you guys now if it weren’t for them haha.

Tyler: Leigh has really helped us find a footing with the the scene and beyond so we can’t thank him enough, also he's real good for buying Guinness.





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

Tyler: I’ve been really surprised with the response from afar that we have been getting. Got to give a big shoutout to Ygor Silva from Brazil for helping spread our music on a global level.



Tom: Yeah I’m so glad that our music is being enjoyed by people from all corners of the world, I just hope we can go out and play for them one day!



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

Tom: We have plans for a full length at the end of next year but nothing is set in stone, we will just go with what feels right, we don’t want to release something that isn’t the best of what we have.

Tyler: Yeah as we change as musicians we are going to change as a band so our music won’t ever stay the same. With each release we are going to experiment more and more, with everything from styles, instrumentation, composition, the lot! Hopefully you won’t ever be able to expect what's going to come next.



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?



Tyler: So many bands have influenced our style, we try to keep our sound as separate from anything that’s around at the moment  and I feel like we’ve achieved that. Listening wise, I think I can speak for both of us when I say we listen to such broad range of music, but recently I’d say the main band I’ve been listening to is Aussie sludge/death titans ‘LO!’.

Tom: Everything we listen to ends up changing what we write one way or another, whether it be bands like Mastodon and Conan to artist such as Thundercat and Kendrick Lamar (as unlikely as that sounds) so it’s hard to pinpoint specific influences. At the moment I’m spinning Mars Red Sky’s album ‘Apex III(Praise for the Burning Soul)’ pretty much on repeat.



12.What are some of your non musical interests?

Tyler: To be honest music takes up pretty much all of my life, but when I’m not playing, booking and organising shows I’m a bit of a foodie and I love to cook. Also can’t forget drinking Guinness.

Tom: My free time is taken up by two things when I’m not playing - my girlfriend and good ol' PC gaming.



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

Tom: Praise the Riff

Tyler: Hail the Loud

https://www.facebook.com/TUSKARBAND/

Hanetration/Ancients/2017 EP Review

  United  Kingdom's  Hanetration  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues his mixture  of  dark ambient,  drone,  idm  and  glitch  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2017  ep  "Ancients".

  Idm  style  beats  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  elements  of  dark  ambient while  traces  of  glitch  and  drone  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  all  of  the  music  being  instrumental as  well  as  most  of  the  music  being  done  on  synths  and  mixing  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats  and  all  of  the  tracks  sound  different  from  each  other.

  Hanetration  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  drone,  idm  and  glitch  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Hanetration  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  idm,  glitch  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Fire"  and  "Aether".  8  out  of  10. 

http://hanetration.bandcamp.com

Trepaneringsritualen Interview

Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical project these days?
I just came back from a US tour with Bölzer a month ago and keeping busy with a long string of one-nighters in Europe this fall. There’s a slew of reissues coming over the coming month, but Kainskult is the obvious focus for me right now.

Recently you have released a new album, 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?
Kainskult is pretty much a natural progression from Perfection & Permanence. I suppose the main difference is that there’s more focus on rhythmic material this time around, and less ambient passages. There’s a tangible tribal feel to it, seething and hallucinatory.

Your lyrics have on the new recording have a gnostic concept to them, can you tell us a little bit more about the songwriting?
Gnosis is at the very core of T × R × P, so it’s nothing unique to Kainskult. The object of the whole ritual is to achieve enlightenment, so as to be able to escape the bounds of flesh and become God.

Kainskult is first and foremost a celebration of Kain, the original transgressor and heresiarch, and all those who follow in his footsteps. It’s nine chants of defiance, of Willful heresy.

On the website you had some pictures of runes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the Germanic alphabet?
The emanate from time before time, from the whirling chaos of uncreation, and through them, one may communicate with the primordial forces that know no fleshly bounds. In them is contained all the knowledge, all the power, all the mysteries. I’ve only recently begun working with them in earnest, but it’s proven to be a very rewarding journey thus far.

