Monday, July 30, 2018

Bonini Bulga/Sealed/Cyclic Law/2018 CD Review


  Bonini  Bulga  is  a  solo  artist  from  Sweden  that  plays  a  minimalist  and  lo-fi  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  industrial  and  electronic  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Sealed"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Dark  ambient  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  synths  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  atmospheric  and lo-fi  feeling  along  with  some  field  recordings  also  being  utilized  at  times  as  well  as  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  the  music  is  all  instrumental.

  Drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while all  of  the  tracks  sound  very  different  from  each  other  along  with  the  music  getting  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  at  times  as  well  as  the  music  capturing  a  minimalist  atmosphere  and  as  the  album  progresses  elements  of  industrial  and  electronic  music  can  also  be  heard.

  Bonini  Bulga  plays  a  musical style  that  minimalism,  dark  ambient,  industrial  and  electronic  music  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  as  well  as  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Bonini  Bulga  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  minimalist  and  lo-fi  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  industrial  and  electronic  music   and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Each  Named'  "Becoming"  and  "By  The  Sigil  Of  The  Third".  8  out  of  10.   

VIEW ON BANDCAMP  

Epiglottis/Einhorn/Sebastian Crugley/Atonement/Depressive Illusions/2017 Split Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  3  way  split  album  between  Poland's  Epiglottis,  U.S.A's  Einhorn  and  Argentina's  Sebastian  Crugley  called  "Atonement"  which  was  released  on  cassette  in  2017  by  Depressive Illusions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Epiglottis  a  solo  artist  that  plays  dark  ambient.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  drones  along  with  some  atmospheric  synths  which  also  bring  in  elements  of  dark  ambient  while  the  track  is  20  minutes  in  length  as  well  as  being  all  instrumental  and  after  awhile  the  music  gets  more  diverse,  the  download  version   also  brings  in  a  bonus  track  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Epiglottis  is  a  very  great  sounding  dark  ambient  solo  artist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.

  Next  up  is  Einhorn  a  solo  artist  that  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  dark  ambient.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  some  harsh  noises  and  psychedelic  elements  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  along  with  his  track  being  over  20  minutes  in  length  as  well  as  the  music  also  incorporating  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  dungeon  synth  as  the  track  progresses  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Einhorn  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  artist.

  Closing  the  split  is  Sean  Crugley  who  returns  with  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  dungeon  synth.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  dark  ambient  style  synths  and  atmospheric  soundscaoes  while  also  mixing  in  elements  of  dungeon  synth  along  with  the  track  being  over  20  minutes  in  length  and  all  instrumental  as  well  a s the  music  getting more  diverse  as  the  track  progresses  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Sebastian  Crugley  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient  and  dungeon  synth,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  noise,  dark ambient  and  dungeon  synth.  8  out  of  10. 

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sun Through Eyelids/DeepDark/Sebastian Crugely/The Last Stop (Suburban Life)/2016 Split Album Review



  This  is  a  review  of  a  3  way  split  between  New  Zealand's  Sun  Through  Eyelids,  Russia's  DeepDark  and  Argentina's  Sebastian  Crugely  with  the  album  being  self  released  in  2016  and  focusing  on  recorded  myths  and  mysteries  of  American  Indians  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Sun  Through  Eyelids  a  duo  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  drone.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  ambient  style  synths  while  the  track  is  over  15  minutes  in  length  along  with  some  whispers  being  utilized  in  the  background  as  well  as  some  drones  also  being  utilized  at  times,  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Sun  Through  Eyelids  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dark  ambient,  dungeon  synth  and  drone  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.

  Next  up  is  DeepDark  a  solo  project  that  plays  dark  ambient.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  ambient  style  synths  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  while  his  song  is  15  minutes  in  length  along  with  some  drones  also  being  used  at  times  and  the  music  is  all  instrumental and  as  the  track  progresses  rain  and  thunder  sounds  are  added  into  the  music  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  DeepDark  is  a  very  great  sounding  dark  ambient  solo  artist  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.

  Closing  the  split  is  Sebastian  Crugely  a  solo  artist  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dark ambient and  dungeon  synth.

