Saturday, February 24, 2018

Bruce Lamont/Broken Limbs Excite No Pity/War Crime Recordings/2018 CD Review


  Bruce  Lamont  is  a  solo  artist  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  industrial,  experimental,  avant  garde  and  noise  with  some  touches  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  'Broken  Limbs  Excite  No  Pity"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  War  Crime  Recordings.

  Atmospheric  sounding  drones  start  off  the  album  while  saxophones  are  added  onto  the  recording  a  few  seconds  later  along  with  some  melodic  vocals  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  harsh  noises  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Drum  beats  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  experimental  at  times  along  with  some  crazy  screams  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  which  also  add  in  a  touch  of  depressive  black  metal  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  ambient  while  elements  of  jazz,  industrial  and  psychedelia  can  also  be  heard  at  times  along  with  one  track  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  neo-folk  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sounding  very  powerful  and  all  of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other.

  Bruce  Lamont  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  very  diverse  and  brings  in  elements  of  experimental,  industrial,  experimental,  avant  garde,  black  metal,  drone,  and  neo  folk  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bruce  Lamont  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  industrial,  experimental,  avant  garde,  black  metal,  drone,  and  neo  folk  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Excite  No  Pity"  "Goodbye  Electric  Sunday"  and  "Moonlight  And  The  Sea".  8  out  of  10.


https://www.instagram.com/heshlamont 



      

Cave Bastard/The Bleak Shall Devour The Earth/Accident Prone Records/2018 CD Review


  Cave  Bastard  are  a  band  from  San  Diego,  California  that  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge,  hardcore  and  death  metal  and  on  this  recording  also  introduces  black  metal  influences  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Bleak  Shall  Devour  The  Earth"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Accident  Prone  Records.

  Atmospheric  drones  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  fashion  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  that  also  have  a  touch  of  hardcore  to  them  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also adds  in  elements  of  grindcore  and  black  metal  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  crust  elements  can  be  heard.

  On  this  recording  Cave  Bastard  expand  on  their  mixture  of  sludge,  hardcore  and  death  metal  by  adding  in  elements  of  crust,  grindcore  and  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover atrocities,  inhumanities  and  corruption  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Cave  Bastard  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  sludge,  hardcore,  crust,  grind,  death  and  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Throes  Of  The  Devourer"  "massacre  Reaction"  and  "Liar  Betrayed".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/cavebastard
https://cavebastard.bandcamp.com

  

Saltas/Currents/Nuclear War Now! Productions/2018 Cassette Review


  Saltas  are  a  duo  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  demo  "Currents"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Nuclear  War  Now!  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  onto  the  recording  along  with  a  decent  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  A  great  amount  of  doom  metal  elements  can  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  along  with  some  screams  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  melodic  chants  also  being  used  at  times  as  well  as  a  couple  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  musical  direction.

  Saltas  plays  a  style  of  doom/death  metal  that  goes  back  to  the  early  90's  style  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  occultism  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Saltas  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  doom  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Salt  At  The  Temple  Roots"  and  "Currents  From  The  Astral  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/currents


Thursday, February 22, 2018

Convocation/Scars Across/Everlasting Spew Records/2018 CD Review


  Convocation  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  atmospheric  form  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Scars  Across"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Everlasting  Spew  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  heavy  doom  metal  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  synths  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  the  vocals  being  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark,  depressive  and  melodic  fashion  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  and  on  track  also  brings  clear  vocals  onto  the  recording  and  when  screams  are  utilized  they  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  the  music  also  always  sticks  to  a  slow  direction.

  Convocation  plays  a  style  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  atmospheric  at  times  while  also  adding  in  a  touch  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropic  and  apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Convocation  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  funeral  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Disposed"  and  "Scars  Across".  8  out  of  10. 

www.facebook.com/ConvocationDoom     

Mournful Congregation/The Incubus Of Karma/Osmose Productions/2018 CD Review


  Australia's  Mournful  Congregation  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  atmospheric  style  of  funeral  doom  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "The  Incubus  Of  Karma"  which  will be  released  in  March  by  Osmose  Productions.

  Atmospheric  drones  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  drum  beats  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  musical  direction  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  and  depressive  sounding  melodies  as  well  as  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  When  synths  are  utilized  they  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling  while  some  tracks  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  being  instrumentals  as  well  as  most  of  the  vocals  being  deep death  metal  growls  and  the riffs  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  funeral  doom  metal.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  spoken  word  parts  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  a  brief  use  of  screams  that  also  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  stringed  instruments  can  be  heard  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction.