What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Trepaneringsritualen’?
I never chose the name, it was given to me along with the task of carrying the curse that is T × R × P. I willingly go where I am lead. I believe the name hides many meanings, but the core would be to open ones third eye and thus come in full communion with all the gods, and all that lay beyond the created worlds.

On the albums you record everything by yourself, are you open to working with other musicians?
That is not entirely true, there’s a number of outside collaborators, without whom Kainskult would not have been the same. Thanks and praise are due to Blitzkrieg Baby, Lina Baby Doll, Veil of Light, Nordvargr, Idlu Lili Regulus, Michael Idehall, Kim Larsen, Thomas Bøjden, Joachim Nordwall, Peter Bjärgö, DE · TA · US · TO · AS, Antti Litmanen, Daniel Hofmann, Aaron Turner, Fredrik Bergström, David S. Herrerías, Alone in the Hollow Garden, Dag Rosenqvist, and last but not least Peter Johan Nijland.

Furthermore, I am never truly alone in T × R × P, as I believe it is something far greater at work here than just one man’s creativity. There are plans in the works that will see T × R × P grow far larger and far more powerful, but it’s too early to go into greater detail at this time.

What are some of the best shows that you have played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Each performance is ecstatic revery and hallucinatory ritual. The aim is to throw both myself and the audience headfirst into the Void ∴ Vision ∴ Vortex and to escape the bondage of flesh. The joint ritual with my brothers in Sutekh Hexen at Stella Natura in 2013 is one that had a profound effect, not only on me but anyone in attendance. Just ask anyone who was there, all of creation howled in agony and turned on us. A recording of the event is available on Pesanta Urfolk with the title One Hundred Year Storm, though it comes nowhere near doing justice to the awesome power present then and there.

Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
There's a handful of one-nighters across in the coming month and a half, then a bit of a break followed by 18 dates across Europa with Batushka and Shammasch in January. The rest of 2018 is still too sketchy to mention, but I have no plans of slowing down, quite the contrary.

The new album was released on 'Tesco Organization', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Tesco Organization is nothing short of legendary. They’re celebrating 30 years of uncompromising audial assaults this year, so it’s, of course, a huge honor to be working with them.

On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of ritual and death industrial?
I hear words like “legendary” bandied around, so I think it’s fair to say that people are appreciative.

Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?
I go where I am led, so it is not for me to say. Like I said, T × R × P is something far greater than me, and its purpose is far from clear to me. Therefore I strive to put as little of my own consciousness into it as I can.

What are some of the bands or musical style that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I listen pretty much exclusively to folk music these days, but it’s been a good fall for new music I must say. I’ve been listening a lot to the new albums by Zola Jesus, Myrkur, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Arckanum. All are warmly recommended. The roots of the T × R × P lay in the ritual industrial bands of the 80’s; Zos Kia, Current 93, Zero Kama, Ain Soph, Lustmord and so forth, and of course Brighter Death Now. Anything on Galakthorrö also hits the spot. I also urge everyone to check out the works of all of the contributors to Kainskult.

How would you describe your views on Occultism?
The purpose of T × R × P is to reveal that which is hidden, but words ending with “ism” rarely contribute anything of value to this world. I forge my own path.

Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Kainskult is available now on vinyl, cd, and as download on Tesco Organization.

https://trepaneringsritualen. bandcamp.com
http://tesco-germany.com
http://tesco-distro.com

Haexecnth/Macabre Noize/2017 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released  split  album  between  Brazil's  Haexecnth  and  Macabre  Noise  who  team  up  to  create  a  recording  that  is  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and drone    with  some  blackened  touches.

  Harsh  power  electronics  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  field  recordings  a  hew  seconds  later  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  mixing  in  elements  of  death  industrial  as  well  as  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  drones  and  must  of  the  music  is  instrumental.

  At  times  the  music  evokes  a  ritualistic  atmosphere  while  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  touches  of  dark  ambient  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  all  3  of  the  tracks  sound  different  from each  other  as  well  as  having  their  experimental  and  avant  garde  moments and  synths  are  added  on  the  closing  track.