  His  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  atmospheric  ambient  sound  while  elements  of  dungeon  synth  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  field  recordings  as  well  as  the  music  being  instrumental  and  the  track  is  almost  15  minutes  in  length,  distorted  drones  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Sebastian  Crugely  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  his  side  of  the  split.

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  dark  ambient.  8  out of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

          

A Magnificent Cold/Nocturne/2018 EP Review


  This  is  the  final  review  of  a  recording  from  A  Magnificent  Cold  which  shows  the  music  going  into  more  of  a  lo-fi  tragic  piano  oriented  form  of  dark  ambient  and  the  ep  was  self  released  in  2018  and  called  "Nocturne".

 Tragic  sounding  pianos  and  synths  which  also  use  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  elements  of  classical  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental,  all  of  the  music  is  done  on  synths  and  pianos  as  well  as  all  of  the  tracks  sounding  very  different  from each  other.

  On  this  recording  A  Magnificent  Cold  returns  back  to  his  instrumental  mixture  of  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical  while  also  keeping  everything  tragic  and  melancholic  sound  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Magnificent  Cold  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  dark  ambient  and  neo-classical,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Unsaid"  and "Closer".  8  out  of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

A Magnificent Cold feat, Phantasos/Scars As Souvenirs/Depressive Illusions/2018 EP Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Argentina's  A  Magnificent  Cold  where  he  teams  up  with  Phantasos  and  creates  a  very  melancholic  form  of  dark  ambient  with  elements  of  depressive  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  ep  "Scars  As  Souvenirs"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Depressive  Illusions.

  Ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  ep  along  with  some  whispers  also  being  used  briefly  while  the  clean  vocals  bring  in  elements  of  goth  and  darkwave  as  well  as  all  of  the  drum  beats  being  programmed  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  tragic  sounding  pianos.

  Depressive  black  metal  screams  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  while  the  synths  also  bring  in  a  variety  of  many  different  sounding  keys  along  with  one  of  the  tracks  being  an  instrumental  and  at  times  the  vocals  also  give  the  music  more  of  an  avant  garde  edge.

  On  this  recording  A  Magnificent  Cold  takes  a  very  melancholic  form  of  ambient  and  mixes  it  with  tragic  sounding  pianos,  avant  garde,  goth,  darkwave  and  depressive  black  metal  elements  to  create  something  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  depressive  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Magnificent  Cold  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  ambient,  darkwave,  goth  and  depressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Cicatrices"  and  "Utan  Mening".  8  out  of  10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

Abhorrence/Megalohydrothalassophobic/Svart Records/2018 EP Review


  Abhorrence  are  a  band  from  Finland  that  plays  an  old  school  form  of  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  psychedelia,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their 2018  ep  "Megalohydrothalassophobic"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Svart  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  small  amount  of  spoken  word  parts  before  going  into  a  heavier  musical  direction  while  the  slower  riffs  are  heavily  influenced  by  doom  metal  and  after  awhile  death  metal  growls  and  screams  are  added  onto  the  recording.

  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  while  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  introducing  blast  beats  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  the  music  also  mixing  in  psychedelic  and  black  metal  elements  but  keeping  everything  heavy  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  style  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Abhorrence  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  the  90's  era  Finnish  death  metal  style  while  the  psychedelic,  black  and  doom  metal  elements  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  the  writings  of  H.P  Lovecraft.

  In  my  opinion  Abhorrence  plays  a  very  great  style  of  old  school  death  metal  with  some  psychedelic,  black  and  doom  metal  elements  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Anthem  For  The  Anthropocene"  and  "The  End  has  Already  happened".  8  out  of  10.

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Saturday, July 28, 2018

A Magnificent Cold/Kaori's Letter/Depressive Illusions/2016 EP Review


  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Argentina's  solo  project  A  Magnificent  Cold  which  continues  his  mixture  of  neo-classical  and dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2016  ep  "Kaori's  Letter"  which  was  released  on  cassette  by  Depressive  Illusions.