  Mournful  Congregation  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  atmospheric  style  of  funeral  doom  metal  from  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  metaphysical,  occult,  mysticism,  depression,  despair  and  desolation  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Mournful  Congregation  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Whispering  Spiritscapes"  and  "Scripture  Of  Exaltation  And  Punishment".  8/5  out  of  10. 

http://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-incubus-of-karma

Monday, February 19, 2018

Monolithe Interview



OLIVIER DEFIVES - BASS




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?
Well, as you probably know, Richard, former singer, and MONOLITHE split-up. For the recording of this album, we worked with Sébastien Pierre (Enshine, Cold Insight, Fractal Gates...).Then, Rémi Brochard became the band's new singer. Rémi has actually already been the frontman since July 2017 and he already performed 7 gigs as such. It went very well so it comforted us all that it was the correct choice.

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?
I think MONOLITHE has always been about exploring; in the themes - the Universe, the origin of mankind, space, stars, extra terrestrial life, but also in the music. Before I was in the band, I listened to MONOLITHE's music and really enjoyed that mix of metal, classical, progressive, dark, even sometimes gothic... In “Nebula Septem”, I think that most of our musical influences are represented in the songs. There's more electronic material and more progressive parts, but the atmosphere is still Dark and Doom.
“Nebula Septem” is the perfect summary of our first 17 years of existence and opens to the many ways that MONOLITHE will probably explore during the next 17 years!

3.Your lyrics cover 'origin of mankind' and science fiction themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
When you create, you can talk about anything, really. There's no rule, no forbidden subject... But, what really matters after all? For me, probably nothing except on the one hand, “inside feelings” such as love, anger, friendship, etc.; and on the other hand, the BIG question: why are we here, what's the purpose of all this? Moreover, we know almost all the Earth, so the next territories to discover are in out there in space…

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Monolithe'?
MONOLITHE started as a sort of tribute to “2001, a Space Odyssey”. Back then, we created a story about the “real” origin of mankind, the reasons why we are there, and that spanned over the first 4 albums (“The Great Clockmaker” saga). But there are a lot of other sources of inspiration in our world. And that goes from serious astronomical researches to absolute geek movies.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We are just playing a few shows a year, less than 15, and that's a mindful decision. We want each gig to be a special experience, for us and for the audience. We change our set list at almost every show, so people can experience a different gig every time. So that's really hard to tell you which show was the best. Every one of them had their own good sides... Even the worst ones!
I can tell you that I personally enjoyed Metal Days in 2016 the most, because it was a blast; thousands of people, at night, with the moon and the stars above our heads, and trees all around, that was simply wonderful. I also enjoyed Hellfest, because we played at home, or Brutal Assault, because I went there with my son, who came to his first metal festival ever, or Doom Over Bucharest because of our Romanian fans, which were great people. But I also liked playing at from Dusk Till Doom, because the producers are so nice, and we played with our friends from Abyssic.
I could tell you that every gig we've made is the best, because there are always reasons to think so!

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Yes of course. As I said, concerts must remain exceptional events for us. That's the reason why we don't play more than 10 or 15 gigs in a year. For this album, we are planning to go in countries we never played before, but also some shows in France, probably with bands from our label. Nothing is signed at the moment, so I cannot tell you much about it except that we will probably play in very distant country, and the “Nebula Septem tour” will span over a bit of time.

7.The new album was released on 'LEs Acteurs de I' Ombre productions', how would you compare working with them to your previous label 'Debumber Morti Productions'?
There's no comparison to make because both labels are great. We didn't stop working with Debemur because it was a bad label. It's been a decision on both sides we took during the time of the release of Zeta Reticuli. We met Gerald, LADLO Prod’s manager, at a gig we did in France and he asked us to be part of his roster right away after seeing us play.
LADLO Prod is one of the best labels in France in my opinion. They are passionate people, really listening to the band’s needs and desires; decisions are taken together and we don't have to wait for an answer during weeks; they all are very reactive. It's pleasant to work in this kind of atmosphere with trust, professionalism and friendship. Last but not least, they obviously love the music of all the bands they work with.

8.You have also participated on a Skeptiicism' tribute album once, what was the decision behind doing your own version of one of their songs?
That was a long time ago. We were contacted by a Russian label, which had this Skepticism tribute project in the work, and he asked MONOLITHE to be part of it. So, why not? I was not in the band at that time though. We won't decide to cover one song of any band by ourselves, but if someone asks it's always a good exercise to practice on someone else's music and trying to make it sound like ours. We are currently working exactly with the same state of mind, on a cover for a tribute to Cathedral that will probably be out by the end of the year.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of dark, doom and death metal?
We had a fabulous feedback. Anyway, you know the way it goes, there are also people who don't like changes. We don’t care about them. Overall “Nebula Septem” has been met with critical acclaim. The variety of the good comments we had is also really satisfying; this album seems to be loved in many and very different countries, and by many different people such as Doomsters, Death and Dark Metal fans of course, but also some Stoner, Prog, Post-Rock fans, and even Classical Music musicians!