  Haexecnth  and  Morbid  Noize  team  up  and  creates  a  recording  that  mixes  dark  ambient,  harsh  noise  and  drone  together  to  create  something  very  different  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  from  Haexecnth  and  Morbid  Noize  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  harsh  noise,  dark  ambient  and  drone,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Sonitsi  Abyssum".  8  out  of  10.

Tuskar/Arianrhod/Riff Rock Records/2017 EP Review

  Tuskar  are  a  duo  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  plays  a  mixture  of   stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  touches  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  ep  "Arianrhod"  which  will  be  released  on  October  20th  by  Riff  Rock  Records.

  Distorted  amp  noises  along  with  some  drum  beats  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  direction  which  also  mixes  in  the  heaviness  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  while  the  clean  vocals  are  mostly  rooted  in  a  stoner  rock  style  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while angry  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  black  metal  elements  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  as  the  ep  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  guitars  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Tuskar  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  sludge,  stoner  and  doom  metal  while  some  black  metal  elements  can  also  be  heard  at  times,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Tuskar  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  stoner,  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Where  Strides  The  Collossus"  and  "Crimson  Skull".  8  out  of  10. 

 https://tuskar.bandcamp.com/album/arianrhod     

Svartsinn/Morkets Variabler/Cyclic Law/2017 CD Review

  Svartsinn  are  a  solo project  from  Norway  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Morkets  Variabler"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  elements  of  drone  and  soundscape  while  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  at  times  along  with  most  of  the  music  being  instrumental  and  spoken  word  parts  along  with  some  whispers  are  also  utilized  briefly  on  a  track.

  At  times  the  music  has  an  avant  garde  touch  and  as  the  album  progresses  cello's  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  most  of  the  tracks sounding  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  mixing  in  some  Nietzsche  and  Loevecraft  concepts  and  on  some  tracks  the  music  gets  very  ritualistic.

  Svartsinn  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  dark  ambient  style  of  previous  releases  while also  mixing  in  a  decent  amount  of  drone  and  ritual  music  elements  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Svartsinn  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Doubt  As  Sin  (Nietzsche's  Lament)"  "In  The  Wake  Of  Azathoth(A  Lovecraftian  Epilgue)"  and  "Vemod  (Cello Mix)".  8  out  of  10.

https://cycliclaw.bandcamp.com/album/m-rkets-variabler

Trepaneringsritualen/Kainskult/Tesco Organization/2017 CD Review

  Trepaneringsritualen  are  a  solo  project  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  ritualistic  form  of  death  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "Kainskult"  which  was  released  by  Tesco  Organization.

  Angry  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  demonic  voices  a  few  seconds  later  that  also  have  a  semi  melodic  tone  at  times  along  with  some  back  up  vocals  and  on  the  second  track  the  music  starts  bringing  in  more  of  an  underground  industrial  style  and  growls  are  also  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  songs.

  Programmed  beats  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  along  with  some  tribal  drumming  and  metal  percussion  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling  while  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental  and  avant  garde  and  when  spoken  word  parts  are  utilized  they  give  the music  more  of  a  ritualistic  feeling.

  Trepaneringsritualen  plays  a  style  of  death  metal  that  is  very  ritualistic  and  avant  garde  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Kain  the  original  Heresiarch  and  his  battle  with  Yaldabaoth  the  Gnostic  Demiurge.

  In  my  opinion  Trepaneringsritualen  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  death  industrial  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  And  Ecstasy" "Feral  Me"  and  "An  Immaculate  Body  Of  Water".  8  out  of  10.

http://www.de-za-kh-a-da-sh-ba-a-ha-v.se

https://trepaneringsritualen.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/Trepaneringsritualen

Hex Wave/2017 Demo Review

  Hex  Wave  are  a  band  from  Phoenix,  Arizona  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  metal  and  death  rock  with  some  touches  of     black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017 self  released  demo.

  Distorted  amp  noises  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  start  off  the  ep  before  adding  in  horror  movie  style  keyboards  and  bass  guitar  riffs  that  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  which  also  leads  to  more  of  a  death  rock  style  along  with  some  grim  screams  that  are  heavily  influenced  by  black  metal.