  Tragic  style  keyboards  and  classical  music  elements  start  off  the  ep  while  the  song  is  all  instrumental  and  divided  into  two  different  segmentd along  with  a  variety  of  many  different  keys  which  also  adds  in  elements  of  ambient  to  create  some  very  tragic  sounding  music  and  the  song  is  over  12  minutes  in  length

  A  Magnificent  Cold  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  his  instrumental  mixture  of  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  while  also  showing  more  diversity  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  A  Magnificent  Cold  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  8  out  of 10.

https://scrugley.bandcamp.com/

  

A Magnificent Cold/Her Name Whispers Nostalgia/2014 Demo Review


   A  Magnificent  Cold  are  a  solo  project  from  Argentina  that  plays  a  mixture  of  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2014  demo  "Her  Name  Whispers  Nostalgia".

  Tragic  sounding  keyboards  start  off  the  song  which  is  also  divided  into  4  different  parts  while  all  of  the  music  is  all  instrumental  along  with  some  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  classical  music  and  the  whole  track  is  done  on  keyboards  and  sticks  to  a  very  slow  direction.

  A  Magnificent  Cold  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  classical  and  dark  ambient  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own  while  also  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  A  Magnificent  Cold  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  neo-classical  and  dark  ambient  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  8  out  of  10.  

The Spirit Of Iuvenium/Bequeath The Grievous Loss/Pacific Threnodies/2018 CD Review


  The  Spirit  Of  Iuvenium  are  a  solo  project  from  Illinois  that  plays  a  mixture  of  dungeon  synth,  ambient,  goth  and  darkwave  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2018  album  "Bequeath  The  Grievous  Loss"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Pacific  Threnodies.

  A  very  atmospheric  dungeon  synth  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  dark  ambient  elements  while  stringed  instruments  and  chamber  music  influences  are  added  onto  the  second  track  as  well  as  the  music  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  militant  programmed  beats.

  Half of  the  music  is  instrumental  while  elements  of  goth  and  darkwave  are  also  brought  onto  the  later  tracks  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  also  introducing  black  metal s creams  onto  the  recording.

  The  Spirit  Of  Ievenium  takes  dungeon  synth,  ambient,  goth  and  darkwave  and  mixes  it  with  some  black  metal  vocals  to  create  a  sound  of  his  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  haunting  Victorian  era  Gothic  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  The  Spirit  of  Ievenium  is  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  dungeon  synth,  ambient,  goth,  black  metal  and  darkwave  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  solo  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Rebecca  (Forest  of  Winter)"  "Dolores  (Daughter  Of  The  night)"  and  "Alice  (Down  The  Rabbit  Hole)".  8  out  of  10.

https://thespiritofiuvenium.bandcamp.com/

  

Friday, July 27, 2018

Pantheist 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 have been very busy with preparing the new release and promoting it, as we are self-releasing the CD version. We have also created a videoclip for the track ‘The Enlightened Ones’ with the help of Italian artist Francesco Gemelli (Mayhem, Katatonia etc). The next step will be to concentrate on rehearsing for a number of upcoming gigs to promote the new album.

2.You have a new album coming out in September, what are some of the things you feel you have done different musically with this recording that you where not able to do with your previous releases?
One of the biggest differences is that we recorded this album ourselves and it was mixed and mastered by our drummer Dan. It was a big risk at first as we have always worked with ‘professional’ studios before, but it totally paid off as the sound is great and it gave us the opportunity to experiment with choral samples, different types of vocal approaches etc. We also took the time to find the right guitar and drum sounds, which I think shows.

3.This is your first album in 7 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during that time frame?
Quite a lot to be fair. We played a number of gigs abroad, there were many line-up changes, we made one professional videoclip for ‘Be Here’, we organised a gig in a church in central London etc. And we also re-wrote this album three times, each time with a different line-up, until we came to this final version.

4.Some of the lyrics on the new album have historical themes to them, can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects you explore with the newer music?
This is a concept album about a professor who uses a sophisticated time machine to travel back in time in order to understand what drives humanity to self-destruct. He takes a glimpse into the future, and before he completely dissolves into the universe, he realises that the shape of history is ultimately a spiral where all things repeat themselves, but always in a slightly different format. Therefore humans don’t recognise the patterns and keep making the same mistakes over and over again. 