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
My two other bands, INNERCHAOS and JADALLYS, are currently on hold, waiting for inspiration! We are discussing about a possible reunion in 2019. Who knows? Keyboardist Matthieu Marchand will release PARADIGM’s 1st album in 2018. Drummer Thibault Faucher just released NORD's new EP a few days ago. Guitarist Benoit Blin is involved in another really important non-musical project. And as for guitarist Sylvain Bégot... We never know! Perhaps he's composing an album of Classical Music with an orchestra or the next MONOLITHE's songs, but we'll know it when he will be satisfied of his work, never before. Singer and guitarist Remi Brochard is going on tour in Russia in February with his band ETHMEBB. They’re opening for Eluweitie.


11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
To be honest I have no f*** clue!  We do not have a limit in creation, no predetermined plan. Sylvain, MONOLITHE's composer, wants to be free to write what he wants, when he wants. He is definitely a man of concepts, so there might be something around the number 8? I don’t know at that point.
There’s many ways ” Nebula Septem” could be a start from for what’s coming next, so I can't bet on one direction instead of another. What I know for a fact is that there is a line we won't cross. We won't change our sound as radically as some bands have done. The best path to take is to slowly evolve to keep things fresh and interesting. The core of the band's music is always going to be there, even though the form it takes is still going to morph and explore new territories.

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?
We don't really have any band that mainly influenced us, but of course, we are regularly listening to legendary bands such as Anathema, Opeth, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Led Zep, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Alan Parson's Project... and many more.
For “Nebula Septem”, I think everything Sylvain listened during the last years can be heard inside, even if it's light. He also loves to experiment with keyboards sounds!
In “Nebula Septem”, you'd probably find a little bit of post-rock, synth-wave, 70's progressive-rock psychedelic artists, stoner, a few black metal, post black...
Personally I'm a big fan of old gothic music, progressive rock, stoner, djent... and I'm listening to a lot of bands we played with during the 2 pasts years and became friends or bands from LADLO Prod, such as Abyssic, Presence of Soul, Regarde Les Hommes Tomber, Au-dessus....

13.What are some of your non musical interests?
Mainly books and movies. A lot of them influenced us of course. We are all fascinated by space, the universe, and the Mystery of Life. Some of us are really found of astronomy and space travelling, others knowledgeable in history of civilizations or Asian cultures... But we also are normal people liking having a drink and telling bad jokes. We all are really different and complementary, so the travelling in between gigs are always fun!

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thank you very much.
We have released a five episode video documentary called "Innersight", in which MONOLITHE band members speak about the history of the band as well as the new album. That might interest some people! It can be seen on Youtube or Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/monolithedoom
https://www.youtube.com/Monolitheofficial



MONOLITHE Nebula Septem full streaming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRuW5M7_QYU&t=2500s
MONOLITHE “Innersight” documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH847tkJZkI&t=436s

https://lesacteursdelombre.net/monolithe/
https://www.facebook.com/monolithedoom/
https://monolithe.bandcamp.com/
http://monolithedoom.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/MONOLITHEOfficial

Label
https://www.facebook.com/LADLOproductions/
https://lesacteursdelombre.net/



Order:
https://lesacteursdelombre.net/shop/


Saturday, February 17, 2018

Dod Beverte/Polarination/2018 Full Length Review


  Dod  Beverte  is  a  solo  project  from  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise,  power  electronics,  death  industrial  and  experimental  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2018  album  "Polarination"  which  will  be  released  in May.

  Clean  guitars  along  with  some  avant  garde  elements  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  music  also  getting  very  experimental  at  times  while  bass  guitar  riffs  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  some  drum  beats  in  the  background  and  spoken  word  parts  are  also  used  on  some  of  the  songs.

  A  great  amount  of  industrial  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  some  tracks  bring  in  touches  of  power  electronics  and  harsh  noise  along  with  a  great  portion  of  the  songs  being  short  in  length  and  also  sounding  very  different  from  each  other.as  well  as  some  clean  guitars  returning  on  a  regular  track  and  the  last  2  songs  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  On  this  recording  Dod  Beverte  goes  into  more  of  an  experimental  direction  while  some  elements  of  noise  and  industrial  can  still  be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  using  a  bass  guitar  as  a  lead  instruments,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  song  themes  focus  on  political  issues.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dod  Beverte  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental,  industrial  and  noise,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Polarination"  "Straight  Outta  The  Cold  War"  "Holding  Onto  The  pieces"  and  "Nuclear  Wasteland".  8  out  of  10.

iTunesAmazon, and Google Play


Friday, February 16, 2018

Phantom Winter/Into Dark Silence/Golden Antenna Records/2018 CD Review


  Phantom  Winter  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  hardcore,  black  and  post  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Into  Dark  Silence"  which  was  released  by  Golden  Antenna  Records.