  Touches  of  punk  and  goth  rock  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  also  sounding  modern  at  the  same  time  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  remain  true  to  an  old  school  death  rock  style  along  with  some  melodic  moments  as  well  as  the  vocals  also  mixing  in  elements  of  the  previous  mentioned  genre  and  all  of the  music  sticks  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction.

  Hex  Wave  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  death  rock  and  doom  metal  and  mixes  it  with  a  touch  of  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Hex  Wave  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  death rock  and  doom  metal  along  with  some  blackened  touches  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Demonlust"  "White  Christ".  8  out  of  10.

https://hexwave666.bandcamp.com/album/demo-3

  

Acheulean Forests Interview

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

A: Well it is a solo fantasy/folk ambient/dungeon synth project of mine that is steeped deep in the lore of faeries and enchanted forests.
The music is a lot of the time is somewhat more folkish and whimsical but can also be dark moody and atmospheric.

2.How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recordings?

A: Lots of Folk like melodies. I like to have a bright Whimsical and or "Puckish" (as some have deemed it! haha)
But also it can be very melancholic and atmospheric and or dark sounding and moody. Waltzing melodies, lots of bells and flutes.
I also love incorporating deep reverbing keys.

3.The song themes deal a lot with Celtic Fairy Lore and Folk Tales, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

A: I'm an Escapist and a Fantasist. I also have a deep and passionate love for Nature. I've always loved Celtic Lore and Culture since I was young.
I always felt as though the mythology has a a lot of elements and themes I deem desirable and personally relate too.
I am not a greatly into focusing on the realm of our immediate reality. I want my music to get to those who feel like me and want to escape somewhere magical and beautiful. It's really music for the hardcore fantasists out there. I absolutely 100% believe in faeries and unseen folk who dwell deep within the heart of the forests.

4.So far most of the music has been instrumental are you open to using any vocals in the future?

A: I may, there are a few older songs like on the "Dreams of Forests" release that have vocals.
there is also another song I'm working on for a split that is supposed to feature some spoken word.
Hopefully I may do more in the future.

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

A: Honestly, in the beginning I wanted the music to focus on Nature and Ancient Cultures (sometimes even prehistoric)
I was watching a documentary and there was a stone cultured mentioned called "Acheulean" and I thought the word sounded beautiful. So I wanted something ancient but I wanted to also incorporate "Forests" in there.

6.On the albums you record everything by yourself, do you feel this gives you more room to be creative with your musical sound?

A: Yes, when I can record everything by myself on my own time it's definitely more convenient.
I play Black Metal as well and sometimes when with a band and recording with other people and a producer I can get fairly annoyed by the demands of everything having to sound a very specific way and your also on a engineers time in the studio and it is a lot more of the time starts to feel rushed and or uninspiring. I like to produce my music how I want it to sound.

7.Since 2016 you have released a great amount of material, do you spend a great amount of time writing and creating music?

A: A lot of the early material was pre-written and then recorded in a studio. (Dreams of Forests release was all studio recordings)
But, at the time I didn't have any other way or means to record at the time except for studio. I finally saved up my money and got a laptop and new keyboard and began going back to independently recording all my music at home in privacy. But, I usually only record when I'm feeling inspired.
I spend a lot of time hiking in the woods and reading old folklore books (a lot of the time old European folklore) and or watching old fairy tale movies from the early 50's. These things make for great inspiration and when I have an idea I go set up my little makeshift studio and begin recording.


8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of dungeon synth?

A: So far nothing but positivity and encouragement. I really love Dungeon Synth and The community surrounding this music
I'm extremely excited to keep making more music and sharing it with like minded people who also enjoy this form of fantasy music.


9.Are you also involved with any other bands or musical projects?

A: Yes I have a solo Atmospheric Black Metal project called "Goatswarth"
I'm also involved in a project with my long time friend and the name of our  Experimental Black Metal band is called "Born an Abomination" I do vocals in that.
I do keyboards in a Black Metal band called "Terranaut"
I also have a Folk Ambient/Neo-Folk solo project called "Trollkjerring as well.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician in the future?