5.Originally the band was from Belgium, what was the decision behind moving to the United Kingdom?
I met my current wife in London back in 2002, when I came here to ‘try out life abroad’ when my research assistant university contract expired in Belgium. You could say, from that point on I was ‘doomed’ to move to the United Kingdom ;) Ultimately this greatly benefitted the band as well, even though I had to re-start from zero here.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
The gig I mentioned earlier in the church, was definitely one of the highlights. We played at St-Giles in the fields in London, and our then drummer organised the whole thing, including hiring security to ensure the drunk metalhead behave, haha! We got Skepticism to headline the show and I think we provided an unforgettable experience to the 300 people who turned up.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?
So far only one gig in Belgium, at the Armistice Doom Fest in November. We will ensure it will be a memorable show, but looking forward to also book other shows elsewhere.

8.The new album is coming out on 'Melancholic Realm Productions', can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
It’s my own label in order to self-release the music. It’s no more than an alias I am using.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of funeral doom/death metal?
We are a long-established band, going on for 18 years now, and have our own following which makes me proud. Our fans like the fact that our music sounds different than your usual funeral doom. We add a number of elements from various other genres to our music, without ever losing the ‘funeral doom’ focus however. I think people who have followed us throughout the years appreciate our authenticity. The new album is a definite return to our heavier roots, but all the ‘typical’ elements we have added over the years, including some of our progressive tendencies , are still there.

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?
Most of us are in a number of other active bands or projects. There are too many to mention, but just to give an idea our drummer Dan also plays in Shape of Despair and Clouds, our guitarist Frank plays in Fen and I play in the atmospheric (funeral) doom band Towards Atlantis Lights. These are all alive and kicking!

11.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
The artwork cover symbolises man’s vain search for the eternal and the infinite; concepts the human mind can’t really comprehend.

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We always try something different each time, without ever completely abandoning our funeral doom death sound. So expect a similar approach. One thing is for sure, it won’t take another 7 years for the next album.

13.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 are influenced by a wide range of music and it’s hard to tell exactly which, as this usually happens at a subconscious level. The album has elements of funeral doom, extreme metal, neofolk/neoclassical music, ambient, atmospheric black metal, post rock etc so you can only guess where the influences are from. As for what I am listening to nowadays, here are a few records I keep returning to:
* Crippled Black Phoenix- The Great Escape
* Tchornobog-s/t
* This Empty Flow- Nowafter
* Winterfylleth- The Hallowing of Heirdom
* Sen Svaja- Dowry from a Swamp

14.What are some of your non musical interests?
Life coaching, spending time with my cats, going for walks in nature/towns with the wife, reading, etc

15.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Thanks a lot for sending the first interview questions for ‘Seeking Infinity’.
Those interested in our new album, can check our official videoclip here:

If this intrigues, you can pre-order your copy from:





Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Esoteric/The Pernicious Enigma/Aesthetic Death/2018 Double CD Review


  Esoteric  are  a  band  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1997  double  album  "The  Pernicious  Enigma"  which  was  re-issued  in  2018  by  Aesthetic  Death.


  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  while  the  slow  riffing  brings  in  the  heaviness  of  funeral  doom  metal  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly.

  All  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  as  well  as  the  music  getting  very  experimental  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  dark  and  melodic  style.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  while  psychedelic  elements  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  one  track  also  bringing  in  war  movie  samples  as  well  as  a  alter  song  being  an  instrumental  and  as  the  album  progresses  drones  can  also  be  heard  in  certain   sections  of  the  recording.

  On  this  recording  Esoteric  played  a  musical  style  that  was  mostly  rooted  in  funeral  doom/death  metal  while  also  adding  in  psychedelic  and  experimental  elements  which  also  gave  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  misanthropy,  endless  space,  dreams,  isolation  and  psychedelic  experience  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Esoteric  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  funeral  doom/death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Creation  (Through  Destruction)"  ""Allegiance"  "At  War  With  the  Race"  and  "Passing  through  Matter".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/esotericukofficial/    

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Ajna/Lucid Intrusion/Cyclic Law/2018 CD Review


  Ajna  are  a  musical  project  from  the  United  States  that  plays  a  very  isolated  form  of  ambient  soundscapes  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Lucid  Intrusion"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Field  recordings  and  dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  the  music  also  brings  in  ambient  style  synths  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  all  of  the  songs  being  instrumentals.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  atmospheric  while  avant  garde  elements  can  also  be  heard  in  some  parts  off  the  recording  along  with  all  of  the  songs  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  and  as  the  album  progresses  guitar  drones  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Ajna  plays  a  very  isolated  form  of  ambient  soundscapes  while  also  being  very  experimental  and  keeping  everything  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  dark.