  Avant  garde  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  grim  whispers  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  doom  metal  direction  which  also  captures  the  heaviness  of  sludge  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly high  pitched  screams  which  also  adds  in  a  touch  of  black  metal.

  Clean  playing  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  very long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  mixing  in  elements  of  hardcore  and  post  metal,  growls  can  also  be  heard  at  times  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  when  guitar  leads a r e utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  On  this  recording  Phantom  Winter  remain  true  to  their  mixture  of  sludge  and  post  metal  while  also  expanding  on  the  hardcore,  black  and  post  metal  elements  this  time  around,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  Slyvia  Path  and  Mary  Shelley.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Phantom Winter  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  doom,  sludge,  post,  black  metal  and  hardcore,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ripping  Halos  From  Angels"  and  "Into  Dark  Silence".  8  out  of  10.


    

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Absent/Towards The Void/World War Now Records/2018 CD Review



 Absent  are  a  band  from  Brazil  that  plays  a  mixture  of  psychedelic,  sludge,  stoner  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Towards  The  Void"  which  will  be  released  on  February 23rd  by  World  War  Now  Records.

  Powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  along  with  some  psychedelic  elements  and  clean  playing  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  sludge  metal  direction  while  the  clean  vocals  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  stoner  and  traditional  metal  feeling  and  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  70's  metal  style  while  the  riffs  also  bring  in  the  heaviness  of  funeral  doom  metal  along  with  some  clean  playing  and  spoken  word  parts  also  being  used  briefly  as  well  as  some  mid paced  riffing  also  being  used  at  times  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  guitar  leads  start  bringing  in  a  more  modern  and  atmospheric  style.

  Absent  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  psychedelic,  stoner,  sludge,  heavy  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of t heir  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  chaoism,  ophiolatry,  misery,  and  altered states  of  consciousness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Absent  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  psychedelic,  stoner,  sludge  and  funeral  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Ophidian  Womb"  and  "Funeral  Son".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvufV23Htqw 

    

Friday, February 9, 2018

Spirals/Self Titled/Pacific Threnodies/2018 Cassette Review


  Spirals  are  a  musical  project  that  describes  themselves  as  'alien  sex  music'  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  darkwave,  krautrock,  ambient  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  album  which  will  be  released  on  cassette  on  February  27th  by  Pacific  Threnodies.

  Programmed  beats  along  with  some  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars  start  off  the  album  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  atmospheric  sounding  drones  and  the  whispered  vocals  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  black  metal  feeling. 

 When synths  are utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  ambient,  krautrock  and  darkwave  while melodic guitar  leads are  also  used  at  times  along  with one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  the  music  gets  more  experimental  as  well  as  the  music  sticking  to  either  a  slow  or  mid  paced  direction.

  Spirals  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  darkwave,  krautrock,  metal,  ambient  and  drone  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Spirals  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  krautrock,  metal,  darkwave,  ambient  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spirals"  and  "Frozen".  8  out  of  10.

https://pacificthrenodies.bandcamp.com/album/spirals

 

    

Friday, February 2, 2018

Spice Breather/Crawling Planetary Being/Bloody Mountain Records/2018 Full Length Review


  Spice  Breather  are  a  solo  project  from  Northern  California  which  consists  of  a  member  from  Valdur  and  Suxperion  and  plays  a  sci-fi  orientated  and  experimental  form  of  soundtrack  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  album  "Crawling  Planetary  Being"  which  was  released  by  Bloody  Mountain  Records.

  Atmospheric  noises  and  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  the  atmosphere  of  an  80's  science  fiction  movie  while  most  f  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  programmed  beats and  when  synths  are  utilized  they  bring  in  elements  of  ambient.

  A  great  amount  of  electronic  music  elements  can  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  most  of  the  music  is  instrumental  along  with  some  tracks  only  bringing  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  and  all of  the  songs  sound  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  guitars  being  used  briefly.

  Spice  Breather  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  experimental,  ambient  and 80's  science  fiction  soundtrack  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while t he  song  themes  are  inspired  by  the  science  fiction  movies  of  the  80's  and  the  novels  of  Frank  Herbert,  Larry  Niven,  Jerry  Pournelle  and  Orson  Scott  Card.

  In  my  opinion  Spice  Breather  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental,  ambient  and  soundtrack  music and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Projectille  2"  and  "Re-Entry".  8  out  of  10.

https://bloodymountainrecords. bandcamp.com/album/crawling- planetary-being