A: I just want to keep recording and playing music as much as I can. I also just want to more importantly keep making Pure Fantasist music that creates an avenue for everyone who are escapists and or are people heavily in touch with nature and the spirits of the woods.

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?

A: my main inspirations I'd say at least for this kind of music has been Cernunnos Woods (U.S.), Cernunnos (GR), Wind/Varjosielu (FIN),
Daoine Sidhe (FR), Elfen (GR), Voices of Winds (FIN). Those are some of my very absolute favorites and biggest inspirations.

I've been listening to a lot of classical music music lately and renaissance music aswell as Celtic Folk music and New Age and of course Black Metal
Some of my favorite artists I've been listening to a lot probably has to be Enya, Clannad, Osgiliath, Tom Newman, Nuit Noire, Hin Onde, Goatmoon,
Pete Johansen (Former violinist of The Sins of Thy Beloved and Tristania)

12.What are some of your non musical interests?

A: Hiking, Camping, Reading, Drinking Whiskey

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

Thank you for having me. Also thank you to all the supporters of Acheulean Forests! Lots of new music coming soon!

Yr ysbryd pf yn y goedwig hud yn dragwyddol!

Hir yn byw y tylwyth teg!

https://6acheuleanforests6.bandcamp.com/

Bologna Violenta/Cortina/Dischi Bervisti/2017 EP Review

 Bologna  Violenta  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental,  avnat  garde,  noise  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of his  2017  ep  "Cottina"  which  will  be  released  on  October  20th  by  Dischi  Bervisti.

  Clean  playing  along  with  some  elements  of  avant  jazz  start  off  the  ep  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length.

  At  times  the  music  can  be  experimental  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  along  with  some  elements  of  noise  and  grindcore  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Bologna   Violenta  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  mixture  of  avant  garde,  experimental,  noise  and  grindcore  from previous  releases  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  ep  from  Bologna  Violenta  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  avant  garde,  noise  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Criptomelodia  I''  "Criptomelodia  V"  and  "Criptomelodia  VIII".  8  out  of  10.

www.bolognaviolenta.com



 

    

L-616/God Pussy/2017 Split Album Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  self  released 2017  album  between  Brazil's  L-616  and  God  Pussy  both  which  play  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  death  industrial.

  Dark  sounding  drones  start  off  the  split  along  with  some  loud  power  electronics  a  few  seconds  later  and  after  awhile  loops  and  elements  of  harsh  noise  are  added  onto  the  recording  along  with  some  distorted  amp reverb.

  Tortured  screams  are  also  used  at  times  and  they  also  bring  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  along  with  both  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  death  industrial.

  L-616  and  God  Pussy  team  up  together  to  create  a  very  dark  and  brutal  style  of  harsh  noise  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  review  great  sounding  split  from  L-616  and  God  Pussy  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  harsh  noise  and  death  industrial,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

  https://devthofthesunn.bandcamp.com/album/god-pussy-split    

Woe Unto Me 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?

Artyom: Well, we have been very active live since the release of our debut album “A Step Into The Waters Of Forgetfulness”. The band took part in several festivals including the biggest metal festival in Belarus – Metal Crowd, sharing the stage with the bands like: Hate, Susperia, Arkona, Mors Principium Est, Thy Disease, etc. Woe Unto Me also shared the stage with legendary Shape Of Despair and Saturnus, performed together with Ereb Altor, Blindead, Autumnal and many other bands in Baltic States, Poland, Russia and Belarus. And of course we were composing new material for the second album.

2.Recently you have released a new album, 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?

Artyom: The new album is full of experiments. It’s much more mature and meaningful than our previous release. It’s also much more heavy and diverse. We have used many interesting and unusual instruments like saxophone, duduk, bassoon or even rainstick and tambourine, many different samples and noises. We have invited several special guests like Daniel Neagoe from Clouds, Eye Of Solitude and Shape Of Despair, Thomas A.G. Jensen from Saturnus, Jón Aldará from Hamferð, Barren Earth and Patryk Zwolinski from Proghma-C, ex-Blindead. This album is really very intense and powerful.

3.Also this recording is a double album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style in the second disc which is in a different direction?