  In  my  opinion  Ajna  are  a  very  great  sounding isolated  ambient  soundscapes  musical  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Scourge  of  Souls"  "Shadow  Of  The  Orb"  "Spirits  II"  and  "Infinitam  Abyssum".  8  out  of  10.

VIEW ON BANDCAMP

    

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Skald/Self Titled/Decca Records F/Universal Music Publishing/2018 EP Review


  Skald  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  ritualistic  form  of  viking  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  titled  2018  ep  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Decca  Records  F  and  Universal  Music  Publishing.

  Tribal  and  shamanistic  style  drumming  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  dark  soundscapes  in  the  background  while  ritualistic  yet  melodic  viking  chanting  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  as  well  as  the  synths  also  giving  the  music  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere.

  Female  vocals  are  also  utilized  in  some  parts  of  the  songs  while  stringed  instruments  are  also  added  onto  the  second  track  along  with  a  great  amount  of  pagan  male  vocals  and  shouts  as  well as  acoustic  guitars  and  folk  music  elements  being  added  onto  the  closing  track.

  Skald  plays  a  style  of  viking  music  that  is  very  ritualistic  along  with  some  elements  of  neo-folk,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  Norse  Paganism.

  In  my  opinion  Skald  are  a  very  great  sounding  viking  music  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Odinn".  8  out  of  10.

1. Gleipnir (04:07) https://youtu.be/EhUAaGds2_w
2. Ódinn (03:08) https://youtu.be/3R7B6kj6Fd8

Friday, July 20, 2018

Pantheist/Seeking Infinity/Melancholic Realm Productions/2018 CD Review


  Pantheist  are  a  band  originally  from  Belgium  but  now  resides  in  the  United  Kingdom  and  plays  a  progressive  form  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Seeking  Infinity"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Melancholic  Realm  Productions.

  A  very  dark  and  atmospheric  sounding  intro  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts  while  also  bringing  in  synths  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  funeral doom  metal  elements.

  At  times  the  music  gets  very  progressive  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  screams  that  add  in  a  touch  of  black  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  as  well  as  some  clean  vocals  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.and  whispers  are  also  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  one  of  the  tracks  also  introduces  acoustic  guitars  onto  the  recording.

  Pantheist  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  funeral  doom/death  metal  while  also  taking  the  sound  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  introspection,  spirituality  and  exploration  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  Pantheist  are  a  very  great  sounding  progressive  funeral  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Control And  Fire''  and "Emergence".  8 out  of  10.

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Thursday, July 19, 2018

Zevious/Lowlands/Nefarious Industries/2018 CD Review


  Zevious  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  plays  an  instrumental  form  of  progressive  metal  with  some  new  wave.  black  and  doom  metal  elements  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Lowlands"  which  will  be  released  in  August  by  Nefarious  Industries.

  Clean  playing  starts  off  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  all  of  the  music  is  instrumental  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  a  lot  of  progressive  influences.

  Elements  of  doom  metal  can  also  be  heard  in  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  synths  adding  in  a  touch  of  new  wave  when  they  are  utilized  and  as  the  album  progresses  influences  of  black  metal  can  also  be  heard  and  the  music  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard.

  Zevious  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  progressive  metal  while  the  new  wave,  black  and  doom  metal  elements  makes  the  music  stand  out  a  lot  more  along  with  all  of  the  songs  being  instrumental  and  the  production  sounds  very  professional.

  In  my  opinion  Zevious  are  a  very  great  sounding  instrumental  progressive  metal  band  and  if  you  are  looking  for  something  different,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Tube  Lord"  "Ritual  Based  Symmetries"  and  "Slow  Reach".  8  out  of  10.

  

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Necromishka/The S[ace Between Us/2018 Full Length Review


  Necromishka  are  a  duo  form  Israel  that  plays  a  mixture  of  experimental  and  dark  ambient  with  elements  of  drone,  neo-folk, industrial,  post  rock  and  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2018  album  "The  Space  Between  Us".

  Experimental  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  clean  vocals  while  the  music  also  brings  in  elements  of  post  rock  along  with  some  drones  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  songs  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  you  can  also  hear  the  atmosphere  of  black  metal  at  times.

  A  brief  use  of  harsh  noises  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  acoustic  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  bring  in  elements  of  neo  folk  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  sounding  very  different  from  each  other  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  word  parts  onto  the  recording  and  as  the  album  progresses  influences  of  dark  industrial  can  also  be  heard.

  Necromishka  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  experimental  and  dark  ambient  while  elements  of  drone,  no-folk,  black  metal,  post  rock  and  industrial  can  also  be  heard  throughout  the  recording,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Necromishka  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  experimental  and  dark  ambient  with  elements  of  drone,  neo-folk,  industrial,  post  rock  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Beast  Of  Pray"  "Evil"  and  "There  Is  No  Space  between  Us".  8  out  of  10.

Necromishka.bandcamp.com 

  

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Dark Awake/Regard Extreme/The Odyssey/La Esencia Records/2018 Collaboration Album Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  collaboration  album  between  Greece's  Dark  Awake  and  Regard  Extreme  which  mix  martial,  industrial,  neo-classical, epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient  together  and  the  album  was  released  in  2018  by  La  Esencia  Records  and  is  called  "The  Odyssey".

  Field  recordings  and  atmospheric  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  stringed  and  folk  instruments  a  few  seconds  later  while  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  ambient  elements  along  with  the  synths  also  giving  the  songs  more  of  an  epic  atmosphere  as  well  as  some  of  the  tracks  being  instrumentals.

  Elements  of  neo-classical  can  also  be  heard  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  martial  drum  beats  are  also  brought  into  the  music  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  having  its  experimental  moments  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  operatic  female  vocals  and  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Dark  Awake  and  Regard  Extreme  mix  their  2  different  styles  together  and  create  a  recording  that  mixes  martial,  industrial,  neo-classical,epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient  together  to  create  something  very  original,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  based  upon  Homer's  "The  Odyssey".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  collaboration  from  Dark  Awake  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of   martial,  industrial,  neo-classical,epic, ethereal  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Towards  A  Long  Journey"  "Circe(Metamorphosis)"  "The  Island  Of  Sun  God  (Helios)"  and  "Ithaca  (The  Return  Of  The  King)".  8  out  of  10.

https://darkawake.bandcamp.com/album/the-odyssey        

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Ennui/End Of The Circle/Non Serviam Records/2018 CD Review



  Ennui  are  a  duo  from  Tbilisi, Georgia  that  plays  funeral  doom/death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "End  Of  The  Circle" which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Atmospheric  sounding  keyboards  along  with  some  clean  guitars  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  funeral  doom  metal  material  at  times  along  with  the  riffs  also  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  depressive  sounding  melodies  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  atmospheric  and  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  deep  death  metal  growls  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  being  used  briefly  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  but  keeping  the  main  focus  on  a  slower  direction  and  as  the  album  progresses  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Ennui  plays  a  form  of  funeral  doom/death  metal  that  is  very  slow,  atmospheric  and  heavy  sounding,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  death  and  funeral  of  all  being,  existential  madness,  and  final  circle  in  a  whirl  of  life  and  death.

  In  my  opinion  Ennui  are  a  very  great  sounding  funeral  doom/death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "End  of  The  Circle".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/bandEnnui

Nerobove Interview

1. For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Hi guys, first of all we’d like to thank you for this interview. Nerobove started in 2011 as See You Leather, but Salvatore (guitar/vocals) and me actually started playing together as soon as we grabbed our instruments at middle school. Then Liliana (bass) and Luca (guitar/vocals) joined us and we started shaping our sound and writing something similar to actual songs. After having played lots of shows in Sicily we released our debut EP Back to Aleph (2015). In the last two years we’ve focused on writing and recording Monuments to Our Failure, reconsidering ourselves as a band. That’s how Nerobove came out.