Artyom: Yes, the second part of the album is concentrated on the acoustic sound. It’s more soothing and melancholic. It’s full of sadness and despair but also full of beauty and solace. There is a wide range of clean vocals in it and I think that in general the second disc appeals to a much wider audience.

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

Artyom: Just like it was with our debut album its successor is also a reflection of ourselves, our feelings and emotions but “Among The Lightened Skies The Voidness Flashed” is much more personal and even intimate than “A Step Into The Waters Of Forgetfulness”. It deals with the events of our personal lives, sometimes very tragic events, that’s why this album is almost a catharsis for us. It may seem less conceptual for the listener than our previous work but emotionally it’s one indivisible canvas which is full of grief, regret and despondency.

5.The band has been around since 2008 but waited until 2014 to release any music, can you tell us a little bit more about the first 6 years?

Artyom: Yes, the band was created in the end of 2007 / beginning of 2008, but during next 3-4 years we were working under material for the debut album and were searching for musicians to complete the line-up, cause in the very beginning there were only two of us, Dzmitry and me. So only in 2012 we started the recording process and it took us more than a year to record, mix and master everything. Then we were looking for a label and finally in February 2014 we have released our debut album via Solitude Productions.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Woe Unto Me'?

Artyom: Creating a band our aim was to reflect in our music all our negative experiences like feelings of loss, depressions, solitude, all our sorrows and afflictions. You know we wanted to create something beautiful from all of these negative emotions and feelings cause we believe that the darkest thoughts can become the most inspiring if you use them the right way. And searching for a good name for our band we came up with an idea to name it “Woe Is Me” cause it was perfectly reflecting our ideas. But some time later we have found out that there is a band in the United States with the same name playing some emo-core music or something like that so we decided to change the name, but as we were so addicted already to our idea we decided to change just one word using preposition “unto” instead of “is”. That’s how the name Woe Unto Me appeared.

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?

Artyom: We really love to play live so every show for us is a great event and experience. It’s too hard for me to choose the best gig. They are all different and all are special to me. Describing our stage performance I can say that it’s a bit like a theatrical play, we are completely immersed in our performance and try to make the listener plunge into our atmosphere together with us, using all the means for it, like music, our appearance and moves, video background. Our sound is really heavy, full of all-pervading gloom and sorrow, covering the listener with a blanket of catatonic despair.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Artyom: Yes, sure. We are getting ready for several tours promoting our new release. The first one which is called “The Fall Of Affliction Tour 2017”will start in less than two weeks with our appearance at Doom Over Kiev Festival, where we will for the first time present our new material and share the stage with such bands as: Swallow The Sun, Saturnus, Clouds, Eye Of Solitude and many others. Then we will continue the tour with our friends Psilocybe Larvae from Russia, Frailty from Latvia and Nebulae Come Sweet from Belarus, visiting 2 cities in Poland, 2 in Lithuania, 2 in Latvia, 1 in Estonia, 3 in Finland, 3 in Russia and 3 in Belarus. And the second tour is going to take place in January and will be concentrated mostly on the Balkans. We have already announced the show in Sofia, Bulgaria on January 21st together with Ophis, Eye Of Solitude, Evadne, Self-Hatred and some more bands. And the rest of the shows will be announced soon, around 15 shows in general on that tour.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of funeral doom metal?

Artyom: Well the album has been released few days ago so we’ve received only couple of reviews and comments yet. Most of them are really positive. People were a little bit surprised by the duration of the album, cause it’s almost 2 hours in general, but most of them didn’t even notice the time passing by while listening to it. So we hope that more opinions will come soon, we are ready of course for the critics also, we are just curious about how people will accept our new creation, what feelings will it arouse in them, will they feel our vibes and our emotions while listening to it. So let’s just wait.