2. Recently you have released your first full length, what was the musical style that you wanted to achieve with this recording?
To be honest, we’ve never planned anything about our style. We usually write songs by jamming together in our rehearsal room. We all listen to different genres and have different attitudes. Since the beginning our music sounded as something close to thrash and death metal, which are the tastes we have in common, but we’ve always preferred to add unusual riffs and atmospheres to our song. Since Salvatore joined Krigere Wolf, a black metal band, we grabbed some influences from this genre, which is one of my favourite ones. Personally, I also love slower kinds of metal like doom, sludge and post and I think you can find some traces of those in the album. I like when bands slip away from standards and categories – it’d be cool for us to be considered one of those.

3. A lot of your lyrics cover literature, what is some of the writings that have had an inspiration on your work?
We’ve always been influenced by literature, mostly by the works of Lovecraft and Poe. Writing lyrics for Monuments to Our Failure I looked for something other, maybe less employed by metal bands. Luckily, studying literature at school and university I had the chance to discover and appreciate lots of works from the past. Latin poets (“Nekyomanteia”, taken by Lucan’s Pharsalia), French naturalism (“La Bête humaine”, from the novel of the same name by Émile Zola), modern female poets (“Not Waving but Drowning”, inspired by a poem of the same name by Stevie Smith) – all of this has been absorbed by the concept behind the album.

4. Originally the band was known as 'See you Leather', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nerobove'?
We chose the name See You Leather when we were younger, and we had no clue about what image fitted best with our music, which wasn’t already well defined. See You Leather was just a silly pun but we liked it, we are anything but serious people when we are together! Lately we realized that it didn’t fit our music and our concept anymore, so we drew upon something different. Nerobove satisfied what we were looking for: a one-word Italian name, which could be easy to pronounce for foreigner speakers. It literally means “black ox”, referring both to the heavy and fat animal and to a place near our hometown Catania called “Valle del Bove” (“Ox valley”). Placed on the eastern side of the Mount Etna, this barren valley is covered in black volcanic rocks. We thought that this landscape and the images it recalls could represent our style.

5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the album cover artwork?
The cover artwork has been realized by our mate Gore Occulto. We gave him the idea of a monument surrounded by a devastated atmosphere, he did the rest – we think it embodies perfectly our songs and the album concept. The monument represented is an actual church, one of the biggest in Sicily, which is placed in our home city, Catania. Its presence is huge and frightening, but the columns on the outside façade have been left unfinished – an enormous failure standing in front of everyone. What is more, the area in which the church is placed is anything but pleasant or artistic. We chose this subject because of its contradictions, and of course because it’s a striking monument.

6. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We have played lots of shows in very different contexts, but if I must choose one I’ll pick the release party we did for Monuments to Our Failure in June during Jettasangu Fest Vol. 4 alongside good bands and friends like Evil Share Hate and Infernalia. This was our first gig after a couple of years and the first show as Nerobove, so we felt it like a rebirth and we were really excited. The feedback from the audience has been outstanding and we couldn’t be more grateful for that. The guys played most of the show among the crowd leaving me alone behind the drumset! We love to sweat and swear on stage, I think it’s our ideal dimension and our habitat.

7. Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Nothing scheduled yet, but we’re planning to play in the few venues there are in Sicily and then try to hit other areas of Italy. As I said, we show our best side when playing on stage, so we want to make the most of it.

8. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We believe that nowadays the support of a label is important, although it’s not necessary. We’re trying to do our best to promote ourselves in a DIY way, but if some labels are interested in our music we are more than available to collaborate.

9. On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal?
It’s been awesome so far, we have received very good reviews and feedbacks. We think that the variety of our music could satisfy different tastes, from the old school thrasher to the fan of modern and technical metal. Of course, there’s a lot of work to do to improve, but we’re very happy.

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?
Three out of four members of Nerobove are involved in other extreme metal projects. Liliana plays in Whispering Haze, melodic death metal band currently working on its debut album. Salvatore destroys amps in Krigere Wolf (black/death). They have recently released a great split album with Japanese blacksters Sabbat and I know they’re working on something new. I hit drums in BuiOmegA (post/black/doom) and we’re writing new songs hoping to enter the studio next year, after having released our debut album Decay (in which I didn’t play) in December 2017. All of these projects have different identities from our band but are bringing at the same time great influence and inspiration to our sound. Recently some of us have also experienced different musical contexts, such as jazz, funk, pop, indie.
1
1. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We’re about to complete the songwriting process for a bunch of new songs. We are trying to maintain some similarity with Monuments to Our Failure yet evolving our style. I may say that our new material is going to be heavier and more direct that before, adding some sludgy riffs and a scorching atmosphere. Let’s see where our future jams will bring us!

12. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
As I said in the opening we all have different tastes, so I guess it’s difficult to spot direct influences in our music. There are bands which have been fundamental to our musical development, I mean very big names such as Pantera, Metallica, Death. Some of us share common tastes about other bands: Gojira, Mastodon, Behemoth are among my favorite acts and the guys like them. Liliana is really into melodic and modern death metal (All Shall Perish, Oceano, The Agonist), Salvatore lights candles to Bolzer and Mgla, while Luca listens to lots of classic rock. I love genres which are totally different from what we play, such as stoner and post-rock. Recently I’m listening to some Italian hardcore and post-hardcore bands and appreciating new records by Khemmis and YOB, while being totally amazed by the latest Zeal & Ardor album.

13. What are some of your non musical interests?
There are tons! Usually while together we talk about movies, videogames, politics, society. Luca is a computer science student, Liliana studies architectural engineering, Salvatore is a great cook and craftsman, I’m graduated in modern languages and I’m really into linguistic, history, folklore and literature.

14. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are very thankful for this conversation, keep supporting the underground scene! Don’t forget to check our profiles and listen to Monument to Our Failure on Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify and many illegal download websites!

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Friday, July 6, 2018

Heads For The Dead/Serpent's Curse/Transcending Obscurity Records/2018 CD Review


  Heads  For  The  Dead  are  an  international  band  with  members  from  Sweden,  Germany  and  U.S.A  that  plays  death  metal  with  some  elements  of  crust,  black  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  album  "Serpent's  Curse"  which  will  be  released  in  September  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  dark  and  ritualistic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  along  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  elements  of  crust.

  A  lot  of  90's  influences  can  be  heard  in  the  bands  musical  style  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  bringing  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  slower  sections  of  the  songs  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  metal,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  female  vocals  and  horror  movie  style  keyboards  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  they  also  close  the  album  with  a  cover  of  Wolfbastard's  "In  Darkness  I  Feel  No  Regrets".

  Heads  For  The  Dead  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  Swedish  death  metal  while  the  crust,  black  and  doom  metal  elements,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  occultism,  death  and  horror  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  heads  For  The  Dead  are  a  very  great  sounding  death  metal  band  with  some  elements  of  crust,  doom  and  black  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Serpent's  Curse"  "Post  Mortem  Suffering"  "Of  Wrath  And  Vengeance"  and  "Return  To  Fathomless  Darkness".  8  out  of  10.

Heads For The Dead Bandcamp

  

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Faction Senestre/Civilisation/Zanjeer Zani Productions/Necrocosm Productions/2018 Cassette Review


  Faction  Senestre  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  mixture of  ambient, folk  and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2018  ep  "Civilisation"  which  will  be  released  on  July  14th  as  a  joint  effort  between  Zanjeer  Zani  and  Necrocosm  Productions.

  A  very  dark,  ritualistic  and  avant  garde  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  while  percussion's  are  used  the  enhance  the  occult atmosphere  of  the  music  and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  dark  industrial  elements  as  well  as  being  very  experimental  at  times.

  The  music  is  divided  into  4  different  chapters  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  dark  ambient  sounds  and  ritualistic  chanting  at  times  along  with  the  music  also  capturing  the  militant  atmosphere  of  dark  and  neo-folk  and  as  the  album  progresses  touches  of  noise  are  also  added  into  the  music.

  Faction  Senestre  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  ambient,  industrial  and  folk  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  French  and  are  inspired  by  the  writings  of  Nietzsche.

  In  my  opinion  Faction  Senestre  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  ambient,  folk  and  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Artist/Faction-Senestre-458569347855321/