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

Artyom: I play in several bands and most of them are quite active. A technical progressive death metal band DEATHBRINGER recently has recorded a second full-length album after several years of silence. This band is originally from Belarus, but now mostly consists of musicians from Poland. The band had a long break in the concert and studio activity. But now we are back to the front and it’s awesome. This new stuff is very technical and brutal. Now we are finishing the process of mixing and mastering.
DISLOYAL is an old band from Poland, which performs also technical death metal. We’ve released 4th album called “Godless” in 2015 via Ghastly Music / Amputated Vein Records (Japan) and were looking for additional musicians for quite a while to start performing live again. Looking forward to some more active concert plans of this band in the next year.
The next band in which I perform is THY DISEASE – pretty well-known industrial groove metal from Poland. After the release of their sixth album in 2014 they really tour a lot in Europe. But unfortunately I can’t be present on all the gigs, so very often they perform in a shortened line-up. The new album is also recorded and is in the process of mixing.
And one more project is called AMENTIA, also from Belarus. It’s a progressive, sometimes even avant-garde brutal death metal. It’s a studio project, at least at the present moment. We have recently released new album called “Scourge” via Satanath Records (Russia) / Amputated Vein Records (Japan).
Concerning other members of Woe Unto Me our vocalist Oleg and drummer Pavel have some more musical projects. One of them is called Dominator – it’s a brutal death metal where they play together, Oleg plays the guitar and Pavel is playing drums. The band is just preparing its first demo. And Oleg has also some other projects which are more like in the state of so called germination.

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

Artyom: Really hard to say, heheh. I really don’t want to predict anything, our ways are inscrutable. We love to experiment a lot so who knows what will be next.

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

Artyom: Each of us listens to different genres of music and every kind of music can be inspiring and can influence our creativity, and it’s not always doom metal. If we speak about influences of doom metal and its sub-genres then I can name Shape Of Despair, Clouds, Hamferð, Saturnus, My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and many others, but there are bands of different genres who have also a very strong influence like Opeth, Ulver, Katatonia, Wardruna, Mastodon, Leprous, Pain Of Salvation, Meshuggah and many more. We are really open-minded and try to draw our inspiration from various sources. Anyway of course we are trying to build our own sound and I think you will definitely notice it listening to our new album.

13.What are some of your non musical interests?

Artyom: Music is both my work and the biggest of my hobbies. I play in 5 bands, compose music for most of them, write lyrics, and I also sometimes work as a session musician. I work in a concert agency, organizing some tours and travelling with the bands as a tour manager, so my whole life is connected with music. Of course I have my personal life, I love to travel, I love to watch movies and read books when I have time for this.

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

Artyom: Listen to our new double album “Among The Lightened Skies The Voidness Flashed” on our Bandcamp page ( https://woeuntome.bandcamp.com ), or YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/woeuntomeband ) and if you like what you hear show us some support by buying a record via Bandcamp or our label Solitude Productions ( https://solitudestore.com/en/product/woe-unto-me-2017-among-the-lightened-skies-the-voidness-flashed/ ). And we really look forward to seeing you on tour! Thank you very much for your interest and support! Stay doomed!

Acheulean Forests/The Enchantment/Pacific Threnodies/2017 Full Length Review

  Acheulean  Forests  are  a  solo  project  from  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dungeon  synth  and  neo-classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2017  album  "The  Enchantment"  which  will  be  released  on  October  27th  by  Pacific  Threnodies.

  Synths  along  with  elements  of  Celtic  folk  music  start  off  the  album  while  influences  of  neo-classical  and  dungeon  synth  are  added  on  the  second  track  as  well  as  all  of  the  music  being   instrumental  as  well  as  capturing  the  atmosphere  of  an  epic  fantasy  movie.

  The  songs  also bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  diversity  as  well  as  sounding  different  from  each  other  while programmed  beats  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Acheulean  Forest  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  dungeon  synth,  Celtic  folk music  and  neo-classical  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  Celtic  Paganism,  Mythology,  Faerie  Tradition  and  Folklore.

  In  my  opinion  Acheulean  Forests  are  a  very  great sounding  mixture  of  dungeon  synth,  neo-classical  and  Celtic  folk  music  and  if   you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mystic  Forests  Of  Eternity"  "The  Waltz  Of  The  Faerie  Princess"  and  "Fairy  Night".  8  out  of  10.

https://6acheuleanforests6.bandcamp.com/